SRES® Blog

If you’ve been looking for ways to market your skills to aged 50+ buyers and sellers and find ways to help seniors who need accessible housing, read Ray Abichandani’s commentary in the July-August 2021 edition of REALTOR magazine. He talks about the accessibility challenges homeowners continue to face, despite the fact that the country celebrates the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act this year. The need for housing that accommodates physical limitations will only become more acute as the population ages and fewer find senior care facilities appealing. Abichandani points

If clients have been in their homes for decades, they may not know what home features are dealbreakers today. When they last bought or sold, the must-haves may have been extra garage space, that fourth bedroom, in-unit washers, and dryers in condo purchases. Expectations have changed, found NAHB in its study, What Home Buyers Really Want, 2021 Edition (https://bit.ly/3zUoyki). Today’s dealbreakers may surprise some of your sellers. The survey asked what features are essential (unlikely to buy a home without the feature), desirable (seriously influenced to buy the home if included) indifferent

Clients look to you to help them understand all the livability features that will contribute to their well-being in a prospective neighborhood. Thanks to a collaboration between AARP’s Livability Index (https://bit.ly/3wdmRvA) and the National Association of REALTORS® Realtors Property Resource® (https://auth.narrpr.com/auth/sign-in), you now have easy access to a wealth of data to give your baby boomer and senior clients a complete picture of a given neighborhood and address their questions about a particular zip code. AARP’s Livability Index data now is accessible on the RPR® website and

Have you recommended that clients stage their home, but they're still skeptical about its benefits? The "2021 Profile of Home Staging" by the National Association of REALTORS® (https://bit.ly/2Q6qlRf) can help you make a case for its value. One interesting fact worth sharing: buyers have been influenced by how homes on TV shows look. A median of 10 percent of respondents say that buyers thought that homes should look how they're staged on those shows. How well does your client's house align with such buyers' expectations? Forty-seven percent of buyers' agents said that home staging affects

It’s a family affair. That statement has never been more accurate when dealing with the families of seniors in a real estate transaction. If our beloved seniors are involved, everyone wants to ensure they are happy, healthy, and safe. This can prove to be a challenging task for SRES® agents. Everyone wants to feel like they are making the best decision for their loved one which can look different for all interested parties. This is an emotional experience for anyone. Regardless of how many people are included in the real estate process, there are some simple steps to follow. Set the Tone As

According to the Shelton Group, a Knoxville, Tenn., energy, and sustainability marketing firm, three-quarters of Americans are at least somewhat concerned about the air they're breathing in their homes. Three-quarters of Americans are at least somewhat concerned about the air they're breathing in their homes, according to the Shelton Group, a Knoxville, Tenn., energy, and sustainability marketing firm. With so many still hunkered down at home because of the pandemic, homeowners continue to focus on home health and indoor air quality. You can help your clients assess just how healthy their home

Florida and Arizona are the two states that immediately pop to mind when people think of retirement destinations. But things change. It turns out that Virginia has become a significant retirement destination, edging Florida out of the number one spot. That’s according to “2020 Study: Where Do Americans Move When they Retire?” by Hire a Helper. If you work with retirees, the study gives you a snapshot of moving trends that may be helpful to your 2021 business planning. Virginia is an especially appealing spot for retiring women making out of state moves. Of those, 17% landed in Virginia. Single

Your clients who want to incorporate aging-in-place features to accommodate multiple generations under one roof may be interested in findings from the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Home Design Trends Survey. So too will those who want to upgrade their homes for better functionality to respond to the ongoing pandemic. The quarterly AIA surveys provide a snapshot of residential trends that architects are seeing and measure whether a feature’s popularity rose or fell. Due to pandemic work-at-home situations, home offices, outdoor living spaces, and multi-function rooms, and flexible

If you’re tired of pale gray, the popular home paint color during the last year or so, look to the new hues of 2021. In recent months, paint companies released their 2021 color predictions. Many of their choices have been influenced by the changes the pandemic has brought to our lives. For example, in announcing its color of the year, Urbane Bronze (https://bit.ly/34RY9pf), Sherwin-Williams, suggests finding your sanctuary. It says, “As we're looking to create the ultimate retreat for reflection and renewal, we're turning to a hue whose natural simplicity and nature-inspired energy cultivate a

Now is the time of year when you’re taking a hard look at your financial picture and developing a plan for the year. Before you start, check the all-important Internal Revenue Service (IRS) contribution limits for 2021. For details, visit the IRS site at https://bit.ly/3mUplK4 and https://bit.ly/2JpWZK5. For individuals contributing to a 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans, and the federal government's Thrift Savings Plan, the contribution limits stay at $19,500. For those over the age of 50, the catch-up contribution stays at $6,500. The maximum contribution limits for individual retirement