QUAD CITIES REAL ESTATE WITH RE/MAX

SERVING THE ENTIRE IOWA AND ILLINOIS QUAD CITIES ............................................................

DAVENPORT - BETTENDORF - ROCK ISLAND - MOLINE AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES

TOM & CYNDEE BROWNER - CRS, ABR, GRI

BROKER ASSOCIATES SERVING IOWA & ILLINOIS - 319-332-9900 EXT 225

WANT TO SELL YOUR HOME FOR THE MOST MONEY, IN THE SHORTEST TIME, WITH THE LEAST INCONVENIENCE TO YOU? Do you want serious advertising and effort from your agent? Call or contact us for a FREE MARKET ANALYSIS of your present home. No obligation, of course. Call us on our private line at 332-1130 RE/MAX RIVER CITIES, or Contact us at tom&cyndee@quadcitiesrealestate.com LOOKING TO BUY? Check out the services an ACCREDITED BUYER'S REPRESENTATIVE can mean to you.

CONDO, APARTMENT, RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY OR HOME

There are many reasons for seniors to move out of the home they have lived in for many years. Many chose to sell because they do not want to be tied down to a home. They do not want the yard work, snow removal or perhaps they just want to take some time and travel.

Others would never think of moving from their home under any circumstances. Often they have great neighborhood support. Neighbors that can run an occasional errand or help with the snow. For these seniors, staying put is a real option and often the preferred option.

I think children like the idea of parents being in condo's better than the parents. Yes you can still get appreciation, but usually at a slower rate than a single family home. Yes, all outside work is done for seniors, but not for free. Condo maintenance fees can often be $80 or more a month. For less than this, many seniors find they can hire neighborhood kids or professionals to perform those task that they can not physically do themselves in their single family home.

Condo's can have their place. They may have tax considerations, appreciation, and offer a community center, pool or other amenities. Like an apartment, you can come and go and there are always people around caring for the facilities and watching your unit. The condo represents a longer commitment to housing. Condo's tend to be newer, more compact with many conveniences not found in older homes. For this reason they can be easier for seniors to maintain with minimal assistance.

Apartments on the other hand are temporary. They can be leased for short terms, allowing you to move with the seasons. There is no long term commitment, so if you do not like your neighbors, you can move in a month or two. Often they are used as short term housing as seniors wait for a spouse to retire or plan to move elsewhere. They can also be cheaper in the short term. Cheaper than condo's or senior residential communities. Another advantage is that seniors can spend six months or a year near their son, then pick up and move near a daughter. Life can be more flexible with less ties.

Residential communities come in many flavors. Some are simply apartment complexes that cater to an older age group. Others allow you to buy in, provide meals and cleaning and long term medical care if it becomes necessary. These latter communities are more pricey, but allow freedom in the early years of retirement, access to a large group of friends of similar background and memories and medical care as necessary as we age.

What is right for you? There is no easy answer. It is like asking what color is the sky or what car do you like. It varies with every situation and personal preference.

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