It depends on how sure you are about your next step. If you know where you want to be for the next five years or more, buying usually makes sense. If you're still deciding, renting for a year can give you room to figure it out.
Here's what Plainsboro empty nesters should weigh:
Plainsboro has plenty of rentals. The township has large apartment communities, so a one-year lease close to friends, doctors and Route 1 is easy to find.
Renting buys time. If you might move closer to grandkids, try a 55+ community, or head south in a few years, renting avoids buying and selling twice.
Buying protects you from rent increases. A paid-off condo or a small mortgage gives you a predictable housing cost, which a lease won't.
Plainsboro has 55+ options for buyers. Communities like Cranbury Brook and the newer Serenity Walk give empty nesters a place to buy without leaving town.
Look at the tax side. Talk to your accountant about capital gains on your sale and how holding the cash for a year affects your situation.
Consider the move itself. Renting first can mean two moves. Some people are fine with that, and some would rather do it once.
There's no wrong answer here. The right choice is the one that matches how settled you feel about where you're headed.
Fred Gomberg is an SRES® with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach in Princeton who works with empty nesters across Plainsboro and West Windsor. He can help you sell well and then look at both renting and buying with real numbers in front of you. If you're starting to think about it, Fred's happy to have a low-key conversation.
