The Baby Boomer Trend in Housing

Housing needs will shift from family homes to retirement homes

Nearly three-quarters of all homes sales in California in 2004 involved those born between 1946 and 1964, according to the California Association of Realtors. With their powerful spending power in hand, we see a trend that will extend for years to come in high demand for homes in the State of California. Many will be selling homes where they have raised families and built equity, and buying down to a more manageable, or low maintenance lifestyle. Others will be seeking the quiet of country living with local amenities such as: easy shopping, short distance to the ocean, golf courses and other enjoyable enterprises.

A typical California home seller was 47, married, earned about $135,000 a year and had sold a home at least once before, according to CAR. In the valued Bay Area market, 99 percent of sellers stayed in their original county of residence after selling their homes. About 40 percent of sellers said their greatest motivation in selling was to buy a bigger home or moved to a preferred neighborhood or property. Approximately 25 percent said they sold their properties in anticipation of future mortgage increases. With increasing prices in the double digits, about 15 percent stated they sold to cash out of the market.
In the Bay Area, with many residents fatigued by the fast-paced (and somewhat stressful lifestyle), more and more buyers have turned their attentions to Sonoma County as a possible respite from their present lifestyle.
Sonoma County offers these retiring baby boomers a place to call home. where they are still close enough to San Francisco for occasional visits. Daily life in Sonoma County country offers a quality of life where you can live free of the noise, stress and crowded conditions that constellate around city living.

Note: Did you know that if you are 55 or older and presently live in Sonoma County and buy a property of same value or less than your present residence, you can retain your present tax base?

Some things that locals enjoy in Sonoma County:

Take a short drive to the ocean and Bodega Bay any time you wish. Clear your head and refresh yourself watching the surf pound endlessly along the clean, pristine beaches on the Sonoma Coast.
Visit local organic wineries and sample the abundance of organic foods produced locally by farmers who take pride in their farming the best, available at downtown Farmer’s Markets on weekends.
Have your choice between several golf courses to get out on the greens, relax and enjoy a slower paced life.
If you are a gardener, this is the county that Luther Burbank settled, knowing that in this Mediterranean climate, you can grow anything, even if you don’t have a green thumb!
Check the Luther Burbank Center activities for continuous local entertainment.Take Sunday drives and get lost on the back roads, where you can visit local artists studios on Art Trails.
The local parks and recreation are second to none for walking, hiking, biking, tennis or just watching soccer games where kids run free and happy.
Plan a day-tripping activity with other seniors to mystery tours and special events in the Bay Area.
Enjoy the greatest climate in the Bay Area where it rarely gets too hot or too cold, where the winter green landscape is just as beautiful as the golden hills of grasses in the summertime.
Experience the little secret locals have always known: There is no place like Sonoma County for a quality lifestyle and peace of mind.

Call Rita today, so that she can set up a custom search of MLS listings for you free of charge. She will send you properties as they come on the market daily, so that you can begin to envision yourself living the lifestyle you have always yearned for. After you have shopped on the Internet to educate yourself on properties and prices, Rita will be happy to make appointments to chauffeur you around and view properties together until your dream home is found.

updated: Nov 15, 2005 | Back to top