Finding Your Place in the Sun: Home for the Golden Years
Finding the last dwelling you’ll ever want to call home can be more challenging than your first foray into achieving the American Dream all those years ago. When you’re young and starting out, you anticipate life disruptions, whether it’s a career change and accompanying move or a growing family. This time, however, your home search has to take into consideration not just your current needs but your future needs, as well.
Macken Realty understands what our clients look for because we listen to them first. Our priority is a perfect match between you and your home at every stage of your life.
Following your pace
This is a time in your life in which you should be able to dictate the pace of your days, and part of being able to do that is being happy in your surroundings and eliminating surprises. You want everything to be as perfect a fit as possible – not just with your home, but with your neighborhood, nearby amenities, climate, and opportunities for socialization with old and new friends. In fact, According to the United States of Aging Survey, staying connected to family and friends topped finances as a priority among seniors.
Now here’s the tricky part: Your new home also has to accommodate your future needs, as well. If you start to slow down, you still want to engage in activities that are fun and engaging, but still comfortable. If you once liked playing tennis but now prefer to play nine holes of golf, it’d be nice if you could easily access those options accordingly.
Consider the advantages that technology can bring to you in your golden years. Access and use are easier than ever – and constantly advancing – so don’t worry about not being able to manage the basics. Being technologically connected literally opens up the outside world to you, whether you’re in the living room or by the swimming pool. You can maintain those important family and social connections, take advantage of online learning or exercise programs, or play a mentally stimulating game. You can also take advantage of telehealth, receiving one-on-one virtual care in the privacy and comfort of your home.
Getting started
Make a list of home needs and wants, and then prioritize them. You can also do this with a trusted real estate agent who understands where you’re at in life as they can offer insight into what’s popular, and what may be a little harder to find in your market.
In addition to including amenities and local attractions, include what homeownership responsibilities you’d like to maintain and those you’d rather relinquish. For example, if you still enjoy yard work now but know you may want to hire out those duties in several years, a single-family home may be a good fit. On the other hand, if maintaining a few potted plants is all the yard work you want right now, a condominium may give you the maintenance reprieve you’re craving and, in fact, several types of condo arrangements that cater to seniors now exist.
Next, you should consider the pros and cons of buying a home versus renting. Maintenance is one factor, of course, as is housing availability and affordability in your market. While a discussion with your financial advisor is prudent, your real estate agent can use the latest market housing trends to help you calculate how much house you can afford. This will show you, for example, the average cost of homes that have sold in Aventura over the last month (around $375K) so you can determine whether the selling price is over or under your ideal price. You can also compare trends with what’s happening in nearby cities.
Take your time and follow a plan
Allowing yourself time to find that ideal home for aging in place is key to coming away with the perfect housing solution for you. In sum, you’ll want to create a prioritized list of both your needs and wants. Most importantly, talk to Courtney at Macken Realty to help guide your decision — call 786-449-4206. Then you can relax and soak up the joys of experiencing the pace you’ve dreamed of having at this golden stage in your life.
Photo by Christoph Keil on Unsplash
