http://www.frontdoor.com/houses/finding-a-cape-cod-retirement-dream-home

Realtor Susan Dean helped her clients find the perfect Cape Cod retirement home with vintage charm, secret rooms and a large garden.

After spending vacation time in a tiny seasonal cottage on Cape Cod, Terry and Lynne Dunn knew exactly where they wanted to spend their retirement. The 544-square-foot house was perfect for quick weekend getaways but wasn't large enough to accommodate visiting grandkids, so they tasked ERA Realtor Susan Dean with finding their dream retirement home. She was also given the task of selling their New Jersey home as well as the beloved cottage.

Susan Dean scoured the entire Cape from Sandwich to Orleans. Then, the perfect house was discovered in Dennis: a beautiful antique with all the charm and finishes that they were looking for, plus a few fun features for the grandkids. One found a secret room in the back of the front hall closet, while another slept in the upstairs nook, which is the perfect spot for a small child when there's too much company.
 

What was at the top of the homebuyers' wish list?

 

The home had the character they were looking for with lots of vintage charm. They wanted several fireplaces, larger rooms, extra bedrooms for their adult children to visit, and a room for Lynne’s crafting. They also wanted beautiful gardens, but most of all, it had been very well taken care of by the previous owners and was pretty much move-in ready. The desired location was the mid-Cape area. Terry wanted a garage for an antique car.

 

How did you go about fulfilling the buyers' needs? What were your biggest challenges?

 

Pricing the seasonal cottage correctly, getting the maximum cash return and getting it sold in a timely manner were the key elements for attaining my clients’ retirement goals. I did preview quite a few houses before taking them out. One of the biggest challenges was finding some homes that were in good shape. A lot of the homes I saw were in disrepair, and the owners had not performed overall maintenance. The fixtures and mechanics were outdated. Even though Terry had already retired from his teaching job, Lynne was still working as a hospice nurse. So our tours of possibilities resulted in daylong tours when they had time to visit the Cape.