Last month I attended a New Year’s party that was filled with old friends. There were about 50 of us and everyone there was in approximately the same age range.

And what was the main topic of conversation? DOWNSIZING.

Some people had already done it and extolled its virtues. Others had made the decision to move ahead. Some others were nervous about the entire concept and asked tons of questions.

The truth is that not everyone will benefit from downsizing. And therefore, it’s not a “must” do. If you can stay where you are and can “age in place,” then I recommend you do so. But I also believe you MUST examine all the angles before you make your decision.

Here are some questions to consider in order to make an informed decision about downsizing your home.

[Read more…]

Letting go of the home you’ve been making memories in for years can be hard. Some couples have lived in the same home for decades, and saying goodbye to those rooms where you watched your kids grow up isn’t always easy. (Believe me, I know.)

But you know what’s even more difficult? Trying to downsize your house when you and your spouse or partner aren’t on the same page about what you want to do next.

What happens if you want to move someplace new and he wants to stay where he’s always been comfortable? Or if she wants to be near the kids and you want to enjoy the benefits of a peer community? Or if you want to see the mountains every morning and she wants to live by the beach?

Simple: you work it out together.

Okay, so maybe it’s not THAT simple. In fact, for some couples, downsizing their home is the most complicated choice they’ll ever make together. But the key word is “together.”

Here are 4 tips to help couples get on the same page about downsizing and make big lifestyle changes without feeling like one (or both) of you are losing out. [Read more…]

I just came back from an annual conference that, for me, are the four most interesting days of year. Keller Williams brought together 15,000 agents to share knowledge, inspire and be inspired, and to learn about future projections in the real estate market.

Here’s what I learned and why I believe the time to downsize is NOW. If you’ve been thinking about downsizing and wondering when is the right time, my recommendation would be not to wait. [Read more…]

By now, you’re probably up to your eyeballs hearing about all the snow. Well, at least up to your knees.

You’ve spent hours shoveling, or if you’re like me, paying an outrageous amount of money to someone with a plow.

What does snow have to with downsizing? EVERYTHING!

Here’s what I mean. [Read more…]

Today I want to tell you a success story.

Anne-Marie and Bob lived in the most perfect historic home in my town.

It had been an old horse stable built in the late 1800’s and its centerpiece was a huge bookcase-lined room where they held large gatherings at an enormous dining table.

It was romantic and filled with detail and the many beautiful things that they both collected. Anne-Marie had created glorious flower beds that had been on multiple garden tours.

They raised two wonderful children in that house, though they had moved out, but it was getting to be too much. Taxes, upkeep, a change in job status – it was all eating away at their bank account. They were miserable — worried about their pension plans compared to their monthly nut.

Intellectually, they knew they should probably downsize. But the thought of that was depressing. Downsizing felt to them like “downgrading.”

Together, we started to have some conversations that were tough, at least at first. [Read more…]

I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t even have to do it. But in the end, I did it. I downsized my home.

I loved my house. Lived there for 20 years and raised 3 children in it. Loved my garden, which even made it onto my town’s fancy “Garden Tour”. It was creamy yellow with lots of white trim and a big screened-in porch.

I LOVED IT.

I downsized. And it was really hard.

Here’s my story. [Read more…]