1. Try before you buy. If you’re not sure where you want to spend the next 10 – 20 years of your life, renting is a great way to try an area before you buy.
2. Ecocnomic uncertainty. If you’re not comfortable with the current economic climate and wonder if housing prices will recover, renting might be a better option.
3. You’ve never lived anywhere for more than a few years! Renting is definitely a better option for short term occupancy.

Rental homes are few and far between in the newer active adult communities, but we do have a few that come up and they always go quickly. If you own a home at Heritage Shores or one of our other active adult communities and would like to talk with us about renting it, please let us know. We handle complete Property Management as well.

2009 was not a stellar year in the real estate industry, but it was a lot better here than in many parts of the country. Ask your friends that retired to Florida or to Arizona how well homes are selling in their communities and you’re likely to hear a long sad story. At Heritage Shores, in Bridgeville, Delaware, it appears that at least 11 homes were sold that made it to the settlement table in 2009. The last settlement reported was in November, so it is possible that there were a few more sales that were not yet captured by the tax system and perhaps others that have yet to settle.

Of the 11 reported sales, the selling prices ranged from a low of $222,000 up to a high of just under $375,000, quite a range! Qualified buyers were in a strong position throughout the past two years and many of the truly great deals are now SOLD! Prices have come down, however, and they will not immediately return to the prices at which homes sold in 2005/2006.

Heritage Shores remains very popular with some of our buyer clients and it may be right for you. We’ll make sure you see comparable communities, both age restricted and multi-generational, BEFORE you make a purchase decision.

The laws governing the practice of real estate are different in every state. In Delaware, Builders are not required to hire licensed real estate sales professionals. Most sales people in these communities are employees of the Builders. What does that mean to you? They are not subject to the same Code of Ethics as a licensed Realtor. They do not have the same disclosure requirements as a licensed Realtor. They represent the Seller - the Builder, not you – the Buyer.

Before making a buying decision, especially at this stage in life, it is very important to consider all your options. You may have found this one community on the Internet. You may have heard from friends that it is a great place to live. But, have you been shown other communities that may be just as nice or even better for you? What’s wonderful about Coastal Delaware is that we have so many nice communities and each one offers something just a little different. What’s right for one person is not necessarily right for everyone.

When you have an Exclusive Buyer Agent who represents you, their concern is helping you find the right house in the right neighborhood. A sales person who works for the Builder can only succeed if you buy a home from them in that one community.

Does it cost you more to be represented? Absolutely not. At least in this market, every Builder does provide some compensation in the form of a commission at settlement to Buyer Agents. They do require that your Agent actually be with you on your very first visit to their community. But they can’t control where else your Buyer Agent takes you before you make a final buying decision.

Some of our Buyer Clients have worked with us for as long as three years prior to relocating to Coastal Delaware. The first visit is often their very first visit to the area. It’s the time to get acquainted with the different towns and communities and see whether they like it in general. By the second visit, we’re often looking more closely at specific locations and zeroing in on one or two communities. We consider things like:

• the amenities available in each community
• the monthly or annual fees
• the taxes – county, city and any special assessments if applicable
• availability of resale homes and price history
• on new homes or to be built homes, the pricing of upgrades and options
• energy efficiency and Universal Design features
• transportation options and access to shopping, hospitals and other services

Relocating at any age can be stressful. Doing so when you’re planning for retirement or have already retired is a big move. The time to get advice and professional assistance is before you move. Work with someone that knows the area and has the experience necessary to help you make the right decision.

P.S. The State of Delaware is considering a change to the law that would require anyone selling real estate to be subject to the same licensing requirements and Code of Ethics. That’s the way it is in other professions.

Ryan Homes Model Site at Heritage Shores

Today I discovered where the new Ryan Homes models will be built at Heritage Shores in Bridgeville, Delaware. The homes you see in the background were the models for Lennar, one of the original builders at Heritage Shores. This section used to be the parking lot and the Sales Center for Lennar. This will put the new Ryan models on the main road, just before the Providence of Brookfield Homes Sales Center.

Which models will Ryan be building? I’m on it and I’ll report the news on this site as soon as I obtain reliable information. Where will the first Ryan Homes be located? I found the sites on Ruddy Duck Drive, the road on which the last Lennar homes were built before they pulled out of Delaware. These sites are well located on the golf course – very desirable locations within the community, on a quiet cul-de-sac. Buyers interested in a premium active adult community that features golf, tennis, indoor and outdoor pools, a large Community Clubhouse and every imaginable amenity now have a choice of quality resale homes, new construction from a regional builder AND production homes from a national builder. Which ones present the best value? Let’s talk and I’ll help you evaluate your options.

Will this be a good thing for current homeowners at Heritage Shores? How about for future buyers for this popular active adult community?

Stay tuned as we report the developing story.

Let’s face it, most of us have spent our lives working, taking care of families and educating our children. When we get to a point in our lives that we can actually think about retirement and what we would like to do for the rest of our lives it’s a big deal. It’s not a decision you should make without professional assistance and even then you need to take your time.

Another great way to try on this new lifestyle is to rent for a few months or a year and see if it feels right for you.  Have you wondered if you would like living in an active adult community? Do you like the idea of a clubhouse with lots of activities, a fitness center, tennis, indoor and outdoor pools and a golf course all in one place? If you’ve never had the time before, do you wonder if you would really use all those amenities? Renting a home for a year is a perfect way to experience it first hand. You may not be ready to retire quite yet but you can get away on weekends and use it for family vacations. Then, if you do decide to buy in this community or another one in the general area, you can use the rental while you are selling your current home and looking for the right home to buy.

At Heritage Shores right now, we have two great homes that are available for rent. The home on Amanda’s Teal is available immediately for $1200/month and the one on White Pellican is available in April or May for $1500/month.

For an application and more information, please contact Kathy at 302-947-0860.

If your idea of the perfect retirement home includes golf, socializing in a beautiful clubhouse, swimming year round, tennis, compatible neighbors and lots to do, this is the right time to take a look at Heritage Shores. I have been bringing buyers to this community since 2005 and many of my clients have become happy homeowners and just love living in Delaware’s premier active adult community.

Today, your choice of model homes for sale, inventory homes ready for immediate occupancy and better-than-new resale homes at terrific prices make this Buyer’s Market one for the ages. I know Heritage Shores and I will help you evaluate all your options and make the choice that is best for you.

Don’t delay. Call me to schedule an appointment before these homes are gone.

He told me that a new traffic light for the entrance to Heritage Shores on Route 13 has been approved. With the tremendous growth along the Route 13 corridor and the number of homes being sold in Heritage Shores, a traffic light will certainly make it much easier for residents to enter the highway whether they are traveling north or south. I don’t have any information about the expected date of implementation, but I will stay on top of it and report more.

I am also pleased to report that Alex’s impression of Heritage Shores is extremely positive. He commented on how impressed he is with the clubhouse and other amenities and the number of homes being built and sold every time he happens to drive through the community.

The good news for buyers keeps getting better. Today we learn that the interest rate could drop even further for home buyers. The rate being discussed, as low as 4.5%, would only apply to home purchases, not refinancing an existing home. We don’t know much more than that, but we do know that the support for buyers has never been stronger.

Be prepared to take advantage of these low rates by starting the process now. Have you decided that Heritage Shores is where you want to retire? Have you zeroed in on the particular house? The next step would be to obtain mortgage pre-qualification, get together with your Buyer Agent and make an offer. Once you have a contract in place that both you and the seller are happy with, your agent and your loan officer can help you decide when to lock in an interest rate. We find that most buyers in the 55+ market are well qualified and generally obtain the best mortgage rates in any market. That rate could be somewhere between 4.5% and 5.5%, depending on your particular situation.

If you’re not sure what is currently for sale at Heritage Shores, click here for the most current information.