New on the Ridge: Carmen and Larry Hellikson

In their years together, Carmen and Larry Hellikson have been at home throughout the United States. Their life has taken them from sunny Honolulu, Hawaii to picturesque Cary, North Carolina and many interesting places in-between. Despite the years and miles, the retired Air Force officer has always known where his wife’s heart longed to be: among her extended family in her home state of California.

With their two sons grown and raising families of their own, Carmen and Larry felt the time had come to plan a move to Paradise Valley Estates’ newest neighborhood, The Ridge. They talked to us about their recent decision and why a Life Plan Community has always been part of their plan.

How did you find out about The Ridge?

“We’ve been watching Paradise Valley Estates for about 20 years. We’d visited years ago, but we weren’t ready to make that kind of a move back then,” says Larry. “We were looking at the website one day and noticed the expansion,” says Larry. “So, we made an appointment to visit last December. We wanted to get a feel for the place now. A lot has changed!”

What were you looking for in a new home?

“No yard,” he laughs. “We’d had enough of that. This is our third downsize so we chose a 1,150 square foot villa apartment with one bedroom and one-and-a-half baths. It was the right size for us, and we really liked that it will be brand new.”

Were you always interested in a Life Plan Community?

“Yes, we became interested about 25 years ago because we knew we wanted to have a plan,” he says. “Now that I’m turning 80, it was time to start thinking about the next phase of our lives. We knew we wanted to be in control and didn’t want to burden our kids.”

What are you most looking forward to about the move?

“We’re excited to meet new people,” he says. “We’ve already been up there on several occasions and been able to meet future neighbors. We’re excited to move there.”