Eileen Mary Masonic Village
photos: operator / Village Guide
Retirement living · Dannevirke, Tararua

Eileen Mary Masonic Village

Masonic Care Limited · Dannevirke · independent villas + residential care nearby
Life Score
67
Strong
Capital Back
41
the money ↓
See what life here is like — then weigh what it means for your family further down.
The village

Life here

Nestled in the heart of Dannevirke, Eileen Mary Masonic Village offers a intimate retirement community with a special focus on warmth and connection. The village features five two-bedroom villas ideal for those downsizing while remaining independent, set in peaceful gardens just a short walk from town. Life here centres on fun, laughter and friendship, with home-cooked meals available and a supportive atmosphere where residents can truly belong.

Your home

Living options

Living Options

Eileen Mary offers independent villas and residential care apartments, with a range of care levels available on-site.

Two-bedroom independent villas with large garages
Walk-in showers and heat pumps
Generous storage
One-bedroom residential care apartments with en-suites and kitchen areas
Serviced apartments available
Living options
A day in the life

What living here is actually like

Community life at Eileen Mary revolves around connection and enjoyment.

Activities & Social Life

Residents enjoy a warm, welcoming atmosphere with regular village activities and entertainment. The village is known for its friendly community spirit and focus on fun and friendship.

Housie and cards
Organised entertainment
Popular happy hours
Home-cooked meals available for a small cost
Well-kept gardens
Always something on
On your doorstep

Facilities & services

Peaceful garden setting
Large garages
Heat pumps
Walk-in showers
En-suite bathrooms
Kitchen areas in care apartments
Meal service available
Peace of mind

Care for life, on site

If your health changes, you won't have to leave the place you know. Eileen Mary Masonic Village offers these levels of care on site:

IndependentServicedRest homeHospital
Care and community
Where it is

Setting & neighbourhood

Eileen Mary Masonic Village is situated in Dannevirke, a welcoming Manawatu community. The village enjoys a convenient location just a short walk from downtown Dannevirke, with easy access to the town's amenities including shops, bowling, and a golf course. The setting combines small-town charm with modern retirement living in a peaceful garden environment.

Interested?

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Now the practical part

The money — what comes back to your family

You've seen why you'd love it. This is the part most families only discover at the exit statement — so we put it in plain sight. Every figure is from the village's own filed Disclosure Statement.

Capital Back score
41
Below average · #314 of 520
Better than 40% of NZ villages — yet the market median is just 46. The sector is tough.
Deferred fee
30%
~$39k on a $130k unit, over 2.5 years
Your share of capital gain
0%
operator keeps 100% of any uplift
Time to get capital back
~319 days
median, from 5 recent resales
Fees after you leave
Stop
good — many villages keep charging
7 years
Your estate receives
$170,500
Operator keeps (deferred fee)$-40,500
Share of your $130,000 back131%
Before you sign, get independent eyes on the contract.An ORA-review lawyer or independent financial adviser — never paid by any operator — checks what it really means for your family.
⚖ Get independent advice →
How the 41 is built

Nothing hidden — every component

The Capital Back score is a transparent weighting of five filed terms — you can see exactly where this village wins and loses.

Move-in fee you don't get back Deferred Management Fee — weighted 30%
30% deferred fee — lower is better.
25
Share of capital growth Capital gain to resident — weighted 15%
0% — the operator keeps any resale uplift.
0
Speed your capital returns Median resale time — weighted 30%
319 days across recent resales.
61
Fees stop when you leave Weekly fees on exit — weighted 15%
Charges end on vacancy.
100
Interest if repayment is slow Interest on delayed capital — weighted 10%
No interest on delayed repayment.
0
The filed terms, in plain English

What the Disclosure Statement actually says

Every operator uses different words for the same thing — we normalise them so you can compare like with like.

%

Deferred Management Fee

30% of $130,000 = ~$39,000

Accrues over your first 2.5 years, charged on the entry price.

Market: median 30%; only 16% of villages charge under 25%.

Capital gain

0% to the resident

Any increase in the licence value at resale is kept entirely by the operator.

Market: just 8% of NZ villages share any capital gain.

How fast your capital comes back

~319 days median

Your capital is repaid once the unit is re-licensed to a new resident. (Operator-stated average: 208.5 days.)

Market: median 154 days; 21 villages still average over a year.

Fees & interest on exit

Resident-friendly

Weekly fees stop when you vacate.

Market: 220 of 520 villages keep charging weekly fees after you've gone.
Before you sign the ORA

The reckoning usually arrives too late

  • You're buying a licence to occupy, not the home — you can't sell, rent or borrow against it.
  • Roughly $39,000 is gone in deferred fees within 2.5 years, whatever the unit later sells for.
  • Your family carries the risk of how long resale takes — and the operator's ability to pay.
  • None of this is hidden — it's all in the Disclosure Statement most people sign without reading.
Have someone independent read it first

We'll connect you with a retirement-village review lawyer or independent financial adviser — no operator pays to be here.

Request an ORA review → Talk to a financial adviser