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Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES)
You've lived in your home for 30 years. Now the children have grown and moved on, the neighborhood is changing and you'd like to move to a smaller home where you can enjoy an active retirement.
The problem is you're not sure what your home is worth, you're concerned about tax planning and you don't know what your options are in terms of what or where to buy.
You may want to consider hiring a Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES). What is a Seniors Real Estate Specialist?
In 1998, the California based Senior Advantage Real Estate Council (SAREC) became a national program designed to focus on the needs of buyers and sellers 50 and older. The council offers a special designation SRES - to identify real estate agents who have completed its education program.
Basically, an SRES designee is trained to help seniors make wise decisions about selling the family home. We can also offer knowledge about financing, buying or selling rental property and managing capital gains. An SRES designee can also explain current trends and opportunities for seniors in the housing market. Although an SRES Realtor cannot give legal or tax advice we do however have referral relationships with accountants and real estate attorneys so we can refer clients as needed.
Aging in Place
If we plan to stay in our current homes as we age, we will need to make plans to modify our space as necessary. We will need to consider mobility, how accessible the rooms are, what functions they serve and if there are any safety issues.
You may have a 2 storey house with 3 or more bedrooms and a beautiful terraced yard but if the areas aren’t accessible to everyone who lives there they are not serving your needs.
If you choose to make alterations to your existing home you should first decide if it’s cost effective to do the re-modeling or whether it would it be less expensive and time consuming to buy a new home that already has everything you need.
Downsizing
So you have decided to downsize your living space. Your reasons may be any of the following:
• Tired of yard work
• Tired of spending money to fix up the house
• Tired of paying high taxes and home maintenance expenses
• Want to travel and enjoy life
Whatever your reasons are, if you decide to move to a smaller space, let me help you find the right space. I am a senior myself and understand just how hard it is to let go of the familiar things in your life.
Adjusting to less space
You may need to create dual purpose rooms such as a combination bedroom/office or living room/dining room. Antique trunks can double as tables for storage, or have a sleeper/sofa for guests. Closet organizers and a stackable washer and dryer are just two other ideas.
What stays and what goes
It may take a lot of family discussion to make these decisions or you may want to consider using a professional service for this process. (When you’ve decided what to keep and what goes decide on how to dispose of what goes. Throw it away, give it away, donate to charity, sell it on your own i.e. yard sales, consignment shops or hire an auctioneer for your own estate sale. Don’t put a lot of stuff into storage. Monthly storage charges soon add up. Make a clean break.
Note: The links below will open a new page. To return to my site simply close the new page.
NC Division of Aging and Adult Services
Click Below for Senior Housing
I'm here to help; you may contact me below.
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