Boomerang2Home

As we grow older, our wants and needs regarding our home environment change.  In most cases, we Baby Boomers downsize, wanting less space to maintain and pay for.  In some cases the home we have lived in for many years becomes too difficult to navigate as we age and can no longer do stairs.  In other cases we may be drawn to a community restricted to mature adults with organized activities that cater to people close to our own age.  Or perhaps for health reasons, we need assistance with some of the tasks of daily living so we consider assisted living facilities or moving in with family.

In my case, I had already downsized into a 1500 s.f. patio home in a small neighborhood in Julington Creek Plantation.  I had updated everything in my cute little home to suit my taste and needs at the time and really thought I would probably grow old there. It was paid for and located in a relatively safe neighborhood, even though I had the neighbor from Hell living next door!  My son thought I had lost my mind when I told him back in 2018 that I had decided to build a new home in RiverTown, located about 15 miles south of everything my life was centered around.

I must explain that as a former Navy Brat, moving is part of my DNA.  I absolutely love moving to a new (as in different) living space and redecorating it to suit my latest tastes. As a former interior designer, it’s only natural I would enjoy decorating, right? I think this is why I enjoy staging my listings so much. The last house I staged had languished on the market vacant for 6 months with another agent, and sold in only a few weeks, once I listed and staged it. But I digress.

I had been thinking about moving because my little patio home really didn’t have any decent dining space and, as the Matriarch of our family, I loved and missed having my whole family over for dinner.  I also had begun to have groups of friends over and hated that we were so cramped in my little eat-in kitchen. As a Seniors Real Estate Specialist, I was familiar with all of the 55+ communities in the Jacksonville area and considered moving to one of those until I heard a horror story about someone who had signed a contract to build a home in one of the age-restricted communities and then found out her daughter was pregnant and needed to move home.  The buyer was forced to walk from her contract and lose a hefty binder. Having 2 daughters of my own, I decided I couldn’t close the door to that same possibility happening to me, so I decided against that option.  I still sometimes think it would be fun to live in one of those communities with all of their organized activities for people my age. 

I attended a Realtor event the summer of 2018 when Rivertown had just opened its fabulous RiverClub facility right on the St. Johns River. I had been forced to sell our family home located in the riverfront neighborhood of Bayside following my divorce, and I missed having access to the beautiful views and peaceful sunsets over the river. I thought how wonderful it would be to have access to that facility as well as the beautiful RiverHouse amenity center. When I discovered I could build a small house for under $300,000, I made what was pretty much a snap decision to jump in with both feet. So, I went from 1500 to over 2100 s.f., the complete opposite of the typical move for a Senior like me.  But I absolutely love my home, which has enough room to host over 20 people if I want to.  So far, I have only seated 15 but I love knowing I could invite more if I wanted to.

The point of that whole rambling story is that we Seniors should not feel bound by what most people are doing; we need to be open to doing what makes us happy if we can afford to do that. My son has since blessed my decision as the value of my home has almost doubled since I moved in 2019, and I now use my little patio home as a rental that brings in well above my current mortgage payment.

So let yourself be open to change and break some of the rules!  It makes life a lot more interesting and gives us more reasons to get healthy and enjoy our senior years. If you would like to check out the many active adult communities in NE Florida, you can visit my website at www.LynnCares4U.  I will be posting tours of some of the local 55+ communities in future blog entries as well as interviews of clients that have made the move and are having the best time of their lives. I also have a nifty Lifestyle Guide that will help you decide the type of home in which you want to live your best life as you age. Just send me a quick note on my Contact Me page with your address and I’ll get it right to you!