Here are a few home-selling suggestions for Seniors and their family members.

Choose trustworthy representation: Enlist a real estate agent who is equal parts counselor and seller.  Ask for an agent who is experienced with an older crowd, one who is willing to take the time and has the patience necessary to  communicate.  See "DON'T ASK ANDY," above right tab on Andy's website.

Be deliberate: Don't accept a quick offer on a home, no matter how generous it sounds, especially during a time of bereavement. On the other had, do not turn down a good offer in the current market.  Trust your real estate counselor to advise you.

Chart a course: Before putting the house on the market, determine what services will be needed over several years in your future home and the lifestyle that the senior's finances will support there.

Tax issues: Pay close attention to tax and income-deferment strategies. Capital-gains tax breaks, reverse mortgages, installment sales and equity-conversion strategies can all be useful tools for many seniors and can mean thousands in savings. Ideally, seek the advice of a real estate or tax attorney.

Heirlooms: Start sorting through family belongings well before the home goes on the market. Enlist a sympathetic family member or friend to help with what can be an emotionally draining, time-consuming process.

Minimize stress: A home sale alone can be traumatic, let alone an estate sale attended by unruly, bargain-grabbing strangers. Consider donating items to charity or giving prized possessions to friends or family who will appreciate their sentimental value.

Tips for moving:

Destination unknown? Selling the house should take a back seat to detailed arrangements for a new home. Some real estate agents can help customize a sale to allow a homeowner to remain in the current home until the new one is ready or space is available in a senior community.

Streamline, streamline: A senior move should serve to improve and streamline lifestyle, not restrict it.

Agent assurance: Be wary of sales agendas. Some who call themselves senior specialists really represent one or more retirement facilities or communities. A licensed buyer's agent owes fiduciary responsibility and loyalty to the home buyer and may give a a senior more peace of mind.

Study your options: Don't buy into the old retirement-home mentality until you look at other options. Several new senior-housing specialties are now available, ranging from independent-living communities, to senior apartments, to varying degrees of assisted care.

Location: As eyesight and health wane, mobility may, too. Doctors' offices, a hospital, places of worship, shopping centers, restaurants and drug stores should be close to the new residence. Also, consider that traffic noise and airport noise can make for sleepless nights for older people.

Custom safety/convenience features: If moving to a conventional residence, look for single-floor layout, a step-less entry, non-slip floor surfaces, grab bars in bathroom and levered door handles.

Boomers say bye-bye

Despite the complexities of the home-selling process, the more transient baby boom generation seem more intent on relocation when it reaches retirement.

Nearly 6 out of 10 boomers ages 44 to 56 say they plan to relocate upon or soon after retirement, according to a 2003 survey of 1,361 respondents conducted by Del Webb, a developer of active-adult communities. That's nearly double the 31 percent who said in a similar 1999 survey that they planned to move following retirement. Preferred destinations in the 2003 poll were Florida (21 percent), Arizona (18 percent), South Carolina (10 percent) , North Carolina (10 percent) and Tennessee (9 percent).

For seniors considering a new neighborhood, safety stands as the top consideration, according to the AARP. Almost nine out of 10 seniors polled in a 2003 AARP survey said having a full bathroom and a bedroom on the main floor are important. Three quarters wanted a covered garage or parking. Repositioned outlets and switches, and personal alert systems to call for help are also important, respondents said.

But other studies show that most older seniors really don't want to move for fear of a loss of independence, Fields said. However, on follow-up visits with seniors, "They almost always say their only regret is they didn't do it sooner," he said.

Fields advises seniors that they should make the decision to move while they're capable. "If a relative or social worker has to make it for you and you don't like it, they'll tell you that's too darn bad."

To aid continuity in a move, AARP's Redfoot suggests taking meaningful items from the old family home such as awards, trophies and memorabilia, then creating a small display case at the new home that will not only jog their loved ones' memories, but will serve as conversations pieces.

Factors such as encroaching traffic, constant noise, a too-big yard or deteriorating neighborhood may contribute to a senior's decision to relocate. "But most seniors who are moving are doing so because it associated with the loss of a spouse or a related loss of income," Redfoot said.

"You are usually dealing with several different issues simultaneously. So it's far more than just a real estate transaction. It's the move of a lifetime."