Market insights
Retirement & Downsizing
For most retirees the home is the largest asset they own, and the decision about what to do with it shapes the retirement itself. These guides work through the choice honestly: staying, downsizing, the 55+ community landscape, and the tax rules that protect most of the gain.
7 guides
- Aging in Place vs. Downsizing in the Philadelphia Suburbs Aging in place vs. downsizing in retirement: the real costs of each path, what home modifications for aging in place involve, when downsizing makes more sense, and how to decide between them.
- 55+ and Active Adult Communities in Montgomery and Bucks County A guide to 55+ and active adult communities in Montgomery and Bucks County, PA: where they are concentrated, what they offer, the difference between active adult and continuing care, and how to choose.
- Selling a Parent's Home to Pay for Long-Term Care How to sell a parent's home to pay for assisted living or long-term care: the authority you need, Medicaid and the home sale, timing and emotional considerations, and how to coordinate the transition.
- Should I Sell My House When I Retire? Whether to sell your house when you retire in the Philadelphia suburbs: the financial, practical, and emotional factors, the equity question, and a framework for deciding between selling, staying, and downsizing.
- Tax Considerations When Selling Your Home in Retirement The tax considerations when selling your home in retirement: the Section 121 capital gains exclusion ($250K/$500K), what happens to gains above it, the cost basis question, and PA and NJ state treatment.
- Using Your Home Equity in Retirement How to access home equity in retirement in the Philadelphia suburbs: downsizing, HELOCs and home equity loans, reverse mortgages, and sell-and-rent, with the trade-offs of each option.
- How to Downsize in the Philadelphia Suburbs How to downsize in the Philadelphia suburbs: the sequencing decision, what to look for in a smaller home, the best communities for right-sizers, and how to manage the financial transition.