Maplewood Village

Independent Assessment

Maplewood Village's 55+ status rests on the strongest kind of evidence available short of a recorded covenant itself: the community's own governing association, not just a listing aggregator, describes it directly as an 'owner occupied, 55+ independent living community' on its own official site, and that exact characterization is echoed independently by 55places' community listing. That two-source agreement -- the HOA's own voice plus an independent directory that did not simply invent the phrase -- puts Maplewood Village on firmer ground than a community relying solely on builder or franchise marketing copy. The underlying recorded declaration of covenants itself was not located, so the precise legal age-verification mechanism (how the association confirms a household meets the 55+ threshold, and what happens on resale or inheritance) remains something a buyer's attorney should request directly rather than assume from the association's own summary description.

Who May Find This Community Appealing

Maplewood Village suits buyers who want a genuinely mature, walkable condo community rather than a still-developing subdivision -- 173 homes gives it a substantial scale and established resale market, and its bundled fee structure (covering everything from lawn care to hot water) appeals to buyers who want to eliminate exterior-maintenance decisions entirely. The no-dogs, no-smoking, no-solicitation house rules and shared indoor pool/sauna/exercise room amenities will appeal most to buyers who want a quiet, rule-enforced, adults-focused setting over a more amenity-heavy, activity-programmed active-adult campus.

Homes, Builders & Development History

Maplewood Village Condominium Association was founded in 1984 and today comprises 173 condominium homes centered on SE Delaware Ave in Ankeny. No specific named developer or builder of record distinct from the association itself was found, and the community's ownership pipeline is entirely resale rather than active new construction, consistent with a 42-year-old, fully built-out condo development. Maplewood Village is a distinct development from the Epcon-branded 'Courtyards' communities (Harvest Ridge, Rock Creek) elsewhere in Ankeny, with its own separate association, architecture, and history.

Current Pricing & Market Positioning

No confirmed price range for units at Maplewood Village was found. Given the community's 1984 founding and 173-home scale, it likely offers a broader range of unit sizes and price points than Ankeny's newer, smaller active-adult developments, but buyers should request current comparable sales from a local Ankeny agent or via Iowa Realty and RE/MAX listings, both of which have carried Maplewood Village inventory.

New Construction vs. Resale Considerations

Maplewood Village is a fully built-out, 42-year-old condominium community with no new-construction inventory; all availability is resale. Buyers should work with a local Ankeny agent to track current listings, since inventory turns over through individual owner sales rather than a builder sales office.

Taxes, Insurance & Special Assessments

Homes at Maplewood Village are subject to Polk County, Iowa property tax administration; Polk County's effective property tax rate has been reported in the roughly 1.2% to 1.7% range depending on the calculation source, above both the Iowa and national medians, so buyers should confirm the current rate directly with the Polk County Assessor. Iowa provides a standard Homestead Tax Credit for owner-occupied primary residences plus an additional exemption for owners 65 or older as of January 1 of the assessment year (a minimum $5,500 and maximum $20,000 reduction in taxable value), both requiring an application filed with the county assessor. Iowa Code Section 216.12 exempts genuinely age-restricted housing from the state's fair-housing familial-status protections through two prongs -- a 62-and-older prong with no facilities requirement, and a 55-and-older prong that (unlike the amended federal HOPA standard) still requires 'significant facilities and services' for older residents; Maplewood Village's substantial shared recreational facilities (pool, sauna, exercise room) would appear to speak to that latter requirement, though it was not independently confirmed that the association has formally relied on it. Buyers should also request current homeowners-insurance quotes and the master policy's coverage details directly from the association.

Community Layout & Lifestyle

Maplewood Village is organized as a gated condominium campus with shared indoor recreational facilities -- pool, whirlpool, sauna, and exercise room -- housed alongside a community room used for resident gatherings, plus outdoor gardening plots for residents who want a private growing space without the upkeep of a full yard. House rules banning dogs, smoking, and door-to-door solicitation anywhere on campus give the community a notably quiet, low-disruption character. A specific organized-activity calendar beyond the shared facilities was not independently confirmed; buyers should ask the association directly what resident-run clubs or programming currently use the community room.

Shopping, Healthcare & Airport Access

Maplewood Village is centered on 413 SE Delaware Ave in Ankeny, close to grocery stores, pharmacies, healthcare providers, restaurants, and shopping, with downtown Des Moines reported to be roughly a 10-minute drive away. This puts residents within easy reach of daily errands without leaving Ankeny itself. Exact drive times to specific medical facilities were not independently confirmed; buyers should confirm these directly with a local agent.

Age Qualification & Material Ownership Restrictions

Maplewood Village's own official site states directly that it is 'an owner occupied, 55+ independent living community,' and 55places' independent community listing repeats that same characterization rather than applying its own generic category tag. This first-party self-description from the community's own governing association, corroborated by an independent secondary source using the identical language, is solid evidence supporting the legally age-restricted 55+ classification -- though the association's recorded declaration of covenants, which holds the precise legal age-verification mechanism a title company or attorney would cite, was not independently reviewed. Buyers who need that exact language should request the association's governing documents directly.

Tradeoffs & Limitations

Current pricing, HOA fee amounts, and a specific breakdown of what portion of dues funds the reserve fund versus operating expenses at Maplewood Village were not confirmed; buyers should request the association's current budget, reserve study, and any special-assessment history directly. No recorded declaration of covenants was independently reviewed, so while the association's own 55+ self-description is treated here as strong evidence, buyers who need the exact legal age-verification language should request it from the association directly. The no-dogs policy is a meaningful limitation for buyers who want to bring a pet, and should be confirmed in full (including any cat or small-animal exceptions) before purchasing.

Comparison With Nearby Communities

At 173 homes, Maplewood Village is larger than the Prairie Trail cluster (The Vineyard, Vintage Hills Cooperative) and the Epcon Courtyards developments, and its 1984 founding makes it more established by decades -- those communities are all considerably newer. Where the Courtyards communities carry an unresolved brand-marketing-only age-restriction question, Maplewood Village's own association describes itself directly as a 55+ community, giving it a firmer evidentiary footing. Buyers weighing scale, price variety, and an established resale market against newer amenities and gated master-planned surroundings should treat Maplewood Village and the Prairie Trail cluster as offering genuinely different tradeoffs within the same city.

Current Listings

A connected local agent, or Iowa Realty's and RE/MAX's own Ankeny listings pages, can provide current available units at Maplewood Village and confirm the current HOA fee and reserve-fund status directly with the association.

Is Maplewood Village age-restricted to 55 and older?

Yes, on the strongest evidence found: the association's own official site describes Maplewood Village directly as 'an owner occupied, 55+ independent living community,' and 55places' independent listing repeats the identical description. The recorded declaration of covenants was not independently reviewed for the exact legal age-verification language, which buyers should request from the association.

How many homes are in Maplewood Village?

173 condominium homes. The association was founded in 1984.

What does the HOA fee cover at Maplewood Village?

A notably complete bundle: pool, whirlpool, sauna, exercise room, and community room access; master insurance; lawn care, snow removal, and sprinkler-system upkeep; exterior and common-area maintenance; trash collection; and water, sewer, and hot water. Nothing in the sources reviewed confirmed the current dollar amount.

Are pets allowed at Maplewood Village?

The community's own published house rules prohibit dogs, along with smoking and door-to-door solicitation, anywhere on the property. Buyers should confirm the exact scope of this policy directly with the association.