In other words, buy the lifestyle and the nicest home you can afford that offers the lifestyle you will enjoy. What good is a house if you dont have friendly neighbors or an active neighborhood now that you will have the free time?

I like to suggest that we spread out the map, use push pins or take a pen and draw a circle on the map that defines where you would like to live.

Then we can help you find the best house in your budget within that circle. Some of our clients embrace that idea while others are stuck on the wish list for their dream home. Another approach is to sit down and make a list of the things you really need to be happy. For some, it is an indoor pool; for others it is proximity to the beach. Make your list when youre in the planning phase and share that list with us on your first visit. That way, we can help you see the right communities and eventually help you select the right house.

In every community, we can find a one level home with 2 or 3 bedrooms, so lets start with the lifestyle questions that will help us narrow down the choices.

Wouldnt you rather spend your retirement with the freedom to do things? I mean travel, play, learn, volunteer and a long list of things you finally have the time to indulge. Why worry so much about buying a house that is too large to hold all the stuff you really could do without? How often will you need more than one guest bedroom? Christmas? A week in the summer? Compare the cost of buying more house than you need to renting a few rooms at the local motel on those few occasions when you have more visitors than space. Just a thought...

Some of the things we hear -

I could never live in an attached home!

• Why? or should I say, Why not?
• Todays attached homes are not the row homes you might remember from Central Jersey or Queens, NY.
• If buying an attached home will allow you to live closer to town or the beach, why wouldnt you consider that?
• Building codes are much different and the construction method and todays insulation standards also work to keep your home quiet as well as energy efficient.

Why do people move when they retire?

• To be closer to friends, family and activities they enjoy.
• To save money on taxes and maintenance and to save time taking care of the house and the property.
• To move into a home that offers more comfortable living for now and the years to come.

You can only get so far searching online and looking at homes on your computer screen. One client of mine has actually looked at 769 homes on our website over the last few years and actually saved 46 properties! In her case, she has an extremely difficult house to sell before she can relocate and move to Delaware so looking at homes online helps her stay positive! But even she has been here and become very familiar with the area in person. I have introduced her to the different communities so that, when she gets a contract on that home in NJ, well know exactly what to do and where to focus our search. Our fingers are crossed that this is the year it will all come together.

Were here as long as it takes

We have to start at the beginning and the first step is to get you familiar with the area, then the different communities and eventually, well get down to looking at houses you might end up buying. That could take 3 month or 3 years and were there with you as long as it takes!