Time to move … (Boston, Plymouth: sale, rent, affordable houses)

[BosYuppie]

If you aren't happy where you are - Move on and let a young family have a shot at buying your single family.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by Remy11

A coworker of mine is also from Andover originally and her parents sounded a lot like you. They loved the town and wanted to stay, but didn’t have a need (or want) for the big family home any longer. They ended up buying a townhome at The Legends at Andover Country Club and couldn’t be happier. I believe there are options that have a master suite on the main floor as well.

My former next door neighbor at the Killington place I just sold just sold one on Bobby Jones Drive. It’s really nice. He bought it new in 2000. Master suite downstairs and 3 bedrooms upstairs. If I were in Andover looking to stay in town in a condo and had a big budget, I’d start there. His transacted for just shy of $1 million.

[Dadschum]

I am not sure what your options would be if you don't want to deal with any maintenance beyond say changing a lightbulb. Maybe a Brooksby type place. But not sure about that either. Usually with a condo/townhouse you own from the studs in and that is your responsibility to either repair stuff yourself or find someone to do it. These places may have a list of recommended tradespeople but you would likely be responsible for making calls, arranging for a time for them to come do the work and then pay them.

That would be an important question to ask. Who handles the maintenance?

[xo_kizzy_xo]

Andover itself may already have one or more such developments so you wouldn't necessarily have to leave town. If not, there should be a few in the surrounding area. In my area they are much sought after because nobody wants to leave town, so to speak. That in turn drives up the price. Free standing developments (as opposed to a building condo) are going to be nearly as expensive as buying a house. Keep that in mind.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by Dadschum

I am not sure what your options would be if you don't want to deal with any maintenance beyond say changing a lightbulb. Maybe a Brooksby type place. But not sure about that either. Usually with a condo/townhouse you own from the studs in and that is your responsibility to either repair stuff yourself or find someone to do it. These places may have a list of recommended tradespeople but you would likely be responsible for making calls, arranging for a time for them to come do the work and then pay them.

That would be an important question to ask. Who handles the maintenance?

Yes, but some 55+/independent living communities have a maintenance dept that also does interior work. The place my Dad has been at for the past 20 years does. He got billed when work was done, and it simplified identifying and arranging for the service. About 6 months ago he transitioned into the "assisted living" facility there as he is 94 and needs help with most everything these days. I am glad that he and my Mom found this place and moved there 20 years ago. They enjoyed the community (Mom has passed) and the many levels of membership has greatly simplified their aging, both for them and for my brother and myself - it helped to avoid confusion and arguments. First they had a large unit in a duplex building. Then after my Mom passed, my Dad downsized twice while moving closer to service providers as his needs and his capacity changed. Now he's getting basically 24x7 nursing care.

[cb2008]

Originally Posted by Remy11

A coworker of mine is also from Andover originally and her parents sounded a lot like you. They loved the town and wanted to stay, but didn’t have a need (or want) for the big family home any longer. They ended up buying a townhome at The Legends at Andover Country Club and couldn’t be happier. I believe there are options that have a master suite on the main floor as well.

They are lovely, they are bit too west. I live much closer to the center and I am active in the community. I like that. I am waiting for something like mixed age village-development with a common green space, parking spots, and common maintenance. A handyman service comes once a year and takes care of handyman stuff. Small houses for both young and old people.

[cb2008]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

Personally, I think a single level, 2-bedroom condo around 1100 sq ft is ideal. I've seen 2,000 sq ft (and larger) home designs presented as retirement homes, but that's just more bathrooms to clean, more floor area to mop and vacuum, more closet space to hunt through, etc... some places that have a larger campus have an exercise facility and a nice walking trail onsite to help you keep fit by making regular exercise convenient - I think that's a big plus also.

Then, when you're getting older, some places also have services available like house-cleaning, meals in a communal dining room if you don't want to cook, staff that can help with tasks like grocery shopping, ferrying to medical appts, nursing, drug dispensary and primary care onsite... while not necessary, these kinds of services as options would make decisions simpler as you age - you don't need to search for a whole new place as you start to have limitations, you can just add on services.

To me, there's no emergency, so just take your time and continue looking into what's out there and keep well-organized notes on the options. I'd at least investigate some places in southern NH, southern ME, southern VT as well.

Good ideas. But dont want to move out of town, definitely not to those states. I think there are things like than near the Berkshires.

[cb2008]

Originally Posted by MikePRU

If you were actually looking at this rationally like your name implies then you would realize that a good real estate agent is SO much more than a salesperson. The marketing of your home is just one function a good agent performs.

A good agent is also a move consultant in that they know the area and the housing styles available and can help you pinpoint your search. Leveraging the knowledge of an experienced and skillful real estate agent will save hours of time thinking about "where should I look?" Also (even though one poster recently disagreed with me about this without any real knowledge or evidence to back up their argument) more properties are trading off market with an agent involved than in past years. So, connecting with an agent will likely get you access to some options for moving you wouldn't otherwise be aware were available.

On top of that, a good agent has knowledge and resources that can assist you in cleaning up your home, staging it, and making any necessary repairs. It's hard right now to get trades people in your house and real estate agents are valuable referral resources for a lot of these people. So, your agent can often get someone in your house faster than you could on your own.

You should definitely consult your financial planner as well and if you want a psychotherapist but the suggestion of putting off contacting the agent IMO will make the process a tougher/longer one for you. At the end of the day, we're here to help and to make things easier for you. Why wouldn't you want someone to help you ASAP in such a stressful and often complex process?

As Benjamin Franklin said . . . if you fail to plan then you are planning to fail. Find a good agent to help you put together a good plan.

How to choose the right agent? Someone I know actually put an ad in the paper about exactly what they are looking for. The seller contacted them directly and they closed the deal. I have toyed with the idea.

[cb2008]

Originally Posted by xo_kizzy_xo

Andover itself may already have one or more such developments so you wouldn't necessarily have to leave town. If not, there should be a few in the surrounding area. In my area they are much sought after because nobody wants to leave town, so to speak. That in turn drives up the price. Free standing developments (as opposed to a building condo) are going to be nearly as expensive as buying a house. Keep that in mind.

Yes, they ate pricey. We may even have to pay more than what we sell for.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by cb2008

Good ideas. But dont want to move out of town, definitely not to those states. I think there are things like than near the Berkshires.

If you're in Dover, NH or Kittery, ME, you'll be closer to Boston than if you're in the Berkshires - just sayin'...