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Making the Most of Your Real Estate Agent's Expertise

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Making the Most of Your Real Estate Agent's Expertise

Buying a new home is an exciting experience, but there is a lot that has to be considered if you want to make sure that your investment is a solid one. For example, while it isn’t required, it is a good idea to have your real estate agent hire an independent inspector to have prospective homes personally inspected for safety and condition before making an offer. Learning how your real estate agent can best help you before actually hiring an agent will ensure that the person you work with has the experience and ideas needed to get the results that you want. On this website, you can expect to find out how to find a great real estate agent and how you can best tap into the talents.

Three Features To Look For When Buying A Home When You're In Your 50s

2 March 2017
 Categories: Real Estate, Blog

The needs people have in homes can vary from their 20s to their 50s, and this is primarily due to the differences in lifestyles and health at these ages. If you are in your 50s and are ready to buy your first home or downsize to a smaller home, you may want to look for a home that offers the following features.

One-Story Home

One-story homes are houses that do not have stairs. Everything is located on one floor, and this is a necessary feature to consider if you are in your 50s. Most homes that are one-story are considered ranch homes. With a ranch house, you might or might not have a basement, but you can count on having everything you need on the main floor. This will include the bedrooms, laundry room, and main living area.

Having a one-story home is a great option for people in your age group, simply because stairs can become hard to climb as you age.

Wide Door Openings

Average door openings in homes are often between 23-inches to 27-inches. While this is wide enough to walk through, it is not wide enough for a wheelchair. Even if you are not in a wheelchair now, and even if you do not ever expect to be in one, it's still a good idea to look for a home that has wider door openings. For a wheelchair to fit, the openings should be at least 32-inches; however, 36-inch doorways are even better.

If you are moving in your 50s, you may want to make sure that this is the house you will live in for the rest of your life. By choosing a house that is built handicap accessible or one that at least has wide door openings, you will have a way to get around if you end up in a wheelchair at some point in your life.

Homeowner's Association

One other feature you might want to consider looking for when buying a house in your 50s is one that is part of a homeowner's association (HOA). Homes that are part of HOAs are commonly purchased by people who are older, and this is primarily because these types of homes are maintenance free. The HOA will take care of yard maintenance and other things, and this may be something you are interested in finding when you look for the right home to buy.

Ranch homes are great options for people of all ages, and they are available in different sizes and in different neighborhoods. To find the right home for your needs and situation, talk to a real estate agency in your neighborhood.