For the past 20 years, I have advised and assisted retiring Baby Boomers. As a REALTOR in my 50s and the Broker/Owner of an independent real estate brokerage in my 60s, I helped hundreds of clients retire, relocate, and buy a new home. Many became friends, and a few became agents and joined my team. At 74, the time has come for me to retire, and I now know first-hand how unsettling it can be. We sold the brokerage, and I am now retired.
I have always worked, so retirement is both scary and exciting. Who am I, and what will I do with myself?
The Early Years
I was always drawn to a challenge, an opportunity that came my way by chance. A radio commercial is one reason I became a Flight Attendant. TWA was interviewing flight attendants who were fluent in a foreign language, and I spoke French. It was a Saturday, my calendar was free, and I went to the interview. I passed the French test and was hired on the spot. At that time, it was not a career position. We had to be single, of a certain height, weight, and under 30. The travel was great and I spent about ten years in the travel and hospitality industries.
The High Tech Years
How did I go from travel to high tech? I contacted a Head Hunter, looking for a new career opportunity. He told me he had the perfect spot – Store Manager of a Computer Store. It was the beginning of the personal computer industry and they were recruiting; no one in computers was interested. I went from that position to corporate jobs with Compaq Computers and others over the next 20 years. It was an exciting time, but by the late 90s, the tech bubble burst and I was left to ponder a new career direction.
The Latter Years
By chance, I became a REALTOR in my 50s. Technology was beginning to impact the real estate industry, and I found an ad that seemed custom-made for me in the Sunday paper. A real estate firm with a new website was looking for an Internet Business Development Manager to help them convert Internet inquiries into customers. They hired me on the spot, which began my new career in the real estate industry.
Active Adults
I then became a real estate agent and decided to focus on “Active Adults,” a designation becoming popular in the real estate industry. I created a website to reach out to this demographic and called it activeadultsdelaware.com. In 2008, I began a blog on retiring and relocating to a new state, choosing the right location and community. I interviewed our clients about their experience and some agreed to talk live on video; those were very popular.
Unlike me, many of our clients had spent 30 years with the same company looking forward to their retirement. They knew what they wanted to do and never looked back. The lucky ones purchased their retirement home early and used it as a vacation home. The most challenging clients had no plan and only knew what they didn’t want. How do you help people that don’t know what they want?
Retirement Stories
In this blog, I plan to share these stories, stories about successful retirees, and others who kept trying. Visit the blog at Active Adults Delaware and read some of the articles I wrote as far back as 2008. Do you know that statistics show that the average retiree will buy and sell three homes in their retirement?
The Wall Street Journal just published an article that I could have written, and probably did several times,
Retirees Spend a Lot of Time and Money to Buy Their ‘Forever Home.’ Then They Sell It.
It doesn’t take long for people to discover that what’s perfect now is far from perfect before too long. And it costs them.
By Beth DeCarbo | Photographs by Zack Wittman for The Wall Street Journal
Updated Nov. 13, 2021 5:30 am ET
I hope you enjoy reading these stories, and I look forward to hearing from you about your experiences. How many times did you buy and sell your retirement home?
This is great, Kathy! As a former client, I know you will have many interesting retirement stories to tell. Looking forward to the next chapter of Retirement Stories!