Meeting the Needs of Baby Boomers

HOUSTON, TX. – Gone are the days when a home held the same family for 20, 30 or 40 years. With the graceful aging of baby boomers, a new group of home buyers has emerged. Boomers want residences that reflect their current lifestyles: grown children and grandchildren who come to visit — and eventually go home. Smaller or less complicated houses are in high demand among these buyers.

To meet this trend, Becky Switzer, with Prudential Gary Greene, Realtors’ Katy Office recently received the Seniors Real Estate Specialist designation from the Real Estate Buyer's Agent Council. Realtors who receive the designation learn key differences in housing options; how to use pensions, 401K accounts and IRAs in real estate transactions; ways in which Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security affect real estate decisions; and how to protect clients from mortgage loan scams that target 50+ borrowers.

Switzer is not only trained in home finding for baby boomers, but is one herself.
“At 61, I am at the beginning of the baby boomer generation and can identify with the needs of these clients,” Switzer said. “Most of us are still working and won’t retire anytime soon. We don’t feel old, but we do have different needs.”

Switzer, who has been in real estate for 15 years, said she enjoys learning about her clients and finding the homes they really want. Whether it is a couple downsizing from two stories to a patio home or someone trading a colder climate for the warmer Texas winters— she is hard at work to meet their demands.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 7,900 people will turn 60 every single day this year. The baby boomer generation, born between 1946 and 1964, make up 28.3 percent of the population. In addition, real estate is the largest single asset class held by households that are headed by someone who is 65 or older, according to Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.

Switzer is located at Prudential Gary Greene, Realtors’ Katy office at 23922 Cinco Village Center Blvd. #123 and can be reached at 713-594-3664 or through www.GaryGreene.com.

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