Are you happy with your house? Is this your forever home or your stay-here-for-5-years home?
I was having a discussion with friends the other night about where everyone was at in their living situation. We had a variety of ages in our group, so you know the answers varied. And it was a lively discussion. There were definite mindsets for these stages in life, which I’ll share with you. Where do you fit?
HOUSE?! I WANT ONE.
We did have two young ladies that were renters. One renting a home, the other an apartment. They both agreed that a home was something they had on their list of wants. The reason for not buying versus renting for each of them was different. One had a job that required travel, and she wasn’t sure if that would pan out into relocation. The other couldn’t decide what community to live in - so she spent a lot of time on the internet reading about locations. She didn’t want to “bother” a realtor with her lack of commitment.
HOUSE - STARTER HOME FOR SURE.
There was only one lady that fell into this category. She had been in her starter home for 3 years. She didn’t want to do a lot of fixing up because she was ready to move at any moment. She had her eye on a particular community and watched the homes like a hawk. She could tell you what was up for sale and what had sold. But she admitted, she hadn’t moved any closer than that.
HOUSE - I LOVE MINE (FOR NOW)
This group were the tweeners. They were in the middle of life stages. Some with smaller children, some with early teens. They loved their homes. Had worked hard to make those homes just right for them. The granite counters, wood floors, pools and outdoor kitchens were in place. And they were enjoying them to the fullest.
HOUSE - EMPTY NEST
Empty nesters. They talked about the size of their homes and the possibility of a grown child returning to the nest. Others were ready to start the downsizing. This had been the family house and they were now looking for the forever home. We even had a few in this group that were looking at retirement condominiums to be able to enjoy the activities of a 55+ community.
As a real estate agent, I found the conversation interesting because I learned the thought process for each stage of home ownership. For the apartment dwellers, I was able to tell them that I have clients that look at one home and others that look at 31 homes. This is a big decision and I respect that. I’ll show you how ever many homes it takes to find you the right one. I want a happy client at the end of the transaction, not someone who is second guessing their choice.
The starter home gals needed to make a decision and enjoy whatever that was. If the starter home was theirs for another few years, fix up what makes the house enjoyable. And then enjoy it! Don’t keep looking at the grass on the other side of the fence. It isn’t greener - it’s all in the way you look at it. If the decision is to move, then line up the criteria you are searching for in a home, and let me set up a service that sends you the new listings when they come on the market. Stop the worrying about what else is coming up the next day or week or month. Match your criteria and move!
The ladies that loved their homes didn’t need anything from me. Just a monthly recipe or a fun email. They would know when the right time came and they’d call me. And the empty -nesters were similar. They needed some time to consider possibilities. If I could take them to see a home or community to gather information that would help with decision making, I was assured they’d call me. In the meantime, I keep them up to date on the latest 55+ choices in the community.
What this all comes down to is that no matter where you are on your housing journey, I can help. With either advice, information or a afternoon spend looking at homes. I can fill in those questions for you with solid answers that will allow you to make your decision.
Susan Brown
281-415-1454
Your Texas Connection
Keller Williams Realty Northeast
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