What Every Senior Should Know When Moving
Our society is on the move. People drive in cars, then fly in planes. They ride in buses, taxis, and trains. They walk, ski, and roller blade. People go to work, they take vacations, they visit friends and family. And sometime people relocate to new towns, countries, and states.
As people grow older, health, finances, and independence become greater concerns. Increasingly, seniors are packing up and moving to places better suited to their wants and needs. And why shouldn’t they, when they have more options then ever before!
Some seniors are ready to resize. Their children are grown with families and of their own. A big family home may require upkeep that seniors don’t or can’t maintain. So one option for seniors is to sell the larger home and purchase a smaller, more manageable home. Or they may choose to invest in a condominium community, which provides property maintenance.
Other seniors may be ready for a complete change of scenery. Perhaps they have always planned to move away once they retired. Maybe they have grown weary of inclement winters. Or possibly, they have a health-related reason to seek out a warmer climate. Whatever the reason, Florida, Arizona, and southern states, in general, have become popular with retiring senior citizens.
There are more, nontraditional options for seniors on the move. Independent living communities are one alternative. In these environments, seniors can maintain their independence and stay active while enjoying a community’s housekeeping, transportations, security, meals, and activities.
Another choice for seniors is assisted living facilities. These environments are similar to independent living communities. However, assisted living facilities offer personal care to their residents. They provide a helping hand to seniors with medications, bathing, grooming, and dressing. And the sizes for assisted living facilities range from a few residents to much larger settings, so seniors my choose a facility that best fits their personalities and needs.
Other choices for seniors on the move include group homes, shared housing or nursing homes.
- Group homes are shared by several senior citizens who share the costs of maintaining a private residence.
- Shared housing situations arise when homeowners open their homes to share with others.
- And while nursing homes generally have a negative connotation, they are ideal settings for disabled individuals who require a greater level of support than family can provide.
Whenever seniors are moving, for whatever reasons, they need a real estate agent to help them sell their home. And as if moving isn’t difficult and confusing enough, real estate agents and the services they provide are as varied as housing choices for r senior citizens!
It’s important to know that not all agents and brokers are REALTORS®. REALTORS® are members of the National Association of REALTORS®, the world’s largest professional association, with access to educational programs, research, and resources. What’s more, they subscribe to a stringent code of ethics (which often goes beyond state laws).
Why you should seniors use a REALTOR®? Because a REALTOR® can:
- Help seniors determine what is affordable
- Gain access or provide exposure to the most resources and listings
- Show seniors the largest variety of homes suites to their needs
- Increase their understanding of finances, taxes, utility costs, and insurances
- Give senior citizens the latest information in the marketplace
When looking for a REALTOR®, senior citizens should fined one with designations that resemble their own interests. For example, if seniors are moving to a new area, they should look for a REALTOR® with CRS designation-Certified Relocation Specialist.
More importantly, seniors should look for a REALTOR® who is a Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES). REALTORS® with SRES designations have taken special classes on how to help seniors make a sometimes difficult life transition. They help seniors understand today’s real estate market. They provide housing options, ranging form smaller homes or condos to nontraditional, supportive residences.
But Senior Real Estate Specialists are more than just real estate agents. The provide more than tips on how to buy and sell a home. REALTORS® with SRES designations offer services that go beyond classroom. These individuals are confidants and guidance counselors. The provide support and advice to seniors who are considering a move. SRES’s can help senior’s organize- not just their possessions, but their thoughts and feelings. These agents help with long-range planning. And perhaps most importantly, SRES’s are non-family members who can help seniors in reaching decision they want to make (not always the practical ones that the family thinks they should make).