The Trickiest Move

Of all the situations I deal with in real estate, the move down buyer is the hardest – a person who has to move from a larger to smaller home. Most people as they age realize they may not be able to handle all the responsibilities that a bigger home and yard carries. My in-laws are good examples to follow.

My father in law started to have bouts with poor health. As a result, his large lawn and older home became a burden for him and his wife. He was determined to stay in his home regardless. His wife, however, saw what was happening and together we took steps to get them into a maintenance-free home in a community of 55 and up.

Getting into a maintenance-free home with no yard to cut or home to constantly fix was a life saver for my father in-law. The best part was he finally loved it, too. He now tells me that he never realize what a toll all the work had taken on him physically, not to mention financially. He is now a big leader in recruiting his friends to make this difficult change.

From personal experience, trying to help parents or grandparents stay in a home that is too hard for them to upkeep is a heavy burden to levy on family. Try and begin to have conversations with people in their 60s; usually this is the best time to make this sort of move. If you or some one you love is facing this decision, help them see the wisdom of making the move to not only save themselves, but the people that will be caring for them.

-Sharon J. Coleman

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