No, you aren't crazy. I think your plan is sound. We can't live in our house forever. Too much work.

That tree in the back... What is that? We have specimen trees on our property. I'm always amazed when people don't notice them.

You're not crazy but remember what you may consider a tear down, the seller might consider 'not so bad'.

What part of Florida are you looking in? I am near Tampa, house prices are indeed going up, and don't stay on the market too long.

Good luck.

ML

I dread the thought of leaving my home for something with crap finishes and a bad floor plan, so I understand how you are feeling.

I too dread the thought of downsizing. It is expensive to move between closing costs, property taxes, commissions, movers, stopping and starting utilities, making the house habitable, etc. and then to move into cr@p is just sad.

I started my life at the age of 20 living in a sad little apartment, I sure don;t want to live in retirement that way so for now we're staying in the family home.

Hi Golddust, part of the tree you see in the back is actually part of the front tree that was removed (not permanently) for my drawing. The back tree is some sort of nut tree, maybe pecan? The front tree is maybe oak? I was only at this house for around twelve minutes and was really only noting potential things that could be salvaged. Very little could be salvaged and I’m sure the electric will all need to be redone. I would also need the foundation inspected as there was some sort of recoating applied to the exterior. Often on these older homes it’s done to disguise large settling cracks over the years. Some settling is normal though. Although a nineteen sixty house would not be considered old in other parts of the U.S they can have many potential problems here as Florida is low, it depends on how much or if any fill was put down and how the land was prepped for that. The other annoying thing about Florida is how stupid the new construction elevation codes are in relation to these old neighborhoods. If you get a few people around you who mow down the old to build new it leaves the old house in a fish bowl in bad storms.

Maddie, I’m in south east Florida and its crazy. The limited downsize market has gone up 35 to 45 grand in a few months. Unfortunately the cash investors are helping this along as the banks were not appraising them very high. Out of country and out of state-ers are tring to jump on what they think is left of the “deals”. Of course now there are some comps to help the rest. I’m almost thinking we should just buy a larger home so as to not get ripped-off. Maybe a larger home but smaller yard closer to amenities, husband is not much of a country dweller and I have had my way with that for a while.

Fun2Bhere, the sucky part is that I have been replacing all the builder grade stuff in my home over the years. We are big DIYers and it’s all been lots of work. Now I have to start all over in a much smaller space and what looks to be no savings by going smaller.

Blfenton, I am sooo worried that I’m going to get stuck into something nasty! If that happens I would rather just be miserable living on my own. I told my husband we could date though.

Downsizing doesn't mean living in crap. Why are you looking at houses that depress you. Are you "downsizing" or cashing out? There's a difference. It doesn't sound to me like you want to move. And if you have "one foot in the grave", why would you take on a complete remodel? I think you need to re-think and do some soul searching about what you're doing and why.

Hi Annie, of course down size doesn’t necessarily mean crap but it does if that’s all that is available in non-country club or non-planned communities at the moment. You don’t know me so I wouldn’t expect you to get my sarcasm about one foot in the grave, my husband is ready for a change in the direction of setting ourselves up for old age more than I am, I am only 53. However, I could get excited if I could just find the “bones” and floor plan I could work with in the areas I want to live. No soul searching needed, my house will be closing soon, it’s almost a done deal. We will be living with my son until we find something. A friend of mine just recently divorced and also had a heck of a time finding something; it took her more than six months. It’s what is happening here in real-estate. The downsize category is in a sought after bracket with residents here but also 2nd home owners and out of country investors. The deals are no longer but there is a flurry to buy something right at the tail end of our slump with the out of state-ers. It’s causing strange happenings and overpriced crap. Very frustrating!

This post was edited by jterrilynn on Sat, May 11, 13 at 19:14

jterrilynn: My husband retired at fifty (I was younger, but not by much). We moved across country because that was where we wanted to be. So although we didn't intentionally downsize, we wanted a house that we didn't feel we had to leave just because we got old or less mobile (like many of our friends are having to do now). Single level, no difficult entry, large bath with walk in shower, great place for the dogs, etc. Right now, we're still content. The yard work sometimes gets hired out and my only wish in the winter is maybe a snow blower.
So, you're only 53 and certainly don't have one foot in the grave. It sounds like you can cope with a fixer upper nicely. Stay out of the funk and go find that crapper. I hope you find a place that you will love for many years to come.

I've always wanted to find a fixer and breathe new life into it. Now at my age and single, there is no way. One came on the market near me on an adorable street with craftsmen cottages. It sold in a heartbeat. Nothing had been done to it since it was built, I swear. New owners are adding a third story and fixing like crazy. They are doing a nice job.

I'd love to be doing what you are doing. Dream away!

Annie, what you described as your home in terms of one story, walk-in shower and good for the dog kids ect is what I am looking for. During our building boom a few years ago several planned communities went up with the majority of homes being two stories. They had to do two stories due to the 5' wide lot (more sarcasm). There are still deals to be had in the planned communities/country club and golf clubs but we do not want the high monthly fees. Plus, that is just not for me. As it is I'll have to get used to not hanging in my big private back yard in my nighty. I would not want to live anywhere where I have to get dressed up to get the mail. My absolute favorite area I want to live is very charming and loaded with old Florida personality. Unfortunately that area is interbred, you really have to know someone to get in as the houses go very fast and often sell before they hit the market. I have made a few connections but am probably number eight hundred down the list.

On a happier note, I just had a big bouquet of pink roses sent to me by my oldest baby boy for mother’s day. I guess I need to stop feeling hostile and sorry for myself and be grateful that I am loved. My youngest baby boy came to visit me yesterday. I love my furry headed boys!

Happy Mother's Day! Enjoy the flowers.

Dedtired, Yes, that’s how I am too I want to rescue houses. I just wish some people would recognize when their dwelling needed a rescue and price accordingly. The house above is an emotional sale. The two middle aged daughters grew up there as children and were filled with stories when showing us the home. Their mom passed two years ago and they are just now coming to terms with selling it. Their dad was a mechanic who passed in the mid-eighties. You can see signs of a mechanic living there still…as in mechanic grime. The mother was a nurse back in the day and the tiny master bedroom is painted that particular shade of green that was popular in hospitals and doctors offices in the sixties. I don’t think they realize that it is not a matter of just up-grading . When I gave my offer I itemized the things that needed to be done and tried to explain that electric would need to be addressed before any so called up-dates. There would also be plumbing and the moving of a drain field. The roof needs to be raised to have use of the garage as to code hurricane garage doors would not work if you wanted them to actually raise enough to drive a car in. It’s really too much trouble unless the price is right. The house does have a very noticeable happy vibe when you walk in though. I think the ghosts like me lol.

Fun2BHere, Thank you!!!

You can rescue only so many houses, unless you all form a mission of sorts to rescue every derelict house. However, I do believe in vibes and instinct, and in all the times I have moved into and built houses, only two hit me right away when entering the door as "this is going to be right for us!" And, oddly enough HD agrees with me. One was a double wide trailer that we bought as newlyweds in the early 70's while in college and the other was a tiny townhouse in the south when we were just starting out as young people newly employed.
When you walk into that awful fixer upper, you'll know!

JT, not sure exactly where you are--'Southeast Fl' covers a WHOLE lot of ground!

I live in the same general area; one factor about those mid century homes is that even if they are disasters, falling apart or stuck in time warps--they often are in highly desirable neighborhoods. You simply aren't going to get a bargain there if that's where you are looking because too many people want to be in X,Y or Z good locations. Doesn't matter about the house really because that can always be fixed. After all, worst case scenario: $10K, a bulldozer, work crew and half day leaves a buildable lot in a great (all together now) location.

Anyway, if you want super bargains look in places like the far western Broward area. Or Homestead. Those are packed with houses built in boom years that are going for pretty cheap. OTOH, in Coral Gables, Weston or Boca, there aren't any hidden or undiscovered/underpriced gems. Everybody else is already scouting and the people putting properties up for sale know it. You may not be willing to pay top dollar, but lots of people are.

Oh and don't forget in SE Fl you are basically competing in a world, not a local, buyers' market. People with lots of money from London to Rio to Singapore are more than willing to plunk down cash for a house in SE FL which again means those crazy (like a fox) sellers don't have to worry about pleasing you. They've got a line behind you of cash buyers who don't care a whit about outdated electric or worn carpets. But then you already know this I"m sure :).

Good luck on the search-and maybe try widening your horizons to some of the ugly duckling neighborhoods where you might have better results.

Oh good Runninginplace, I know you “get it” about how difficult it is around here. I’m in Palm Beach Gardens and am looking in those two zip codes as well as N.P.B. Like I said above the deals are over unless you buy in a planned community/Country Club/Golf Club, there are still deals there as the people who are on the cusp of finances or in the negative are having a difficult time with the horrendous monthly fees. Most of the older near water neighborhoods have zillions of people lined up in wait including out of country and state cash buyers. The area the house above is in is not highly sought after. However, I believe it will have its day again so I’m keeping my eye on it. There are only so many non-planned or non HOA communities around here. One area is very inexpensive but scary. Two others are what I call mommy politic neighborhoods, most homes are 70’s ranches and I have no wish to live there as I have been there done that. I’ll just have to keep plugging away. There is not much out there and I’m even willing to go up considerably on what I originally wanted to spend. Moving south or far out west is not an option, I really really love P.B.G’s area.

Well at least I’m lucky in that I have my son who is willing to put us up after my house closes. I am a bit worried it could all take forever and we will over stay our welcome though. I talked to son about this and he thinks I’m reading in too many future problems…I don’t think so but he does have a list of home improvement for us so he’s only thinking of the benefits at this point.

Annie, yes I agree! House vibes…some homes have an unsettling sort of electric frantic thing going on, others just feel “bad” , and some have a “nothing” emptiness like the beginning of the black hole. And some homes you walk into you can feel a happy past life even if the house is somewhat decrepit. When I was younger I would ignore my initial feeling sometimes because I just wanted it to go away. I did that once (ignored my initial feeling) with a little house close to the beach that I did a complete gut on. That was a strange little house, every time the phone rang the kitchen cabinet doors would open and bang shut. One time the lady across the street was over and when the phone rang I said to her; watch the kitchen cab doors will open and bang shut, they did and she ran. She never came back in. I can’t remember the order of events but either the previous owner did a fatal overdose of drugs after his girlfriend was killed in an auto accident or before that happened. One of the elderly persons who owned the home up till the eventual cocaine addict bought it also died there. They were all happy with the remodel after the gut job though and decided to leave I guess. Still, that house had that electric frantic thing in the beginning and that house always rubbed husband the wrong way. Of all the houses we have had that is his least favorite. Strangely we both broke out in the sweats at the closing table on that one. Since then I have learned not to ignore what a house says.

I think the whole process of downsizing is an emotionally draining thing-- there is light at the end of the tunnel but the road there is rough. I am struggling with it daily-- and I already have a house that is being updated. I feel your pain and your desperation. All I can say is that when you find the right house-- you will know it! And you are very lucky to have a son who will give you a place to stay and the time to find the RIGHT house. Try to focus on the opportunity.. and know that the time you are spending on this will pay off when you do find your perfect next home!

Thank you Funkyart!
Yeah I’m having a hard time with this move. I have lived in this house for thirteen years, longer than I have ever lived anywhere in my life. This house grounds me. Before that I never lived anywhere much longer than two and a half years. My plan was never to move again until ready for an old age home. I have a house with a front porch (always wanted that) and I am near nature and have a big piece of my own sky and a large yard. I planted nearly every tree and did all the landscaping myself. I do know it makes sense to get into a smaller home with a smaller yard though. It makes me happy to take care of my own plants and trees but it’s getting harder and harder with this large of scale. I could pay someone but that would take all the joy out. And, knowing me I wouldn’t like the way they did it. Another part that’s hard is all the happy memories here with our two sons. At this point even though I know a smaller yard is the way to go I’m feeling lots of anxiety picturing myself all closed in within a sea of little homes with little yards. Burrr, it sort of creeps me out! I’ll be an ANT amongst hundreds of other ants droning along...mindless on our shared little grain of Florida sand.

My husband is more of a city dweller but hopefully we will find something that falls in between. He has been good in living in the area we are now as it wouldn’t have been his first choice. So, time to give in to a point. And, I have to admit a new creative challenge on a small re-do would be fun.

It is a comfort knowing the couple who bought my home also has two young boys and I think it’s kind of meant to be. They seem like a nice happy family and are moving into a happy house.

jt: That story is so funny. Your little house wouldn't have been on the Chesapeake Bay or maybe it was the Eastern Shore -- I forget. We rented a waterman's house for a long weekend when we lived back east (years ago). We got up one morning and all the pots and pans were out of the cupboards and on the kitchen floor!
You all, downsizing is not a bad thing, it's an adventure. Frankly, I love moving around (would have made a pretty good army brat/wife). The difficult thing is getting rid of excess, and that is an issue whether or not you are moving into a smaller house. Moving to a new location and settling in and, as jt is going to be doing, making the place her own, is a positive thing.

jterrilynn, your post had me laughing along with sympathizing with you. I don't have any words of wisdom, but I do have lots of admiration for your creativity. Your mock-up of that little ranch is wonderful! I'd love to see more of your creations. Hope you keep posting your renovation ideas!