If you know me, you know I love my seniors!  From my guest appearances at local senior center book discussions to the amount of time I spend visiting a long term care facility, I've been called an "honorary senior" more than once.  So I am very happy to have partnered with Hazel Bridges of www.agingwellness.org who will help me share some real estate information specifically for seniors... 

I'm proud to welcome my first guest blogger, Hazel Bridges!  
For more from Hazel, please check out www.agingwellness.org

Helpful Home-Buying Tips for Seniors
by Hazel Bridges
 
There once was a time when paying off the mortgage was a milestone as people approached retirement age. Today, people buy homes at all different stages of their lives. Someone might purchase a starter home in their 20s then upgrade to a larger home in their 30s or 40s, only to then downsize In their 60s or 70s. For seniors who are looking to buy later in life, they can face some unique challenges.

More than just downsizing or finding the right value for your money, seniors need to make sure that the home is appropriate for them for the rest of their lives.

The usual considerations for a downsized or empty-nesterhome are having a master bedroom on the first floor or having no second floor at all. Additional things to think about might include proximity to doctors' offices, shopping, community resources, golf courses, and other places of recreation. Neighborhoods have different amenities, some of which are tailor-made for the senior community.

Before you search for your home, have an idea of what loan you can get by checking out an online affordability calculator. Get to know the property values in your area, too. For example, the average listing price of homes in Somers, Connecticut, is $256,000.

In addition to size and location, older adults should look even further down the road in their lives and anticipate any mobility issues that may occur. You may want to consider accessibility modificationsthat will make life more comfortable as you age. This can range from entranceway ramps to handrails, grab bars, and many other tools to assist in daily living. If you are unable to locate homes that already have specific accessibility modifications, you can speak to specialists in this field who can help identify potential needs.

Other professional assistance that is available for seniors looking for homes includes, of course, hiring a real estate broker. Search in your area for real estate agents who specialize in downsizing. These brokers can be invaluable sources of information on homes and neighborhoods that will be ideal for senior living. The good news is that the increasing aged population means that there are lots of choices in these areas.

An additional consideration is financing your new home. Low-interest rates makemortgages attractivefor even those who have lots of cash in the bank to use to buy a house. Financial planners often recommend that their senior clients leverage these favorable rates and terms to free up their money for retirement news and other uses. One might wonder if a lender would give a 30-year mortgage to someone who is in their 70s, as it is highly likely that the loan would not be paid during the borrower's lifetime. As long as you have steady income such as retirement and/or Social Security, a bank is happy to lend to you regardless of your age.

Another reason for seniors to use mortgage lending to acquire a new house is the potential tax benefits associated with mortgage loan debt.

And in cases where income might not be as steady, there are programs such as Fannie Mae’s HomeReadyprogram, which allows seniors to count adult child toward their loan approval process. Also for those looking to tap into the equity of their existing home to buy another property, HECMor reverse-mortgage loans can provide a source of cash.
 
Senior are increasingly buying homes late in life. The need to downsize to smaller homes and the growth of senior-focused residential communities make today a perfect time to buy.
 
Photo Credit: Unsplash

Almost any time that I'm not working, you can find me reading.  Even when I'm driving from one appointment to another, I can get some reading done by using the audible.com app in my car.  It may be nerdy- but I'll say it, there's no better company than a good book!  Here are a few that I've finished recently and my spoiler-free thoughts on them... 

Has anyone read of these too?  If so, please share with me what you thought in the comments below.  Talk nerdy to me!  

65 Sharren Ln.
Enfield, CT 06082
3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms 
​$249,900.00

Available for sale on 6/30/18
OPEN HOUSE from 1pm-3pm
​Join us by the pool for refreshments during your tour!

Contact me for more details! 
Call, text or email
860-978-5388
jessica@jessicamartinrealty.com

Selling your home is one of the most tricky parts of owning a home, really. There are always little projects that you meant to get to and didn’t, and things that probably weren’t perfect, but didn’t bother you enough to fix. You can’t possibly do everything to make your house like new before putting it on the market, but there’s a minimum level that most buyers will expect.

How many of those things left on your “to do” list absolutely need to become “to dones?”

Getting Ready to Sell that Home Sweet Home? Before you get too serious about selling, it’s a good idea to have your Realtor over for a quick walkthrough. They can give you a punch list of items they think should be updated, fixed or addressed in some other way before you sell your home. You never know when the right buyer will walk through the door, your house needs to be ready to go from the moment you put it on the market. Putting your best foot forward is key to sales success.

That doesn’t mean you need to completely gut and remodel your home, but you should make sure everything is in proper working order and ready for a new occupant. That can be a lot to wrap your head around, though. If you get overwhelmed, start with the list below.

Entry / Living Room
For most homes, the living room and foyer are a combo unit, but if yours are separate understand that this same advice applies to both. The moment that door opens, and even before it does, your potential buyers are forming an opinion of your home. What the open door reveals had better pack a punch (or at least not terrify them).

Make sure that the windows are very clean to let in as much light as possible, that all your light bulbs are in good working order, the flooring is clean and in good shape, any tile grout is intact and the walls are flawless. A neutral color is always a good idea, but white is kind of a turn-off for a lot of buyers. Blues, light grays, beige and creams are all good choices for paint colors.

Dining Room
Your dining room should follow the same advice as your living room, with one exception. Since there’s probably some amount of eating that happens in this part of the house, you’ll want to check the flooring to ensure there’s no staining or spots under the table.

This is a particular problem if there’s carpet. Do not attempt to cover spots with a rug, this could be considered a “hidden, latent defect.” Basically, it means that you’re hiding damage from a potential buyer. That’s a big fat no go.
Instead, call a professional carpet cleaner or just own it and try not to panic if the buyer asks for the carpet to be replaced or cleaned before closing.

Kitchen
The list of things in your kitchen can be long, but we’ll try to make it reasonable. Check all the items on this list, one at a time:

Appliances that stay with the home
• Are they fully functional?
• Do they have an attractive appearance?
• Do they match one another?
• Are they clean?

Kitchen sink area:
• Is the sink free of damage?
• Does it drain well?
• Does the disposal work?
• Does the sprayer work?
• Is the faucet leaking?

Counters, backsplash and cabinets:
• Do the counters have worn or burned spots?
• Are there grouted areas that are needing regrouted?
• Do the cabinet doors open and close properly?
• Is there water damage anywhere?
• Is everything clean and not tacky to touch?
• Do the cabinets have worn finish?

Bedrooms
Bedrooms are by far the hardest, especially if you have kids. If you’re going to have to live in the house until you find a buyer, invest in some storage systems — they’ll pay off in the long run. Organize everything as best you can to give the rooms the appearance of more space, clean the windows, install the lightbulbs, clean the carpets and instruct everyone to keep it tidy. If anything can be moved out to a storage unit, do it.

Bathrooms
Bathrooms are much like kitchens, they have a lot of wet, moving parts. That being said, they also have basically the same punch list. The only addition would be the shower or tub units. Check the faucets and showerheads for leakage and make sure there’s no mold on your tub or shower surrounds. Clean that stuff within an inch of its life and if you can’t get rid of the stains, recaulk. It’s an easy way to make that tub or shower look like you’ve never even used it.

Garage
There’s not a lot to do in the garage, but do make sure your door opener is functioning properly, that the wheels on the door are lubricated if it’s making a terrible sound when you open it or close it and that you’ve tidied the things inside as best as you can. If you don’t really use your garage, you can dress it up a lot by applying an epoxy coating to the floor. The DIY kits run around $100 and, although they don’t add any value to your home, they’re far more impressive than an old, stained concrete floor.

General Indoors
Overall, it’ll help a lot if you run around your house and make sure that all your lightbulbs are fresh, all the windows are cleaned, you remember to leave the blinds open during the day and that the paint makes each room feel bigger. The key is to bring in more light and then use lighter colors to keep it bouncing around the room. A new coat of white ceiling paint won’t hurt your efforts, either.

Paint is great for a lot of reasons. It can seal in smells you might have never noticed, as well as giving the house the scent of fresh construction. That smell paints a picture for a buyer that says this house has been taken care of and they can trust that it’s in great shape!

General Outdoors
When it comes to the great outdoors, keep your lawn mowed, trim your hedges, clean up any projects that you started and never finished. Landscapers, trash haulers and metal scrappers can help a lot with these tasks. You’ll also want to check out your roof and gutters to make sure they’re in good shape because your potential buyers will be doing the same thing.

The first thing a buyer sees is the view from the street, make sure you run out there during the outdoor prep work to check your look. When you start to wonder if you should actually sell this amazing house at all, you’ve probably got the curb appeal knocked out.

When You Can’t Get It All Done
You don’t have an unlimited timeline, that’s completely understandable, but your home should be ready to sell if you want to get top dollar. If you can’t do the work, just call on someone who can. Recommendations available! 

Original post from Homekeepr.com

31 Hawleyville Rd
Newtown, CT 06470
Mixed Use Commercial
​$289,000.00

142 Fairfield Ave.
Third floor
Waterbury, CT 06708
2 bedroom, 1 bathroom
​$1000 per month

My totally awesome client, Al, works in Oakville, at one of the greatest businesses in CT!  Have you tried The Black Market Kitchen yet?  I have so many good things to say about what they're doing over there, that I'll have to save it for another post.  Back to Al!  Al was commuting from Branford all the way to Oakville for work which is about 45 minutes.  With The Black Market Kitchen getting busier every day and Al's commitment to his career there, we had to shorten his commute and make his life easier.  We also had to find a place that wouldn't mind his canine roommate, Gomez!  We found what we were looking for on top of the hill in the Town Plot section of Waterbury.  Al and Gomez now have 1100 square feet to roam around and they're now only 5 miles from Al's work so he can come home during the day to walk Gomez instead of hiring someone else to do it.  I think these guys are going to be very happy at their new place!