What Should I Consider When Buying a House at Age 60 or Above?

If you're in the market to buy a new primary home after age 60, you need to adjust your thinking a bit from when you were, say, in your 30s. The margin for error is much smaller now, and it will be harder to recover from a poor financial move. Proper risk management is key.

If this sounds a bit unnerving, it should. Any time you're considering investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in a single asset later in life—an asset that needs considerable care and maintenance, no less—you need to know exactly what you're doing and why. We'll discuss the central considerations here, including:

• your rationale for buying a home at age 60 or above
• how long you plan to stay in this next house
• where the best location to buy might be at this stage in life, and
• what type of home will best fit your current needs.

This isn't meant to discourage you from moving at all. Perhaps, for example, you're close to retirement and ready to try something new. Or maybe you've always wanted to live somewhere far from your current home, but figure if you're going to do it, you might as well start getting connected to people and activities there while you're still agile and full of energy. And there's a lot to be said for starting the downsizing process sooner rather than later!

Believe it or not, though, simply renting a place might be a financially better and more flexible solution in some situations.

Do You Really Want to Buy a Home After Age 60?

Even if you know exactly why you hope to buy, it's worth taking a closer look at this issue. For example, are you looking for a vacation home, an income property, or simply a place to live? (This article will assume the latter.) Are you looking to downsize or otherwise change your lifestyle? Do you value the pride of homeownership more than the flexibility of renting? Do you assume that buying is a better financial move than renting?

Some people realize they aren't exactly sure about their motivation for (and expectations of) buying. They might have gotten excited about relatively low real estate prices somewhere, or have fallen prey to received wisdom or urging by friends and family.

The fact is, buying a home—or a particular type of home—might not be the solution you think it is. You might even discover that you'd appreciate the perks of renting more than owning—such as low maintenance costs, smaller commitment, fun amenities, fewer surprise expenses, and fewer headaches in general.

How Long Would You Stay in This Next House?

The standard advice for anyone buying a home is that, if you plan to live there for fewer than five years, the transaction costs could wipe out any home appreciation, leaving you without the investment benefits of having invested in the property.

So if the home you're looking at is, say, a condo by a golf course, but your doctor says that your 75-year-old knees and hips are going to need replacement soon, you might figure on moving into an independent living facility as soon as golfing is no longer an option. In that case, looking for rentals might pencil out better.

Where's the Best Place to Buy, Given How Long You Plan to Spend There?

When deciding whether to rent or buy, you need to carefully assess the local real estate market in the areas you're looking. A good regional rent versus buy calculator and home affordability map can help with this.

In some markets, it can take more than 15 years for buying to beat renting (at least on paper). That's a long time to spend in the hole compared to renting—and that's assuming the home appreciates on a steady schedule, which is never certain.

What Type of Home Makes the Most Sense for You at or Above Age 60?

If you have always owned standard single-family homes, now might be the first time you've looked into buying a condominium, townhouse, or similar property. These can offer significant advantages to seniors, such as reduced maintenance of the roof, land, and other common areas (which the homeowners' association takes care of).

But they also come with a new set of expenses to factor into your budget, namely monthly fees that can be as high as what some people pay in rent, and "special assessments" when emergencies come along. See Nolo's articles on Buying a New Home or One in a Development for more information.

Might a Senior Living Facility Be the Answer?

At the far end of the spectrum, you might consider "buying" a place in a senior living facility. In some cases, this does not actually involve purchasing legal ownership. Instead, you pay a large entry fee for the right to live there (perhaps for life), while also agreeing to pay monthly fees. These fees might cover not only the usual maintenance and common area-use costs found in a condo, but activities, meals, and some medical care or consultation.

A percentage of what you pay in might be returned to you or your family when you leave or pass on. Such arrangements are outside the scope of this article, but depending on your age, are certainly worth examining or keeping in mind as a financial goal.

As for how to finance your home purchase, be sure to read Buying a House Near Retirement Age: Should I Take Out Mortgage or Pay All Cash?.