CHICAGO — Those real estate experts and promoters of "active adult" developments who tell you to downsize your home at age 55 may be right.

Wait until you're 65 or 75 and the decision to leave the family homestead may only become more difficult, say those who have studied the effects of aging.

"Some older people feel they are prisoners of their house and garden, but they are reluctant to downsize or move," housing consultant Steve Hovany said.

Of course, selling off the old homestead isn't for everyone.

"Moving to another place, especially a smaller place, tends to be a totally discretionary decision. It is very easy to put it off. People say, 'Let's talk about it next year,' " said Hovany, of Strategy Planning Associates in Schaumburg, Ill.

Far from being reluctant, many of those who make the decision to buy after age 55 are eager to get into a newer house, said Suzanne Hamilton, marketing director for builder Hartz Homes.

"They want to travel, and they are ready to make the move, but they want a house with plenty of luxuries," she said.

For Bill and Ann Kunovic, the decision to sell their 2,900-square-foot house in Vernon Hills, Ill., wasn't difficult.

"We were tired of doing maintenance on a big house, and our four grown sons all had left the nest," said Bill Kunovic.

The couple, who are in their mid-50s and are semiretired, are buying a 1,800-square-foot duplex in Waukegan, Ill., in an active adult development called Traditions at Flora Glen. They had no problems selling their house in Vernon Hills.

Ann Kunovic said part of the attraction of moving 20 miles east is that they will be nearer to Lake Michigan. Their new development has a clubhouse and swimming pool and is adjacent to a golf course and a forest preserve. Friends also are making a move to the development.

"We'll still be able to entertain family members when they come to visit. Also, having a low-maintenance home will give us more time to volunteer at our church," said Ann Kunovic. "And we'll be able to do some additional traveling."

Were they apprehensive about downsizing?

"Not at all," she said. "We're really excited about making the move."

The decision to move wasn't easy, however, for Fran and Ray Hoglund, who moved to a new townhouse in Inverness, Ill., after more than a quarter-century in their home in Barrington, Ill. In fact, making up their minds took them several years.

"It was a very tough decision for us," said Fran Hoglund, a tax accountant. "We knew that moving would be traumatic. Moving is always difficult."

The couple, who are in their 60s, included an elevator in their new home to make it easier for Ray Hoglund, who suffers from diabetes, to get up and down. The townhouse, built by Dartmoor Homes at its Weatherstone development in Inverness, includes numerous upgrades, including custom cabinets and a spiral staircase. It is slightly larger than their former home.

Of their move, Fran Hoglund said, "It was the best decision we ever made."

There is a common conception that older buyers are eager to live in a development that includes a swimming pool, recreation center and walking or biking trails.

While there is a sizable group that seeks such places to live, others simply want a home that is newer and perhaps smaller. Roughly two-thirds of retirees stay in the community where they have lived for years. Many cling to the houses where they raised their families.

The idea that everyone wants to move to the Sun Belt also is doubtful.

Experts say droves of Northerners, who traditionally flock to Sun Belt states when their working days are over, are increasingly choosing cold-weather communities closer to where they already live.