Howard Hanna’s Jennifer Herron-Underwood shares the secrets to downsizing the right way
By Patricia Nugent
When the kids have grown up and moved out, a homeowner’s concept of what “home” means changes significantly. Many of the things they were looking for when they purchased their house—extra square footage, more bedrooms, a bigger yard—now have become too much to maintain.
For the past 21 years, Jennifer Herron-Underwood, of Howard Hanna, has helped people traverse the tricky prospect of deciding when it is the right time to move. In 2018, she went through training by the National Association of Realtors to become a Senior Real Estate Specialist in the area of downsizing.
“There are a multitude of emotional and financial considerations involved in this complicated life decision,” she explains. “Thanks to my training, I’m uniquely qualified to help people decide if they should stay in their current home or find a more suitable one.”
Jennifer’s reason for specializing in downsizing is personal. When her grandmother passed away, her home was not in shape to sell, her affairs were not in order, and the estate ended up going to probate, which caused her family a lot of unnecessary stress.
She says that she is backed by a team of resource people who can handle everything from decluttering to financial planning and the move itself.
Meet Mrs. Smith
About six months ago, Jennifer received a phone call from Mrs. Smith, who had seen the ad in the newspaper about the downsizing consultation.
“Mrs. Smith told me that she’s lived in her home for 35 years,” recalls Jennifer. “When she and her husband bought it in the 1980s, their kids were teenagers and they wanted a two-story home. Fast-forward to today and her children have grown and have children of their own. They live a few hours away. Her husband passed away last year.”
Jennifer went to went to Mrs. Smith’s home for the free, one-hour consultation and toured the property, helping her look at her house through the eyes of a home inspector to see if there were any major items that she may need to address.
“Then Mrs. Smith and I got on a conference call with her son so that she could introduce me to him and we could place a face with a name,” she says.
She says that Covid made Mrs. Smith realize that she should move closer to her son, within a half hour. The happy ending to this story is that now she feels fully prepared to put her home on the market and make the downsize.
Take Your Memories with You
Jennifer grew up in Cleveland and after college came back home to her tight-knit family. She has spent most of her career with Howard Hanna because she thinks the company has the best technical tools in the marketplace and a keen vision for the future.
“I think one of the qualities that makes me a successful Realtor is compassion,” she says. “My family is everything to me, and I fully realize when people are moving that it’s a disruption to their family. But I stay calm, cool and collected. I help them stay focused and realistic, never downplaying their emotional connection to their home. I encourage them to understand that they can always take their memories with them.”
Jennifer Herron-Underwood works at the Howard Hanna Real Estate Services offices at 2055 Crocker Road, Suite 101, in Westlake. She specializes in helping people downsize their homes and sells homes in Cuyahoga, Lorain and Medina counties. Jennifer is ranked in the top 5% of Realtors nationally. Call her at 440-371-2862 or visit Downsizing411.com for more information and a list of upcoming virtual seminars and workshops.