Baby Boomers are moving to Coastal Delaware and the locals couldn’t be happier. When I talk to local business owners in Lewes or Rehoboth Beach, in Milton or Georgetown or Bridgeville, they realize how lucky they are to see so many new people moving to the area at this time in their lives.

Think about it, if someone from New Jersey now paying real estate taxes of $10,000 or even $20,000 per year moves to Coastal Delaware they will probably only pay $1,000 to $2,000 in annual property tax. What will they be able to do with all that extra money? They may spend some of it at the great local restaurants and shops. They may find a local organization to support. It’s almost like having a second pension or social security check each month.

Is that enough of a reason for Boomers to relocate to Coastal Delaware? No, but it is a reason many have considered it in the first place. People from New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania as well as our neighbors to the south in DC, Maryland and Virginia are buying homes here with an eye on eventual retirement, planning to relocate. What an interesting melting pot of talented, educated and interesting people!

Newcomers are getting involved in the arts, in local charities, in the Farmer’s Markets and we are all beneficiaries of their contributions. We just want to say “Thank you” and “Welcome”; we look forward to seeing you here in Coastal Delaware and making you feel right at home.

The tip of the baby boom iceberg has just started melting into retirement. As tends to be the case with this generation, they are not content to do retirement the old-fashioned way. Boomers are healthier and more active than retirees of the past, and they have a lot more in mind than just sitting on their front porches in rocking chairs.

This article in US News & World Report indicates that the unemployment rate for aging Boomers is actually lower than the national average. What are they doing? Boomers are starting businesses in “retirement”. Perhaps this is the perfect time to do what you always wanted to do.

It’s an interesting topic – Read More!

Boomers planning to relocate have some big decisions to make. What kind of community do they want to live in and where? There’s lots written about active adult communities and you get the idea that everyone has worked their entire life to move to one of these communities designed for the perfect retirement. But ask yourself what it is you really want and what you’re willing to pay for -

• Age restricted (55+) or not
• Clubhouse
• Fitness Center
• Pools
• Golf
• Game rooms and more

If you don’t belong to a Fitness Center now, will you really use it when you move? How about the indoor pool? Is golf your passion? How about tennis? What does active really mean to you?

In an age-restricted or 55+ active adult community, you’ll meet people in your own age group with similar backgrounds. With a ready group of new friends you’ll always have people to get together with, travel with and throw parties.

I’ve often thought that these communities look to reward us for working hard, giving us that chance to finally live that country club lifestyle we never had time for while we were raising families and working 24/7.

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No longer a well-kept secret, Rehoboth Beach has been rated one of America’s Best Little Beach towns by Travel and Leasure!

Often referred to as “America’s Summer Capital”, the Delaware beach resorts now attract people from all over the Mid-Atlantic Region. We’ve even seen folks moving here from as far away as San Diego, Seattle, Florida and more!

Is now a good time to find a retirement home in Delaware? YES, for many reasons. Not only because prices have come down in response to the economy, and not only because interest rates are absurdly low, the lowest rates EVER, but also because builders don’t like year-end inventory. Many builders end their year in September and that means Inventory Blow Out prices and special deals galore.

The home pictured to the left is in a community called Noble’s Pond, located in the Dover area. They have an introductory offer on a delightful 3 bedroom, 2 bath ranch home that is not to be believed. I just spent the morning at Noble’s Pond last week and I was very impressed with the community clubhouse, the brand new pool and the lovely homes. The Hampton is a new model and they have one spectacularly priced starting at only $159,995! Each day’s mail brings new information on “Quick Delivery Homes”, Current Incentives, Final Inventory Home Prices and more, and it’s only July! Read the rest of this entry

Who knows your home is for sale? Your neighbors? The people down the street or around town? Where are the prospective buyers? Not next door.

Your buyers are on the Internet

Do you know who they are and where they live now? Ask yourself, who is relocating to Lewes, Delaware, and the surrounding areas like Rehoboth Beach, Milton, Milford, Georgetown and the rest of Sussex County? The majority of our buyers do not currently live in Delaware; they live in New Jersey or New York, Connecticut or Pennsylvania, Maryland or Virginia. Most are over the age of 50 and they intend this to be their last move. They may not be moving here full time quite yet, but the idea is to relocate to Coastal Delaware to retire. Read the rest of this entry

Meet Real Estate’s ‘Interventionist’

HARD TRUTH: Mike Aubrey discusses pricing and market conditions with sellers during an episode of HGTV’s “Real Estate Intervention.” The show airs Tuesdays beginning June 29 at 9:30 p.m. ET.

By Deborah Ball Kearns, RE/MAX Times Online Associate Editor

Interventionist

Many of today’s sellers need a reality check on pricing. Mike Aubrey provides one each week on HGTV’s “Real Estate Intervention.”

The popular TV show follows sellers who are either thinking of listing their property or have had their homes on the market without a successful sale. Aubrey, a Hall of Fame and Chairman’s Club member with RE/MAX Metropolitan Realty in North Potomac, Md., takes sellers through two comparables – a home that recently sold and one that’s still on the market – to show them how their property stacks up to the competition. Then he sits them down for “the talk,” which entails a rundown of the numbers and his suggestion for pricing.

Most of the time, the truth hurts.

“Sellers can get extremely upset or offended when I tell them my opinion on what their house is worth given the market conditions,” says Aubrey, who remains remarkably patient with difficult sellers in several of the episodes. “Part of this business is telling people things they don’t want to hear, but you can’t get emotional about it. You have to control the situation and trust your work and the numbers. Having their best interest at heart means being honest.” Read the rest of this entry

Not ready to retire yet but you know where you want to live when you do? Do you want to buy a new home in Coastal Delaware with all the latest design features and conveniences for your retirement. Have you already started looking even though you still have a year or more to work until you can move?

Lease it back to the Builder!

Right now, we know of two opportunities to purchase the model home in very desirable communities in Lewes, Delaware. The builder is in the business of building homes, not owning them. When they sell the model they pay rent to continue to use it as a model for a period of time, generally one or two years. What are the benefits to you?

• Buy a home loaded with all the options at today’s “buyer market” price
• Take advantage of unbelievably low mortgage interest rates and lock in a fixed rate loan before rates rise
• Wait to list your home for sale until you’re ready to retire or prices recover in your market

Would you like to see some specific examples? Read the rest of this entry

Five years ago, the White House Conference on Aging was held, as were state conferences and mini-conferences that were sponsored by various organizations like the National Association of Home Builders and AARP. This only happens every 10 years and the focus of this decade’s conference was on Boomers.

The sheer magnitude of the numbers had government agencies in a near panic.

• 78 Million Baby Boomers began turning 60 in the year 2006!
• 10,000 Boomers turn 55 every day.
• A Boomer turns 50 every 7 seconds.

Stats are still flying and everyone is trying to figure out what Boomers will really be like as we age.

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