Johnson Bixby, a Vancouver financial planning firm, launched its Financial Empowerment Program with a goal of empowering 40,000 community members in the
Equity in their current homes doesn’t buy what it used to, so some figure the prudent move is to adapt what they have. That makes the market even tighter.
When they bought their Highlands Ranch home in 1998, Kent and Yvonne Higgins and their children fit comfortably into the five-bedroom, multi-level house that was typical in the sprawling suburban development.
But life’s milestones came and went, and kids grew up and struck out on their own. The couple paid off their mortgage and had the entire house to themselves, though Kent’s multiple knee replacement surgeries reminded him that the 16 stairs between floors wouldn’t be getting any easier to negotiate.
And eventually, they arrived at a common fork in the road: Was it time to move to something that better fit their lifestyle? After looking at their choices in Colorado’s superheated seller’s market, they came away so discouraged that they’re starting to consider another option: installing an elevator.