What you need to know about buying a home

Determining your needsf

Now that you are entering a retired lifestyle, there are many things to consider when buying a home in an age-restricted community -- location, affordability, lifestyle, amenities and social activities available, and convenience to places you plan to frequent. Determining your needs and wants is as important as the cost of the home.

To help you in your search, begin making a list of the 10 most important things you would like in your new home such as:

  • Location (close to shopping, buses, hospitals, Univ. of AZ, etc.)
  • Price (affordability)
  • Amenities available such as clubhouse, pool, golf, bike paths, etc.
  • Type of home: single family, town home, condo
  • Garage or carport
  • Number of bedrooms
  • Number of baths
  • Square footage
  • Floor plan (split bedroom plan, separate dining room, kitchen open to family room, etc.)
  • Fireplace or no fireplace
  • Easy-to-maintain landscaping
  • Single or two-story (stairs or no stairs)
  • Views

Make sure you put them in order of importance – you may not find all 10 things in one house, but you may find the top 5.

Also important to understand are the local market conditions. As your Active Adult Living Specialists we will be able to supply you with an in-depth analysis of the current trends in real estate for the types of homes and area you are looking in. You can track those real estate listing activities in the areas that interest you by having us set up a Virtual Home Finder search for you. You will receive frequent emails showing all the most recent listings that have come on the market.

What are you looking for in an active adult community? Each community has many different amenities and social activities that are unique to the lifestyle you want. Each community has many different price ranges that affect affordability. Consider your current needs and lifestyle interests as well. Will you have family members visiting you? Do you or will you need public transportation? Do you need to be close to medical facilities? Are the amenities available right for you? Is it near those places you know you’ll frequent? Is shopping convenient? Are there any parks in the area? Is there a Homeowners Association?

Finding the right retirement community for you involves many different steps. With our help, your journey to finding the perfect home can be made easier and more fun!