Luxury retirement communities looking for another spot to have their names on the Internet are signing up with Private Communities Registry, a Website showcasing resort properties.

PrivateCommunities.com features 91 retirement communities on its site with10 more ready to be added, says spokeswoman Cathy Norvell. The company has been in business since 1996 and averages 500,000 hits a month. Site traffic is mainly working couples aged 45+ who are looking toward retirement.

Communities pay to be listed on the registry where users can search by state or name to find out more about possible retirement destinations. There is no advertising, but there are photos and write-ups on each community, as well as links to the properties' home pages.

Private Communities advertises the site in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times and alumni magazines of Dartmouth, Yale and Harvard, Norvell tells STS.

The registry is a top sales generator for Spruce Creek Communities, a Del Webb property in Summerfield, Fla., says senior sales manager Rick Perkins. The Internet in general is quickly becoming a major source of referrals, he tells STS. In January, 11 of the 48 homes sold in the community came directly from the Web.

"The Internet is a low-cost, very efficient and effective way to get the word out," Perkins says. Spruce Creek has links with other sites, including local newspapers, he adds.

Info: Norvell:, 800/875-3072, www.PrivateCommunities.com; Perkins, 352/437-3344.