They are not happy that’s why they keep mentioning it. They are full of regrets it shows in their words and body language nobody that’s healthy would choose to live in an apartment over a house unless you are financially strapped and desperate, an apartment would feel like a seniors residence.
It was right decision for you two, but we love our house and home We did the costs and it is cheaper for us living at home than pay higher rent How ever you retire, the important thing is that you are happy and at peace
Downsizing is also another option. We sold our big house and bought a very small one - less taxes, heating, maintenance, etc. Our bills are much lower with no rent or mortgage. Every scenario has its merits. Depends on how much you can get for your house, where you want to live, your lifestyle, and so on. Our big house felt sad once the children left to be honest. It was a lot of upkeep. I loved it but I was not sad to leave it. Another family moved in and that made me happy.
We were exactly like you- 28 years of a large complex family home with land….we now have a modern easy to lock up and leave apartment by the sea for when we are travelling. We plan to eventually rent it out and use that for travel too…
@@genxx2724 Absolutely. Not a one fit for every situation as there are benefits to a variety of living options. For us, downsizing felt like a huge relief. But, I also have a friend who downsized to a condo, didn't like it and moved back into a house. Some move in with their children or vice versa - sometimes that is wonderful option and sometimes it really is not.
My area does not have rent controlled apartments. A couple of years ago, I discussed selling my home and downsizing with my financial planner. He recommended that I research areas where I’d like to live before making a decision to sell. I was shocked at home prices and the price of rentals. Even with the cost of upgrades and maintenance, it’s less expensive for me to stay put. I am happy that selling worked out for you. I enjoy your videos.
We did exactly the same thing, sold our mortgage free very large home and even larger garden, seven years ago and very happy we did!!!! All of our travel, wonderful experiences with family and friends that we couldn't have afforded with the never ending maintenance of keeping up with our 29 year old house. We live in a new condo that is beautiful and modern with very little upkeep especially when compared to a large house and yard!! Congratulations on reaching 70.000 subscribers!!! You have created a great channel!!!! 😊
Many thoughtful points Tina and Norm! I recall an interview with the late Charlie Munger. He was asked what people did in the Great Depression. He quipped that you went to the hardware store for some plywood/studs and built a room in the basement for affected relatives. Speaks to the precarious nature of home supply.
I know I have mentioned this before but you guys actually changed our lives, after watching your channel during covid we took the plunge, sold our house in Ontario and had enough capital to pay off our debts and buy a condo closer to our children and grandchildren in Edmonton which we love. I knew this was our last chance to get this right so for us renting was too scary and we feel secure knowing we own our space, yes we know the pitfalls about special assessments etc but we look at that cost the same as needing a new roof, furnace etc in a house, the condo fees are less than we paid for all the extras of a house such as property tax, electric, house insurance and so on. We have had a few trips since retirement and if we hadn't moved my husband would still be driving long distance and I would still be washing laundry in a Hotel. We love to watch your videos and you guys are not telling everyone this works for everyone but you are telling your story and have inspired many of us to look at our future plans and decide what's best for us so Thank you for all the advice and tips (including the train trip) lol.
I have mixed feelings about this topic. While not enthused over the burden of home ownership, I’ve run the numbers and renting would be more costly for me. The senior living apartments where I live are all luxury and outrageously expensive. I don’t worry so much about property taxes as much as insurance but there’s renters insurance to go along with renting. Can’t ever escape insurance.
We are planning to stay in our house for a while. It is bigger than we need, but we love the neighborhood and all our friends. Also, we renovated every space in the house over the last 12 years. And that extra space comes in handy when my wife is mad at me.😉
@@muhammadmudassir7002le That's the way we look at it. We live in a very popular tourist town in a nice place with nice gardens. Lots of wildlife, good weather most of the time etc etc. It's also appreciating tax free at a quite scary rate as well.
This is where the USA and Canada differ so much. Your decision makes sense because you are in Canada. The rent increase caps in Canada are amazing. In the USA I worry that the giant unpredictable rent increases could force me to move or bankrupt me. This is a very big deal. Rents here are expensive and it’s cheaper for me to stay in my modest house (1100 sq feet). Unless the unpredictable rent situation is solved in the USA seniors will stay put in houses where costs are more predictable. At some point I’ll move for the life style reasons you pointed out but it won’t be a financial advantage. Thank you for your insights. Your channel inspires me.
@@JBoy340a Try that in California. There is zero rent control for any home, condo etc if it is privately owned. I personally know people who were paying $1800 for an apt and are now paying $2200 2 years later.
Our house is paid in full. No mortgage. Cheap property taxes ( $900/year) We plan to snowbird in Florida 5 months every winter. Thought of selling and go rent in Florida but yeah, rent continues to go out of control. I'll pay a landscape crew to do all the work for me at this point of my life.
I'm recently divorced and have recently rented a townhouse until I decide if I want to buy a new house or just continue renting. I have a dog, so a small yard is a nice thing to have, as is a garage. I have been a homeowner for most of my adult life, but there is something wonderful about not having to worry about the cost of fixing things. On the flip side, I do wish I could update the kitchen appliances or even just hang some nice drapes (which is not permitted). I have the townhouse for a year, so I will be taking stock of how I feel once the dust has settled from the move. I do appreciate both of your thoughts and enthusiasm of this idea. Who knows, I may come to enjoy it so much that add the house savings to my retirement nest egg. Cheers!
We paid off the house, heloc the downsized bungalow, 8 years ago. Retired two years ago. Sold the family home , paid off the heloc, and bought a condo. Traveled, the rental has doubled in value, we max out the tsfa...every thing was as close to perfect as possible. Then my wife, best friend and soul mate passes away. Somethings you just can't plan for. Enjoy your day, everyday. Ty Tina and Norm.
My house almost doubled in value in 7 years ago and I sold it for almost $2 million generating a massive retirement cash flow. The best investment decision in a lifetime. 😊 💰
I have hall a million in equity in my 4 bed 3 bath large home. Rather than sell, I plan to lease out my house here in Scottsdale🌵Arizona. There is a huge market for leasing & it will cash flow an additional 2K in monthly income for me., even keeping back money for repairs. I have can travel on that easily with my additional retirement income.
In about 3-4 years when I join my wife in full retirement our house will be sold ASAP. There’s a financial component but lifestyle is the main motivation. Don’t want to cut grass, change furnace filters or replace furnaces. Also, sump pumps can be a problem if I want to be somewhere other than home. I’m just not attached to my house…home can be anywhere !
Sold our 4 bedroom house 6 years ago. Kids are grown. Sure we could get more now, but would have missed out on travels during this time. I looked at rising HOA, insurance, property taxes, maintenance and repairs, etc. I have no regrets. I hear of many people spending small fortunes on roofing, plumbing, a/c, painting, landscaping, etc.....Invested most of funds into SP500. We use gym, pool spa, at apt complex and travel worry free. Enjoy you two!
Great video❤We sold our house too. We put the proceeds into a CD which is helping us pay our rent. My toilet broke and it was so nice to call maintenance to fix it. Loving it so far ❤
I would be happy to live in an apartment after we retire and the nest is empty, but gardening is one of my wife's favourite hobbies. So we will be downsizing soon to a much smaller new house where we can age in place. Though it will have a basement, everything that matters will be on the main floor, so we will be able to stop using the stairs if ours knees go. Our current huge 120 year old house is a nightmare to heat, but the new one will be extremely effecient, so our monthly costs will be much lower than now.
You guys are great. Your situation is very unique in that your apartment is rent controlled. Odds of anybody finding your situation in the US is zero. Also you have had the good fortune of investing the proceeds of the sale of your house in a bull market. We sold our house in the northeast and paid half for house in midatlantic Cut our taxes 70%. We rented for two years prior to moving and paid $50000 in rent. I’m not spending that on my paid for house upkeep. If I could find the great rental you have the good fortune of having anywhere in the US I would consider it. My wife and I love you guys and just wanted to give different perspective
You can defer your property taxes as a senior. The security of ownership is not comparable to renting. Nobody wants to be forced to move as a senior. You have a much higher chance of being forced to move if you are renting. If you are not able to establish an investment portfolio while owning then that is a different story. You have no option but to sell if you require cash flow. Net worth is your safety net as you get older. A home is probably the best contributor to net worth. Having any form of debt in retirement is really not an option either. You did what you needed to do but I would not recommend the route you took to others unless they did not save for retirement outside of their home either. Retirement requires a combination of net worth AND cash flow. Everyone must plan ahead.
Age, and health can FORCE you out of your home as well. It sucks when you don’t have the choice to make your own decision to move. I think making your own choice when to move is priceless. I’m at an age where I don’t want to be tied to a house that needs upkeep and all the yard work, etc. I’d much rather be able to walk away from my apt and travel without concerns whilst I’m away! And have more money to do so. I don’t plan to leave my money to my kids on my death. I worked hard to have the opportunity to travel in retirement and I don’t subscribe to the thought process that I owe my children an inheritance!
Your setup seems lovely. I love the idea of a stress free and simplified living arrangement. If it was easier to find a good rent controlled place with all of the amenities you have, I would totally be in favour of that kind of living arrangement.
TOPIC IDEA.. “ retiring at the cottage”. This is often talked about in my neck of the woods ( Ontario) .. A three season cottage costs half of what a year round “house on the lake” costs (( what we’re in now)) .. We’re considering this option. Selling the big, expensive house ( with super high taxes) , and finding a cute cottage to spend summer and autumn in. Then travel to warmer climate when the snow falls…
Your plan will work as long as you are able to travel to warmer climates in the winter months. However, when health or mobility issues evolve with aging, what will you do with a property that isn't winterized and you can't use? It would be best to buy a house, that can be lived in 12 months of the year.
I enjoy my workshop and garage for woodworking, metalworking and car maintenance. Right now I enjoy these things too much to give up these spaces. Just would not work in a rental. Thanks for sharing!
Lots of phantom costs with home ownership we used to love renting and now also happy as owners, everyone should run the numbers and make the best choice for their specific situation 😊
Guys, the secret to your retirement after selling your house is that your apartment is RENT CONTROLLED. As you recognize without that you would be in financial pain right now. I checked and it seems that in Toronto apartments occupied after 2018 are not rent controlled, presumably because it is not financially viable to build new rent controlled apartments anymore. No such thing in Oz except state housing and that is swamped. The other issue that comes to mind is if the apartments that are rent controlled are privately owned and costs are rising so much how can the landlord survive financially. For these reasons most couples in your situation in Oz sell the family home and then BUY an apartment for security and to lock in future capital gains.
Mom and pop landlords are being squeezed out, landlords rapidly rising costs are not controlled but rents are so that can only go badly until the big corporations own everything.
We don't know where this couple lives, because rent controls can ot go on for years unless this is subsidize housing. Most of the retired I know have rented out their homes and have been traveling all over the world. When they decide to return their nest egg will be there. As long as you are healthy, I think it's a good idea to hold on to your home. The value of their home in today's market would be very high. 8 years is a long time to walk away from thousands of $.
I’m really glad it worked out so well for you, Tina and Norm. Here in Florida things are a bit different. I really would like to ditch the home ownership and pool and lawn maintenance, but it seems like the rents are just out of control. Insurance is high, but thankfully taxes are pretty stable.
We are in our early 70’s. This year we sold our house and received top price. This money added with our retirement fund has put us in a financially comfortable position, far beyond our previous dreams. We have moved to a new apartment with a pool, billiards room, roof top exercise room, party room and roof top barbecues. We were able to clear out all our excess junk and furniture. Lock the door and go, off on an Alaskan cruise in August. Apartment life with mostly retirees, has improved our social life with little to no responsibility. Loving life, no worries.
Great post. As you mentioned before...time is your most valuable possession. By getting rid of that responsibility you're way ahead. Dramatically less cost. Thanks Norm n Tina
You can’t predict the future, you cannot change the past. Enjoy the present. If we sold our house we would have to include our two young adult children… they are a joy
It does make sense for you. The money from your house is invested and you use it for retirement. The apartment is rent controlled. You are fortunate that is available. We live in Dallas, TX and there are no rent controlled apartments. But we do have a cap on property tax increases for senior citizens. We radically downsized our home and property. Basically no maintenance on our yard which is tiny. Our HOA only covers landscaping maintenance so that has never gone up in the 5 years we have lived here. I would say that the largest increase is in home insurance! That is skyrocketing.
My water heater blew out. I was going outside to pull weeds and noticed water coming out of my driveway! I ended up calling a plumber and 5500.00 later I got a water heater. Last year I had to get a roof. This year a water heater. Great video!
I think with this kind of thing there's no absolute right or wrong and happy you found your way. I bought my Vancouver house 16 years ago and could sell it now at age 62 for about 1.2 million more than when I bought it. But I live in it and I like the house, have a fantastic view of the mountains, get good rental income from good tenants that also live here, and to top it all off my granddaughter has come to live with me, and while she's here it's an added reason not to sell, for now at least. I run my small part time business out of my garage too. When I was younger and self employed carpenter, I went on lots of trips to different countries and I don't really feel like I'd miss out if I didn't do a lot of travelling now. The city now wants to see taller buildings in the area and land assembly is the new thing, maybe millions of dollars. I think if some developer comes knocking and offering a ton of cash, then it'll be too tempting to not sell.
Hi Norm and Tina: Thanks for the wonderful journey. Looking around and getting on waiting lists for apartments. Looking forward to the freedom but apprehensive also as we have a beautiful location. Paul and Helen.
Our pleasure! Paul we loved our Bungalow too while we lived there but words can’t describe this new found freedom it was time to move on to the new chapter in our lives , we have never looked back have an awesome weekend good luck Cheers ☕️🙂
I’ve read a few negative comments or ones that suggest you could have done things differently and although some have merit we need to remember that what you chose to do worked for you, and you’ve made that work for the last 8 years. There is no one size fits all when it comes to retirement because we don’t all start the process from the same place. Some of us have over a million dollars in work place pensions (in Australia that is compulsory superannuation that we can access at 60) some have investments and savings in some form or another and others have their family home that they either rent out or sell. Like a lot of countries there is also an aged based pension, once you reach qualifying age (in Australia this is asset based so someone with a hefty superannuation doesn’t qualify but may do as they age and draw down on Super) Whatever works for you to find your happy place is the right decision for you. There is no woulda, shoulda, coulda as they say.
Your assessment of home ownership and moving to an apartment overlooks a key thing for people like my wife and me. We are retired and live on acreage in a rural farming area in a large house I completely remodeled nearly 30 years ago. It's been paid off for years. We're surrounded by fields, pasture, and woods and, most importantly, have no one living near us. We can't see the neighbors from our house on a hill. It's completely private. I've lived in homes in our nearby city with neighbors on our doorstep and have lived in apartments, too, when younger. We would lose our minds cramped up living in a condo or an apartment. But, then, I grew up on a large dairy farm in the 1950's. The need for space is wired in. By the way, we still manage to travel.
We also lived in a rural area… with horses and land BUT the chores became too large a part of our life so we moved to the city to a condo overlooking 40 acres of parkland and 5 mins from the sea. We can walk into the green hills and city transport is frequent. We’re one hour from London. We love our life now.
I expect as our physical abilities fade due to age we will have to move from a stand along home with associated upkeep to a condo or other lower maintenance single story situation. Getting old sucks, but it is better than the alternative.
You two are always a joy to watch and learn from! You are so smart about how you handle your affairs and I love seeing you enjoy your retirement the way you do! Thanks so much for sharing!!!
So agree with you on selling and renting. We have noticed all the same reasons. No regrets! Only difference is you have more money than we got but overall still better. Enjoy!
We built our home 4 years ago. We just heard that 2 bedroom rentals are more expensive than our house payments. We can't afford to rent and are very pleased that we have a fixed low interest rate on our home. We could sell for $150k more than we bought it for but we're going to stay here.
Rent here in Pennsylvania is 1500 a month. Yikes! I'll stay in my paid for house with family and good medical care nearby. We put away $275/ month for taxes. We can't live anywhere for that amount. Until a better idea comes by, we're all good! Now, gotta get packing for our cruise!
My home (which is paid off) makes up a large part of my net worth and it's always tempting to sell, but the thought of having to pay rent which can vary so widely scares me!! Plus, with no debt, we live (and travel) very comfortably on our pensions (social security) and savings. It surprises me that retired people don't relocate to a locale with a lower cost of living! No more "big city" for me!!!
I am happy you are contented living in a rent controlled apartment in Canada. But I live in California. I worked long and hard to pay my house. If I sell it half of the price will go the pay off the rest of the mortgage, leaving less the $200K before taxs to live on for the rest of my life. A small apartments rents for $2000 a month here. I think for me if I want to travel I can take a small $5000 loan on the house and go where I want to. My dream vacations places are Japan, England, Australia or a cruise to anywhere just to relax.
We are not financial advisors, take this as if we are neighbours in California, retirement is a time to not have loans. If you sell assets they can generate income that pays rent, at this point paying for financial advice could be smart for you. Remember active retirement is quite limited in years.
I have had this same discussion with my golf buddies of staying in your paid off home vs renting. There is no right answer and there are trade offs no matter what you do. We enjoyed 100% price increases in the last 5 years and travelled 2-3 months each winter. So we are happy with our decision.
Yeah sorry but I just don't agree with some of these points tbh. All the boomers aren't going to just sell en masse and there are plenty of people coming up behind them so it's really just a number not a financial term or a hard cut in terms of outcomes imo. I would suggest that it's more likely that someone living in a unit is more likely to face the risk of issues than someone having their house compulsorily acquired by authorities as well. Look at what's happening in the US, and we see it here often as well, where either rents are going ballistic or building repairs and insurance mean that people can no longer afford to stay where they are. With rent control who is actually paying the difference or is it written in stone that it can't be changed? Equally I would say that having your money in things like shares or whatever is hardly having control given the way markets are going as well atm. We've basically had one of the biggest booms off the back of money printing that the world has seen and it looks to be coming to an end. In some ways you've been incredibly lucky and couldn't have done what you have in many places imo. I'm guessing that if you'd done this here in Australia the outcome would have been very different. I'm glad it as worked out so far but I would suggest that it's a one and done type deal, and cashing in on capital growth in property, so people should think carefully about it all, or get advice, and not just look at the money it may unlock or what how they could spend it.
I totaly aggree with most of what you say, bought my house here in the Orlando area 20 years ago, then rented it for 2 years before retireing, bought 3 more in the same sub when all the brits were throwing in the towel, value has more than doubled to over $1m, cant do that in a rental, invest in CD's with FDIC. What happens if the rent control is revoked.
@@williamjsmith9877 It’s highly unlikely the rent control will be revoked or changed much. There would be too much outcry. If news’s rent control or stabilization, it’s an extremely lucky and rare situation when looking at all housing throughout Canada and the U.S.
@@craftsmanctfl3493 The thing with any form of cost control is that someone has to pay. If things change then anything is possible imo. Basically selling your home for a cash top up based on increasing capital values in most places. I suspect that in the 8 year timeframe mentioned our home has gone up by a huge amount but so has the cost of other places, rent and everything else. If we had done it we would be in financial trouble now imo. Each to their own and situational as well.
Your right , These guys are in a semi dream state and to put it bluntly some of their advice is silly and in some cases dangerous . I live in Canada and have done for 57 years people getting their houses appropriated is so rare and I suspect in most instances they received a fair market price + so using that as minus example in home owning is dumb .Then carrying on about all the free stuff in their rent controlled building is also dumb , if your in a rent controlled building in Canada the chances are it’s not in the top range of properties, not my choice but obviously good enough for some people .
we sold our townhome in BC at the peak and moved to Saskatchewan and was able to retire 4 years earlier. We did buy a home here, but we think of it as a place holder to enjoy nicer accommodations than what we had and eventually sell and move to a smaller home or townhome or condo or even renting. We are so glad we made the move. I have been following your channel for well before we sold our place in BC and your insights and experience has taken the fear out of when is the right time to retire. Too easy to put it off with the fear of the unknown....mainly will we have enough money for our retirement. Thanks again!
We have done the same exercise and we will sell our family home and invest the money we make from it and rent. We have been sold this dream of home ownership (huge dream for everyone in Australia!) but we are looking at the future differently. For us we want to be nomadic through our active retirement years and then work out where to spend our slower active years. Without the shackles and expenses of a home to hold us back. Thank you for this video and inspiring us to look at life through a different lens.
@@bw5277 can I ask how this is working for you? We are doing the future differently to our friends (who are supportive but think we are mad) but we want to have a life of experiences and adventures. We have been locked down to location and bricks and mortar our entire adult lives - we don’t want this in retirement. Are we crazy?
Thank you for the kind welcome as a new subscriber. It is wonderful that selling your home has worked out so well for you. Enjoy your travels! Thank you for the tips and information you share.
I bought my first (and only) home in 1994 at age 34. The happiest day of my life came 20 years later when I sold it. I traveled for a few years but rented for the last 6 years and my rent hasn’t gone up since I moved in. It's not even rent-controlled - my landlord is just happy to have a responsible tenant that pays on time. The freedom to travel and flexibility to move, not to mention no maintenance or repair costs, makes renting a sensible choice for retirees.
Of course, you are paying the maintenance and repair costs as part of the money you shell out for rent. The landlord still makes a probably tidy profit with you paying his or her expenses. If that wasn’t the case, they wouldn’t be in the landlord business.
Agree, this a personal choice where to live and when to sell your house. But if we honestly talk about numbers, let me tell you: living in your own house is MUCH MORE beneficial in Alberta, than renting. take the last 5 years for example: If I would sell my beautiful and comfortable house and start renting tiny 2 bedroom appartment in my area I would easily lose tons of money (we talking about hundreds of thousands). Numbers: 5 year rent: 200 thousand, Increase of value of my house fro the same time :300.000. Maintenace, taxes and insurance spent: 50.000. Clear surplus 450.000. These are real numbers. Not mentioning living in a comfort of your own home. Of course , if house is all you have with no savings and you want to travel adn live comfortably: selling your house is the only choice.
Your choice seems perfect for you. Others love puttering around their house and yard. That said I knew someone who bought houses for rentals. He only bought in markets after considerable analysis comparing rental rates and house costs. Sometimes renting was the best value. Other times he'd buy a house for rental later.
Even though we live in the US and do not benefit from rent control, we found that by investing our money from the sale of our home, we could more than afford a very nice and pricey apartment. We love it and have renewed our lease for another 15 months. We may decide to buy again in the future and aren’t closing that door, but we are very pleased with our decision and it is thanks to you. We would have never considered it without finding your videos.
Thanks for sharing your experiences Tina and Norm! Hope you guys don't experience renovictions. What is your plan B should if you are renovicted in pricey Ottawa area?
@@ThisIsOurRetirement sound's great! I had no idea that living was more affordable in southern Ontario? Then again London Ontario is still more affordable than Ottawa I believe.
So much of this video is based on the unusually good fortune of finding the rare place with some type of rent control. Practically no one has access to these types of rentals, so that advice is essentially inapplicable to your viewers. Watch this video again and you’ll notice it seems to be patting yourselves on the back for your unusual good luck.
Don't know why people are so butt hurt by this video. It's not like you guys are telling everyone to do what you did. You are just saying what works for you two. Cheers to you! Glad for you and all the fun you have had together and with family. Much love.🌞
I live in the US. Rents here are almost double my mortgage payment. I have the funds to pay off my mortgage but with CDs at 5% plus it would cost me more than $7000.00 annually. Mortgage at 2.25% fixed 30 years.
Hi. Whilst I accept that the rental market is subject to affordability constraints, these are also uncertain and unpredictable. I can clearly see how moving into all inclusive controlled rental has worked for you both, but this is not widely available and where this is the case I think that renting rather than moving to a cheaper property is a more nuanced decision.
Compulsory purchases (or eminent domain in the U.S.) are fairly rare, a tiny percentage of all sales transactions. Legitimate appraisals must be performed before a price is determined, and any price proposed by a government can be challenged legally.
And the risk of such a thing is probably equivalent whether you live in a SFH or in a rented apartment. I still think the biggest factor to Norm & Tina's situation is rent control. Without that it could be a much different story. I will pay off my mortgage in 18 months. So shortly thereafter will probably relocate to a lower cost of living area and purchase a single story property as part of my retirement. I expect the new property will be a similar size to my current home, perhaps a little smaller. Would prefer new build to minimize future maintenance. Will get some additional funds due to difference in house prices in current location versus new location. But a big chunk will be taken by agents fees and capital gains taxes, and also to pay off my daughter's college loans. I do have a good chunk of money saved in IRAs and 401ks so that will be the main source of income. However I will benefit from property appreciation as well, something you don't get with renting.
@@kevinobrien5450 If this is your primary residence in the US, you must be getting at least a 250k capital gain on the sale to be taxed, if you’re single. Of course, that may not be too difficult with price appreciation the last few years. I get a bit turned off when RUclipsrs pat themselves on the back for their astute decisions when it’s mostly luck and timing as in Tina and Norm’s case. Even a hint of smugness is off-putting.
@@craftsmanctfl3493 I'm married and the appreciation well exceeds $500k, so there will be substantial state and federal capital gains. I didn't take Tina and Norm's video as expressing smugness. I'm happy that things have worked out for them. I just wouldn't follow the same approach.
@@kevinobrien5450 Happy for your big price appreciation! Yes, there are CG taxes, but that’s because you’ve gotten such a nice return on your house. A bit of bitter with the sweet. I also don’t think Tina and Norm were smug. Only just a hint of smug.
@@craftsmanctfl3493 Thanks! We've been very lucky with that. I just wish the net gain I could get from selling was equal to the current gross. I would be happy with that. But maybe another couple of years of ownership will get me there.
In, BC, a growing trend is unhoused seniors who are losing their rental housing. Many are being renovicted or find their apartments being sold or torn down to build rentals or private owned condos. They may have been in the rental unit for years which means their rent is lower than others. Right now the average time a new tenant faces renovictions or some excuse to have them move is 5 years here.
Until I heard your thinking on selling your house and moving to an apartment, my thinking was to stay in my house as long as possible. You have given me food for though, suddenly renting is very attractive - no worries about maintenance, the roof blowing off etc etc. thanks!
Glad for you that you are enjoying retirement. However everyone has varying ideas of retirement. I understand as you live in a part of Canada that is cold and snow for a lengthy period so escaping that is part of the lifestyle. We live in a part of the country where it is milder and a huge enjoyment for us is our gardens and being outside, plus it is a bit of a rural area so lots of farms, horses and wildlife. We buy local produce, milk and eggs. Yes we are retired and we have been travelling, basically 2 trips @ year, one in the fall (when some of our gardens finish) and again in April (before the hordes of tourists). So therre is no magic bullet, best advice is do what fits your lifestyle. Oh I don't agree with the landlord needs tenants and tenants need landlords theory... sounds like a quote from the current Canadian PM... "and the budget will balance itself".
@@ThisIsOurRetirement Totally agree. BTW your budget figure of $25k for yearly travel is good, that's the figure we came up with after keeping spreadsheets on past and forecasting upcoming vacations.
Apartments can allow you to live in an area where you couldn't afford a house.Finding one may be a challenge. However it can depent on your fellow tenants, on how easy it is to live there. A friend's condo flooded due to a neighbour living above them.
Just found your channel. Retired nurse from California. Always rented and regret I never. bought a home. I don't know how any young people can become home owners now. Where I live in a beach city, a very modest home goes for a million dollars. The housing bubble must burst soon.
I recently sold my house after decades of living there and moving out later this year and I couldn’t be happier, especially to leave la belle province. I will be a renter from now on and be free, finally 🎉
I’m so glad to hear you talk about this. We are 67 and 71, husband is still working, we are debt free including the house. Yet, We won’t be able to live off our SS. We are planning to put our house on the market next month. It’s such a hard decision, but you make me feel better. Thanks!❤
I was in a very similar thought process as you. Fortunately, I sold my house to a wonderful family but then I downsized, built a much smaller house and paid for it outright. I'm in the process of searching a possible second residency in another country, but I plan to keep my primary owned home until I either need the money or find another place I am entirely happy with. My outlook completely changed once I owned my home fully. That sense of security was overwhelmingly welcome. House value does not matter to me as the security is what I wanted. I retired early which was my goal all along and knowing that as long as I can pay my taxes, I don't have to worry about a roof over my head. No mortgage is freeing. I feel like the there is always someone willing to buy a home. At least here in the US there is a housing "shortage". You may not get the price you want, you may make a killing, who knows? I hear you on the costs of owning a home, as well as there is upkeep, which is a real problem since I plan on traveling a lot. But still, I don't plan on selling until I have a solid plan in place. You guys sound like you have a pretty good setup. That is a different level of freedom absolutely. That freedom to close the door and go is priceless as well. Kudos for no regrets.
Renting in retirement has worked for you in Canada, but those of us back in the old country (UK), where we don't have rent controls, would be mad to rent in retirement if they didn't have to.
There are rentable retirement flats in the UK called Anchor I think some are nice and modern and some dated. None with swimming pools though! You can be 55 or over but they look like a lot of much older people because I think us Brits do tend to hold onto our homes until the very end 😮
Glad it's worked out so well for you. I'm following your example: when I retire, get the home repairs completed. Travel to different places to research moving there.
Never look back with regret you always make the best decision based on the information you had at the time. You didn’t know then what you know now. So, if you had waited, you’d have missed out on great experiences. You would have received more money, but also would have to shell out way more money for a new place.
I split my house in two during civid and have ywo tenants upstairs and I live downstairs. I could not live with the insecurity and cost of renting. This way im payiny my daughter through college and living rent free. Yes maintenance is a pain ..but i feel blesed ovetall..
Norm & Tina, Thanks again for sharing the details & logic behind your decision to sell your house. Most importantly, your explanation of your cash inflows, outflows, perks, no maintenance worries & low overhead shows how you attained real freedom & peace of mind! Happy Travelers & Renters! Cheers!
Very nicely done video. I just got my property tax bill and it's goes up and up every year. Many Thanks, Norm & Tina. Many Congrats on 70K subs. Hope that when your 8 year rent control ends they will not jack your price up.
I'm also a baby boomer. Sold my large home in 2012 and moved into a rented apartment. The interest on my capital pays my rent. Oh and 12 years later my large home is still in a very desirable area, but the value has dropped by almost a third. I live in South Africa
Rent that includes fuel costs and local government taxes....not in the UK unfortunately. It's definitely a good idea to reduce the amount of cash tied up in your home if you can, we downsized. The private rental market here is pretty brutal.
We see here that many 'eldery' have left leaving their family home so late they are now so attached to it , and fearful of change, they won't move to something smaller. So a family home is being occupied by (generally) one person where as you stated, a family could live. We sold our home and bought an apartment in 2014. Best move we ever made, I've loved watching the channel grow. The sky is the limit. Keep advising, sharing experiences. Greetings from the Northern Hemisphere once again. 👌🇳🇱🙋♀🥝
You were smart to sell and rent at the perfect time to lock in before rents skyrocketed! I’d love to see you look into Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) in buildings like yours with a good percentage of retired people.
Finally answers to the question i always wanted to ask. you definatley made the correct decision at the time as you cant buy lost years back. In the UK there is such shortage of rentals it always best to own somewere to avoid being in a pickle. Great channel i am 6 weeks into fulltime retirement.
I see so many homes in my area that are not being kept up because it is older people living in them. They aren't going to get the full value of their house because they are gut jobs. When they move, they will be going to a retirement or long term care home and they are leaving all the cleanup and clean out to their children. Believe me, I know, having been through it twice already. We are struggling with this very decision of whether to stay in our home or sell, get the equity and either buy a condo or rent. The problem is that in Ontario, buying a condo or renting one is usually a lot of money and I would rather have the equity.
Hi Jane, We have been through the clean up too and seeing our parents home deteriorate from the once immaculate condition is sad. There are still reasonable rents in Ontario and don't forget if the apartment is November 2018 or older it's rent controlled. Condos are a minefield of being underfunded for maintenance. Good luck
@@ThisIsOurRetirement It seems that there is rent control throughout Ontario. The rate for 2025 is 2.5%. It seems that once you are in a rental you are protected with this control. But once the rental becomes available, the rent can be set at whatever the owner wants to set it to. I think in the case of Ontario, you need to get out of the GTA. The further away from the GTA the less the price of rent should be.
i'm not looking forward to my upcoming home improvements... a/c, drywall repair and rewiring the addition... all of which need to be done before selling.
Well am sure others have probably already said, but if you do have a larger house, owned (outright or not), you can still downsize to a fully paid property and have equity in the bank. We may or may not do that, as we love our house.
I appreciate your insights. We definitely spend a lot of money and energy to maintain our house. I would certainly need to purge “stuff”… great food for thought. Thank you. Travel and gardening really don’t mix well.
Hi I am in Melbourne Australia, many elderly own homes with 3-4 bedrooms and hoard stuff, i meet them. Some of them enjoy gardening. I never owned a home, but many houses i lived in either needed a complete remodeling, new bathroom and kitchen and floors and fence. Some houses i lived in needed to be demolished and were. I'm a renter my whole life. Just like these videos as i have mental and physical disability. I can't say i enjoy "retirement" as i live with too many health issues and anxiety and stress and worry. But i love reading these comments section, makes me feel calmer a bit and forget my stress and worries.
No such thing as rent control in my country. Also a lot of rental properties are old, poor quality and in bad areas. There is an extreme shortage of rentals pushing the prices up continually. It doesn't make as much sense to sell a nice quality home in a good area for something where the rent increases annually.
If you’re happy it’s never a mistake
Very true Joey 🌺☕️
@@ThisIsOurRetirementAGREE!
Yes! that's the most important factor.
They are not happy that’s why they keep mentioning it. They are full of regrets it shows in their words and body language nobody that’s healthy would choose to live in an apartment over a house unless you are financially strapped and desperate, an apartment would feel like a seniors residence.
It was right decision for you two, but we love our house and home
We did the costs and it is cheaper for us living at home than pay higher rent
How ever you retire, the important thing is that you are happy and at peace
There are no mistakes.
Just decisions.
Very well said Cheers 🍻🙂
Downsizing is also another option. We sold our big house and bought a very small one - less taxes, heating, maintenance, etc. Our bills are much lower with no rent or mortgage. Every scenario has its merits. Depends on how much you can get for your house, where you want to live, your lifestyle, and so on. Our big house felt sad once the children left to be honest. It was a lot of upkeep. I loved it but I was not sad to leave it. Another family moved in and that made me happy.
On the other hand, the big house is very nice when the family comes for gatherings, and you will use the bedrooms for grandchildren to stay.
@@genxx2724it’s a fantasy though as often ‘family’ don’t sleepover or have other ideas about Xmas
We were exactly like you- 28 years of a large complex family home with land….we now have a modern easy to lock up and leave apartment by the sea for when we are travelling. We plan to eventually rent it out and use that for travel too…
@@genxx2724 Absolutely. Not a one fit for every situation as there are benefits to a variety of living options. For us, downsizing felt like a huge relief. But, I also have a friend who downsized to a condo, didn't like it and moved back into a house. Some move in with their children or vice versa - sometimes that is wonderful option and sometimes it really is not.
HI karen. I'm glad you preserved some property investment. I'm seeing so many seniors who did not, and now are renters without a lot of money.
My area does not have rent controlled apartments. A couple of years ago, I discussed selling my home and downsizing with my financial planner. He recommended that I research areas where I’d like to live before making a decision to sell. I was shocked at home prices and the price of rentals. Even with the cost of upgrades and maintenance, it’s less expensive for me to stay put. I am happy that selling worked out for you. I enjoy your videos.
Sounds like you did a lot of research and saw what was best for you , we are happy for you glad you enjoy our videos Cheers 🌺🙂☕️
Parents are in the 80s. they love having their own garden in the backyard. It's their favorite past time@@ThisIsOurRetirement
How do you find rent controlled properties? Because uncontrolled rentals seem like a nightmare.
We did exactly the same thing, sold our mortgage free very large home and even larger garden, seven years ago and very happy we did!!!!
All of our travel, wonderful experiences with family and friends that we couldn't have afforded with the never ending maintenance of keeping up with our 29 year old house. We live in a new condo that is beautiful and modern with very little upkeep especially when compared to a large house and yard!!
Congratulations on reaching 70.000 subscribers!!! You have created a great channel!!!!
😊
Thank you 🌺
Many thoughtful points Tina and Norm! I recall an interview with the late Charlie Munger. He was asked what people did in the Great Depression. He quipped that you went to the hardware store for some plywood/studs and built a room in the basement for affected relatives. Speaks to the precarious nature of home supply.
Hi whiterabbit. Thank you for sharing this information. This was survival during the Great Depression.
@@rustykatt3870 You are welcome. I miss Charlie Munger and his "Mungerisms"!
I know I have mentioned this before but you guys actually changed our lives, after watching your channel during covid we took the plunge, sold our house in Ontario and had enough capital to pay off our debts and buy a condo closer to our children and grandchildren in Edmonton which we love.
I knew this was our last chance to get this right so for us renting was too scary and we feel secure knowing we own our space, yes we know the pitfalls about special assessments etc but we look at that cost the same as needing a new roof, furnace etc in a house, the condo fees are less than we paid for all the extras of a house such as property tax, electric, house insurance and so on.
We have had a few trips since retirement and if we hadn't moved my husband would still be driving long distance and
I would still be washing laundry in a Hotel.
We love to watch your videos and you guys are not telling everyone this works for everyone but you are telling your story and have inspired many of us to look at our future plans and decide what's best for us so Thank you for all the advice and tips (including the train trip) lol.
We took some pushback for selling our home when we retired but am glad we did. No repairs, maintenance , more freedom to travel. Apt living suits us.
Isn’t it wonderful we love it too 🌺🙂
I have mixed feelings about this topic. While not enthused over the burden of home ownership, I’ve run the numbers and renting would be more costly for me. The senior living apartments where I live are all luxury and outrageously expensive. I don’t worry so much about property taxes as much as insurance but there’s renters insurance to go along with renting. Can’t ever escape insurance.
We are planning to stay in our house for a while. It is bigger than we need, but we love the neighborhood and all our friends. Also, we renovated every space in the house over the last 12 years. And that extra space comes in handy when my wife is mad at me.😉
😂😂🌺
@@Steve-gx9ot Wow.
@@Steve-gx9otI realize we haven’t met, but may I divorce you..
If there is no financial stress better to live in your dream house
In my opinion......
@@muhammadmudassir7002le That's the way we look at it.
We live in a very popular tourist town in a nice place with nice gardens.
Lots of wildlife, good weather most of the time etc etc.
It's also appreciating tax free at a quite scary rate as well.
This is where the USA and Canada differ so much. Your decision makes sense because you are in Canada. The rent increase caps in Canada are amazing. In the USA I worry that the giant unpredictable rent increases could force me to move or bankrupt me. This is a very big deal. Rents here are expensive and it’s cheaper for me to stay in my modest house (1100 sq feet). Unless the unpredictable rent situation is solved in the USA seniors will stay put in houses where costs are more predictable. At some point I’ll move for the life style reasons you pointed out but it won’t be a financial advantage. Thank you for your insights. Your channel inspires me.
Places in the US have rent control. NYC is the one that immediately comes to mind.
@@JBoy340a Try that in California. There is zero rent control for any home, condo etc if it is privately owned. I personally know people who were paying $1800 for an apt and are now paying $2200 2 years later.
There are rent control/stabilization in CA, but that is defined city by city with different rate increase allowed and building by building.
Our house is paid in full. No mortgage. Cheap property taxes ( $900/year) We plan to snowbird in Florida 5 months every winter. Thought of selling and go rent in Florida but yeah, rent continues to go out of control. I'll pay a landscape crew to do all the work for me at this point of my life.
Exactly
I'm recently divorced and have recently rented a townhouse until I decide if I want to buy a new house or just continue renting. I have a dog, so a small yard is a nice thing to have, as is a garage. I have been a homeowner for most of my adult life, but there is something wonderful about not having to worry about the cost of fixing things. On the flip side, I do wish I could update the kitchen appliances or even just hang some nice drapes (which is not permitted). I have the townhouse for a year, so I will be taking stock of how I feel once the dust has settled from the move. I do appreciate both of your thoughts and enthusiasm of this idea. Who knows, I may come to enjoy it so much that add the house savings to my retirement nest egg. Cheers!
Thanks so much for sharing your experience, it’s a shame you can’t make the space more personal. Good luck with your decisions going forward.
We paid off the house, heloc the downsized bungalow, 8 years ago. Retired two years ago. Sold the family home , paid off the heloc, and bought a condo. Traveled, the rental has doubled in value, we max out the tsfa...every thing was as close to perfect as possible.
Then my wife, best friend and soul mate passes away. Somethings you just can't plan for.
Enjoy your day, everyday. Ty Tina and Norm.
🙏❤
We are so sorry for your loss William , please take care 🌺🤗
Sorry for your loss
Very sorry
My house almost doubled in value in 7 years ago and I sold it for almost $2 million generating a massive retirement cash flow. The best investment decision in a lifetime.
😊 💰
Awesome!
I have hall a million in equity in my 4 bed 3 bath large home. Rather than sell, I plan to lease out my house here in Scottsdale🌵Arizona. There is a huge market for leasing & it will cash flow an additional 2K in monthly income for me., even keeping back money for repairs. I have can travel on that easily with my additional retirement income.
Are you from Vancouver or Toronto? .... lol
In about 3-4 years when I join my wife in full retirement our house will be sold ASAP. There’s a financial component but lifestyle is the main motivation. Don’t want to cut grass, change furnace filters or replace furnaces. Also, sump pumps can be a problem if I want to be somewhere other than home. I’m just not attached to my house…home can be anywhere !
Just pay a landscaping crew. If your house is paid off it's still cheaper than renting that continue to go up
Sold our 4 bedroom house 6 years ago. Kids are grown. Sure we could get more now, but would have missed out on travels during this time. I looked at rising HOA, insurance, property taxes, maintenance and repairs, etc. I have no regrets. I hear of many people spending small fortunes on roofing, plumbing, a/c, painting, landscaping, etc.....Invested most of funds into SP500. We use gym, pool spa, at apt complex and travel worry free. Enjoy you two!
Awesome 🌺🙂
What's the plan if the investment goes the other way?
Great video❤We sold our house too. We put the proceeds into a CD which is helping us pay our rent. My toilet broke and it was so nice to call maintenance to fix it. Loving it so far ❤
That is awesome!
I would be happy to live in an apartment after we retire and the nest is empty, but gardening is one of my wife's favourite hobbies. So we will be downsizing soon to a much smaller new house where we can age in place. Though it will have a basement, everything that matters will be on the main floor, so we will be able to stop using the stairs if ours knees go. Our current huge 120 year old house is a nightmare to heat, but the new one will be extremely effecient, so our monthly costs will be much lower than now.
You guys are great. Your situation is very unique in that your apartment is rent controlled. Odds of anybody finding your situation in the US is zero. Also you have had the good fortune of investing the proceeds of the sale of your house in a bull market. We sold our house in the northeast and paid half for house in midatlantic Cut our taxes 70%. We rented for two years prior to moving and paid $50000 in rent. I’m not spending that on my paid for house upkeep. If I could find the great rental you have the good fortune of having anywhere in the US I would consider it. My wife and I love you guys and just wanted to give different perspective
You can defer your property taxes as a senior. The security of ownership is not comparable to renting. Nobody wants to be forced to move as a senior. You have a much higher chance of being forced to move if you are renting. If you are not able to establish an investment portfolio while owning then that is a different story. You have no option but to sell if you require cash flow. Net worth is your safety net as you get older. A home is probably the best contributor to net worth. Having any form of debt in retirement is really not an option either.
You did what you needed to do but I would not recommend the route you took to others unless they did not save for retirement outside of their home either. Retirement requires a combination of net worth AND cash flow. Everyone must plan ahead.
Excellent advice
exactly!
Age, and health can FORCE you out of your home as well. It sucks when you don’t have the choice to make your own decision to move. I think making your own choice when to move is priceless. I’m at an age where I don’t want to be tied to a house that needs upkeep and all the yard work, etc. I’d much rather be able to walk away from my apt and travel without concerns whilst I’m away! And have more money to do so. I don’t plan to leave my money to my kids on my death. I worked hard to have the opportunity to travel in retirement and I don’t subscribe to the thought process that I owe my children an inheritance!
Your setup seems lovely. I love the idea of a stress free and simplified living arrangement. If it was easier to find a good rent controlled place with all of the amenities you have, I would totally be in favour of that kind of living arrangement.
TOPIC IDEA.. “ retiring at the cottage”. This is often talked about in my neck of the woods ( Ontario) .. A three season cottage costs half of what a year round “house on the lake” costs (( what we’re in now)) .. We’re considering this option. Selling the big, expensive house ( with super high taxes) , and finding a cute cottage to spend summer and autumn in. Then travel to warmer climate when the snow falls…
Your plan will work as long as you are able to travel to warmer climates in the winter months. However, when health or mobility issues evolve with aging, what will you do with a property that isn't winterized and you can't use? It would be best to buy a house, that can be lived in 12 months of the year.
I enjoy my workshop and garage for woodworking, metalworking and car maintenance. Right now I enjoy these things too much to give up these spaces. Just would not work in a rental. Thanks for sharing!
Lots of phantom costs with home ownership we used to love renting and now also happy as owners, everyone should run the numbers and make the best choice for their specific situation 😊
Guys, the secret to your retirement after selling your house is that your apartment is RENT CONTROLLED. As you recognize without that you would be in financial pain right now. I checked and it seems that in Toronto apartments occupied after 2018 are not rent controlled, presumably because it is not financially viable to build new rent controlled apartments anymore. No such thing in Oz except state housing and that is swamped. The other issue that comes to mind is if the apartments that are rent controlled are privately owned and costs are rising so much how can the landlord survive financially. For these reasons most couples in your situation in Oz sell the family home and then BUY an apartment for security and to lock in future capital gains.
Mom and pop landlords are being squeezed out, landlords rapidly rising costs are not controlled but rents are so that can only go badly until the big corporations own everything.
We don't know where this couple lives, because rent controls can ot go on for years unless this is subsidize housing. Most of the retired I know have rented out their homes and have been traveling all over the world. When they decide to return their nest egg will be there. As long as you are healthy, I think it's a good idea to hold on to your home. The value of their home in today's market would be very high. 8 years is a long time to walk away from thousands of $.
You’re making great points and I thank you for sharing
Thanks for watching!
love you guys...new viewer AND I just subscribed ! Hi I'm "Mike" !!!!
Thanks so much Mike, welcome to the channel!
I’m really glad it worked out so well for you, Tina and Norm. Here in Florida things are a bit different. I really would like to ditch the home ownership and pool and lawn maintenance, but it seems like the rents are just out of control. Insurance is high, but thankfully taxes are pretty stable.
We are in our early 70’s. This year we sold our house and received top price. This money added with our retirement fund has put us in a financially comfortable position, far beyond our previous dreams. We have moved to a new apartment with a pool, billiards room, roof top exercise room, party room and roof top barbecues. We were able to clear out all our excess junk and furniture. Lock the door and go, off on an Alaskan cruise in August. Apartment life with mostly retirees, has improved our social life with little to no responsibility. Loving life, no worries.
Are you happier now ?
@@kahvac We have never been happier
@@JimBland-f9j I'm happy for you ! .......... May you enjoy life in good health !
So happy for you both we love apartment living too ❤️🙂
It’s exactly what we did- who knew this modern low maintenance high spec apartment living could be so much fun with no chores to do!
Great post. As you mentioned before...time is your most valuable possession. By getting rid of that responsibility you're way ahead. Dramatically less cost. Thanks Norm n Tina
You can’t predict the future, you cannot change the past. Enjoy the present. If we sold our house we would have to include our two young adult children… they are a joy
you would include your children in the sale? 😅
It does make sense for you. The money from your house is invested and you use it for retirement. The apartment is rent controlled. You are fortunate that is available. We live in Dallas, TX and there are no rent controlled apartments. But we do have a cap on property tax increases for senior citizens. We radically downsized our home and property. Basically no maintenance on our yard which is tiny. Our HOA only covers landscaping maintenance so that has never gone up in the 5 years we have lived here. I would say that the largest increase is in home insurance! That is skyrocketing.
Thank you! Important considerations as we plan our next steps.
You are so welcome!
My water heater blew out. I was going outside to pull weeds and noticed water coming out of my driveway! I ended up calling a plumber and 5500.00 later I got a water heater. Last year I had to get a roof. This year a water heater. Great video!
I think with this kind of thing there's no absolute right or wrong and happy you found your way. I bought my Vancouver house 16 years ago and could sell it now at age 62 for about 1.2 million more than when I bought it. But I live in it and I like the house, have a fantastic view of the mountains, get good rental income from good tenants that also live here, and to top it all off my granddaughter has come to live with me, and while she's here it's an added reason not to sell, for now at least. I run my small part time business out of my garage too. When I was younger and self employed carpenter, I went on lots of trips to different countries and I don't really feel like I'd miss out if I didn't do a lot of travelling now. The city now wants to see taller buildings in the area and land assembly is the new thing, maybe millions of dollars. I think if some developer comes knocking and offering a ton of cash, then it'll be too tempting to not sell.
Hi Norm and Tina: Thanks for the wonderful journey. Looking around and getting on waiting lists for apartments. Looking forward to the freedom but apprehensive also as we have a beautiful location. Paul and Helen.
Our pleasure! Paul we loved our Bungalow too while we lived there but words can’t describe this new found freedom it was time to move on to the new chapter in our lives , we have never looked back have an awesome weekend good luck Cheers ☕️🙂
I’ve read a few negative comments or ones that suggest you could have done things differently and although some have merit we need to remember that what you chose to do worked for you, and you’ve made that work for the last 8 years.
There is no one size fits all when it comes to retirement because we don’t all start the process from the same place.
Some of us have over a million dollars in work place pensions (in Australia that is compulsory superannuation that we can access at 60) some have investments and savings in some form or another and others have their family home that they either rent out or sell. Like a lot of countries there is also an aged based pension, once you reach qualifying age (in Australia this is asset based so someone with a hefty superannuation doesn’t qualify but may do as they age and draw down on Super)
Whatever works for you to find your happy place is the right decision for you. There is no woulda, shoulda, coulda as they say.
Thank you for your comment we appreciate your insight.
Your assessment of home ownership and moving to an apartment overlooks a key thing for people like my wife and me. We are retired and live on acreage in a rural farming area in a large house I completely remodeled nearly 30 years ago. It's been paid off for years. We're surrounded by fields, pasture, and woods and, most importantly, have no one living near us. We can't see the neighbors from our house on a hill. It's completely private. I've lived in homes in our nearby city with neighbors on our doorstep and have lived in apartments, too, when younger. We would lose our minds cramped up living in a condo or an apartment. But, then, I grew up on a large dairy farm in the 1950's. The need for space is wired in. By the way, we still manage to travel.
As you age social isolation can become an issue. You likely spend a large amount of your retirement income on maintenance and cosmetics of your home.
Sounds like heaven on earth 😊
Anti social?
We also lived in a rural area… with horses and land BUT the chores became too large a part of our life so we moved to the city to a condo overlooking 40 acres of parkland and 5 mins from the sea. We can walk into the green hills and city transport is frequent. We’re one hour from London. We love our life now.
I expect as our physical abilities fade due to age we will have to move from a stand along home with associated upkeep to a condo or other lower maintenance single story situation. Getting old sucks, but it is better than the alternative.
You two are always a joy to watch and learn from! You are so smart about how you handle your affairs and I love seeing you enjoy your retirement the way you do! Thanks so much for sharing!!!
So agree with you on selling and renting. We have noticed all the same reasons. No regrets! Only difference is you have more money than we got but overall still better. Enjoy!
We built our home 4 years ago. We just heard that 2 bedroom rentals are more expensive than our house payments. We can't afford to rent and are very pleased that we have a fixed low interest rate on our home. We could sell for $150k more than we bought it for but we're going to stay here.
Yes, every case is different. In Canada max mortgage term is 5 years, so can be dicey. Early 1980s Canadian interest rates were 20~ %.
Rent here in Pennsylvania is 1500 a month.
Yikes!
I'll stay in my paid for house with family and good medical care nearby.
We put away $275/ month for taxes.
We can't live anywhere for that amount.
Until a better idea comes by, we're all good!
Now, gotta get packing for our cruise!
@@deniseryan4146 I’m with you. I live in Tennessee where rent used to be low. Not anymore. I’m thankful that my mortgage was paid off years ago.
My home (which is paid off) makes up a large part of my net worth and it's always tempting to sell, but the thought of having to pay rent which can vary so widely scares me!! Plus, with no debt, we live (and travel) very comfortably on our pensions (social security) and savings. It surprises me that retired people don't relocate to a locale with a lower cost of living! No more "big city" for me!!!
Yes relocating is a great retirement plan, we reduced our monthly bills by relocating to a lower cost area.
What cooling blanket did you purchase. So many on Amazon.
The one in the link in the description of the latest movie
I am happy you are contented living in a rent controlled apartment in Canada. But I live in California. I worked long and hard to pay my house. If I sell it half of the price will go the pay off the rest of the mortgage, leaving less the $200K before taxs to live on for the rest of my life. A small apartments rents for $2000 a month here. I think for me if I want to travel I can take a small $5000 loan on the house and go where I want to. My dream vacations places are Japan, England, Australia or a cruise to anywhere just to relax.
We are not financial advisors, take this as if we are neighbours in California, retirement is a time to not have loans. If you sell assets they can generate income that pays rent, at this point paying for financial advice could be smart for you. Remember active retirement is quite limited in years.
Really enjoyed this conversation. Thought provoking. Thank you
I have had this same discussion with my golf buddies of staying in your paid off home vs renting. There is no right answer and there are trade offs no matter what you do. We enjoyed 100% price increases in the last 5 years and travelled 2-3 months each winter. So we are happy with our decision.
Yeah sorry but I just don't agree with some of these points tbh.
All the boomers aren't going to just sell en masse and there are plenty of people coming up behind them so it's really just a number not a financial term or a hard cut in terms of outcomes imo.
I would suggest that it's more likely that someone living in a unit is more likely to face the risk of issues than someone having their house compulsorily acquired by authorities as well.
Look at what's happening in the US, and we see it here often as well, where either rents are going ballistic or building repairs and insurance mean that people can no longer afford to stay where they are.
With rent control who is actually paying the difference or is it written in stone that it can't be changed?
Equally I would say that having your money in things like shares or whatever is hardly having control given the way markets are going as well atm.
We've basically had one of the biggest booms off the back of money printing that the world has seen and it looks to be coming to an end.
In some ways you've been incredibly lucky and couldn't have done what you have in many places imo.
I'm guessing that if you'd done this here in Australia the outcome would have been very different.
I'm glad it as worked out so far but I would suggest that it's a one and done type deal, and cashing in on capital growth in property, so people should think carefully about it all, or get advice, and not just look at the money it may unlock or what how they could spend it.
I totaly aggree with most of what you say, bought my house here in the Orlando area 20 years ago, then rented it for 2 years before retireing, bought 3 more in the same sub when all the brits were throwing in the towel, value has more than doubled to over $1m, cant do that in a rental, invest in CD's with FDIC. What happens if the rent control is revoked.
@@williamjsmith9877 It’s highly unlikely the rent control will be revoked or changed much. There would be too much outcry. If news’s rent control or stabilization, it’s an extremely lucky and rare situation when looking at all housing throughout Canada and the U.S.
@@craftsmanctfl3493 The thing with any form of cost control is that someone has to pay.
If things change then anything is possible imo.
Basically selling your home for a cash top up based on increasing capital values in most places.
I suspect that in the 8 year timeframe mentioned our home has gone up by a huge amount but so has the cost of other places, rent and everything else.
If we had done it we would be in financial trouble now imo.
Each to their own and situational as well.
Your right , These guys are in a semi dream state and to put it bluntly some of their advice is silly and in some cases dangerous .
I live in Canada and have done for 57 years people getting their houses appropriated is so rare and I suspect in most instances they received a fair market price + so using that as minus example in home owning is dumb .Then carrying on about all the free stuff in their rent controlled building is also dumb , if your in a rent controlled building in Canada the chances are it’s not in the top range of properties, not my choice but obviously good enough for some people .
we sold our townhome in BC at the peak and moved to Saskatchewan and was able to retire 4 years earlier. We did buy a home here, but we think of it as a place holder to enjoy nicer accommodations than what we had and eventually sell and move to a smaller home or townhome or condo or even renting. We are so glad we made the move. I have been following your channel for well before we sold our place in BC and your insights and experience has taken the fear out of when is the right time to retire. Too easy to put it off with the fear of the unknown....mainly will we have enough money for our retirement. Thanks again!
Nice! Looking to do the same!
Where in Sask ? I'm in the BC Lower Mainland and always look at Sask. listings. Can't believe the price difference 😮😅!
We have done the same exercise and we will sell our family home and invest the money we make from it and rent.
We have been sold this dream of home ownership (huge dream for everyone in Australia!) but we are looking at the future differently. For us we want to be nomadic through our active retirement years and then work out where to spend our slower active years. Without the shackles and expenses of a home to hold us back.
Thank you for this video and inspiring us to look at life through a different lens.
We did the same thing....invested most of the money.
@@bw5277 can I ask how this is working for you? We are doing the future differently to our friends (who are supportive but think we are mad) but we want to have a life of experiences and adventures. We have been locked down to location and bricks and mortar our entire adult lives - we don’t want this in retirement. Are we crazy?
Thank you for the kind welcome as a new subscriber. It is wonderful that selling your home has worked out so well for you. Enjoy your travels! Thank you for the tips and information you share.
Your very welcome Judi 🌺🙂
Your very welcome sounds like we both looked at a bigger picture the same we wish you well with yours we love it 🌺☕️🙂
I bought my first (and only) home in 1994 at age 34. The happiest day of my life came 20 years later when I sold it. I traveled for a few years but rented for the last 6 years and my rent hasn’t gone up since I moved in. It's not even rent-controlled - my landlord is just happy to have a responsible tenant that pays on time. The freedom to travel and flexibility to move, not to mention no maintenance or repair costs, makes renting a sensible choice for retirees.
We are so pleased for you Linda totally agree about the freedom plus no unexpected maintenance and expenses we just love it Cheers ☕️❤️🤗
Of course, you are paying the maintenance and repair costs as part of the money you shell out for rent. The landlord still makes a probably tidy profit with you paying his or her expenses. If that wasn’t the case, they wouldn’t be in the landlord business.
Will will do the same thing. You also save on property taxes, HOA fees and the burden of home ownership. Congrats!
Awesome sounds great James 🍻🙂
Agree, this a personal choice where to live and when to sell your house. But if we honestly talk about numbers, let me tell you: living in your own house is MUCH MORE beneficial in Alberta, than renting. take the last 5 years for example: If I would sell my beautiful and comfortable house and start renting tiny 2 bedroom appartment in my area I would easily lose tons of money (we talking about hundreds of thousands). Numbers: 5 year rent: 200 thousand, Increase of value of my house fro the same time :300.000. Maintenace, taxes and insurance spent: 50.000. Clear surplus 450.000. These are real numbers. Not mentioning living in a comfort of your own home. Of course , if house is all you have with no savings and you want to travel adn live comfortably: selling your house is the only choice.
What about a reverse equity mortgage?
Your choice seems perfect for you. Others love puttering around their house and yard. That said I knew someone who bought houses for rentals. He only bought in markets after considerable analysis comparing rental rates and house costs. Sometimes renting was the best value. Other times he'd buy a house for rental later.
Did the same thing nearly 10 years ago. No regrets either.
Awesome 👏
Even though we live in the US and do not benefit from rent control, we found that by investing our money from the sale of our home, we could more than afford a very nice and pricey apartment. We love it and have renewed our lease for another 15 months. We may decide to buy again in the future and aren’t closing that door, but we are very pleased with our decision and it is thanks to you. We would have never considered it without finding your videos.
That’s wonderful Patsy glad you are enjoying your apartment Cheers 🇺🇸🌺🇨🇦
Thanks for sharing your experiences Tina and Norm! Hope you guys don't experience renovictions. What is your plan B should if you are renovicted in pricey Ottawa area?
We no longer live in Ottawa (8years ago ) we live in Southern Ontario and rent from a very large Corporation all they do is rentals ☕️🌺
@@ThisIsOurRetirement sound's great! I had no idea that living was more affordable in southern Ontario? Then again London Ontario is still more affordable than Ottawa I believe.
@@charronfamilyconnectsouthern Ontario is not affordable. Rents and homes are sky high, particularly in the GTA.
So much of this video is based on the unusually good fortune of finding the rare place with some type of rent control. Practically no one has access to these types of rentals, so that advice is essentially inapplicable to your viewers. Watch this video again and you’ll notice it seems to be patting yourselves on the back for your unusual good luck.
I love my apartment and location. I can't imagine trying to care for a house by myself. Love watching your channel :)
Thank you so much! glad you love your apartment too ❤️
Don't know why people are so butt hurt by this video. It's not like you guys are telling everyone to do what you did. You are just saying what works for you two. Cheers to you! Glad for you and all the fun you have had together and with family. Much love.🌞
Thank you 🌺🙂
I live in the US. Rents here are almost double my mortgage payment. I have the funds to pay off my mortgage but with CDs at 5% plus it would cost me more than $7000.00 annually. Mortgage at 2.25% fixed 30 years.
Rent is the maximum you will pay, mortgage is the minimum you pay, because of unexpected maintenance and repairs plus utilities.
Hi. Whilst I accept that the rental market is subject to affordability constraints, these are also uncertain and unpredictable. I can clearly see how moving into all inclusive controlled rental has worked for you both, but this is not widely available and where this is the case I think that renting rather than moving to a cheaper property is a more nuanced decision.
Thanks for watching ☕️🙂
We bought a campsite similar to the one you bought (didn’t know they existed) and absolutely love it! Thanks for making videos!
Compulsory purchases (or eminent domain in the U.S.) are fairly rare, a tiny percentage of all sales transactions. Legitimate appraisals must be performed before a price is determined, and any price proposed by a government can be challenged legally.
And the risk of such a thing is probably equivalent whether you live in a SFH or in a rented apartment. I still think the biggest factor to Norm & Tina's situation is rent control. Without that it could be a much different story.
I will pay off my mortgage in 18 months. So shortly thereafter will probably relocate to a lower cost of living area and purchase a single story property as part of my retirement. I expect the new property will be a similar size to my current home, perhaps a little smaller. Would prefer new build to minimize future maintenance. Will get some additional funds due to difference in house prices in current location versus new location. But a big chunk will be taken by agents fees and capital gains taxes, and also to pay off my daughter's college loans.
I do have a good chunk of money saved in IRAs and 401ks so that will be the main source of income. However I will benefit from property appreciation as well, something you don't get with renting.
@@kevinobrien5450 If this is your primary residence in the US, you must be getting at least a 250k capital gain on the sale to be taxed, if you’re single. Of course, that may not be too difficult with price appreciation the last few years. I get a bit turned off when RUclipsrs pat themselves on the back for their astute decisions when it’s mostly luck and timing as in Tina and Norm’s case. Even a hint of smugness is off-putting.
@@craftsmanctfl3493 I'm married and the appreciation well exceeds $500k, so there will be substantial state and federal capital gains.
I didn't take Tina and Norm's video as expressing smugness. I'm happy that things have worked out for them. I just wouldn't follow the same approach.
@@kevinobrien5450 Happy for your big price appreciation! Yes, there are CG taxes, but that’s because you’ve gotten such a nice return on your house. A bit of bitter with the sweet. I also don’t think Tina and Norm were smug. Only just a hint of smug.
@@craftsmanctfl3493 Thanks! We've been very lucky with that. I just wish the net gain I could get from selling was equal to the current gross. I would be happy with that. But maybe another couple of years of ownership will get me there.
You two are adorable- just paid off the house and Jeep- retiring in a few months here in Colorado! Thanks for your videos!
That is awesome! 👍
That was a well-reasoned overview of the big picture. Bravo!
In, BC, a growing trend is unhoused seniors who are losing their rental housing. Many are being renovicted or find their apartments being sold or torn down to build rentals or private owned condos. They may have been in the rental unit for years which means their rent is lower than others. Right now the average time a new tenant faces renovictions or some excuse to have them move is 5 years here.
Until I heard your thinking on selling your house and moving to an apartment, my thinking was to stay in my house as long as possible. You have given me food for though, suddenly renting is very attractive - no worries about maintenance, the roof blowing off etc etc. thanks!
Love that! 🌺
Not exactly. I have friends who sold their house and started renting
They are thoroughlu regret about this step. For many reason
Glad for you that you are enjoying retirement. However everyone has varying ideas of retirement. I understand as you live in a part of Canada that is cold and snow for a lengthy period so escaping that is part of the lifestyle. We live in a part of the country where it is milder and a huge enjoyment for us is our gardens and being outside, plus it is a bit of a rural area so lots of farms, horses and wildlife. We buy local produce, milk and eggs. Yes we are retired and we have been travelling, basically 2 trips @ year, one in the fall (when some of our gardens finish) and again in April (before the hordes of tourists). So therre is no magic bullet, best advice is do what fits your lifestyle. Oh I don't agree with the landlord needs tenants and tenants need landlords theory... sounds like a quote from the current Canadian PM... "and the budget will balance itself".
We very much agree there is no one size fits all retirement, we are just sharing our stories, fyi where we live rental apartments have waiting lists.
@@ThisIsOurRetirement Totally agree. BTW your budget figure of $25k for yearly travel is good, that's the figure we came up with after keeping spreadsheets on past and forecasting upcoming vacations.
Oh ok that makes sense. Keep up the great work!!😊
Thank you! Will do!🌺🙂
Apartments can allow you to live in an area where you couldn't afford a house.Finding one may be a challenge. However it can depent on your fellow tenants, on how easy it is to live there. A friend's condo flooded due to a neighbour living above them.
Just found your channel. Retired nurse from California. Always rented and regret I never. bought a home. I don't know how any young people can become home owners now. Where I live in a beach city, a very modest home goes for a million dollars. The housing bubble must burst soon.
That’s awesome welcome to our channel yes buying a house 🏠 is no longer affordable but also means lots more people are renting Cheers 🇺🇸🌺🇨🇦
Excellent video , butt for us here in Pa , the rent are so high, that I’m forced to stay in my own home. Thanks
I recently sold my house after decades of living there and moving out later this year and I couldn’t be happier, especially to leave la belle province. I will be a renter from now on and be free, finally 🎉
That is awesome! we wish you all the best 🌺🙂
I’m so glad to hear you talk about this. We are 67 and 71, husband is still working, we are debt free including the house. Yet, We won’t be able to live off our SS. We are planning to put our house on the market next month. It’s such a hard decision, but you make me feel better. Thanks!❤
Your very welcome we wish you both all the best with your sale , for us it’s been 8 years and we have never been happier Cheers 🇺🇸☕️🇨🇦
Wow, working at 71. At 57 I dread the thought of working til 65. As a factory worker my body is more or less finished. Taking it day by day right now…
Glad you are enjoying your choice. I plan to keep my home. In our area within Canada renting ends up being more than mortgage free.
Just 1K for prop tax and utilities in GTA. Rent is 2.5 k for 1 BR.
I was in a very similar thought process as you. Fortunately, I sold my house to a wonderful family but then I downsized, built a much smaller house and paid for it outright. I'm in the process of searching a possible second residency in another country, but I plan to keep my primary owned home until I either need the money or find another place I am entirely happy with. My outlook completely changed once I owned my home fully. That sense of security was overwhelmingly welcome. House value does not matter to me as the security is what I wanted. I retired early which was my goal all along and knowing that as long as I can pay my taxes, I don't have to worry about a roof over my head. No mortgage is freeing. I feel like the there is always someone willing to buy a home. At least here in the US there is a housing "shortage". You may not get the price you want, you may make a killing, who knows? I hear you on the costs of owning a home, as well as there is upkeep, which is a real problem since I plan on traveling a lot. But still, I don't plan on selling until I have a solid plan in place. You guys sound like you have a pretty good setup. That is a different level of freedom absolutely. That freedom to close the door and go is priceless as well. Kudos for no regrets.
Renting in retirement has worked for you in Canada, but those of us back in the old country (UK), where we don't have rent controls, would be mad to rent in retirement if they didn't have to.
Not all of Canada has rent control, they are lucky where they are living to have it
Cheers Stuart 🇬🇧🍻🇨🇦🙂
There are rentable retirement flats in the UK called Anchor I think some are nice and modern and some dated. None with swimming pools though! You can be 55 or over but they look like a lot of much older people because I think us Brits do tend to hold onto our homes until the very end 😮
Glad it's worked out so well for you. I'm following your example: when I retire, get the home repairs completed. Travel to different places to research moving there.
Never look back with regret you always make the best decision based on the information you had at the time. You didn’t know then what you know now.
So, if you had waited, you’d have missed out on great experiences. You would have received more money, but also would have to shell out way more money for a new place.
I split my house in two during civid and have ywo tenants upstairs and I live downstairs. I could not live with the insecurity and cost of renting. This way im payiny my daughter through college and living rent free. Yes maintenance is a pain ..but i feel blesed ovetall..
Sounds like a good solution, thanks for sharing.
Norm & Tina, Thanks again for sharing the details & logic behind your decision to sell your house.
Most importantly, your explanation of your cash inflows, outflows, perks, no maintenance worries & low overhead shows how you attained real freedom & peace of mind!
Happy Travelers & Renters! Cheers!
Very nicely done video. I just got my property tax bill and it's goes up and up every year. Many Thanks, Norm & Tina. Many Congrats on 70K subs. Hope that when your 8 year rent control ends they will not jack your price up.
Thanks for the congrats 🥳 Terry 🙂
Great video, thank you!
Glad you liked it!
Thank you for sharing. It shows that there is not just one path to retirement. Focus on what is important to you.
There are pros and cons to every decision. Very good perspective ~ thanks for sharing! 😊
Thanks for watching!
I'm also a baby boomer. Sold my large home in 2012 and moved into a rented apartment. The interest on my capital pays my rent. Oh and 12 years later my large home is still in a very desirable area, but the value has dropped by almost a third. I live in South Africa
That’s awesome Congratulations 🇿🇦 🥳☕️
Rent that includes fuel costs and local government taxes....not in the UK unfortunately. It's definitely a good idea to reduce the amount of cash tied up in your home if you can, we downsized. The private rental market here is pretty brutal.
Thanks for sharing Frank 🍻🙂
We see here that many 'eldery' have left leaving their family home so late they are now so attached to it , and fearful of change, they won't move to something smaller. So a family home is being occupied by (generally) one person where as you stated, a family could live. We sold our home and bought an apartment in 2014. Best move we ever made, I've loved watching the channel grow. The sky is the limit. Keep advising, sharing experiences. Greetings from the Northern Hemisphere once again. 👌🇳🇱🙋♀🥝
That’s awesome Anita you bought an apartment and we have rented either way it gives that freedom thanks for supporting our channel Cheers 🇳🇱🌺🇨🇦☕️🙂
Very nice video explaining reasons for selling out to invest and enjoy retirement! :) Sounds like Paradise
You were smart to sell and rent at the perfect time to lock in before rents skyrocketed! I’d love to see you look into Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) in buildings like yours with a good percentage of retired people.
Finally answers to the question i always wanted to ask. you definatley made the correct decision at the time as you cant buy lost years back. In the UK there is such shortage of rentals it always best to own somewere to avoid being in a pickle. Great channel i am 6 weeks into fulltime retirement.
Congratulations Roderick on your retirement 🥳🍻🇬🇧🇨🇦
I see so many homes in my area that are not being kept up because it is older people living in them. They aren't going to get the full value of their house because they are gut jobs. When they move, they will be going to a retirement or long term care home and they are leaving all the cleanup and clean out to their children. Believe me, I know, having been through it twice already. We are struggling with this very decision of whether to stay in our home or sell, get the equity and either buy a condo or rent. The problem is that in Ontario, buying a condo or renting one is usually a lot of money and I would rather have the equity.
Hi Jane, We have been through the clean up too and seeing our parents home deteriorate from the once immaculate condition is sad. There are still reasonable rents in Ontario and don't forget if the apartment is November 2018 or older it's rent controlled. Condos are a minefield of being underfunded for maintenance. Good luck
@@ThisIsOurRetirement It seems that there is rent control throughout Ontario. The rate for 2025 is 2.5%. It seems that once you are in a rental you are protected with this control. But once the rental becomes available, the rent can be set at whatever the owner wants to set it to. I think in the case of Ontario, you need to get out of the GTA. The further away from the GTA the less the price of rent should be.
i'm not looking forward to my upcoming home improvements... a/c, drywall repair and rewiring the addition... all of which need to be done before selling.
So glad you two have talked about this aspect of retirement. A paid off mortgage isn’t the holy grail of retirement.
Well am sure others have probably already said, but if you do have a larger house, owned (outright or not), you can still downsize to a fully paid property and have equity in the bank. We may or may not do that, as we love our house.
I appreciate your insights. We definitely spend a lot of money and energy to maintain our house. I would certainly need to purge “stuff”… great food for thought. Thank you. Travel and gardening really don’t mix well.
Its wonderful that you share so much but not the actual budget and expenses you have and incur
Hi
I am in Melbourne Australia, many elderly own homes with 3-4 bedrooms and hoard stuff, i meet them.
Some of them enjoy gardening.
I never owned a home, but many houses i lived in either needed a complete remodeling, new bathroom and kitchen and floors and fence. Some houses i lived in needed to be demolished and were.
I'm a renter my whole life. Just like these videos as i have mental and physical disability.
I can't say i enjoy "retirement" as i live with too many health issues and anxiety and stress and worry.
But i love reading these comments section, makes me feel calmer a bit and forget my stress and worries.
No such thing as rent control in my country. Also a lot of rental properties are old, poor quality and in bad areas. There is an extreme shortage of rentals pushing the prices up continually. It doesn't make as much sense to sell a nice quality home in a good area for something where the rent increases annually.