As I entered into this prime period of my life I have come to realize that the Charleston SC area including Mt. Pleasant, Goose Creek and Summerville is a fantastic place for retirement. Our warm, sunny coastal area offers a host of lifestyle amenities. The calm pace of life and the small town feeling with big city resources has caught national attention. Charleston offers outstanding cultural programs, fine arts museums, spectator sports, great shopping, beaches and golfing at it's best. We have excellent health care facilities and our cost of living, affordable housing, fair climate and friendly people makes Charleston the most popular destination in the Southeast. Take a serious look but be careful as more than one visit will begin your love affair.
Ron's Tips for Senior Home Buyers
Confirm: Take a vacation or site seeing trip to the area and confirm that Charleston meets your lifestyle needs.
Agents: Interview agents. Look for a trained "buyer's agent" that will exclusively represent you. Review qualifications and trust your comfort level. If you have a home to sell, consider consulting with your buyer agent first. Assisting to reserve your home equity by giving sound advice should be high on his or her list.
Location: Look for easy access to recreation facilities, leisure activities, transportation and health care. Consider convenience to shopping and church. List all your special wants and needs and share them with your buyer agent.
Security: Most senior buyers that I talk with want to feel safe in their homes and neighborhoods and to know that their investment in the property is safe. Visit the local police Department, Fire Station and check statistics for the area.
Value: When you reinvest in your retirement area you want to get good value for your hard earned money. That includes quality in construction and materials. You can't afford a risky investment since we seniors don't have the years to gamble in making back the equity. Place a good consultant in your corner.
Size: Requirements vary from senior to senior so size-to-suit. Some will want smaller homes and most want little or no maintenance. Others may still want a family house with a yard for gardening. Guest rooms for grandchildren may be important. All retiree's should seek emergency efficient homes for controlling future expenses.
Single-floor livability: Most seniors will prefer at least a ground floor master suite or a one-floor home.
Maximize profit: Maximize your profit when selling at the old location. Start the cosmetic repairs early, select the best agent, and market at the right time of year for your area. Seek recommendations on the listing agent. I recommend using a Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) but you may need help finding one as less than 5% of all REALTORS hold the CRS.
Maintain Control: Use your years of experience and develop a plan with trusted advisors on both ends of the move. Examine all options. Take sufficient time to read all documents thoroughly and ask questions of "your agent" remembering that they owe you reasonable care and diligence along with loyalty, obedience to your wishes, confidentiality, disclosure and accounting on all matters. Don't take less!
Respect: Take nothing less as you have earned it as a client. If the people you are dealing with are condescending or less than respectful, fire them.
Trust: Take the time to find people for your retirement move that you can trust. Look for integrity and honesty even if the person is not telling you what you want to hear. If the person you are about to deal with appears to be a shyster, trust your instincts. You have everything to lose.
- NUMBER1EXPERT™ 
