Today’s 50-plus are rocking tradition, not chairs
Filed in The Notebook, April 14, 2007.
Retire those ‘old age’ stereotypes. Seventy is the new 60. Fine dining trumps early bird specials. Condo living challenges retirement home living. With more than 10-million Canadians now aged 50-plus, the shifting mindset of this demographic is resulting in significant changes within the country’s housing market, and warrants special consideration.
What age defines a senior? The definition of senior citizen varies from one government site to another. Seniors Canada Online defines a senior citizen as 55 years of age and older. Well, I know my mom (who is older than 55 but younger than what I would call a senior) would not welcome being defined as one just yet!
Thus the reason a new demographic was recently defined. It’s called the “mature market”, and it encompasses people who are 50-plus. This market is ever-expanding, and people who fit in to this market are expected to live longer and healthier lives than their counterparts in previous generations.
I recently completed a two-day course called the Senior Real Estate Specialist Designation Program (SRES) in Mississauga. This is the first time this program has been offered in Canada and, considering Niagara’s ageing population and its lure as a retirement destination, I know this was a sound investment of time and money.
We are now qualified to service and empower the mature market with resources to assist in the planning, counselling and selling of their homes.
We offer professional real estate advice when making decisions such as: selling the family home; buying rental property; managing the capital gains and tax implications of owning real estate; obtaining a reverse mortgage; moving to a senior community; and other issues.
To do this, we assembled a team of professionals with expertise in the mature market (estate planners, lawyers, accountants, etc.) to assist matures in safeguarding their equity while making a transition.
While interviewing members for our team, we came across a savvy business woman who has, in our opinion, honed in on a gap in the mature market and started a business that will grow in enormous proportions.
Her name is Shannon, and she is a certified senior advisor. Her skills and talents include helping seniors and/or their families find the most suitable private or public senior’s residence, and providing downsizing assistance to get them there. To find out more about her services, visit http://www.autumntransitions.ca.
Today, with longer life expectancies, better health and more wealth, the 50-plus group has a plethora of options available to them and there is no longer one housing solution to fit all needs.
With our real estate services, complimented by a team of professionals who specialize in the mature market, we look forward to helping people in the 50-plus market continue to love where they live.
