2026 | Brezsny Associates

Continuing the Story of Bob and Cathy

September 11, 2026Picking up where we left off… talking with Bob and Cathy who have graciously agreed to share a little of their story as they wrestle with the challenges of downsizing. They are in their mid 60s, close to retirement, have moderate savings and have lived in their 4br, 3.5ba, 3500 +/- sq ft home for more than 25 years. Their kids are grown and they’re ready for a smaller, less expensive, single level home near the beach. As Bob says: “Part of what we’re struggling...

The Story of Bob and Cathy Part 1

September 4, 2026Picking up the thread...we’ve been blessed with an opportunity to eavesdrop on a real life situation courtesy of Bob and Cathy (a local couple whose names have been changed to protect the innocent). They’ve graciously agreed to be the poster-couple for the huge swathe of aging baby-boomers trying to figure out what comes next and what’s going to work for the last third of their lives. We’ve been wondering why the real estate market has had such low inventory and it’s my contention that the...

The Riddle Wrapped in the Mystery of the Market

August 28, 2026Continuing the conversation about the low inventory we’ve been experiencing for some time now. What factors are contributing to the huge crimp in the supply-side of the market equation? Or in other words: Who turned off all the listings? Let’s continue deciphering this riddle wrapped in a mystery inside of the market’s enigma. We left off talking about one of the prime suspects behind the lack of supply: move-down buyers, a term that coincides with the huge number of aging baby-boomers who have the following...

More About Stuff and the Bonfire of the Sanities

August 21, 2026I love it! Whenever I write a column about “stuff”, readers write back to share their own stories. Like this: We’re guilty as charged... 24 years living here and 24 years of accumulating stuff we don’t need. There’s a military term called “blivet” which means cramming 10 gallons of crap into a 5 gallon bucket. That describes our single car garage perfectly. Thanks Tom. We’ll invite you to the garage sale we’ve been planning for 10+ years but haven’t had yet... Blivet! Who knew? Guess...

More About Stuff and the Bonfire of the Sanities

August 14, 2026Regarding last week’s column “Emptying Your Rice Bowl” - an expanded meditation on the nature of all the “stuff ” people fill their lives and their houses with. Kudos to the clever reader who sent me the photo-shopped picture of his two-car garage with a man-made mountain of rice spilling out onto the pavement. But the prize goes to another reader, a certain local celebrity who shall remain nameless. He sent the following paraphrased missive: Dear Sir: Next time you come snooping around our...

You Can’t Ever Get Enough of What You Don’t Need

August 7, 2026We’re talking about “stuff” and wondering whether it’s just a coincidence that at the same time so many folks turning 65 are struggling to define their futures, there’s also a national obsession with Reality TV shows about people struggling with all the stuff that’s sitting in their garages, basements, attics and storage units? I think not. Sound familiar? We’re up to our necks in shows about hoarders and can’t seem to get enough stories about their struggles to organize, declutter, find ways to store, give...

Even More on Stuff!

July 31, 2026Continuing the conversation... talking about people and stuff and what to do with it all. And wondering out loud, whether it’s any coincidence that at this moment in history, when such a huge swathe of aging baby boomers is turning 65, we’re up to our ears in Reality TV shows intent on exploring every nook and cranny of those jam-packed garages, basements, attics, junk drawers and closets we all have. First there’s the mega-hoarder niche of “stuff shows” ranging from The Hoarder Next Door to...

People and stuff and what to do with it all

July 23, 2026Continuing the conversation... talking about people and stuff and what to do with it all. And wondering out loud, whether it’s any coincidence that at this moment in history, when such a huge swathe of aging baby boomers is turning 65, we’re up to our ears in Reality TV shows intent on exploring every nook and cranny of those jam-packed garages, basements, attics, junk drawers and closets we all have. First there’s the mega-hoarder niche of “stuff shows” ranging from The Hoarder Next Door to...

Moving Through the Bardo

July 16, 2026How do I confront aging? With wonder and terror. Keanu Reeves Continuing the conversation...about all those aging baby boomers out there who are wrestling with downsizing issues and looking for a map to help guide their next steps. “Downsizing” is a fuzzy word that most of us understand but few of us can really define. Nominally, it’s about moving down in size from a larger home to a smaller one. But as the culture ages and more people find themselves grappling with the mysteries of...

The Horns of the Downsize Dilemma… Continued

July 9, 2026Continuing the conversation... Almost everyone of a certain age is wrestling with downsizing questions right now. Trying to wrap their heads around the huge paradigm shift that comes with aging. Over the years, I’ve talked with hundreds of homeowners going through their own versions of the process, and a while back, I started asking them to share their insights. Here are some of the simple truths they’ve credited with helping them… Nothing is more certain than change. Everything is in constant motion. Change is the...

The Horns of the Downsize Dilemma

July 3, 2026Old age is the most unexpected of all the things that happen to a person - Leon Trotsky Picking up the thread...talking about those who are wrestling with the complicated web of questions that come with aging and downsizing issues. And who are hoping against hope, that they’ll discover a previously undisclosed map that helps guide them through the next steps. Who are they? They’re aging baby boomers between the ages of 60-75+, many of whom share remarkably similar stories and check at least some...

Real Estate is Hard and Getting Harder

June 26, 2026Continuing the conversation...about aging and downsizing and how they are increasingly occupying center stage in the real estate market. Here’s part of the backstory… Selling or buying a home is rarely just about selling or buying a home! Nobody in their right mind enters the kind of market we have on a lark or a whim. It’s a huge commitment to go through the preparation of selling and who willingly chooses to be a buyer in this crazy, multiple-offer market? Real estate is hard and...