#downsizing

#downsizing

It was kind of cute when Aaron Terrazas' retired parents first started gifting him and his siblings various items and trinkets they'd accumulated from their travels over the years. But the little handoffs pretty quickly crossed into very annoying territory. "It just became more stuff that filled up our homes that we didn't need or have space for," Terrazas, a 40-year-old economist in Seattle, says.

My husband, John, and I had been considering moving into a tiny home for a few years before we finally did so in February 2018. The popularity of tiny homes on wheels was significantly smaller than it is now, and it was challenging to find a wealth of information on blogs and social media platforms, such as YouTube. Still, we did our research and due diligence because the idea appealed to us so much.

I kept just a few precious memories, like undeveloped disposable cameras, and my clothes in boxes tucked away at my parents' house. I had quit my job, and in just a few short hours I would be taking the biggest leap of my life: heading to an RV dealership with a $75,000 cashier's check to purchase a converted cargo van so that I could live in it full-time.

Recent analysis from Moody's Analytics, led by Chief Economist Mark Zandi and Deputy Chief Economist Cristian deRitis, points directly to outdated capital gains tax caps as the culprit that is keeping millions of homes off the market and out of reach for families who need them most. According to the report, the problem starts with too many empty-nest seniors "locked in" to homes that no longer fit their needs. But instead of selling and downsizing to a smaller home, the prospect of steep capital gains taxes keeps them in their bigger homes.

Larger pieces, like a China cabinet top, were reimagined to maximize floor space and maintain function - proof that creative solutions can carry sentimental value into new settings,

When we finally paused to ask ourselves why we were living that way, the answer was simple: money. We needed to earn enough to sustain our expensive lifestyle, which meant working jobs that left us depleted, sacrificing our mental health, and rarely having quality time as a family. So we made a bold decision: My wife quit her job, I stayed on in a remote position, and we left the city behind to lower our cost of living .

Dreaming of trading your brick-and-mortar home for four wheels and the open road? Full-time RVing across the U.S. isn't just a vacation- it's a lifestyle. From waking up in national parks to dealing with black tanks and Wi-Fi woes, RV life is equal parts freedom and funky. Whether you're a remote worker, retiree, or digital nomad, here's what it's really like to live that rolling life, day in and day out.

After 30 years, the emotional ties to this 1970s home outweigh the logistics and financial reasons many peers discuss about downsizing.

I would have torn my hair out, and Paul would have torn his out also, if we hadn't had her.

Because in February, after working for the federal government for 17 years, Gibson learned that she would lose her job as a contract specialist at the Office of Personnel Management, through no fault of her own.