Delaware Retirement and Second Home Guides
Updated October 5, 2026
Every guide on this page answers one question that comes up when people plan a move to Delaware. Each one has a full written guide, and most have a video. They cover New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties, and they point out where the answer changes from one county to the next.
Planning to buy a beach home now and retire here later? Skip to Buying a Second Home Now, Retiring Here Later.
Moving to Delaware: Where Do I Start?
Moving to Delaware: The Complete Guide for Retirees
The big picture. Taxes, the three regions of the state, the kinds of homes, cost of living and the practical steps of the move.
Moving to Delaware From Pennsylvania: What It Actually Saves You
A side-by-side look at what changes on taxes and costs when you move from Pennsylvania to Delaware, county by county.
What Has Actually Changed in Coastal Delaware Since 1999
If your picture of the beaches comes from vacations years ago, start here. Growth, health care, traffic and the housing market, then and now.
Buying in Delaware Before You Sell
How to buy here before your current home sells, what it costs to carry two homes for a while, and how long a sale takes here.
How Does Delaware Tax Retirees?
We are not tax advisors. These guides explain how the rules work. Confirm your own situation with a tax professional before you decide anything.
The Delaware Senior School Property Tax Credit and the 10 Year Rule
Who qualifies for the senior school tax credit, how to apply in each county, and why newer residents have to wait before they can claim it.
How Does Delaware Tax a Military Pension in Retirement?
The military pension exclusion, how it grows each year under Senate Bill 219, and how it combines with the other pension exclusions.
What Is Health Care Like in Delaware?
What Does Delaware Health Care Look Like, County by County?
The hospital systems in each county, the expansions that are planned, and how Medicare works when you move here.
Communities, Fees and New Construction
What Do HOA Fees Actually Cost in a Delaware Active Adult Community?
Why fees vary so much from one community to the next, what they cover, and the questions to ask before you buy, including what you pay at settlement.
New Construction Near the Delaware Beaches: Which Bucket Is Your Community In?
Building now, approved but stalled, or not yet approved. What each one means for your timeline and your deposit.
Why Did Sussex County Pause New Subdivision Hearings?
What the pause is, why it happened, and what it means for communities that are not approved yet.
Delaware's June 2027 Density Deadline: What House Bill 450 Means
The new state law on housing density and rezoning deadlines, and what it means for buyers and sellers in all three counties.
Buying a Second Home Now, Retiring Here Later
Many people buy a beach home years before they retire, use it on weekends and in summer, then move here for good. These guides cover that path from start to finish.
Buying a Delaware Beach Home Now to Retire Here Later
When a second home makes you a Delaware resident, and why the clock on the senior school tax credit starts only when you move here for good.
What a Second Home in Coastal Delaware Costs to Own
Transfer tax, property tax, flood insurance and HOA fees. What it costs to own the home before you live in it full time.
Can You Rent Out a Second Home at the Delaware Beaches?
The state lodging tax, town rental licenses and HOA rental rules, the three things to check before you plan on rental income.
Have a Question These Guides Do Not Answer?
Ask us. Call Active Adults Realty at 302-549-5164 or send us a message. We work in New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties, and we will point you to the right answer or find it for you.