San Diego Downsizing & 55+ Real Estate Specialist: Call or Text Ken Tritle at 760-798-9024
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Two 5-Star Google Reviews · Buying and Selling · Carlsbad to Lake San Marcos, California
The Stairs Were the Problem. Ken Found the Answer — and Then Handled Everything Else.
Gary and Cathy had lived in their two-story home in Rancho Ponderosa, Carlsbad for 38 years. They raised their children there. They hosted family and friends there. They knew their neighbors. But a set of stairs that once meant nothing had started to mean everything, and health challenges made the decision clear: it was time for a single-story home.
That meant two transactions, not one — buying the right single-story home in Lake San Marcos first, then preparing and selling the home of nearly four decades, all while managing health concerns that would have made an ordinary move overwhelming.
Both are now done. They closed escrow on their new home on August 14, 2026, and we sold the Carlsbad home afterward. They each wrote a review — Gary about the purchase, Cathy about the sale — and together the two tell the whole story better than we could.
Part One: Buying the Single-Story Home
Gary Hague ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ · Google Review · August 2026 · Buyer, Lake San Marcos, California
“From the first communication with Ken Tritle of DreamWell Homes Realty, I was convinced that he was the perfect real estate professional for our transition to a more simplified, relaxed, and safe lifestyle in our retirement years. He and his wife Jean are truly a ‘Dream Team’ and provide a full spectrum and one stop resource for anyone’s real estate needs.
From day one, their extensive knowledge of the north San Diego real estate market coupled with a no pressure, adaptable approach to providing the perfect property for our needs was the foundation of our evolving professional relationship.
One of Ken’s many talents is his natural ability to truly listen and strive to understand the unique set of needs of each of his clients — although client may not be the best term, because his familiarity with our particular needs resembled that of a family member.
To say that Ken’s team went above and beyond our expectations falls short of reality because he frequently anticipated our needs before we even realized there was a need. Like the time I checked my emails to see a message from Ken with a list of all the utility providers that I would need to contact for our new property in Lake San Marcos with all the necessary contact information. Or the time he offered the services of Senior Movers who took on all the stress and anxiety of downsizing, packing, moving, unpacking and organizing our new home so that we could focus on the unique health challenges that we were facing.
Ken’s extensive network of professional resources coupled with his years of experience helping people like us supported his ability to not only meet our needs but anticipate needs we didn’t know we had. From movers, to financial resources, to property inspection professionals and beyond; if there is a need or challenge, Ken’s expertise and extensive team has a solution. And if there are difficult people to deal with he is a staunch and tenacious advocate for his clients and is unafraid to address any issues on behalf of and in the best interests of those he represents.
To say I highly recommend DreamWell Homes Realty is an understatement because after working with them I feel like I now have an extension of my family and a relationship that will continue beyond any real estate needs that my wife and I have. In life there are those rare and special moments when you feel truly lucky and blessed; collaborating with Ken and DreamWell Homes Realty has been one of those moments for my wife and I.”
Part Two: Selling the Home of 38 Years
With Gary and Cathy settled into Lake San Marcos, we turned to the Carlsbad house.
This is the half of a downsizing move that most people underestimate. A home lived in for 38 years is rarely market-ready, and preparing it is only partly a practical exercise. It is also the house where the children grew up. Our job on this side was to give the sale a real strategy in a market that offered no guarantees, and to keep the pressure of it off a family already dealing with enough.
Cathy wrote her own review about that half:
“During the entire process, our listing agents, Ken and Jean Tritle of DreamWell Homes Realty fulfilled every possible need we experienced both from technical and logistical aspects but also emotional support during the roller coaster process of downsizing… We highly recommend our newest dear friends Ken and Jean Tritle to anyone embarking on a real estate journey in the North San Diego County and especially if you are considering downsizing to streamline and simplify your life.”
Cathy H., Seller, Rancho Ponderosa, Carlsbad — Google Review, November 2026
Read Cathy’s full review and what selling a longtime family home actually involves →
More client reviews · Home seller reviews · More success stories
Why Two Reviews Instead of One
Most downsizing moves are two transactions wearing one name. The purchase and the sale have separate timelines, separate paperwork, separate negotiations — and when they are handled by two different agents, the homeowner becomes the go-between, coordinating two sets of dates and two sets of advice at the worst possible moment.
We plan both sides together from the first conversation. Gary and Cathy’s move is what that looks like end to end: the right single-story home secured first, so they moved once and on their own schedule, then the family home prepared and sold with the pressure already off.
Thinking About Moving from a Two-Story Home to a Single-Story Home?
Gary and Cathy’s situation is one of the most common we see in North San Diego County. A home that worked beautifully for decades stops working — often gradually, and then suddenly. If stairs have become a daily calculation in your household, here is what planning ahead looks like:
- Start before it’s urgent. The best moves happen while you still have time to be selective about the home, the community, and the timing. Decisions made under pressure cost money and options.
- Look at more than the floorplan. A true single-story home is a starting point. Step-in showers, doorway widths, threshold heights, driveway slope, and distance to the mailbox all matter more than square footage.
- Consider a primary bedroom on the main floor. If a full single-story home isn’t available in your preferred area, this is often the practical middle ground.
- Check whether Proposition 19 applies to you. California homeowners 55 and older can often carry their property tax assessment to the new home. For a long-time owner this can be worth thousands a year, and it is the detail people most often discover too late. We explain how it works in our guide to downsizing in San Diego.
- Sequence the buy and the sell deliberately. Moving twice is exhausting and expensive. Rent-backs, extended escrows, and contingency structures let you buy first and sell after you’re settled — here are the options for bridging the gap.
- Use professionals built for this move. Senior Move Managers specialize in downsizing households and are worth every dollar. So are estate sale specialists, donation coordinators, and organizers.
- Plan for the paperwork you don’t see coming. Utility transfers, HOA documents, mail forwarding, insurance, property tax reassessment rules — the list is long, and it should be handed to you, not discovered by you.
Explore San Diego single story homes for sale, browse all San Diego 55+ communities, or see our top 10 gated 55+ communities in San Diego County.
Facing this decision yourself? We put everything we know about it in one place — when to start, Proposition 19 property tax transfers, buy-first versus sell-first, what a Senior Move Manager actually does, and which San Diego communities suit people leaving a two-story home. Read the complete guide to downsizing in San Diego.
Selling a Longtime Family Home
A home lived in for decades is rarely market-ready. It holds years of belongings, deferred maintenance, and finishes from an earlier era — and it carries real weight for the people who raised a family in it.
We handle that phase the same way we handle a purchase: with a plan, a network, and no pressure. That includes deciding which repairs are worth making and which are not, coordinating the trades, staging around what is already there, and pricing for the buyers who are actually shopping in your neighborhood today rather than the ones who were there two years ago.
If you’re weighing a move like this, start with a free home valuation or read about why selling a 55+ home is different.
Every Downsizing Move Is Sequenced Differently
Gary and Cathy bought first and sold second. That is one of several ways this works, and the right answer depends on your equity, your financing, and how much disruption you can absorb. A few other clients, and how theirs went:
- Sold first, then rented back. A seller in Bonsall stayed in her home as a tenant after closing while we found her a single-story cottage in Vista.
- Sold, stored, and stayed in an Airbnb. A couple relocating from North Carolina searched from here rather than from two thousand miles away.
- Sold and traveled in an RV for a year. Having no housing deadline let them decline a bidding war and still get the home they wanted.
More on each approach in where to live between homes, or browse all our downsizing articles.
Downsizing to a Single-Story Home: Common Questions
Should I move from a two-story home before I actually need to?
In our experience, yes. The homeowners who move while the stairs are still manageable get to be selective — about the community, the floorplan, the timing, and the price. The homeowners who wait until a health event forces the decision are usually moving on someone else’s schedule, often from a hospital or rehab facility, and with far fewer options. Planning a year or two ahead costs nothing and preserves every choice.
What is a Senior Move Manager, and do I really need one?
A Senior Move Manager is a professional who specializes in downsizing an entire household: sorting decades of belongings, deciding what goes where, coordinating donations and estate sales, packing, moving, unpacking, and setting up the new home so it is livable on day one. For most people leaving a longtime family home, this is the single most exhausting part of the process — and it is the part most worth handing to someone else, especially when health is a factor. We connect our clients with Senior Move Managers we have worked with for years.
Should I buy the new home first or sell the family home first?
It depends on your equity, your financing, and how much disruption you can tolerate. Buying first means you move once, on your own timeline, and you can prepare and show the old home empty — which almost always sells better. Selling first can be the right answer if you need the proceeds to purchase. There are contingency structures, bridge financing options, and rent-back arrangements that make either path work. This is a conversation worth having before you list anything.
What should I look for in a single-story home beyond the floorplan?
Step-in or curbless showers, grab-bar-ready walls, doorway widths, threshold heights at exterior doors, driveway and walkway slope, lighting, and the distance from parking to the front door. Also consider proximity to your medical providers and whether the community has services that come to you. A single-story floorplan is the starting point, not the finish line.
Will my property taxes go up if I downsize in San Diego County?
Not necessarily. Under Proposition 19, California homeowners 55 and older can transfer the assessed value of their primary residence to a replacement primary residence anywhere in California. You must sell the original and buy the replacement within a two-year period, in either order, and an individual may use the benefit three times in a lifetime. There is no price limit on the replacement home. The exclusion is not automatic — you must file an application with the County Assessor within three years of the purchase, or it applies only going forward from the filing date.
Do you help with both the purchase and the sale?
Yes, and we plan them together from the first conversation. Gary and Cathy’s move is exactly this: we found and closed on their new Lake San Marcos single-story home first, then prepared and sold the Carlsbad home they had lived in for 38 years. They wrote separate reviews for each half. Handling both sides means the timing, the financing, and the moving logistics are coordinated by one team instead of negotiated between two.
Ready to Talk?
Whether you’re just starting to think about leaving a two-story home or you already know it’s time, Jean and Ken Tritle are ready to be the patient, thorough, always-a-step-ahead partner Gary and Cathy described. No pressure. No rush. Just honest guidance whenever you’re ready.
📞 Call or Text Ken: 760-798-9024
Ken Tritle · Realtor®, SRES® · DreamWell Homes Realty · DRE#01892793 · Serving North County San Diego
