By Michela Worthington, ABR, SRS, SRES, REALM Certified — The OwnRVA Group, brokered by Real Broker, LLC
Whether you can build new in a Richmond 55+ community depends entirely on which community you choose, because several of the best ones finished building years ago. As of August 2026, Chickahominy Falls, Mosaic at West Creek, and The Cottages at Viniterra all offer new construction alongside resale. CrossRidge is fully built out at 756 homes by Eagle Construction of Va, so every purchase there is a resale, as is every purchase at Heron Pointe at Swift Creek and Twin Hickory. That single fact reshapes the decision: new construction buys you choice of homesite, floor plan, and finishes plus a builder warranty, while resale buys you an established neighborhood, mature landscaping, a proven HOA, and a closing date you can plan around. Timing matters more for this buyer than most — the median repeat buyer reached an all-time-high age of 62 in 2025, per the National Association of Realtors.
Which Richmond 55+ Communities Still Build New?
Three of the region's active adult communities were still delivering new homes as of August 2026, and the rest are resale only.
Community | New construction? | Builder(s) | Price range | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Chickahominy Falls | Yes — plus resale | Cornerstone Homes, Boone Homes, StyleCraft | $450,000 – $775,000+ | Hanover |
Mosaic at West Creek | Yes | HHHunt, Shell Brothers, Boone Homes, StyleCraft | $500,000 – $1,000,000 | Goochland |
The Cottages at Viniterra | Yes | Mungo Homes | $450,000 – $735,000 | New Kent |
CrossRidge | No — built out | Eagle Construction of Va | $380,000 – $625,000+ | Henrico |
Heron Pointe at Swift Creek | No — 80 homes, built out | — | $600,000 – $840,000 | Chesterfield |
Twin Hickory | No — resale | Boone Homes and others | $450,000 – $750,000 | Henrico |
Pricing reflects my working estimates for the Richmond market as of August 2026.
What Do You Gain by Building New?
Building new gives you control over four things resale cannot offer: the homesite, the floor plan, the finish selections, and a builder warranty on a house nobody has lived in.
Homesite choice is the most undervalued of the four. Orientation determines which rooms get morning light, whether your porch faces a tree buffer or a street, and whether you back to open space. At Chickahominy Falls, proximity to Woodside Farm and Market is itself a homesite decision. At Mosaic at West Creek, a community of roughly 500 homes across 207 rolling acres, topography varies enough that lot selection genuinely changes the house.
Floor plan control matters more at this stage of life than any other. Every new 55+ plan in this market puts the primary suite on the first floor, but the differences past that are significant — door widths, curbless shower options, garage entry without steps, and whether the second bedroom can convert to a study. Choosing those upfront costs far less than retrofitting later.
The warranty is real value on a purchase this size. So is the efficiency of current building code, which shows up every month in your utility bill.
What Do You Gain by Buying Resale?
Resale gives you a certain closing date, mature landscaping, an established social community, a proven HOA track record, and the ability to see exactly what you are buying.
Certainty is the biggest of these for downsizers. A resale closes on a date you can plan a move around. A build delivers when it delivers, and that gap has to be housed and paid for — the single most common source of stress in the moves I manage.
The established-community factor is underrated. CrossRidge's more than 30 organized clubs did not exist on day one; they grew over years. Buying into a mature community means the calendar is already full, the neighbors already know each other, and you can evaluate the social fit by visiting rather than by trusting a rendering. In a new section, you are helping to build that culture, which some buyers find energizing and others find like work.
You also get to inspect what you are buying. The landscaping is grown in. The HOA has a fee history and a reserve study you can read. The drainage has been through several storms. And in a built-out community, the amenity package is finished — no waiting on a planned facility.
How Does Price Compare Between New and Resale?
In Richmond's 55+ market, new construction generally carries a premium over comparable resale, but community-to-community differences swamp the new-versus-resale gap.
CrossRidge, which is resale only, starts around $380,000 — the lowest full-amenity entry point in the market. Mosaic at West Creek, which is building new, starts around $500,000. That $120,000 spread is mostly about community positioning, Goochland's setting, and home size, not about new versus used.
Chickahominy Falls is the cleanest place to see the true comparison, because it offers both. New construction there lets you specify finishes; resale lets you close sooner and often at a lower total once you account for the upgrades a resale seller already paid for. Landscaping, window treatments, and hardscape are frequently included in a resale price and are meaningful line items on a new build.
Budget honestly for those post-closing costs on new construction. The base price is rarely the price you pay.
Which Option Is Better for Aging in Place?
New construction is easier to specify for aging in place, but a well-chosen resale can match it — and in one specific case, resale wins outright.
Building new lets you order wider doorways, curbless showers, blocking for future grab bars, lever handles, and a step-free garage entry as options rather than as a renovation. That is the cleanest path if aging in place is your priority.
The exception is CrossRidge. One of its condominium neighborhoods consists of four two-story buildings with private elevators serving the second-story units — a feature you cannot readily add to a new build in this market and that essentially does not exist elsewhere in Richmond's 55+ inventory. For a buyer for whom stairs are the deciding issue, that resale beats anything you could specify new.
Heron Pointe at Swift Creek is another resale-only community worth a look here: all 80 homes have first-floor primary suites, brick fronts, and screened porches or Florida rooms, with limited exterior maintenance handled by the association.
How Should You Decide?
Choose new construction if you want homesite and finish control, plan to age in place and want the accessibility features built in, and can absorb a flexible timeline. Choose resale if you need a certain closing date, want a proven HOA and an established social calendar, want to see the finished product before committing, or are targeting a community that no longer builds.
The decision is often made for you by community. If CrossRidge, Heron Pointe, or Twin Hickory is where you want to be, resale is the only option. If you want Mosaic at West Creek or The Cottages at Viniterra, new is the primary path. Only at Chickahominy Falls do you genuinely choose.
Whichever way you go, the sequencing of your current home's sale is the part that actually determines whether the move is smooth. I lay that out in downsizing to a Richmond 55+ community, and if you are weighing the market's two most-compared communities, start with CrossRidge vs. Chickahominy Falls.
Want Help Comparing a Build to a Resale?
Builder contracts and resale contracts protect you differently, and the differences matter — representation on a new build is not automatic and is not something the sales center provides. I represent buyers on both. See the full landscape in my guide to the best 55+ communities in Richmond VA, review the cost structures in what your 55+ HOA fee actually covers, and get a free valuation of your current home.
Michela Worthington, ABR, SRS, SRES, REALM Certified The OwnRVA Group, brokered by Real Broker, LLC Phone: (804) 391-9294 Email: michela@ownrva.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you still build new at CrossRidge?
No. CrossRidge is fully built out at 756 homes by Eagle Construction of Va, so every purchase is a resale. Buyers who want new construction in a Richmond 55+ community should look at Chickahominy Falls, Mosaic at West Creek, or The Cottages at Viniterra.
Which Richmond 55+ communities offer new construction?
As of August 2026, Chickahominy Falls in Hanover County (Cornerstone Homes, with Boone Homes and StyleCraft), Mosaic at West Creek in Goochland County (HHHunt, Shell Brothers, Boone Homes, StyleCraft), and The Cottages at Viniterra in New Kent County (Mungo Homes) all deliver new homes. Chickahominy Falls also has resale inventory.
Is new construction more expensive than resale in 55+ communities?
Generally yes on a comparable home, but community positioning matters far more than build status. Resale-only CrossRidge starts around $380,000 while new-construction Mosaic at West Creek starts around $500,000 — a gap driven by community and location, not by age of the home. Budget separately for landscaping, window treatments, and hardscape on a new build.
Do I need my own agent to buy new construction?
Yes, if you want representation. The sales representative at a builder's model home works for the builder. Bringing your own agent, and registering them on your first visit, costs you nothing and gives you someone reviewing the builder contract, the options pricing, and the walkthrough on your behalf.
Which is better for aging in place?
New construction lets you specify wider doorways, curbless showers, and step-free entry as options rather than renovations. The exception is CrossRidge, where one condominium neighborhood has four two-story buildings with private elevators — a feature that is very hard to find elsewhere in the Richmond 55+ market at any price.
How long does a new 55+ home take to build near Richmond?
Build cycles typically run many months from contract to delivery and can slip. Plan an interim rental or build slack into the listing timeline for your current home, because carrying a sold house and an unfinished one is the most common and most expensive mistake in these moves.