Ross and Sarabel Stemer walk 4 miles almost every day and still could maneuver the stairs in their three-story Roswell townhome. The retirees realized, though, that it would one day become more difficult to reach the master bedroom on the top floor.
On one of their regular walks, they saw a one-level home for sale in the Orchards of Roswell, a 55-and-up community with amenities including a clubhouse and social activities. The attached, ranch-style condo, with 1,717 square feet, allowed them to cut their space almost in half. Working with Jimmy Baron with Keller Williams Realty First Atlanta, they bought the home, which is less than a mile away from their former townhome.
Ross, 86, a former public relations director, and Sarabel, 77, former director of meetings and travel for the American Academy of Pediatrics, chatted about their move across the street.
Q: How long did you think about moving?
Sarabel: Last November, we were visiting our daughter and her family in New York. We came back on Dec. 2. We were thinking about the (townhouse). We could still climb the stairs. But we are getting up in age. We said, maybe we should be proactive instead of reactive.
Ross: We decided to move when we could, rather than when we had to. We knew that the Orchards was where we wanted to go if something was available. We were very lucky we were able to find a place that fit our needs. We were able to get in here in about four weeks. We changed the paint and put in new carpeting, hardwood floors and appliances.
Q: Where you worried about trying to downsize?
Sarabel: Not really. We've moved about 17 times in 56 years — our married life — through transfers with our jobs. We have a lot of things in our home that were my parents', his parents' and things that we've collected. We've saved most of those. It's not where you live so much as who is living in that place.
Q: What were your thoughts about trying to sell?
Ross: We were concerned about listing our home in December, a month in which people are thinking about the holiday season and not about buying a home. Jimmy assured us that people who were looking at that time of year were serious, so we went ahead and put our home on the market. He was correct. The people who looked at our home were serious and we had a contract in four days.
Q: Why did you want to stay in Roswell?
Sarabel: We've very comfortable here. We have a lot of friends here.
Ross: We are still shopping in the same area as before. We are able to maintain friendships with our former neighbors. We were able to stay close to other friends and our relatives in the area, and we are still using the same doctors as before.
Q: What’s a tip for senior buyers?
Ross: Be proactive instead of reactive. Accept the fact that you should downsize when you can, rather than when you have to. Don't fight it.
At a Glance
Ross and Sarabel Stemer’s home, built in 2002, has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,714 square feet. They purchased it in December 2014. Homes in Orchards of Roswell have recently sold in the mid to high $200,000s.
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