Should You Sell Now? The Lifestyle Factors That Could Tip the Scale

Are you on the fence about whether to sell your house now or hold off? It’s a common dilemma, but here’s a key point to consider: your lifestyle might be the biggest factor in your decision. While financial aspects are important, sometimes the personal motivations for moving are reason enough to make the leap sooner rather than later. An annual report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) offers insight into why homeowners like you chose to sell. All of the top reasons are related to life changes. As the graph below highlights: As the visual shows, the biggest motivators were the desire to be closer to friends or family, outgrowing their current house, or experiencing a significant life change like getting married or having a baby. The need to downsize or relocate for work also made the list. If you, like the homeowners in this report, find yourself needing features, space, or amenities your current home just can’t provide, it may be time to consider talking to a real estate agent about selling your house. Your needs matter. That agent will walk you through your options and what you can expect from today’s market, so you can make a confident decision based on what matters most to you and your loved ones. Your agent will also be able to help you understand how much equity you have and how it can make moving to meet your changing needs that much easier. As Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at Realtor.com, explains: “A consideration today's homeowners should review is what their home equity picture looks like. With the typical home listing price up 40% from just five years ago, many home sellers are sitting on a healthy equity cushion. This means they are likely to walk away from a home sale with proceeds that they can use to offset the amount of borrowing needed for their next home purchase.” Bottom Line Your lifestyle needs may be enough to motivate you to make a change. If you want help weighing the pros and cons of selling your house, let’s have a conversation.

Could a 55+ Community Be Right for You?

If you’re thinking about downsizing, you may be hearing about 55+ communities and wondering if they’d be a good fit for you. Here’s some information that could help you make your decision. What Is a 55+ Community? It’s important to note that these communities aren’t just for people who need extra support – they can be pretty vibrant, too. Many people who are downsizing opt for this type of home because they’re looking to be surrounded by people in a similar season of life. U.S. News explains: “The terms ‘55-plus community,’ ‘active adult community,’ ‘lifestyle communities’ and ‘planned communities’ refer to a setting that caters to the needs and preferences of adults over the age of 55. These communities are designed for seniors who are able to care for themselves but may be looking to downsize to a community with others their same age and with similar interests.” Why It’s Worth Considering This Type of Home If that sounds like something that may interest you, here's one thing to consider. You may find you’ve got a growing list of options if you look at this type of community. According to 55places.com, the number of listings tailored for homebuyers in this age group has increased by over 50% compared to last year. And a bigger pool of options could make your move much less stressful because it’s easier to find something that’s specifically designed to meet your needs. Other Benefits of 55+ Communities On top of that, there are other benefits to seeking out this type of home. An article from 55places.com, highlights just a few: Lower-Maintenance Living: Tired of mowing the lawn or pulling weeds? Many of these communities take care of this for you. So, you can spend more time doing fun things, and less time on maintenance. On-Site Amenities: Some feature lifestyle amenities like a clubhouse, fitness center, and more, so it’s easy to stay active. Plus, others offer media rooms, libraries, spas, arts and craft studios, and more. Like-Minded Neighbors: Additionally, these types of homes usually offer clubs, outings, meet-ups, and more to foster a close-knit community. Accessible Floor Plans: Not to mention, many have first-floor living options, ample storage spaces, and modern floor plans so you can have a home tailored to this phase in your life. Bottom Line If this sounds appealing to you, let’s talk about what’s available in our area, and the unique amenities for each community. You may find a 55+ home is exactly what you’ve been searching for.

September 2024 Homeward Bound

September 2024 Homeward Bound Impactful Real Estate News September 2024Heidi Spielman, CEODream Homes Team Hard Work Builds Futures, Fairness, Communities and Countries We celebrate Labor Day with picnics, parties and parades. It’s a day to “not labor” and instead spend well-earned time with friends and family. We recognize this holiday as a reward for hard work, but, more than that, the deep roots of this day celebrate the hard work of generations before us. The first Labor Day parade took place in New York City 142 years ago with the first Monday of September declared a national holiday in 1894. The holiday grew out of violent conflict between workers and police during the 1886 Haymarket Riot when tens of thousands of Chicago laborers — bricklayers, jewelers, typographers, dress and cloak makers, and many other tradespeople — took unpaid leave to protest the grim working conditions of the time when employees, including children, were forced to work twelve or more hours a day, six days a week in crowded, poorly ventilated spaces. Their demand was for an eight-hour workday, which became their legacy to future generations. That first parade culminated in picnics, speeches, fireworks, and dancing — seeding hard-earned celebrations for over a century. To celebrate the month of September and in the spirit of Labor Day, I’d like to offer you something that will allow your efforts to create meaningful change for people you know — friends, family, people in your community. As you can likely relate to, deciding to make a move to a new home carries with it a lot of stress. Not only are there hundreds of big and little details to attend to, not to mention a bucketful of emotions, there are also serious financial matters at stake. Will you get what you want and need when your home sells? With our experience of working with over 6,000 families over the last 11 years, we’ve developed a special program to help homeowners make their move Fast, For Top Dollar and with the Least Hassle! For the month of September, share with those you know who are planning to make a move that when they list with us, their home is guaranteed to sell or we’ll buy it at a price acceptable to them. I know there’s some risk on my part to make such an incredible guarantee, but we are selling just about every home we list for the market value price - sometimes even more - so there is no reason for area homeowners or your friends and family to fret about selling right now. So, a little work on your part to share this important news with people you care about can save them a lot of hard work and stress. If you or anyone you know is considering making a move, I would like to offer them a FREE No Obligation to Move Consultation to discuss just how they can make their move, get what they want and do it with the least hassle. We are very happy we got to do business with you and I’m confident that your referrals will be very happy with you for steering them in the right direction to help them get their home sold! Another way we’re on a mission to help others is our tangible and meaningful support of young people who need it most. We are on a mission to raise $50,000 for Give Kids the World Village. Give Kids the World Village is an 89 -acre whimsical nonprofit resort near Orlando that provides critically ill children and their families from your community and around the world with magical week-long wish vacations at no cost.  From life’s simple pleasures to the stuff that dreams are made of, every wish family is treated to an all-inclusive experience including transportation, accommodations, donated theme park tickets, all meals and snacks, nightly entertainment, daily gifts and more. Since 1986, Give Kids the World has welcomed more than 188,00 families from all 50 states and 76 countries to laugh together, play together, and create priceless memories away from hospital stays and medicinal treatments. We are committed to donating a portion of our income from home sales to this very worthy cause.    YOUR REFERRALS HELP THE KIDS overcome sickness, pain and setbacks, and gives them the magical adventure of their dreams. Who do you know considering buying or selling a home you could refer to my real estate sales team? When you refer someone who is buying or selling a home to my team, everyone wins: those you refer benefit from award winning real estate service and Give Kids the World will receive a donation that will make wishes possible at an accessible storybook home-away-from home, where the ice cream is as limitless as the opportunities for fun and adventure. Just give me a call or pass my number on to anyone you know considering buying or selling. My number is 480-414-8902. REFER YOUR FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS, ASSOCIATES OR FAMILY MEMBERS CONSIDERING MAKING A MOVE: 1. You can visit our Social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and YouTube channel to keep you updated on what's new. Just Search Heidi Spielman.2. You can also check our blogs for our Worthy Cause Inspiring Stories3. You can click here and enter their contact info online or forward the link to someone you know considering a move. 4. Of course you can always call me direct as well at 480-414-8902. Use Labor Day as inspiration to do a little work to help others in need and enjoy the rest of the summer and the days of autumn ahead! With all my appreciation. Heidi Spielman, CEO Heidi Spielman Dream Homes Team brokered by Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty 408-414-8902 heidi@heididreamhomes.com