I’m a Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES), and a good share of my work is with people who have owned the same Santa Clarita home for twenty, thirty, sometimes forty years and are deciding what comes next. I’ve been licensed since 2009 and I’ve helped more than 300 families buy and sell. A move at this stage of life is rarely just a transaction, and it shouldn’t be handled like one.
What does a Seniors Real Estate Specialist actually do?
SRES is a designation from the National Association of Realtors for agents trained to work with clients who are 50 and older. In practice, it changes the pace and the cast of people involved. There’s usually an attorney, a CPA, adult children, and sometimes a trustee, and everyone needs the same information at the same time.
Educating my clients is my favorite part of this job, and it matters most here. Nobody should feel rushed into signing something they don’t fully understand.
What’s different about selling a home you’ve lived in for decades?
Two things, usually. The house is the largest asset in the estate, and it’s also full of forty years of life. Those pull in opposite directions, so we plan for both.
On the practical side, buyers right now want turnkey homes, and I’m seeing more of them ask for closing cost credits. That doesn’t mean you should renovate. It means we walk the house together and separate the repairs that come back to you at closing from the ones that don’t. Often the list is shorter than people expect.
On the personal side, adult children are frequently out of state. I’m comfortable keeping everyone in the loop, and I work in English and Spanish.
Can I keep my property tax bill if I move?
This is the question I hear more than any other, and it’s worth asking early because it can change where you look. California’s Proposition 19 allows homeowners who are 55 and older to transfer their existing property tax base to a replacement home, subject to conditions and limits on value, timing, and how many times you can do it.
I’m not a tax advisor and I won’t pretend to be one. Confirm your own situation with the Los Angeles County Assessor and your CPA before you make a decision. What I can do is make sure the timing of your sale and purchase lines up with what they tell you.
Where do Santa Clarita seniors actually move?
Some stay in the Santa Clarita Valley and trade a two-story family home for something single level and easier to maintain. Friendly Valley is one of the best known 55+ communities here, though it isn’t the only option, and plenty of clients simply find a single-story home in a neighborhood they already know.
Carrying costs are where people get surprised, and they vary more than you’d guess from one street to the next. Circle J Ranch is a good example. In my experience, outside the gate you’re typically HOA free, and behind the gates you’ll find larger homes and lots that usually carry a low HOA and no Mello Roos. It varies by phase and it changes over time, so we pull the current figures on any specific home before you fall in love with a floor plan. Those numbers matter a great deal on a fixed income.
Others move to be near their children and grandchildren, sometimes out of state. If that’s you, I can connect you with an agent there and manage this end of it.
What about a trust or probate sale?
I also work with families on trust and probate sales, usually alongside the family’s estate attorney. If you’re a successor trustee and not sure what the first step is, start with my probate and trust sale page, then call me.
Common questions
Do I have to fix up the house before I sell?
No. We look at the house together and decide which repairs are likely to come back to you in the sale price and which ones aren’t worth doing. Some homes sell best exactly as they are, with the price set to match.
How long does a move like this usually take?
Longer than a standard sale, and that’s fine. Sorting decades of belongings is the part that takes real time, so we work backward from when you want to be in the new place.
Can you work with my family and my attorney?
Yes, and I’d prefer to. When the attorney, the CPA, and the family all hear the same plan from the start, there are far fewer surprises later.
Let’s talk it through
If you’re thinking about a move in the next year, or you’re a trustee who needs to sell a property, call or text me at (818) 605-1220. If you’d rather start with the numbers, my downsizing guide for Santa Clarita seniors walks through the process, and you can request a current value for your home any time.
Marite Matassa, Pinnacle Estate Properties. California DRE #01867409. Serving the Santa Clarita Valley and San Fernando Valley from 24501 Town Center Dr #104, Valencia, CA 91355.
