If there is one thing I have learned over the years it is that there is not one size fits all housing solution for retirees. There isn’t a retirement age either. We used to assume that when we reach a certain age we will retire and want a smaller house. I have had clients who wanted to move into larger houses during retirement. They wanted space for family gatherings and for children and grandchildren.
You don’t have to move just because you are retiring. You can stay where you are. Don’t let anyone talk you out of it if that is what you want to do.
Downsizing is an option for those who can afford it. Buying and selling can be stressful but it has always worked out for my clients.
Here are some numbers by neighborhood for home sales in St. Paul Minnesota. Sales are up from last month but it sure isn’t like the old days, that long ago time when there were three times as many houses on the market in April and twice as many sales. Interest rates are high and so are home prices. When rates go down more people might be interested in moving which means prices will go up more.
The imbalance between supply (low) and demand (high) will resolve but not this year. Buyers should expect to pay more than the asking price for a house this spring and will see some of the highest mortgage interest rates in decades. Sellers can expect a quick sale but cash sales are down slightly from last year.
The data used to make the table below was extracted from the NorthstarMLS (Multiple Listing Service – a database) which is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. These are single-family homes in St. Paul, including condos and townhouses but excluding rental properties.
It is Friday and Fridays are for fun. Gardening is a favorite hobby of mine. In general, I like plants more than I like some people.
Real estate is the busiest in the spring. Even in the years when home sales slow, spring is still busier than any other time of the year. A significant portion of our business happens in May and that is also when the vegetable and flower gardens need to be prepared and planted.
Most years I don’t think that I will have time for a garden but I always find a way. Here in the bold cold North starting a garden in June works too. The tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers don’t grow much until the daily low temperatures are above 50 degrees. My yard is on a limestone river bluff which means the soil is warmer and we have excellent drainage.
This is the first year that I don’t have a firm plan for my garden but I am sure I will come up with something.
Gardening is worth the work. A longer growing season would be nice.
A public service message especially for those who use a computer for business.
For years I have used Carbonite. The service backs up all of the data on my computer every day. The data is stored in the cloud. Yesterday for the first time I recovered some files that I had accidentally deleted. I was ready to re-create one of them, but I didn’t have to.
If you use a computer you need to have a plan. Having a backup isn’t enough. You need to know where the files are, and how to restore a few files or all of the files. Know how to restore the files to a new computer if the worst should happen.
Having a backup in the cloud adds an extra layer of protection. If my office burns to the ground my data is still safe. It is important to know where your data is at all times and to keep it safe.
There are numerous options for backups, some are available through accounts you already use, like iCloud, or OneDrive. The best backups are automatic backups that occur without human intervention.
Staging is so misunderstood. It isn’t always about filling the house with rented furniture. It is about removing clutter, including excess furniture. I often suggest removing throw rugs in small rooms such as bathrooms and kitchens. The rooms look larger and cleaner without rugs.
Kitchen counters should be mostly bare as should the top of the refrigerator and stove.
I often recommend removing ottomans and coffee tables. They take up space and can make a room look smaller, yet some stagers will add a large ottoman.
I like to set the dining room table and add fresh flowers.
A few green plants can help make a home look more inviting, however, if I were to put my own house on the market, I would need to remove some of the plants because there are too many. Having too much or too many of anything is clutter.
The exact placement of the couch isn’t going to make or break a sale. Staging is more of an art than a science. Having an empty room won’t make a house unsaleable. in fact, a room looks better empty than over-furnished. Buyers have the opportunity to imagine what the room would look like with their furnishings in it.
For a time it seemed like every home I saw had a sign that said: “Eat, Pray, Love”. I can’t think of any situation where signage improves the look of a room or adds to the value of a house, yet the signs were brought in for staging.
Houses can also be virtually staged. Pictures of vacant rooms are populated with furniture.
Speaking of pictures, staging is much more effective with professional photos.
Each home is unique and so is each homeowner and each home buyer. Staging can and should be tailored to fit the situation. Currently, there are more home buyers than sellers. Your home will sell but it may sell faster and for more money if it is staged.
The lilacs are starting to bloom. They are one of my favorites. Here are some tips for picking lilacs. They don’t last long in a vase.
Pick them when it’s cool out.
Pick them after they have opened up. They won’t open much if at all once picked.
Remove the leaves
Cut the stem just above a set of leaves. The stem should be long enough so to be recut every day.
Make a 1 to 2-inch vertical slit in the stem and remove the bark.
The newly cut branches should be put in a bucket of water or a vase and left in a cool dark place for an hour or two. Keep the flowers in a cool place, and add water every day.
At most, the flowers will last 3 to 4 days. Leaving them on the bush makes sense, but I can’t resist picking a few to enjoy indoors.
If you plan to sell your house soon take a picture of those beautiful lilac bushes blooming.
