Downsizing in Sacramento County, on Your Schedule

"I don't know where to start." We hear it in nearly every first call about a smaller home. Right-sizing in Sacramento County is a sale, a purchase and a lifetime of belongings all at once, often with stairs or a big yard pushing the timing.

The goal is to sell this home and land in the next one on one plan, on your schedule. You should never feel rushed into a move you are not ready for.

Sometimes the call comes from a son or daughter instead, often managing a parent's move from out of town. The plan is the same. The decisions stay with the person whose home it is.

1. Talk first, list later. We start with what the next chapter needs: one level, less yard, closer to doctors or closer to people you love. Staying put is a fair answer too.
2. Know the number. We value your current home from real comparable sales. Pricing is explained in how we price a home.
3. Check the tax side. Homeowners 55 and older may be able to carry their current Prop 13 tax base to the next home under Prop 19. See Prop 19 in Sacramento for the rules and filing.
4. Sort the belongings. We line up estate sale help, donations and movers, so the house is ready to show without you hauling boxes.
5. Buy and sell on one timeline. We decide together whether to buy first or sell first. For some homeowners, a reverse mortgage for purchase is worth reviewing as a planning tool, never a pitch.
6. Close and move. Escrow runs on the contract's dates, the deed records with the Sacramento County Recorder and the move happens on the day you planned.

Right-sizing already has enough moving pieces. The convenience of a one-stop shop is that one call to Surroundings covers the sale, the next home and the financing, with one team and one plan. Nobody has to carry messages between three offices.

The money side has more choices than most people expect. Some homeowners pay cash from the sale, others keep a small mortgage to hold onto savings, and some review a reverse mortgage for purchase as a planning tool. Maggie is a licensed mortgage broker who shops loans across a network of approved lenders, so you compare those paths with real numbers and competitive pricing. Give yourself options. If you prefer your own lender or planner, you are free to bring them, and nobody gets a placement fee for steering you anywhere.

When comparing ways to pay for the next home, look at:

• HOA dues, which ran from about $190 to about $390 a month across the county's 55+ communities in 2026 published figures, depending on the community and the home.
• Mello-Roos in newer communities such as Regency at Folsom Ranch.
• Whether Prop 19 lets you carry your current tax base.
• The APR next to any rate quoted, and what each option costs to close.

Any rate we quote comes with its APR, and approval depends on your full application.

Right-sizing does not always mean a 55+ community. Some homeowners trade a two-story in Elk Grove for a smaller home near Land Park or Midtown. Others stay near the American River in Carmichael or Fair Oaks. We show you what each move costs to make and to live with, side by side.