Posts Tagged ‘location’

As you age, you may decide that less is more. When you downsize your home, there can be less to pay for, less to take care of and less to worry about. Although the decision sounds simple, there is a lot to consider before you put your current home on the market.

Finances

Depending on where you live and where you intend to live, it may not be financially possible to relocate. For instance, you may have a large house in the Midwest, but a desire to move to a smaller property with an ocean view. There’s a chance you won’t make enough money from the sale of your house to buy a new home without the help of a mortgage.

If you’ve lived in your home for some time and are looking for a newer house, you may not be able to afford the home of your dreams without financing. Even if an even swap is possible between your current and new homes, there may be association fees or higher property taxes that exceed your budget. Be sure that you know the financial details well in advance of the move.

Family Size

As you age and children leave the nest, you may think that you no longer need as much room. But what if the children come home again? The Pew Research Center found that in 2016, 15 percent of millennials were living in their parents’ home. This is nearly double the number of people of the same age group living in their parents’ home in 1964. The job market, college debt and the rising cost of living all contribute to this change. Keep in mind that it may not just be your children moving home—they may also bring their partners and their children.

Location

Location is important for more than just resale value. If you want to travel, or if you want to be easily accessible to friends and relatives, you probably want to live in a town near an airport. Also, give great consideration to the community that you’re interested in moving into. Choose a community that has the resources that are important to you; these may include houses of worship, community centers or public transportation.

If you’re considering a gated community, look into the services offered. You’ll likely want to continue doing activities you enjoy and maybe even find new hobbies. If you love gardening, don’t move to an association that won’t let you plant outside. If you’re a fan of woodworking, some associations have hobby rooms with tools available for you to use. If you’re a card shark, it might be hard to find people to play cards with during the day if most people in your neighborhood are younger and at work.

Layout of the Home

There’s a lot to be said for a two-level house, including privacy and the small dose of exercise one gets from going up and down a flight of stairs. But what seems a minor inconvenience when you’re 55 years old might be a major difficulty when you turn 70. If you decide to get a home with more than one level, choose one with a bathroom on the same floor as your bedroom. Or, look into whether the home can be outfitted with assistive devices, like chair lifts.

Other things to consider include easy access to a washer and dryer, outdoor access and parking.

What You’ll Take With You

If you’re moving from the home where you raised a family, you’ll likely have many things to contend with. You may need to decide what you can live without. Sure, you can take pictures and all of your children’s middle school awards, but are you prepared to let go of other cherished belongings if you move to a smaller home? Give thought to whether you can truly downsize your life and still feel at home.

Finally, realize that if you haven’t found exactly the right setup for your lifestyle, you can always move again. After all, if a home is a person’s castle, shouldn’t you be happy in yours?

If you think you are ready to downsize check out these amazing NEW CONSTRUCTION homes that may be a downsize that fits all of your needs!  http://soldbuysea.com/dunetops/

Kupka, Nancy, Ph.D., RN. “Getting Ready to Downsize? Factors to Consider” RISMedia’shousecall.com. 4 April. 2018. http://blog.rismedia.com/2018/getting-ready-downsize-factors-consider/

Filed under: Blog by Callie Smith
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You’re exhausted. It seems like house-hunting will never end and each home you view isn’t how you envisioned it. There aren’t enough bedrooms, or the home just isn’t your style. It’s tough to dole out the big bucks for a place that you just aren’t 100-percent in love with.

However, there’s always another option. You can always build. Building a new home offers an array of options. You can customize it the way you like and plan it to your exact specifications. It gives you the freedom to make it yours—as opposed to building off of someone else’s choices and ideas. Not convinced? Here are our top five reasons why you should build your new home:

You get to choose the neighborhood. Maybe you saw the perfect home, but the neighborhood was anything but ideal. It’s all about location, location, location! For some, location is even more important than what’s actually inside the home itself. When you build your own home, you get to choose the neighborhood. The options are endless, which means you’ll get both the house you like and the ideal neighborhood you want.

It’s brand new, meaning no repairs are needed—at least not anytime soon. Older homes frequently come with their fair share of repairs and necessary upgrades. With all the maintenance, suddenly owning a home can feel like a part-time job. When you build a new home, everything is new. You likely won’t have to pay for repairs or renovations for years to come. This means you’ll actually be able to sit back and relax and enjoy your new digs!

Newer energy-efficient systems will save you money. When it comes to older homes, water and electrical systems often aren’t up to par with the newest technology. Things like air conditioning, heat and water end up costing way more in an older home. In a new home, you can select the most energy-efficient systems. This will help you save money on those monthly bills and in the long run—meaning you can put your money toward other exciting adventures, such as that new car or that vacation you’ve been longing to go on!

You get to select flooring, paint colors, countertops, and more! Building a new home means customization! You get to choose it all—your home, your style. It can be really fun, and it can also help you feel like you have more ownership over your home. You become more immersed in the building and design process, which can, in turn, help you understand your home more and allow you to create a space you truly love.

You create the house layout. Again, it’s all about being able to customize. When building a new home, you get to set things to your exact specifications. Do you want an open-concept home? No problem. Do you have a vision about how the kitchen will be set up? Voice it. Building a new home means you can pick and choose when it comes to the layout of the house and floor plans.

Fung, Jeff. “5 Reasons to Build a New Home.” RISMedia’shousecall.com, 11 Sept. 2018, http://blog.rismedia.com/2018/reasons-build-new-home/.

Get the home you have always dreamed of. Start the process of building your new home today by checking out Sold Buy the Sea Realty’s list of builders. Also, be sure to check out up and coming neighborhoods to build in!

Filed under: Blog by Callie Smith
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Location, location, location. Half of buying a home is all about finding where you want to live. You might’ve found your dream house, but it’s not in your dream neighborhood. So, what should you be watching out for? Here’s how you can find the perfect neighborhood:

Check It Out Online

Ah—the internet. It provides an immense amount of information. It’s easy and entirely accessible for everyone, so you don’t have any excuses not to take advantage of it. Look up what everyone is saying about a neighborhood you’re interested in. Do people actually enjoy living there? What do they like and dislike about it?

Google the crime statistics for the area; safety should be top of mind. You don’t want to get stuck in a neighborhood with a high break-in rate—take your safety and security seriously. At the same time, if you have kids, look up schools in the area. What are they rated? Most school systems have a rating scale based off mostly academics. Find out if they’re good options for your children.

Scout It Out

Literally. Do drive-bys, and do them at different times of the day. Get a feel for a certain neighborhood. Is there a soccer field or baseball diamond close by? You’ll want to know before it’s too late whether or not cars will be lined up on your street. Make sure you’re in the know. You don’t want things like that to come up as a surprise after you’ve moved in. Furthermore, check out the traffic patterns in the area. What’s that intersection near the home you’re interested in really like during rush hour?

How Far Is Your Potential Home From Your Job?

This might not matter to some—if you’re near retirement, it might not matter at all!—but a long commute has the potential to become an everyday stressor, one that you don’t need or want. If you take the bus, look up the route and times. If you drive, check out the route during your normal commute times on Google Maps.

Do Your Research on Property Taxes

This could majorly impact your cost of living. Property taxes greatly differ from one region to the next. Do your research and find out what to expect. Don’t let this come as a shock. You want to make sure you can afford the area you want to live in. Be sure to do your due diligence with some good research! Also, take this a step further, and look at other costs of living—think utilities and food prices.

Ensure your perfect home is in your ideal neighborhood. It’s worth taking the time to do research and be sure it’s really what you want.

David, Hakimi. “How to Find the Perfect Neighborhood”. RISMedia’shousecall.com, 11 Dec. 2018, http://blog.rismedia.com/2018/find-perfect-neighborhood/.

Looking for your dream neighborhood? Check out Sold Buy the Sea Realty’s preferred neighborhoods!

Filed under: Blog by Callie Smith
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