Choosing Your Dream House

Know What You Want and Don't Settle for Less When You Buy Your Home

Jun 4, 2006 Maryan Pelland

As we age, most of us downsize our home. Standing firm, we can get exactly what we want for our retirement dream house. Planned community or not - we can choose.

Five years ago, the Del Webb Company, retirement community pioneers, did market research and most older people do not even consider moving away from what they know and love. Local retirement communities are blossoming on parcels all over the country, even in northern states, like Illinois, where you'd hardly expect a retirement paradise. The market research was right.

People over 50 want to stay put. That's not a trendy new idea. Industry guru's say it's always been true; less than 6% of retiring people move from their home area. If the blossoming number of age-restricted, planned communities for older people is a response to a boom in retirees, the explosion is caused by sheer numbers of baby-boomers coming of age. It's also reflective of developers responding to a long existent demand that had little or no supply.

In fact there are more people retiring and downsizing in general and they aren't going more than ten miles from home, if they can help it. That trend will continue. Long distance moves are not the norm, the lure of warm climates notwithstanding.

There's another phenom in home buying trends. Half-backs. People who, a few years ago, flocked from the north and east to Florida or Arizona. It wasn't what they wanted. Too hot, or too dry or too humid and definitely too far. So they are moving half-way back, to the Carolinas, Kentucky, Tennessee, for moderate weather, smaller developments, family closeness.

Echo boomers, offspring of the baby-boomers, are coming of age, settling down and raising families. Often much sooner than was typical in the recent past. They're just one more reason parents won't retire to Florida, Arizona, Nevada or Timbucktu.

Jet-setting grandmas of the 1990's have been replaced by people returning to family ties and values. They may travel, but they will choose their hometown over Miami Beach for their residence. Recent world events reinforce that.

According to experts, that keeps retirees looking for local housing options. Many who moved away find, as they age, get a bit less robust, that being far from family doesn't cut it.

A demand for downsized, lifestyle housing has always been here. And now, there are choices everywhere, but even so, the number of people who will move into an age-restricted community is limited. Motivating people from their home of 35 years is tough.

We, as home buyers, are picky, and so should we be. It's no longer a case of if you build it they will come - developers have to know what we want and provide it, from quilting classes to high speed Internet access lines to an inline skating rink.

So what are the things that will keep us coming? Let us stay close to home, forever, with choices. We want price choices, levels of community involvement and different paces. We require low maintenance, open floor plans, one-level living with room for hobbies, guests and business interests.

Prewiring for communications and computers is high on our lists. Open outdoor spaces, communally owned and maintained by someone else are important, too. Almost every buyer has an eye to safety and security features.

One fact stands out: There are as many different kinds of retirement targeted homes as there are different kinds of retirees. Developments are springing up everywhere - mid-rise apartment communities, single family homes, multiplex configurations, assisted living, independent living, supervised care - more styles, shapes, and sizes than you can count.

Builders want your housing dollars and are willing to give a lot in exchange, now that the market has swung back in the buyer's favor for a while.

But you must do your homework if you're looking for a new nest. Do a lot of looking. Use the Internet. Talk with your spouse or partner about things important to both of you. Explore prospective communities to see if medical care is close by and of good quality. Check with other homeowners to see if they're content with their neighborhood.

Ask a financial expert about the myriad of financing choice available now. And don't be afraid to offer less than asking price or negotiate for perks. If you, like me, never want to move again, decide what you want and need and go for it.

The copyright of the article Choosing Your Dream House in Seniors/Grandparents is owned by Maryan Pelland. Permission to republish Choosing Your Dream House in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.