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Tips on Buying or Selling Real Estate in the Second Half of Life
Moving late in life is hard. First you must come to terms with the idea, and then decide where
to go. There is a range of steps to consider when you prepare to buy, or downsize and sell your house – remember to:
Select a REALTOR® experienced in and knowledgeable about the area to do an analysis of the property. A REALTOR with the Seniors Real Estate Specialist® (SRES) designation is especially equipped to work with mature clients.
1. Make sure your agent has a specific marketing program and performs in a timely way.
2. If you are selling, pay heed to special problems the agent might indicate, such as whether the house needs work, is too cluttered or too personal.
3. If you are buying, make sure the agent understands your needs, and is acting to meet them.
4. Don’t feel overwhelmed. Break the process into steps and take them one at a time.
5. Look at this as a business transaction. If selling, remember that your home is an asset, no matter how many happy years you spent in it. Try to look at it objectively.
The memories don’t stay with the house, they stay with you.
Boomer’s are Buzzing About Nicaragua’s Affordable Cost of Living and Stunning Natural Beauty
October 13th, 2008 Categories: Relocating, The Senior Network, Trends
Scenic Beauty and Surfing Paradise
Many baby boomers are discovering the affordability and beauty of Nicaragua’s southern Pacific coast.
San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua- What was once a small fishing village is becoming a hot spot for to-be retirees looking to swoop up some of the best Pacific coast real estate deals in the western hemisphere. While surfers and backpackers have been exploring Nicaragua’s southern coastline for years, baby boomers are quickly becoming the largest demographic investing in this seaside paradise.
“With the prices of Costa Rica, Mexico and even Panama skyrocketing, many are recognizing that Nicaragua offers the greatest potential for growth in the Central American region. The country now ranks as the safest and most affordable nation in Latin America, and apparently the word is out because business is booming”, touts Sam Stewart, real estate broker in San Juan del Sur. “With the US economy slowdown we have seen a reduction in speculators coming down, but we are seeing an ever growing amount of retirees needing to find places to retire that they can actually afford. It’s really a double edged sword for us because with the current American economy we are seeing people with less capital for investment, but at the same time, the further they are needing the money they do have to go. Nicaragua now offers folks the most for their money- where they can still afford to retire in style!”
With an estimated 8 million boomers planning to move abroad over the next 5 years, and Nicaragua now ranking in the Top 5 of these foreign US retirement destinations, the country seems like a sure bet in terms of investment potential. After seeing property values grow exponentially over the last 10 years in places like Costa Rica, Nicaragua real estate offers investors an affordable safe haven, with the same natural beauty, friendly people, and vibrant culture that initially attracted investors to places like Costa Rica in the 90’s.
Written by Brody Stinson | Discussion: 1 Comment »
Retirement and Home Ownership - Is It For You?
June 23rd, 2008 Categories: Relocating, Selling Thoughts, The Senior Network
Owning your home is a good idea, but is it a good idea to stay in it throughout your retirement? I know that buying or selling a house is 90% emotion and 10% logic and it seems that even I have difficulty thinking about my living and housing situation in my older years of retirement. It’s almost like it will never get here and so why spend much time thinking about it - I’ll just wing it. As a Realtor who works with retirement age clients helping them sell their homes, I know that “winging it” doesn’t work very well. I see all sorts of great choices out there for seniors and different housing options for retirement - all of these options are available by rent month to month, to buy or invest in, to buy-in and pay monthly fees, special medical needs and steped up care, even moving in with the kids. They all look great for the most part. The factors here are how to pay for it, when and what are the priorities facing us. We’ve all been watching our home value rise and then fall and maybe if you’re one of the lucky ones your house might be close to being paid off. What a concept! That was how everyone used to do it. We talk to our financial adviser, our family and friends for their opinions and still it’s a hard decision to make. Rent or Buy?
Remember I said that buying and selling a home is 90% emotion? That’s where a lot of the problem is. Renting may make sense logically but what I’ve learned is for some people a lot of their “emotional security” comes from owning their own home and so it makes it that much harder to let go. It’s yours, no one can kick you out, or rearrange your furniture ( hey who put that couch there, it wasn’t there yesterday?). All
this is great stuff, but for those of us that are thinking about downsizing ourselves or who have parents who “just won’t leave” their homes, it’s not about logic - it’s about emotion. This generation is of the mentality that your home is your fortress and a “good” investment that will help finance their retirement one day. They’re right again, but when to take advantage of the value tied up on the home is important to. Home prices have had a great run-up in value this past decade but as history has it, home prices are capable of decline, sometimes for long periods.
I’ve personally watched my mom’s house decline not only in value but in maintenance in the last few years. My mom and stepdad are quite proud of the fact that they’re maintaining in their home in their older years, however, the jimmy rigs and fix ups that I’ve witnessed are a bit scary, not to mention my mother’s health issues and the stairs. As a Realtor, I naturally walk into any ones house and notice these things. Forgive me mom. Renting may make economic sense to them, but emotionally they can’t imagine it. The downsizing, the memories, having a home for the “family”, you get it right? While I am screaming inside, sell - sell- sell why you can! Get out from the payments, the maintenance, the taxes, they are thinking about when the next golf game will be on TV this week and when the grandchildren will be visiting next.
Things to consider when deciding or helping your parents to decide whether to buy or rent after retirement:
- Age and Health - two big ones. This will determine whether aging seniors can even consider routine home maintenance or the stress of worrying about it. Age isn’t the deciding factor alone, but health issues do becomes more important. Renting frees up these issues because someone will care for the home for them.
- Fixed Income - most seniors live on fixed incomes and have to budget carefully. A sudden medical expense could wreak havoc on a fixed income budget leaving few choices.
- Financially security - if your finances are such that you don’t have a fixed budget and just want to travel, owning a home might put straps and limits on you that might just impede your retirement fun and travel ability.
- Lifestyle - while you are out traveling the world and enjoying your free wheeling retirement, remember that a health issue could arise anytime forcing you to make living and lifestyle adjustments to the current home or sell the home and moving to a more accommodating living situation.
All of these considerations will have an impact on the housing decisions moving forward. Weigh out the senior’s priorities and their financial situation first. Do a price comparison between the current living situation and an alternative, such as month to month renting (quite a bit of these places are all inclusive). Don’t forget to include things like food, housekeeping, wellness program, yard and home maintenance as well as the usual mortgage, taxes and utilities.
If you’re a numbers person and are looking for other financial market indicators to help with your decision, Seeking Alpha has a a good article basically saying that if the cost of renting is lower than the cost of owning you should consider a rental option for a few years. For example rent in an active adult retirement community to see if you like it and to watch what the real estate market does. You might miss the bottom of the market to buy, but it takes the risk out of buying in the wrong community for you.
Another method you should explore is the concept of the rent/purchase ratio. You take the sale price of a particular home and divide it by the annual rent you would be paying - the higher the number the more you should consider renting. An example given by the website Top Retirement points out that in Miami the peak ratio was 28.2% and in Pittsburgh the ratio is 13.6%. In Boulder Colorado an average patio home or flat in one of the active adult communities would cost you around $400,000 -500,000 or more to buy. The average month to month rental would average 3600-5000 month (43,200-60000 annual). That rent/purchase ratio would be between 9.26 - 8.3. That is fairly low so the argument would be to buy instead of rent.
Back to the EMOTION part of selling your home. One of the most important things is to “have the talk” with your parents and make a plan before something bad happens. There is just too many things that can happen during crisis time that can go haywire and one of them shouldn’t be about selling the house. Also, to sell the house for top dollar the house still needs to be in top shape. I know, it’s a tough subject and a touch decision. But it makes logical sense right? Alright, I know, it’s an emotional thing. But money is money in the long run and if money is important and you might need it to live on it than make sure you get the most you can for the house.
I also
want you to know that it’s never too soon to call on a Realtor and make sure it’s a Senior Real Estate Specialist that understand the intricacies of this part of your parents lives. They can be your ongoing adviser as far as the market goes, (and this might go on for a few years) what needs to be done to help downsize your parent’s household and how to go about doing it, and how much work should be done to sell the house. Get the Realtor involved from the beginning. It’s to your advantage because you and your parents will develop a relationship with the Realtor so that when the time does come to MOVE (that bad word again) you’ll be ahead of the game and I guarantee you and your parents will feel much more comfortable. I know it works I’ve seen it many times.
I was visiting a leasing retirement community a couple of days ago and was taking a tour and explaining what a Senior Real Estate Specialist does and the tour lady said to me “you know, that’s exactly what we do. We have people that have been calling us and visiting us for years - they’re just not ready yet to make a move. But when the time comes, guess what, everything will be ready for them.” A perfect match in my book.
I hope this helps bring more light to the decision of whether to rent of buy in retirement, now get out there and go have fun checking out all the great places to live!
Written by Karen Cifala | Discussion: No Comments »
Colorado Retirement Community With a History - And I Don’t Mean Trouble!
May 23rd, 2008 Categories: The Senior Network
Every Active Adult Retirement Community, now a days, seems to have a special spin. Trying to find one that doesn’t isn’t easy these days.
I’m hearing a lot of Boomers saying “Hey it’s their life, let them decide where they want to live”, or “It’s not my life, what do I care where my parents end up”. Hummm… maybe there’s something to this that I’m not realizing, but what I do realize is that people of different generations have different ideas about what makes them happy. Choosing a retirement location and moving is painful enough, but what if you move to a place because you’re kids think you should and that place just doesn’t suit you… that’s even worse. Maybe you just want to chill ok ??? Well I think I found mine! Being an East Coaster originally from the Old Dominion (Virginia), moving into the wild west was quite an architectural and cultural shock. Hover Place Flats, located in Longmont Colorado just 10 minutes northeast of Boulder Colorado reminds me of “home” on the east coast. The name Tudor style harkens to the past and the era that made these buildings possible ended in the US around 1930’s. An attractive conveys substance, gravity and security. This style has a solid feel to it and the arches, built-ins and fireplaces Tudors usually feature give the houses warmth. The medieval look feels like a bulwark against a dangerous world. I’d feel safe inside it this home.
Hover Place is built as part of the Hover Community bordered by Hover Acres Park, scenic lakes, the Historic Hover Home, Beatrice Hover Assisted Living, Longmont United Hospital, multiple golf courses, tennis courts and horseshoe pits, worship and senior facilities, convenient transportation systems and easy access to I-25 and Hwy 66 Originally owned by Charles and Katherine Hover; Charles a successful pharmacist in Denver, circa 1900’s, purchased this farm and became a farmer and businessman. Katherine had a dream of helping create a retirement community where senior citizens could live with dignity. Hover Place along with other retirement housing and the Beatrice Hover Assisted Living now stand on part of the family farm. Beatrice Hover, who was adopted by the Hovers took care of her parents and until her death continued to shepherd her mothers vision of the retirement community and to ensure that her own dream of preserving her fathers farmstead and Hover Home for the community became a reality. I am seeing quite a few Boomers who want to live near their aging parent but not with them. Hover Place fits that bill to the tee! See my other blog on how to take are of mom without loosing your mind 
Reasonably priced and sophisticated enough to meet your need for cultural connection, you will definitely meet new friends here with the community gardens for the seniors that live there (both vegetable and flowers) walkways and places to play with the grandchildren. You can even take the bus (RTD) to Boulder or to Denver.
The more I learn about the new age senior living the more I look forward to my second half of life! It’s pretty exciting out there for the baby boomers right now with so many choices. But what I really like about this place is the connection to the past - which is a very special part of growing older.
Tell me what it is that makes you call a retirement community a home! Id’ like to know!
Written by Karen Cifala | Discussion: No Comments »
Don’t Give Away the Farm - Understanding How Important Title is on Your Deed of Trust
May 14th, 2008 Categories: First Time Buyers, The Senior Network
Think of the title to your Real Estate Property as part of your estate planning. For most people, their home is their largest asset. The names on the title of your property and the form of that title can impact your ability to stay in your home not to mention how you can cut out your intended heirs or possibly reduce their tax consequences.
Remember it’s important to talk about with your real estate partner how you want to hold title to real estate before you sign on the dotted line when purchasing a home. In addition, actively planning this in advance can avoid many difficult kinds of conflicts and or losses.
For example: in the event of a conflict between the title of your house and your will, the title wins. You not only have to have your home titled the way you intended it to be, you have to follow that up with a an estate plan to further clarify the ownership and control in case of a death, divorce or other unexpected events in your life. Here are some situations and consequences that can further explain:
A. Mrs. Tucker wanted to take care of her only son’s future. She added her son Steve to the title of her new home. Steve finally married, however, two years later Steve and his wide divorced. Steve’s wife sued Steve for half of her husband’s portion of the home and threatened to force the sale of their home if he did not buy out her 1/4 of the property. Of course, we don’t know anyone like that do we? Even though Steve’s mom might of had him in the will, the property was titled as joint tenancy in both his, his wife’s name and his mom’s name and so the title ownership overrides the will. Ms. Tucker could have avoided this situation entirely if she had set up a living trust. (see below).
B. Miss Smith never married but she adored her niece. One day her niece nicely organized a party for her 80th birthday and Miss Smith decided to repay her for being so nice by added her niece to the title of her home. Unfortunately the niece’s business went belly up and she had to claim bankruptcy and her interest in her Aunt’s home was included in the items to be liquidated to pay off the portion of the debt. Yikes!! Another situation where a Living Trust would have not let the bank take the property.
C. Once upon a time, a widower bought a luxury home in 2000 in a very upscale active adult community, then he decided to marry a very lovely widow in 2001. He adjusted his will to ensure that his lovely new wife would inherit their home. He always intended to add his wife to the title but never got around to it. Of course, right? Well, he died on the tennis courts that next spring and his widow was subject to capital gains tax on all the property instead of just half. Poor thing. She could have avoided some of the tax liability has her husband set up a TRUST. (see below)
D. Well what do you know, that window met a nice man a year down the road. The day before their wedding she added her new husband to be on the home title as joint tenant to the primary home and her rental cottages. 
They both had adult children from their former lives and intended to leave their individual estates to their respective children. They discussed the inheritance issue for their estates but never put it in writing because they were too busy playing with their grandchildren and golfing everyday! Well, wouldn’t you know, the widow drops dead and because the new husband secretly didn’t like her sons he kept the home and the cottages for himself and willed everything to his daughter. Darn…I hate when that happens don’t you?
Just for starters, check out the different types of ownership for real estate below: (your Realtor will ask you which one you want to choose when you are writing an offer to buy a house)
- Joint Tenancy - the type of ownership has multiple names on the title and everyone has an equal share. Three people on the title means each has one-third ownership. Four people means each has one forth ownership - you get the idea here right? Anyone can be a joint tenant including non-relatives such as neighbors or close friends. (Joint ownership can also provide a step up in basis on the dependent’s share for capital gains tax) Upon death, ownership immediately transfers to the surviving tenants.
- Tenants in Common - this type of ownership lets each person use 100$ of the property but keeps separate his or her own share and allows each to sell or will hir or her share to any one they choose.
- Tenancy by the entirety - is only available to married couples. Its applicability varies by state. If a spouse refuses, a bankruptcy cannot force the sale of the home.
- Community Property - Nine States Only - refers to husband and wife only and the property will go to the surviving spouse unless it’s contradicted in the will. You can will your half to someone else and for property with significant appreciation there can be major tax benefits.
Hello…….. folks out there who are individual owners (ie..not married, young or widowed) but who own property held as an “individuals” - You’re not out of the woods yet! If you are alone on the deed of trust at death and there is no estate set up, the property must go through probate!
What’s probate? It’s the process that transfers legal title of property from the estate of the person who has died to his or her proper beneficiaries. This process proves the existance of a will or in the event of NO WILL who will be your legal heirs. This typically takes one year after someone has died, is public and can cost as much as 10% of your estate and it removes control from your heirs.
SO…now I’m sure your asking…what should I do to avoid this? Set up a TRUST. Either a LIVING TRUST OR A/B TRUST and that is another whole blog in itself. Please check your individual state for information on property ownership rights and just for grins you might want to double check how title to your home is currently held. It gives you peace of mind to know that your property title is arranged to what best suits your situation (and we all know how quickly that can change). Now that you know a little bit more about property ownership, don’t forget to buy more property!
Written by Karen Cifala | Discussion: No Comments »
Taking Care of Mom Without Loosing Your Mind
May 14th, 2008 Categories: The Senior Network
I know I’m not alone, but I am feeling a bit guilty for moving half way across the country lately, far away from my mother (77 yrs old) who just put her mother (97 yrs old) in a nursing home. For all the Baby Boomers out there that are feeling guilty about having a life as well as taking care of grandchildren and mom as well - Get Over IT !
As a Baby Boomer myself, and pursuing my career in Real Estate as a Senior Real Estate Specialist I enjoy spending time visiting different retirement communities - understanding what they offer for living options as well as in price options (rent or buy??). I’m not sure if this is in part due to my guilty feelings or not, but either way I’ve learned a lot.
As my grandmother aged I watched my mother and her siblings move my grandmother around between them offering her different living situations in their homes. As a result after much shuffling around my mother (who was a nurse all her life) ended up being the sole caretaker of my grandmother living in her home. 
The decision to have a parent live with you is usually made as a result of an emergency situation or compelled by guilt, tradition or a sense of duty and possibly agreed to without the full understanding of the ramifications. While there are many cases where adult children and their parents can live peacefully, its not really for everyone and sometimes the disadvantages outweight the advantages. While my mother always encouraged self reliance with her mother living with her it can still re-create historic conflicts and undoubtably uncover dysfunctional patters of behavior and misdirected anger causing hurt feelings and feelings of loss of self worth.
My mother as well as my grandmother are both a part of the “silent generation” and the difference between my generation ,“baby boomers”, and their generation is very different - although we may be seeking the same end result -we seem to hire, buy in or work better with a person that believes in what we do. Because believing is everything right?
Each generation has a set core of values that define their group as a whole. Understanding these difference and values helps alliviate some of the guilt when deciding on where and when and how to move mom and dad to into a retirement home environment. It helped me to understand a little more about the make up of the past and future generations so see if you can identify, or not, with any of these below.
The Full Retiree (GI -born 1901-1924) Three out of ten have lived in the same house for over 30 years. Most have not planned to sell or move and it creates a great concern and fear when thinking about it. They grew up in the depression and are vulnerable to “con games”. They need reduced home maintenance and are concerned with safety and on-site health care. Honor their need for independence, privacy (they might not want the rest of their families to know everything).
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Silent Generation (born 1925-1945) : This generation is concerned with maintaining image while downsizing. They don’t want to be dependent on their children, and they need the economic benefits of using their equity. They are defined by their careers and are impressed with qualifications. They respect authority and listen to opinions of others. They love conformity and adherence to the rules as well as high regard of law and order, duty and dedication, hard work and sacrifice. It is important to this generation that they not be undervalued.
- Baby Boomers: (Born 1946-1964 -The sandwich generation) They love personal gratification; personal growth, health and wellness; optimism and positive attitudes; teamwork and being involved. They tend to be extremely competitive. They value choice, community involvement, prospertiy, ownership. They realize that they have spent too much time at work and as a result want to add more balance to their lives. This generation may well end up supporting both their children and their parents. They will probably work past “65” because of their lack of savings, and may live well into their 90’s, so they can maintain their quality of life
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Generation X; (Born 1965-1980) They have grown up in the era of technology which serves their drive the expectation of immediacy. They love diversity and global thinking; self-reliance and independence. They like to have balance between life and work and have a fun and informal attitude; very technologically literate. This generation finds the future disheartening and after events such as 911, questions if they even have a future.
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Generation Y: (Born 1982-2000) They are perceived as wanting to make a difference and knowing that their work has value. The adapt rapidly and are confident, optimistic, savvy and street smart. They crave change and challange and are exceptionally resilient. Like Gen X they also have grown up in a technology era and love achievements and are adept at multitasking. There’re very social, love diversity and morality.
Life events and experiences shaped each generation’s way of thinking. Each generation has specific beliefs, opinions and values that they uphold. So, while my mother seems to think that taking care of her mother in her home was the only option (I believe my grandmother had a say in that too by crying “please don’t put me in a nursing home - ever”). Unlike decades ago, the rise in the number of women that are working full time sometimes create a serious problem for daughters who want to care for their elderly mother and can’t.
So….Here are some suggestions on how to handle your parents before it becomes an emergency situation:
1. Don’t make the topic of retirement taboo. Discuss how they’re doing financially and what plans they’ve made if they become ill or incapacitated. Discuss how they feel about assisted living and other retirement alternatives and the ramifications of living together. Remember, everyone’s perspective must be included, including children or teens in the household that might be embarrassed or uncomfortable to bring friends home with a frail grandparent in the home. Put all cards out on the table.
2. Your goal is to get all the facts and avoid surprises. While your doing that….get a grip on your financial needs too. Run the numbers to assess how much money you’ll need for retirement and to send the kids to college.
3. If the decision to share the household is made, draw up guidelines or house rules - this will help head off conflicts and hopefully avoid hard feelings. Figure out a schedule so the burden of responsibility doesn’t fall entirely on one person.
4. Get the power - you’ll need legal authority to act swiftly on your parents behalf. Make sure your parents have the following:
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Durable power of attorney authorizing someone to sign checks and make financial decisions
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Durable power of attorney for health care authorizing someone to make medical decisions
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Living will outlining their wishes if life sustaining medical care is needed
4. Take time off. Give yourself a break and don’t be afraid to ask for help from friends, the community and other local senior affiliates in the area that might offer respite rooms for your aging parent - while you take a vacation.
After watching what my mother went through taking care of her mother, never getting much time for herself and never getting “away”, I am constantly looking for different options to make my mother’s older years (and mine as well) more engaging, more comfortable, more interesting. Gee I wonder why???
For more information on how to be a good kid and and a good parent check out The Sandwich Generation: Survive the midlife tug of war.
Written by Karen Cifala | Discussion: 1 Comment »
Active Retirement or Geezer Community ? Colorado has it all!
May 5th, 2008 Categories: Relocating, The Senior Network
Did you ever think that you’d end up following in your parents retirement footsteps or does retirement mean something totally different to you? Actually, “Active” and “Retirement” go perfect together in Colorado - just like peas and carrots!
We’ve heard all over the news the last few years about the 1st baby boomers starting to retire this year and what impact that’s having on our Social Security System not to mention the housing market. But lets face it Boomers, choosing a retirement location is a basic life decision that needs to be made while you are still ACTIVE than when your NOT!
Rather than move out of state, active Coloradans and Boulderites are staying put - opting to sell their high maintenace homes and move into Active Retirement Communities. I found a great website that offers a Baby Boomers Guide to Selecting a Retirement Community which I found so helpful in addressing the questions that we (yes, I mean us Boomers) really don’t want to, or aren’t ready to ask ourselves about our retirement years. Here are some of the highlight questions Top Retirement suggests to start asking yourself in the meantime:
1. How different will your retirement be from your parents? Is your parents idea of retirement a death sentence to you?
2. What is your climate preference? Are 4 seasons important to you? What is the minimun average January temp you can tolerate?
3. Are you considering 2 or more locations?
4. Is being near friends and family a factor? Take an inventory of where your current friends and family are - start asking them questions about what it’s like to live there.
5. Maybe you can’t face leaving your familiar area and starting over? Does the thought of a new community give you panic attacks? Maybe you should just downsize?
6. Are you a social creature and love the thought of starting over and living in a location with a built-in infrastructure that encourages mingling to ease the transition. Are you ready for a new adventure in your life?
7. The mega question - financial considerations a factor? Cost of living, type of community, activity fees and other considerations, buy or rent ? Are income and sales tax an important consideration to you?
8. What do you want to do with the rest of your life? Your decisions on life goals, recreation, work and volunterring are probably a lot smarter now right? Bottom line = know what’s important to you !
9. Do you and your partner have the same dreams? This could be catostrophic - so talk about retirement together, explore some options to test your fears, apprehensions and fixed ideas. And please don’t try and convince your partner to move to a place against their will - a sure way to bring on disaster.
10. What kind of physical environment to you want? Are you and your significant other aligned on the issue or willing to compromise?
11. Active Adult Retirement Communities versus Mixed Generations Communities - What’s the difference? Thats a great question, glad you asked - lets explore the possibilites.
12. Do you want to make one move for the rest of your life? Sounds easy, but it’s not really. You might be young enough now to take care of yourself, travel, golf, go to the grocery store - but what happens if someone has a stroke or some other life altering illness? Failure to prepare for this type of event is one of the biggest mistakes made by retirees. People fail to consider that we all will loose our faculties and health at some point - ok, my grandmother just moved to a full care facility at 97 - but does that mean I’ll be healthy until 97? I hope not, I heard that being that healthy was the longest way to die.
13. Politics and Religion - oh my gosh - do we have to continue to think about that even when we get old? Of course you do! If you’ve spent your life in Boulder Colorado and decide to move the small town of Gulf Shores Alabama you could be in for a big awakening - unless that’s what you want! The situation could occur in reverse - so don’t forget to check that factor out too!
14. Do you have a pet? We all love them and they make great companions for seniors - but please remember to consider their presence where ever you are thinking about living!
15. If environmental sustainability is important to you come to Boulder Colorado - they are putting themselves on the planet for great places to live ! Remember to do some research on the communities on your list if you are dedicated to protecting the environment.
Want to know what the 10 Top Mistakes you’ll need to avoid!
1. Don’t buy a place after only visiting briefly
2. Don’t buy a place just because you are worried about the prices going up.
3. Don’t move to0 far or too close from a relative or friend
4. Don’t wait to move until you’re 90! This is suppose to be an enjoyable time of your life remember?
5. Don’t move to a place where politics, environment and religion aren’t a good fit.
6. Don’t forget to investigate the financial health and terms of your new development.
7. Don’t move to a community that isn’t geared for you (active vs.mixed retirmement communities)
8. Don’t move out of a traditional community that you liked into a gated community
9. Don’t move to an active adult community and find you miss the other types of diversity
10. Don’t move to a general community without a strategy to meet new friends and to get involved.
ONE LAST MISTAKE!
When you start thinking about all this and also need to sell your current home - Don’t forget to call a Senior Real Estate Specialist to help sell your house - they surround themselves with other people also interested in working with people in the second half of life and can help you through this transition much easier than a traditional Realtor - we are tuned into your needs.
Written by Karen Cifala | Discussion: No Comments »
