Ready to Downsize so You Can Upsize Your Lifestyle?

Are you ready to downsize so you can upsize your lifestyle? Many seniors are aging in place, however there comes a time that you may have too much home in size and maintenance duties and want to downsize to a more manageable living situation. Moving to a Senior Living Community may offer you more freedom to enjoy life by releasing some of your everyday chores and housing concerns.

Independent Living communities are senior housing communities designed for independent seniors that desire the conveniences of community living. These communities offer a senior lifestyle filled with recreational, educational and social opportunities. Independent Living Communities may also called "Retirement Communities", "Congregate Living" or "Senior Apartments".

Some communities offer an enriched lifestyle with recreational and educational opportunities (Congregate Living or Retirement Communities), while others provide housing with only a minimal amount of amenities or services (Senior Apartments). Both types of independent living allow seniors more time to themselves and less time performing home maintenance and yard work.

Independent senior living communities are not licensed and offer a variety of services from place to place. They usually have a minimum age requirement and rent on a month-to-month or lease contract. The key is, they are “independent” senior living communities, meaning they DO NOT provide medical care. Most will arrange for home health services if needed on a temporary basis, however, when a resident requires extensive on-going medical care, they may become ineligible to live in the independent living community.

Independent Senior Living Communities typically offer full kitchens, some meals in a common dining room, housekeeping, paid utilities (except for telephone and cable), laundry facilities, 24 hour staffing, and private area for resident use. Some communities offer other ancillary services such as medication reminders, pet walking, laundry services, etc. There are some are affiliated with churches, schools or other community programs.

In future articles we will talk about Assisted Living, Skilled Nursing and Rehab, and Continuing Care Retirement Communities.

If you have any questions about downsizing or receive a copy of our “Downsizing Made Easy” guide, Please Contact the Sullivan & Sullivan Team.

 

Technorati Tags: Senior Living,Downsizing,Independent Senior Living Community,Continuing Care Retirment Communtiy

6 Tips to Help You Sell Your Home Fast

Good News, it’s a home seller’s market in the Dallas-Fort Worth area! The average days on market for the area in 2013 was 57 days which was down by 23% when compared to 2012. The Sullivan and Sullivan real estate team’s average days on market for 2013 was 27 days! So, how did we help our clients sell their homes quickly? Here are 6  Tips to help you Sell Your Home Fast.

1. Price It Right – Over pricing a home is a major reason a home doesn’t sell quickly. Sometimes underpriced homes sell for higher prices because of a bidding effect. Especially in the Dallas-Fort Worth area home market now with inventories being low. Because they were priced right, we had a number of homes that we listed to sell in 2013 have multiple offers in the first few days on the market . Work with an experienced real estate agent who knows the local market and provide you with an accurate competitive market evaluation. Remember the price should not be determined by: What you paid, What you need, What you want or What your neighbor says. There are real estate agents who will suggest overpricing a property to get a listing. Make sure you carefully review the market analysis. We monitor our listings very closely for correct pricing. Our rule of thumb when listing a property;  If you do not have more than 10 showings or an offer in the first 2 weeks on the market, the property may be overpriced.

2. The First Impression May be the Only Impression – The first impression starts with curb appeal. Make sure your lawn is well manicured, bushes and trees trimmed. If in season, plant some colorful flowers. Sometimes, even silk flowers in a flower pot will work. If it’s fall or winter, rake and sweep leaves. Make sure the front door has a fresh coat of paint or finish. Is there any flaking paint or rotted wood on the home’s exterior? These are signs of homeowner neglect. Moving to the home’s interior, fresh paint is always good. Fix leaky faucets, running toilets, watch the little details. If the carpet is worn and dirty, clean it or replace it. Let lots of light in by turning on lights and opening blinds and curtains before a showing. Kitchens and Bathrooms are some of the most important rooms. Consult with your real estate agent to determine if it’s worth doing some updates. Sometimes there are inexpensive updates you can do which will increase your home’s value and salability.

3. De-clutter and De-personalize – Since you are selling your home, you are also planning to move. Start packing. The more you can remove from your home the better it will show and the more spacious it will look. Start with closets and counter tops. Take all the things that make your home “your personal sanctuary” like family photos, religious decor and other memorabilia, and pack them up. Buyers want to visualize your house being their home– and it’s difficult for them to do that with all your personal items marking the territory as yours.

4. Stage the home – Home staging is one of the services we provide our clients. Staged homes typically sell for more and quickly. Why do you think new home builders stage models. Watch some of HGTV home selling shows.  Our stager like to say, “we are going to make your home look like Pottery Barn.” A good stager can move furniture to make a home look more spacious, help with home de-clutter and take what you have and add a decorator’s touch. We even do light staging on vacant homes because they show and photograph better because we are different.

5. Have a Sales Plan to Promote Your Home – One of the reasons the Sullivan and Sullivan team have been selling homes so quickly  is because of our Our Ultimate 55 point Home Selling Plan. Some agents use the 3 P home sales plan, Put a home in the MLS, Put a sign in the Yard and Pray that it sells. We Are Different. After we have a home staged, we have it professionally photographed. Many times first impressions are made when a home buyer sees the property on the internet. We try to use a minimum of 25 professional photos, have a virtual tour and video for all of our listings. Since most home buyers are represented by agents, you need a plan that promotes the property to local agents as well. Use social media to promote your home for sale to all of your connections. Your agent should be able to provide you with links you can post to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.

6. Listen to your agent - When you find an experienced real estate agent to list your home, who has a successful track record of selling homes in your area, listen to their recommendations! Find an agent you trust and follow their advice as often as you can. The Sullivan and Sullivan team would love to be that trusted agent. Find out about how we are different. Contact us here.

Technorati Tags: Home Selling Tips,Dallas-Fort Worth area,Staging,Listing a home,real estate