Here we are, well into the first decade of the twenty-first century and the context surrounding the traditional concept of ‘home’ has changed dramatically. The question is, "Have you shed the stereotypes, myths, habits and countless invisible threads of the last century that entwine your definition of home and embraced the present?"

Home Sweet Home?

Real estate buyers will benefit from eliminating any and all out-of-date thinking before they look at properties, whether they are first time buyers, first in a longtime purchasers, or are aquiring another property along the way. Home is more than a place to keep your stuff. Your definition of "home" will affect decision making on many levels, so before you start the search for a new place to live, take time for some mental "house cleaning."

How have your views on real estate ownership expanded to take advantage of the increasing range of choices available in the twenty-first century? It’s not that we’ve suddenly made futuristic changes, but the move into a new millennium is a good dividing line or reference point for evaluating the relevance of your definition of home to your present life and your future. Too many of the aspects of traditional views on home design, construction and use can be traced back to the needs, values and limitations of nineteenth-century life, with little relevance today. The growing range of lifestyles and career pathways also has direct and indirect impact on our choice of housing and location, and involves new needs and wants.

Your first real estate purchase can seed your financial future. Make your first buy wisely and improve the property effectively, and the resulting appreciation in value will allow you to move up in value, location, amenities or status. This financial snowballing can roll you into an affordable million-dollar-plus home, even if you begin quite modestly. On the other extreme, start out over-housed and financially stretched, and you’ll probably spend unnecessary thousands, tens of thousands and more—without making much progress. The ongoing financial burden may keep your dream home out of reach.

Either way, home will be your personal headquarters, especially if you are self-employed, telecommute, receive a fixed income or let your investments work for you.

No longer does "work" automatically involve a 9-to-5 office job, and there are more changes ahead. Nor does "career" mean one employer or one profession for life. Formal income-earning doesn't stop at 65, either.Individuals and couples now select their own point of transition. Many opt for a gradual move away from a 9-to-5 lifestyle, evolving into part-time workers, consultants to their past employers, or even university students. Some buy a business they can improve on while others start a brand-new venture. Many entrepreneurs and professionals take little notice of the traditional termination year and work past 65 without interruption. What they have in common is "home" acts as headquarters for their lives.

Technology, the Internet and wireless communication continue to transform our daily activities and everything else while enabling increasing numbers of home-based, income-generating ventures at all stages of life.

Since these three communication advances connect individuals and communities in never-before-possible ways, problems related to isolation may be on the way out. Location has also become less crucial since electronically we are now only seconds away from almost anyone and anywhere on the planet. Online medical, shopping and professional consulting services are on the rise and will become the norm.

So many changes and yet have we really improved the way we select a new place to live? Many people still choose from what is presented to them or respond to marketing programs. Planning usually concentrates on the first few years and ignores possible changes in health, finance, relationships or neighbourhoods that may lie ahead. Creative strategies and informed decision-making will take you well beyond the first stage of ownership, so that any move you make is one that you choose, not one you are forced into, for one reason or another:

• Do you want to find one home, development or neighbourhood to live in "forever," or would you prefer relocating to new communities over the years ahead?
• Are there medical considerations—for you or a family member—that may call for location, financial or design compromises, now or in the future?
• What would "home" mean to you if faced with a solo future?
• What role do you want your real estate to play in your financial future?

Aging in place, or staying in your own home as you age and not moving—or being moved—into an institution, is now the norm. Some find a property or neighbourhood they love and renovate as needed, perhaps to create a fully-accessible environment or to add an income option like a separate suite. Remaining in your own home does not always mean hunkering down, but includes moving wherever and why ever you wish.

If you decide to adopt "age in place" as a life goal, make it a habit to evaluate each potential property, tenure option and location, with the simple question: "What could force me to move?" Lifelong good health has become commonplace, but foresight dictates a preference for one-floor plans, mainfloor bedrooms with ensuite, easily-rampable steps and roughed-in elevators. Universal design features like these and wide halls and doorways will become "must haves" as consumers finally shed age-phobic stereotypes and realize universal design features improve quality of living for everyone.