OMG, the drama continues! The search for the perfect home in retirement has been anything but smooth sailing. After we got beyond the disappointment of losing the contract on the condo due to its warrantability, my daughter sent us some properties that seemed like the golden ticket. They were in our price range, in a neighborhood we loved, and had all the amenities we could hope for. They looked too good to be true—and guess what? They were.
We asked our trusted lender, Joe Stengel with American Pacific Mortgage, to look into the “warrantability” of the condos. For those of you who might not know, a property needs to be Fannie Mae warrantable for most people to secure a traditional loan. The listing agent was certain that these properties were Fannie Mae-approved, but surprise, surprise—turns out they weren’t.
Joe dug deep and uncovered the truth: these condos were in the same boat as many others on the market today. The simple fact is, unless you’re prepared to put down 20% (or even more), you’re likely out of luck. And for first-time homebuyers or downsizing baby boomers like us, that’s a dealbreaker. It’s tough out there.
This experience really drove home the importance of working with the right people throughout the home-buying process. The right team makes all the difference. If it weren’t for Joe’s expertise and diligence, we could’ve easily found ourselves heartbroken and out thousands of dollars in wasted time and effort. So, big thanks to Joe for saving us from even more heartache!
But we’re not giving up. I refuse to unpack what’s already packed—so things at home are a bit chaotic, but I know we’re getting closer to finding that perfect place to settle into our golden years. The search is still on, but it’s all part of the journey. In the meantime, I’m continuing to sort through things and get rid of stuff we don’t need. Honestly, it feels good to declutter, and it’s surprisingly therapeutic for the soul. It’s a process, but staying positive really helps keep the momentum going.
So, the search continues, and we remain hopeful. We’re not giving up on finding that ideal spot to call home in retirement.
Hopefully, Part 3 will be the happy update about the perfect place we’ve found and officially closed on. But until then, here’s to staying patient, keeping the faith, and trusting that everything will fall into place.
Until next time, be blessed and keep your fingers crossed for us!
Written by Blue Ballinger, Chief Culture Officer, Trinity Team – Keller Williams Preferred Realty