I'm Ryan Breeden with Long & Foster. I've been helping buyers and sellers across central Maryland since 2005, including here in Howard County. If you're comparing 55+ communities, the hard part is that they look alike on paper and cost very differently once you add the monthly fees. This page puts six of them side by side so you can narrow the list before you tour.
The six are Snowden Overlook in Columbia, Bethany Glen, Ellicott Hills and Village Crest at Taylor Village in Ellicott City, Courtyards at Waverly Woods in Woodstock, and Waverly Woods West in Marriottsville. Each one has its own page with more detail. This page is for deciding which ones deserve a visit.
Which Howard County 55+ community fits you?
- You want a gate and a full clubhouse: start with Snowden Overlook, Ellicott Hills and Courtyards at Waverly Woods. All three are gated.
- You want to live next to a golf course: Courtyards at Waverly Woods borders the Waverly Woods golf course. Club membership is separate and optional.
- You want the lowest price to get in: look at condos in Ellicott Hills, Village Crest and Waverly Woods West and Courtyards at Waverly Woods.
- You want a new home: Bethany Glen is the only one still being built.
- You want the lowest monthly fee: Bethany Glen and the Waverly Woods West villas and detached homes sit at the low end.
- You want a detached single-family home: Waverly Woods West and Bethany Glen are the two with detached homes.
- You want a large townhome-style villa: Snowden Overlook, Village Crest, Ellicott Hills and Courtyards at Waverly Woods all have villas, and the Snowden and Village Crest villas run the biggest.
How do the six communities compare side by side?
| Community | Where | Built | Gated | Home types | Monthly fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snowden Overlook | Columbia (Long Reach) | 2005 to 2009 | Yes, guardhouse staffed 8 PM to 5 AM | Condos, townhome-style villas | Condos about $715. Villas about $560 to $680. |
| Ellicott Hills | Ellicott City | 2003 to 2006 | Yes | Condos, townhome-style villas | Villas about $355 to $390. Condos about $495 to $550. |
| Village Crest at Taylor Village | Ellicott City | 2005 to 2010 | No | Condos, townhome-style villas | About $520 to $630 combined, depending on the building or section. |
| Courtyards at Waverly Woods | Woodstock | Condos built 2006 to 2010 | Yes | Condos (elevator buildings), attached villas | Condos about $525 to $565. Villas about $420 to $440. |
| Bethany Glen | Ellicott City | 2025 to 2026, still building | No | Townhome-style villas, detached | $178 HOA, plus a $700 a year front foot fee shown in the MLS tax section. |
| Waverly Woods West | Marriottsville | About 2012 to 2017 | No | Mews condos, villas, detached | Detached about $238. Villas about $212 to $222. Mews condos about $400 to $530 combined. |
Fees and prices are as of late October 2026. MLS fee entries can be wrong or out of date, so treat these as ranges and ask the community manager for the exact number on the home you're looking at. I help my clients verify the fees are accurate so they can make the best decision.
How do home prices compare?
Prices are what homes actually closed for, not what they were listed at. Bethany Glen is the exception, because it's new construction and you'll see builder prices alongside sales.
| Community | Condos | Villas (townhome-style) | Detached |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ellicott Hills | $325,000 to $550,000 | $625,000 to $720,000 | None |
| Village Crest | $340,000 to $405,000 | $565,000 to $660,000 | None |
| Waverly Woods West | $360,000 to $385,000 | $650,000 to $699,000 | $875,000 to $1,100,000 |
| Courtyards at Waverly Woods | $350,000 to $450,000 | $670,000 to $790,000 | None |
| Snowden Overlook | $410,000 to $515,000 | $610,000 to $710,000 | None |
| Bethany Glen, closed sales | None | $678,045 to $971,068 | $1,008,035 to $1,228,357 |
| Bethany Glen, builder starting prices | None | From $639,990 (Ryan Homes) and from $719,990 (NVHomes) | Mid-$900s (NVHomes) |
Closed-sale ranges come from the last 12 to 24 months, depending on how many homes sold, so a community with few sales can look wider or narrower than it really is. Bethany Glen closed sales run November 2025 through August 2026. Builder starting prices don't include the lot premium or options, which is why closed prices are the better guide for what you'll pay.
If price is your main filter, look at the monthly fee next to it. A $178 fee and a $700 combined fee are about $6,300 a year apart. That can matter as much as a $50,000 difference in the purchase price.
What do the monthly fees actually cover?
These numbers aren't directly comparable, because each community stacks its fees differently. At Snowden Overlook you pay a SOCA fee for the gate, clubhouse and pool, your building's or Villas group's condo association fee for insurance, exterior upkeep and reserves, and a Columbia Association annual charge. At Village Crest you pay a community HOA, a condo fee that varies by building or section, and in some homes a deferred water and sewer charge to a private water company. At Courtyards at Waverly Woods you pay an HOA fee and a separate condo fee, and together they cover exterior building maintenance, lawn care, snow removal, trash, the pools and the fitness center. At Waverly Woods West the HOA covers lawn care and snow removal on the detached homes, villas and Mews condos, and the Mews condos add a building association on top. At Bethany Glen the HOA includes lawn maintenance and snow removal.
The question to ask on every home is what the fee includes and what it doesn't. The community manager can answer that, and so can the association. The seller orders the resale package with the exact current fees, but that's usually after the contract is signed. I help my clients verify the fees are accurate before they make an offer so they don't have any surprises.
Which communities are gated, and what amenities do they have?
- Snowden Overlook: Gated. Staffed clubhouse, heated pool, fitness center, pickleball courts, library and card room.
- Ellicott Hills: Gated. A 6,200 square foot clubhouse, outdoor pool, fitness center, tennis and pickleball, library, and game and meeting rooms.
- Village Crest: Not gated. A private 55+ clubhouse with an indoor pool, a second fitness room, dance floor, library, computer lab, billiards and card room, plus the Taylor Village Community Center with three outdoor pools and tennis courts.
- Courtyards at Waverly Woods: Gated, with EV charging in the parking lots. A community center with a fitness center and meeting space, pools, tennis and pickleball courts, a bocce court and walking paths. The Waverly Woods golf course borders the community.
- Waverly Woods West: Not gated. Clubhouse, fitness center, outdoor pools and walking paths, with 462 homes.
- Bethany Glen: Not gated. Clubhouse with a fitness room and game room, pickleball courts, walking paths and a central green.
Condo, villa or detached: what do you get?
| Community | Condos | Villas | Detached |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowden Overlook | 2 to 3 bedrooms, about 1,500 to 1,900 sq ft | 2 to 4 bedrooms, about 3,000 to 5,000+ sq ft | None |
| Ellicott Hills | 2 to 3 bedrooms, about 1,300 to 2,900 sq ft | 3 bedrooms, about 2,500 to 3,500 sq ft | None |
| Village Crest | 2 bedrooms, about 1,330 to 1,660 sq ft | 3 to 4 bedrooms, about 2,900 to 4,000+ sq ft | None |
| Courtyards at Waverly Woods | 2 bedrooms, about 1,350 to 1,600 sq ft | 3 to 4 bedrooms, about 2,000 to 3,100 sq ft | None |
| Waverly Woods West | 2 bedrooms, about 1,400 sq ft | 3 to 4 bedrooms, about 3,400 to 3,600 sq ft | 2 to 4 bedrooms, about 2,000 to 5,500 sq ft |
| Bethany Glen | None | 3 to 4 bedrooms, about 2,800 to 3,800 sq ft | 2 to 3 bedrooms, about 2,800 to 3,600 sq ft |
The villas are townhome-style homes that are bigger than most people expect. If you're downsizing from a large house, a villa often feels like a step down in maintenance, not in space.
New construction or resale?
Bethany Glen is the only new-construction option here. You pick a plan and options, and the closing date follows the build. The tradeoff is that the starting price is a starting point. Once lot and options are added, most homes close above it, so compare builder pricing with what homes have closed for. The other five are resale, which means you can see the exact home, tour it and often move faster. If you need the money from your current home to buy, a new build can line up well with a sale, because the closing date lands later.
What does 55+ mean?
Under the federal rule, a community has to have at least one person 55 or older in at least 80% of its occupied homes. The county and each community can write rules on top of that, including who else can live in the home, so the answer can differ from one community to the next. The exact rules are in the governing documents. I help my clients verify the age rules and who else can live in the home before they sign, so they don't have any surprises.
Frequently asked questions
Which Howard County 55+ community has the lowest monthly fees?
Bethany Glen has the lowest single fee at $178 a month, and the Waverly Woods West villas and detached homes are close behind at about $212 to $238. Snowden Overlook condos are at the high end, at about $715 combined. Fees vary by home, so ask the community manager for the exact amount on the one you like.
Which Howard County 55+ community has the lowest prices?
For condos, Ellicott Hills starts lowest, with closed prices from about $325,000, followed by Village Crest from about $340,000. For villas, Village Crest runs lowest at about $565,000 to $660,000. Bethany Glen builder prices start at $639,990.
Are these communities gated?
Snowden Overlook, Ellicott Hills and Courtyards at Waverly Woods are gated. Village Crest, Bethany Glen and Waverly Woods West are not.
Which ones have detached single-family homes?
Waverly Woods West and Bethany Glen. The other four have condos and townhome-style villas only.
Which community is newest?
Bethany Glen, with homes built from 2025 and building still underway. Waverly Woods West is next, built from about 2012 to 2017.
What does 55+ mean?
Under the federal rule, at least 80% of occupied homes need at least one resident who is 55 or older. The county and each community can add rules on top of that, so ask the community manager before you write an offer.
Should I sell my house before I buy in a 55+ community?
It depends on how much equity you have and how much risk you want to carry. I can walk through your numbers with you and show you how selling first, buying first or a contingent offer would work for your situation.
What buyers say about working with me
"The most important thing for us in this process was honesty and an agent who represents us and thinks the best for us."
"He helped us sell our home above asking price and patiently guided us to find the perfect new house. His attention to detail, timing, and strategic approach are unmatched, and he never made us feel pressured."
"He was very patient and answered my smallest question promptly and carefully... he could explain in dollar terms what the possible advantage of doing these things might be."
Ready to compare these communities in person?
If you tell me what matters most, whether it's the monthly fee, a gate, a new home or the price, I'll narrow the six to the one or two worth touring and set up the showings. Contact me and we'll start there.
I'm Ryan Breeden, a REALTOR with Long & Foster who has worked with buyers and sellers across Howard, Anne Arundel, Montgomery and Carroll Counties since 2005.