Smart Moves

Government leaders and academics all over America are fretting about an emerging social problem: loneliness.

Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska wrote a book about the issue. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a psychology professor at Brigham Young University, links it to rising medical problems. And Dr. Vivek Murthy, a former U.S. surgeon general, declared it “a public health epidemic.”

Meanwhile, real estate agents report that an increasing number of homebuyers wish to move to an area where neighbors engage with each other in friendly ways. Families with children are especially eager to reside in a community where kids have nearby playmates and families share in neighborhood-wide events.

“For many purchasers, a friendly neighborhood is more important than a house with lots of square footage,” says Tom Early, a veteran real estate broker who specializes in helping buyers.

But he acknowledges it can be tricky to discern whether an area will prove sociable.

“Sometimes, signs of neighborhood friendliness are subtle. Home shoppers have to dig below the surface for clues to sociability, and that means asking lots of questions,” says Early, a past president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org).

Here are a few pointers for homebuyers:

-- Search for a community with strong ties to neighborhood schools.

A strong school can help draw people together, tightening bonds among residents of all ages, says William Bainbridge, president of the SchoolMatch Institute, (schoolmatch.com), which helps clients assess school quality.

Must you move to an affluent area to find a school with both high-quality facilities and a dedicated teaching force? Not necessarily, according to Bainbridge, who says parental involvement is a key factor in school quality and one that can be present in any type of community.

How does a strong neighborhood school help bind residents together?

“Children are the conduit for lots of connections,” says Mark Nash, the author of “1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home.” He encourages prospective residents --including those with no school-age children -- to visit a neighborhood’s schools before deciding to buy a home there.

-- Investigate the social dynamics of any neighborhood you’re considering.

Buyers seeking an interactive community are well advised to spend some time in an area they’re considering, to look for signs of positive relationships among residents -- such as whether they stop on the street to chat with each other.

“Even the most prestigious neighborhoods can have real issues,” says Nash, noting that just a few problematic residents can create problems for an entire community.

To learn more about the underlying social dynamics of a community, don’t hesitate to go door-to-door to strike up conversations with residents and talk to local shopkeepers. Ask them about the pros and cons of living in the area.

-- Visit the neighborhood on multiple days.

Nash suggests that those with a strong interest in a community visit the area at varied hours. Also consider visiting on a weekday as well as the weekend.

“Walk or drive through the neighborhood four times in a day, during the morning, at midafternoon, at dinnertime and at 11 p.m. Notice whether people are relating to each other or staying holed up in their homes nearly all of the time,” he says.

In some neighborhoods, residents are superficially friendly yet don’t build in-depth relationships with each other.

-- Don’t rule out a brand-new community.

Are you interested in moving to a subdivision that’s still under development but fear it could be an unfriendly place to raise your family? If so, Nash suggests you learn more about the community before rejecting it based on what could be an unfounded belief.

Granted, brand-new communities are often populated by two-income families with parents in their 20s to 40s who have extremely demanding daily schedules. Still, many who move to these new areas are highly motivated to build lasting friendships.

“Another positive is that in a brand-new neighborhood, everyone comes in from the same starting point. There’s no established social hierarchy for a newcomer to break into,” Nash says.

-- Remember that all good relationships take time and effort.

Those with a support structure within the immediate radius of their home have many advantages. But as Nash stresses, moving to a friendly neighborhood won’t guarantee that you develop a strong support structure unless you invest time and energy in building positive relationships. You need to socialize during times of celebration as well as in times of need.

“Don’t kid yourself that the neighbors will really be there for you when you urgently need their help if you’re not staying in touch throughout the year. As we all know, it takes a friend to make friends,” he says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)

For years, a retired home improvement contractor considered selling his house in a leafy Baltimore suburb served by a top-rated elementary school.

What caused him to delay his sale? Living solely on Social Security, he lacked savings for essential repairs to his run-down place. For instance, he couldn't afford to replace his leaky roof and malfunctioning heating system.

But after stern warnings from a few local real estate agents, the contractor recently sold his place for a sacrificial price $200,000 below what his place could have fetched in good condition. The agents convinced him that waiting until next year wouldn’t have helped him at the bottom line.

Eric Tyson, a Connecticut-based personal finance expert, doesn’t know the contractor in this true story. But he says the man likely made the right decision.

Tyson, co-author of “House Selling for Dummies,” says that in many neighborhoods, sellers are gradually losing the upper hand as buyers gain somewhat more leverage. What’s more, he contends that in most areas this trend will likely intensify next year.

At CoreLogic, an economic think tank, CEO Frank Martell says the seller’s market is gradually weakening due to rising mortgage rates and affordability concerns on the part of potential purchasers.

“Our consumer research indicates younger millennials want to purchase homes, but the majority of them consider affordability a key obstacle,” Martell says.

A new report by the U.S. Commerce Department also reflects a possible slowdown ahead for real estate. In October, sales of newly built homes fell 8.9 percent, tumbling to their lowest point in more than two years. New home prices also slipped.

No owners want to sell their property for a sacrificial price. But if your place is in run-down condition and you lack savings for major repairs, you might have only enough money for cosmetic fixes.

Here are a few pointers for the cash-tight sellers of flawed homes:

-- Seek guidance from a seasoned real estate pro in your area.

Ashley Richardson, who sells homes through the independent Long & Foster realty chain, says a solid agent will give you a realistic list of doable tasks.

“For example, you wouldn’t want to put high-end cabinets into the kitchen of a house that’s in overall poor condition. But you might want to have your current cabinets repainted,” she says.

As the first step in the agent-selection process, Richardson recommends you interview three candidates, asking each to critique your home and itemize low-cost steps that would make it more saleable.

“You want someone who will look you straight in the eye and tell you the truth -- not someone who just tries to flatter you into giving them the listing,” she says.

-- Look for assistance in the decluttering process.

As Richardson says, many longtime owners trying to sell a home in poor condition feel overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the tasks that face them. Decluttering is an especially daunting prospect for those with health problems.

“Sellers who can’t do this work themselves should ask family members and friends to help,” she says.

But what if no volunteers step forward? In such cases, Richardson suggests owners may wish to hire students or others looking for temporary, part-time work.

Richardson recommends you give the person you hire a series of manageable tasks.

“For example, tell them to pack up the contents of your china closet or an overloaded bookshelf. Tell them to put the packed boxes in your garage in neat stacks,” says Richardson, who’s affiliated with the Residential Real Estate Council (crs.com).

It may seem counterintuitive for the owners of a home priced for an “as is” sale to bother with the removal of clutter. But Richardson says it’s imperative.

“No one will buy a house if they can’t even see how large its rooms are,” she says.

-- Help buyers imagine your home’s possibilities.

Though many owners of property in poor condition lack the funds for major improvements, Richardson says it’s important that they make their place at least minimally appealing.

Besides clearing out your clutter, you’ll want to remove any outdated furnishings and drapes that make your home seem dark or drab. In their place, your agent might lend you a few attractive pieces to make your place look better.

“Realtors sometimes have a stock of good furniture, rugs and lamps that clients can use during the showing period,” Richardson says.

Besides adding cosmetic touches, she says the owners of an “as is” home should give visitors mock-ups and contractors’ estimates for needed improvements, like the replacement of a worn-out deck or the renovation of a bathroom to replace broken ceramic tile.

“The truth is, most people have a terrible time envisioning the potential of any house in poor condition. You’ve got to get them excited about the possibilities,” Richardson says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)

Under heavy pressure from her grown daughters, a Baltimore woman in her early 70s suddenly sold her huge Tudor house. Once widowed, living alone in the property wasn’t a viable long-term option.

But what followed the sale was a hurried and ill-conceived property purchase recommended by the two daughters. This involved a three-level townhouse in the same neighborhood. This proved a mistake because, like the Tudor house, the new place requires the widow to climb stairs -- a painful ordeal given the arthritis that afflicts her knees.

For seniors, protecting the knees is not only a matter of comfort. It’s also a key health and safety priority, says Dr. Michael Nevitt, an expert on osteoarthritis at the University of California, San Francisco.

Nevitt says every year an increasing number of seniors suffer from a dangerous fall due to knee buckling and poor balance linked to weak muscles or osteoarthritis. Such falls are especially likely to occur when older people descend stairs.

Of course, moving to a high-rise apartment building with an elevator solves the problem of stair use for numerous seniors. But many longtime homeowners fear the loss of autonomy that comes with apartment living. They’d rather move to a smaller, one-level detached property if they can find one in their price range.

Unfortunately, in communities where one-level homes are scarce, those seeking to downsize pay more per square foot than they would for a multi-story property, especially a very vertical townhouse.

Sandy Jurich, a longtime real estate agent in Michigan, says that soaring land costs explain why multi-story homes are generally less expensive than similarly sized single-level homes.

Still, for those who can afford it, there are a number of advantages to a single-story house. Chief among these is efficiency of movement. You can go from room to room without climbing stairs, sparing yourself time and exertion.

“There’s a lot to be said for convenience. For instance, it’s a lot easier to clean a single-level house,” Jurich says.

Mark Nash, a real estate broker and author of “1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home,” says senior buyers should think seriously about the purchase of a multi-level place before they commit.

Here are a few pointers for older buyers:

-- Select your next place with an eye to the future.

Whether you’re 29 or 69, it can be hard to picture your future housing needs. Yet no matter your age, projecting into the future is important.

Nash recommends that buyers look at least three to five years ahead.

“Planning for the future is especially important if you’re approaching your late 50s and anticipate retiring in the next few years. In this age range, health or mobility problems can start to develop at any time,” Nash says.

However, not all seniors find stairs to be problematic. Indeed, some who are especially physically fit may actually prefer to remain in a multi-story house because stair climbing gives them a form of daily exercise.

-- Factor in the advantages of a second-floor “hideaway area.”

During your retirement years, do you intend to launch a home-based business or start writing that romance novel you’ve planned for years?

If so, Nash recommends you consider the advantages of an out-of-the-way second-story office where you can concentrate with few interruptions. Likewise, many homeowners enjoy an upstairs bedroom where they can pursue a hobby.

“Sometimes, it’s nice to have a getaway place in your home, where you can leave a project all spread out and go back into that ‘cave’ when you want to. For example, this would be good for someone embarking on a family genealogy project,” he says.

Another less obvious advantage of an upper-level retreat: You’re further from the temptations posed by food in your kitchen.

-- Rule out a property that would require an addition to be livable.

Some budget-minded seniors consider purchasing a traditional two-story place with the intention of building on a first-floor master suite later.

That’s usually a poor idea, Nash says.

“Sometimes, real estate agents encourage clients to buy a house that needs an addition. But getting an addition done is expensive and can take six months or longer. And remember, it’s not your agent’s time or money at stake,” he says.

-- Don’t necessarily duplicate your relatives’ lifestyle.

After their children are grown, it’s customary in many families for the elders to surrender their large homes and move to much smaller quarters with fewer upkeep demands, such as an apartment or a townhouse. Perhaps your parents, aunts or uncles made such a move after they reached the age of Social Security eligibility.

But Nash says that just because your relatives were happy with their late-in-life moves doesn’t mean you should replicate their thinking.

“There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all housing choice. How you live is an intensely personal decision,” he says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)