Every home purchase today usually involves a “Home Inspection”. Before going to settlement, it’s a good idea to make sure that the home is in good operating condition and that it will stay that way for a reasonable period of time.

As more and more Boomers enter their 60s, another type of home inspection is highly recommended. This inspection will evaluate every aspect of the home, inside and outside, to determine how well the home will accommodate your needs as long as you live there. By now, most people understand the value of a first floor master bedroom and bath and some even consider the option of total first floor living. Beyond that, most of us have no idea what belongs on our checklist.

AARP and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) came to this realization several years ago. The Remodelers™ Council  in collaboration with the NAHB Research Center,  and AARP developed the Certified Aging-In-Place Specialist (CAPS) program to address the growing number of consumers that have a strong desire to remain independent and to live in their own homes regardless of age.

What does this have to do with the purchase of a new home? Making sure a home will be able to accommodate you in the future is up to you. A CAPS professional is trained to help you evaluate a home and make specific recommendations for improving the home’s livability. For about the same cost as that of a traditional home inspection, the CAPS evaluation will focus on areas of the home that may require modification to remain livable as you age.

New construction is popular with the relocating Boomer who doesn’t want to bother with updating an older home. Many new homes being built today, however, would not rate high on the “livability” scale. Some popular floor plans do have more open space in the main living areas, but they often fail when it comes to bathroom design, width of doorways and number of steps.

When you consider that even a new home will require some modification to age along with you, it makes sense to look at existing homes that may need some work but that are in desirable areas. For example, you might be able to buy a home that needs updating close to town. In addition to location, this option will allow you to remodel a home to your exact taste. An older home may be better built and there is little difference between ripping out and replacing an old bathroom or a new one that just doesn’t meet your needs.

Imagine that you have just purchased a new home – your dream house with expensive upgrades. Then imagine that you or your spouse has an accident that puts you in a wheelchair for the next 6 months. When you arrive home from the hospital, it hits you – you cannot get into the house. Even worse, you realize you cannot access the bathroom!

If you bought a home 40 years ago there was no such thing as a home inspection. Today, no one would think of purchasing a home without one. CAPS professionals believe that the same will be true of a CAPS Evaluation in the future. In Delaware, Bill Bell of Gotcha Covered! has been CAPS certified since 2003.

Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can plan for today. Add a CAPS Evaluation to your new home purchase checklist. To learn more about what a CAPS Professional can do for you and to locate one in your area, visit this page of the National Association of Home Builders web site.  

Baby Boomers are one hot media topic these days. In one publication you read that we Boomers are different than our parents’ generation – and then another story concludes we may approach things differently but, in the end, we are about the same.

But some facts are indisputable. We are all living longer and our parents are likely, at some point, to need our help. Let’s assume that our children have been educated, are gainfully employed, and can pay their own expenses. Now let’s focus on the “Open-Faced Sandwich” scenario in which we, as Boomers, have only to worry about caring for a parent or other older relative.

For Boomers who have grown up here with parents living nearby, the first step is to have a plan. While everyone is in good health, have your parents talk about their plans for the future and how they would like to live as they age. Some options to consider include:

1. CCRC – Are your parents interested in moving into a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC)? There are now several to choose from in our area. A CCRC is defined as “a residential community for the remainder of one’s life, with a choice of services and living situations. Residents can move between Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Nursing Home Care based on changing needs at each point in time”.  Cadbury at Lewes is a local CCRC.
2. Stay where they are – Are they determined to remain independent in their own home? If yes, can that home age well with them and be accessible if one or both parents become temporarily or permanently impaired? Now is the time to begin planning and making some modifications so that at least one entrance will be barrier free and one bedroom and one bathroom are on the first floor. Sometimes fairly simple modifications will allow your parents to “Age in Place”.
3. Move in with you – At some point, will one or both parents be moving into your home? How will that affect your life and that of the rest of your family? Do you have the room or will you have to consider buying a new home with multiple living areas?
4. In-law Suite or Granny Flat – At least in Sussex County, there are very few homes that include a totally separate suite and even fewer that are zoned properly to allow a Granny Flat to be built. Ellendale is one town that does allow the construction of an accessory dwelling on your property as long as you live in either the primary residence or the Granny Flat. Maybe it’s time for more cities and towns to add this provision just as many other parts of the country already have.

If your parents live thousands of miles away, all of the choices above become even more challenging. You may be perfectly willing to care for your aging parents but you’re not willing to move to do so. Maybe you just retired and finally moved to your dream home at the beach or into that new Active Adult Community. What will you do if your parents refuse to move closer to you? Thinking and talking about these issues with aging parents before decisions become urgent can save everyone a lot of unhappiness over the long haul.

Boomers will live long past the historic retirement age and so will our parents. The question is how will we live and take care of those who took care of us.

What’s better than a new car, new clothes or new shoes? A shiny, brand spanking new house! Not just any new house, but a new house in a brand new community with all kinds of awesome amenities and special features! But beware:  It’s easy to be so dazzled by the decorating that the important questions never get asked.

If you are seriously shopping for a new house in a new community, be prepared to ask the questions that will help you make the right decision, especially if you are interested in a 55+ or Active Adult Community. Write out your questions before you go so you can be sure you get the answers you need, even if you find yourself getting caught up in the beautifully decorated models, the Clubhouse, the Golf Course, the pools and tennis courts, and other community amenities.

For example, in new construction we know that there are generally options and upgrades available. If you ask the salesperson, what options and upgrades do you offer?” you will likely hear about the optional sunroom or bonus room, the optional deck or fireplace. For upgrades, you will generally be offered different kitchen cabinets or counter tops, higher grade appliance packages or a more luxurious master bathroom. Some communities have pages of possible options and upgrades.

But if you are shopping for a home to live in the rest of your life, whether or not that home is in an Active Adult Community or other age restricted community, you may want to add this question: “Do you offer a Universal Design Package?” or “What Universal Design features do you offer in this house/community?”

Forward-thinking builders will not only have an answer but they will provide a comprehensive list of features that can be incorporated into their homes. The best builders will be able to point out Universal Design features that are already standard items and tell you about others that can be substituted or made available as upgrades.

Standard items might include:

• Rocker Light Switches at 42” instead of 48”
• Electrical Outlets that are 18” high instead of 12”
• Lever door handles
• Task lighting
• Reinforced bathroom walls for later installation of grab bars
• Decorator towel bars that work as grab bars

Options or Upgrades that should be available today include:

• 36” wide doorways with off-set hinges
• Showers with a low or zero threshold
• Variety in both bathroom and kitchen counter height to allow for seated use or wheelchair access
• Appliances with front controls for less reaching
• Washers, Dryers and Dishwashers installed on raised platforms for less bending

Why be concerned about buying a Universal Design home today? Even if you don’t plan on living in your new home for the rest of your years, over 37% of Eastern Sussex County is already over the age of 50. How old will the average buyer be when you’re ready to sell? In less than a decade, even the youngest Baby Boomer will be over 55.

If you have a property for sale right now in Coastal Delaware, your stiffest competition is all the new construction, the housing of choice for buyers coming to Sussex County today.

Why is new construction such tough competition? It’s not just the designs and long list of upgrades and options. If you have a home for sale with no basement, no garage and no first floor Master Suite, you are competing with similarly priced new homes that do offer full basements, large garages, elegant master baths, and pricing incentives or perhaps no mortgage payments for the first year.

The new buyer coming to Sussex County is likely to be a couple over 50 from New Jersey who never considered Delaware until the latest tax hike. Many have never vacationed here and have no family or friends that live here. They are attracted by low taxes and cost of living, our central location in the heart of the Mid-Atlantic Region and lots of new housing options at relatively reasonable prices. Proximity to the beach is important but not to the same degree as historical buyers who have been coming here for years.

One of the most compelling reasons buyers may want a new home in a new community came from a couple that had relocated many times in their careers. They found that moving to an existing neighborhood always made them feel like outsiders. When they moved to a new community, however, they found that everyone was in the same boat. Everyone was new and it was easier to find common ground and make friends quickly. That made so much sense to me because I was moved many times during my previous career and I remember that feeling.

So, how do you sell your home in this Buyer’s Market? You have to look critically at your home and your neighborhood through Buyer’s eyes.  Would you buy your home today? Have you gone to look at the competition? How does your home compare to new homes in the same price range? Do you need to update or remodel your kitchen or bath? Does it make sense to add a first floor master suite or sunroom?

Find a good contractor and ask for advice. Get a copy of the 2009 Cost vs. Value Report published annually by Remodeling Magazine. You might not recoup the full cost of a remodeling project but it might just sell your home.

You may not need a contractor but you will need to prepare your home for sale and make it more attractive to a buyer’s eye. If you need help, ask your Realtor to refer you to a local professional home stager and give those new homes some real competition.

Mark your calendars! On Saturday, March 27th, Teller Wines will have their 7th Annual Wine Expo & Benefit at the Lewes Yacht Club from 1 to 4pm. This is a great event with over 100 top-knotch wines to taste and really great gourmet food (appetizers and small bites). This year, a portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit the Historic Lewes Farmers Market. Tickets are $60, and they sell out quickly.  For tickets, call 302-644-7400 or pick them up at Teller Wines, 1201A Savannah Rd. in Lewes.  

This year the HLFM will be offering three fabulous silent auction items at this event that are so special that you will want to get a ticket just to be able to bid on them!

Governor Markell Gives State of the State Address:  Governor Markell delivered the State of the State address on Thursday in the House Chamber.  He quoted Thomas Paine, “These are the times … that try men’s souls” and stated that his focus is on creating more and better jobs and building a stronger economy.  He said that his plan will encourage economic growth, demand a leaner more efficient government and provide Delaware’s children with a world-class education.  Of particular note to the real estate and development industry, he mentioned consolidating the county row offices of Recorder of Deeds into State government and provide bond bill funding for the Housing Development Fund.  Look for Governor Markell’s FY 2011 budget to be unveiled next Thursday.

January 19, 2010, the new  Sussex County Profile 2010 was unveiled at a luncheon at The Brick Hotel in Georgetown, Delaware. Representatives from the Chambers of Commerce from Lewes, Milton, Georgetown, Seaford and many others joined with the Sussex County Council members and business leaders to network and celebrate the progress business is making in the county. The cover photo says it all!

I was pleased to be invited as a member of the board of the Milton Chamber of Commerce.

Read an Associated Press article today reporting that Delaware is the 22nd happiest state in the country! People in the sunny, outdoorsy states – Louisiana (#1), Hawaii, Florida, Tenessee and Arizona – say they are the happiest Americans. Delaware ranked in the middle at #22, but that topped our neighboring states with

• Maryland – #40
• Pennsylvania – #41
• New Jersey – even unhappier at #47
• New York – the unhappiest state in the country!

Other studies that rated states on criteria ranging from availability of public land to commuting time to local taxes – quality of life and happiness tend to go hand-in-hand.

That’s good news for Delaware and probably why so many people from the surrounding states are relocating to Delaware. Don’t worry, BE HAPPY … in Delaware!

Anyone that has been reading this blog or receiving our email newsletters knows that Bill and I have been avid supporters of Jack Markell. Well, today I had the pleasure of watching Jack take the oath of office and become Delaware’s 73rd Governor. I now live in a state where I know the Governor! WOW.

He is going to be an excellent Governor and Delaware will be a state in the news for so many reasons. Jack is committed to alternative energy like solar and wind. Jack is dedicated to making our schools the best in the nation. Jack is determined to foster entrepreneurship and to help businesses grow. With Jack in the state house and Joe Biden as our nation’s Vice President, you will be very glad you chose to stay or move to Delaware. Goodbye Dela-Where? Here we are, as they say in our state song, in “our Delaware”.

There will be no Inauguration Ball in Delaware this year. Instead, Governor Markell will lead a weekend of service. He launched a new website www.betterdelaware.org to inform Delawareans and encourage everyone to volunteer their time to those in need in our state. That tells a lot about the man Jack Markell.

Before Active Adult communities, what did people do when they retired? Some went fishing or discovered artistic talents and began painting. Others indulged a passion for gardening or relaxed with a good book. What’s your passion? You can find unique properties throughout Sussex County, Delaware, like the home pictured below. There are affordable homes with water views on our many ponds and rivers and this peaceful setting  just might be your vision of  the perfect lifestyle.

To take a tour of this adorable cottage on Hearns Pond, just click on the photo above. Everything has been totally redone, inside and outside.

When you begin your search for your perfect retirement home, don’t limit yourself to new communities until you’ve seen what else is available in Coastal Delaware.