Buy Now, Retire Later

A recent Money Magazine article confirmed the reality that Sarasota buyer agents have been experiencing for the last 6 months - now is a great time to pick up your retirement place - even if you aren't ready to retire!

With beach, golf and resort communities at levels not seen in years, many people are seeing the opportunity to purchase their retirement home NOW, feeling pretty certain that in 10 years when they DO retire, that the prices may not be this low. And if history is any indication, they wont be.

I loved the fact that the author pointed out several points we have been making over the last year:

1) Are we at the absolute bottom? Maybe not. But we are pretty darn low, and if you can feel confident that over the long term prices will rise, its likely a great investment.

2) Buyer agents are great allies in assisting in finding the great deals, and negotiating steals based on actual data and numbers - giving you a far better chance of getting a great deal than just throwing a low number against the wall.

and # 3, and I find this to be SO important - At some point, you are likely buying a retirement home because you want to have a wonderful place to retire, to have fun, to enjoy your life. Its not always about making a 50% return - you have to be happy that you secured your dream home at a great price, and will get years of enjoyment out of it!

In Sarasota, a brisk and consistent tourist trade also pretty much ensures that you will be able to rent out the home, providing income until you are ready to use it - and THAT'S a smart move.