It’s not just the warm temperatures that heat up in the summer – it’s also the most popular time of the year to move.  One of the leading causes for this great summer migration is that  many households find themselves a little emptier as graduates prepare to move out and start new life chapters. These changes lead to a common question amongst empty-nesters: “Is now the right time to move out of my single-family home and into something better suited to my new lifestyle?”

Rethinking where and how you live can offer many financial and emotional benefits for empty-nesters; here are just a few:

1. Lower mortgage— Depending on the location of your new property, you may have a lower monthly mortgage cost.
2. Freedom— Want to take up sailing, become a world-class skier, or play golf every day? Downsizing offers you more freedom to explore and revisit activities and hobbies that you may not have been able to enjoy when you had a larger house to maintain.
3. Fewer maintenance costs— Downsizing to condo eliminates the need for lawn service, cleaning service, and additional costs associated with driveway, roofing or yard maintenance.
4. Lower taxes— A smaller property may offer the benefit of lower real estate taxes.
5. Less stress— Less clutter, debt, and financial and maintenance obligations will lead to a clearer state of mind, and give you the opportunity to enjoy a new, simplified home.

Condos  are typically smaller, but the energy of the city is so much larger. Moving from the suburbs to the city offers you a wealth of access to museums, restaurants, shopping and theatre right outside your door. If an urban lifestyle is something you would like to learn more about, contact Chuck Gallagher, Grand Rapids’ own Urban Lifestyle Specialist and Greenridge Realty’s top selling agent in West Michigan, for more information.

616.299.5837 or cgallagher@greenridge.com.

Visit www.grandrapidsdowntowncondos.com to see all available listings.