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How do I make a retirement move? January 28, 2002 Moving is rarely easy, but the thought of making a retirement move can be overwhelming. The physical and emotional realities of such a move are often complex. Few of us look forward to making a retirement move. It's usually seen as a necessity, not a matter of choice. However, in many cases, when you make a retirement move, you are making a choice. A woman who made her retirement move several years ago is a case in point. She had worked as a nurse. Over and over, she saw elderly patients who stayed in their homes until they were incapable of taking care of themselves. At that point, they were forced to move, frequently not to a place of their own choosing. Many retirement facilities won't accept seniors who are already in ill health. Not wanting to lose control of her own destiny, the retired nurse bought a small, all level, two-bedroom home in a convenient location while she was still able to do so. Another lesson can be learned from the retired nurse. She planned her move well in advance. She could afford to buy her retirement home before she sold her large, family home. She rented the retirement home and it generated income while she prepared the family home for sale. This gave her plenty of time to move out years of accumulated possessions. She also was able to make some cosmetic improvements and have the house staged for sale. Her tenants vacated her retirement home several months before her family home went on the market. This enabled the nurse to move into her new home and avoid having to be in the house she was selling while it was on the market. RETIREMENT TIP: Psychologically, it helps to make a retirement move if you know where you'll be moving before you sell your current home. Start looking at retirement residence options well in advance of when you'll want to make your move. You'll need to know how much your current home is worth. Contact a highly recommended local real estate agent. Since a retirement move is different than other kinds of moves, find an agent who has experience working with seniors. A good source of recommendations is friends who have already made their retirement move. You may not actually move for several years, so you will want to work with a patient and caring agent who understands the process and who won't try to pressure you into moving at a faster pace. Getting your home ready to sell takes time. The longer you've lived in your home, the longer it'll take. Family members may be able to help by removing the belongings they should have claimed long ago. By the way, don't be surprised if your children discourage you from selling the family home. Their memories are tied to the home just as yours are. Selling the family home confirms the end of an era. Some people would rather live in denial than accept reality and move on. Many of the best retirement homes have waiting lists. Even though you may have to wait months or years to move in, you should move forward with preparing your home for sale. This way you'll be ready to put your home on the market as soon as you get the word there's a place available for you. THE CLOSING: It's natural to feel sad at times about making a retirement move. The benefit is that you'll be free of home maintenance worries, which will free up time for more enjoyable activities. Dian Hy mer is author of "Starting Out, The Complete Home Buyer's Guide," Chronicle Books. Copyright 2001 Dian Hy mer Distributed by In man News Features   More - Real Estate Columns   FREE reports on homes sold in your zip code Arizona Homes - All available zip code reports Chandler Homes Gilbert Homes Glendale AZ Homes Goodyear Homes Mesa Homes Phoenix Homes Scottsdale Homes Sun City AZ Homes Tempe Homes   FREE custom-made reports on homes for sale Metro Phoenix Southeast Valley. Homes for sale in Ahwatukee, Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Queen Creek and Tempe. Phoenix. Homes for sale in Anthem and Phoenix. Southwest Valley. Homes for sale in Avondale, Buckeye, Goodyear and Litchfield Park. Northeast Valley. Homes for sale in Carefree, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills, Paradise Valley, Rio Verde and Scottsdale. Northwest Valley. Homes for sale in Glendale AZ, Peoria AZ, Sun City AZ, Sun City Grand, Sun City West, Surprise and Youngtown. Wickenburg homes for sale. Metro Tucson Tucson area. Homes for sale in Marana, Oro Valley and Tucson. Green Valley area. Homes for sale in Green Valley and Sahaurita. Other Great Arizona Towns • Casa Grande homes for sale • Flagstaff homes for sale • Lake Havasu City homes for sale • Payson homes for sale • Prescott homes for sale • Showlow homes for sale • Yuma homes for sale