Karen Gill

Sometimes unexpected life events change your future plans. If it’s a health issue or the death of a spouse, partner or parent and you have to think about moving into a smaller home or a home that requires less maintenance or an easier floor plan, know you have options. Take a deep breath, there is always a solution. Let me help you navigate your choices.

Food For Thought … Do You Know Your Value?

preparing for a out of state retirement

Are you still living in the family home you purchased in the 70’s 80’s or 90’s to raise a family and you are beginning to think it’s time to spread your wings and enjoy your life? What are your options? Where would you go to live a simple life, one that requires less maintenance, that fits your budget, and in a location that you want to be? Do you want to live near family, and they are in another state? Let’s explore that option. My friends Barb and Dave decided they wanted to move closer to their family in Savannah Georgia . They started by visiting the “kids” and grandkids and exploring their options near Savannah, found a 55 and over condominium community they loved, with 2 pools, a gym and clubhouse and used some of the equity in their home and personal funds to purchase. This was a new build, so they had time to pack, purge and donate, sell their existing condominium, use temporary housing for the interim, then finish their move to Georgia. The best thing about their move? Barb said it’s living near their grandkids, helping with getting them to dance and gymnastics. Other benefits are maintenance free living, having an extended growing season for her flowers, lemon and lime trees.

If you have family living elsewhere in the States, take the first step and explore that option. Let’s see what your home equity situation is like in this real estate market, and if you decide to go forward, I can help with preparing your home for sale, consulting with your family and a qualified real estate agent in another state, assist where needed with my sources of financial advisors, real estate attorneys, mortgage companies, arranging help with your physical move with home organizers, and estate sale contacts . Let me help you put the pieces together.

Time For An Outing_ World Of Winter Grand Rapids

You wouldn’t know it, looking out the window as I am at the pouring rain, but the ice sculptures and winter displays will be wrapping up soon and it was yet another delightful success on the part of “Downtown Grand Rapids” to get everyone out of their homes and enjoy winter. We did a lot of walking as the venues were spread across Monroe Center, past Ah-Nab-Awen Park near the Gerald Ford Museum, all the way to the 6^th Street dam. It was good to get our steps in and not only view the displays but to see all the new restaurants downtown. Looking around, I felt like I haven’t been there in a very long time. Word to the wise, if you’re heading downtown, make a reservation as getting in restaurants these days isn’t always a piece of cake. My food thoughts went from Wahlburgers, to The Social Misfits, to Stans Tacos but we ended up at Max’s South Seas Hideaway Max’s South Seas Hideaway this time. What fun! It was like being in a tropical paradise and took our minds of the cold weather for a while. Just stopping for appetizers THIS time, we had Coconut Fried Shrimp, topped off with a couple of their exotic drinks of which there are many. I had an Astrochimp and Alicia a traditional Mai Tai. We definitely will be going back here for dinner. The World of Winter is on display until March 6, so if you hurry, you can still visit as it’s well worth the drive downtown. See more of what there is to see at World of Winter GR

try this condo on for size …

Located in a really convenient location in Grand Rapids NW side, just off the expressway with restaurants, LMCU baseball, shopping just minutes away there is a beautiful condo development. The main floor has about 1,500 sq. ft. depending on model, 2 bedrooms, 2 full baths and laundry area. If you want room for guests there you have additional space on the daylight or walk out level. Prices are in the high $300’s to mid $400’s depending on choices. Monthly association fees as of this date are $250.

My Friend & Client Lynn moved here, into her new condo at the end of last year in time for the holidays. She moved from a ranch style home but her laundry was in the lower level and she had a pool. She wanted a condo where outdoor maintenance was done for her and she had everything she needed on one floor. Her biggest bonus? She has walk in closets and doesn’t have to move seasonal clothes around anymore. Love this, and congratulations again Lynn!!

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Oh, The Places We’ll Go

Where do you want to retire? Have you had enough of the wintry weather and a week or a month in Florida just isn’t enough anymore? Let us focus occasionally on a part of the South, maybe WAY South, which is “Senior Friendly” and that has communities with amenities for a lifestyle you might enjoy. We’ll start with Florida. So, what are the positives of retiring in Florida? No more shoveling snow, no more bulky coats, boating and gardening year round, sunshine, your family has a place to get away in winter, school age grandchildren can come down over spring break, you can travel north in the hottest months and visit them! To kick off this series of posts I found a video just for you. Consider Ocala and become a “cool kid”.

January 2022 _ Home Statistics

Thanks to Dave Veldkamp from RE/MAX of Grand Rapids for being a numbers cruncher to the rest of us. In January there were …

389 Active Listings in the GR area.
674 Homes Sold YTD (with an average sale price $305,940)

53% of those sold over their listing price with an average of $4,700 above asking price

This is the slowest start to our real estate market since 2015, and a great time to sell!!

Superbowl Sunday Special _ Matthew Stafford’s Homes

Our Detroit Lions quarterback has moved on and many of us feel he is so deserving of a Super Bowl win. So, have you ever wondered where the Stafford’s live? After 16 months on the market, their 7,720-square-foot home in Bloomfield Hills sold in early September 2021 for $6 million. Right around the time he was traded to the West Coast, Stafford also closed a deal on a yet-to-be-built mansion in Hidden Hills, CA. For the proposed 15,000-square-foot home in the exclusive gated community, the quarterback shelled out a whopping $19.6 million.

While he awaits the completion of his massive residence, he made a much smaller purchase in the L.A. area last June. He paid $1.4 million for a more modest three-bedroom home in Woodland Hills, CA. Built in 1962, the single-story residence is just a couple of blocks from the gates of Hidden Hills. Perhaps it’ll be used as a guesthouse once the mansion is built.

He wasn’t done, either. Last August, Stafford also closed on a sale of his huge 10-bedroom mansion in Atlanta. Located in the city’s Buckhead neighborhood, the 8,657-square-foot home sold for $4.5 million. It represented yet another win for the QB—he had purchased the place for $3.85 million in June 2017.

Thanks to Realtor.com for this article

Author: Karen Gill

for my fellow over 50 crowd …

moving into the future …