About Us:
Natalie and Shawn are local realtors with combined experience of over 40 years who specialize in helping retirees transition to a warm, loving community and healthy lifestyle that meets their needs for the coming years. We know that this exciting new chapter is all about meeting new friends and living life to the fullest! Put your trust in our service to make your journey smooth and stress free. Give your Seniors Real Estate Specialists,®a call today at 778-317-2323 or 604-230-1991.

*Personal Real Estate Corporation
Here is our Seller's Guide to help you navigate to a good home.

A QR code to a local guide

A recent Bankrate study ranking American states for retirement delivered an interesting surprise. Iowa grabbed the top spot for features like affordability and a retirement-friendly atmosphere. In ranking cities, Bankrate looked at the cost of living, health care quality, crime data, and weather. Delaware and West Virginia got spots two and three partly for low taxes. Though warm-weather states like Florida are popular retirement destinations, many don't provide the best quality of life. Because of its brutal weather and high cost of living, Alaska ranked last.

Though Canadian housing affordability has improved slightly for three consecutive quarters, most households still can't afford homes. Eroding affordability makes cities like Vancouver, Toronto, Hamilton, and Victoria out of reach for many locals, given that required minimum annual household incomes to afford a house exceed median incomes. Quebec City is the exception, though its affordability is also declining. Younger buyers and immigrants are most affected by affordability challenges.

The number of older Americans living alone has surged due to the rise in gray divorces. The divorce rate for people over 50 doubled between 1990 and 2010, and the trend is growing as Baby Boomers age. The growing number of seniors living alone raises questions about whether there's enough affordable housing and social services to support this population. Post-divorce, some people see their standard of living drop significantly. After all, they're cutting their nest egg in half.

Many Americans will claim Social Security benefits sooner rather than later, even if it means receiving lower payments. Just 10% of nonretired Americans plan to wait until age 70 for the highest benefit, according to the 2023 Schroders U.S. Retirement Survey. Around 40% of nonretired respondents plan to take benefits between ages 62-65. Fear is a driving factor; 44% worry about Social Security's solvency, and 36% need the money. As a result, many will leave thousands of dollars on the table. Retiring in 2023 at full retirement age brings a maximum benefit of $3,627, whereas retiring at 62 yields $2,572. At 70, it's $4,555.

Sky-high mortgage rates have helped to slam the brakes on the housing market. The Federal Reserve has put forward aggressive interest rate hikes to slash inflation by slowing the economy. Rates have reached a 21-year high, and the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is 7.09%. Buyers face high costs and low inventory, and the home resale market slowed in July to its lowest rate since 2010. Many homeowners are reluctant to sell because they don't want to give up their relatively low mortgage rates. That said, a substantial influx of new homes is expected to come online over the coming months, which could ease the supply and demand imbalance and help to ease homebuyers' burden.

On October 5-6, the Center for REALTOR® Development will present a live virtual edition of the ABR® Designation Course with top instructor Lynn Madison. Learn how to manage each step of the residential real estate transaction, as well as how to conduct productive buyer counseling session and build trust through a buyer's agreement.