In her book “Love It or Leave It: Your Guide to Thriving in Your Next Chapter,” Cari Ann Carter, a top-producing Twin Cities realtor and owner of Cari Ann Carter Group, offers empty nesters a compassionate framework for deciding whether to transform their current home or embrace a lighter, more aligned lifestyle.
Drawing from 28 years of guiding families through this pivotal transition, Carter emphasizes that roughly half the population now faces empty nesting – and with it, the opportunity to redesign not just spaces, but daily life itself.
A Minneapolis-based interior designer, Jaime Foley, exemplifies this journey. Specializing in modern aesthetics infused with warmth and purpose, Jaime approaches projects consultatively, combining clean lines with functional, purposeful details to create homes that feel both beautiful and lived-in.
Based in Edina and serving clients throughout the Twin Cities metro area, her full-service firm focuses on timeless design that elevates everyday living without chasing fleeting trends.
Like many in her demographic, Jaime has long been drawn to renovating and personalizing spaces. Two years ago, she poured that passion into her own home, taking a property with strong bones and transforming it through thoughtful updates.
The renovation emphasized enduring choices: streamlined layouts for better flow, quality materials, neutral palettes, and smart storage solutions that support real-life routines. Living in the space allowed her to refine the design iteratively, ensuring it truly worked – from morning light in an open kitchen to evenings in reimagined gathering areas.
This hands-on process mirrors the book's "Love It" path: assessing a home's potential, prioritizing the 20-Year Test for timeless function and value, and turning "too much house" into "just right" through strategic, lasting improvements.
Now, Jaime is stepping into the "Leave It" chapter. She is selling the beautifully finished home she just completed and downsizing to lower her financial footprint—a move that aligns with Carter's insights on the lock-and-leave lifestyle. By releasing excess square footage and maintenance demands, Jaime gains greater freedom, reduced ongoing costs (utilities, taxes, upkeep), and the mental bandwidth that comes from lighter living. The sale not only capitalizes on her renovation efforts – yielding strong market appeal and returns – but also unlocks equity for her next pursuit.
Currently on the hunt, Jaime seeks another original home with great bones: a property ripe for her personal stamp, perhaps one acquired at a value thanks to deferred updates, then customized to her vision. This acquisition-and-renovation strategy, highlighted in the book, allows discerning empty nesters to secure ideal locations or layouts without overpaying for turnkey perfection, then infuse them with intentional design.
Jaime's story illustrates the well-rounded success of rightsizing. Financially, it creates breathing room and long-term security. Emotionally, it liberates from the obstacles Carter details – overwhelming possessions, analysis paralysis, family dynamics – replacing them with clarity and forward momentum. Creatively, it keeps her engaged: the process of envisioning, renovating, and now seeking the next canvas fuels her passion as a designer.
Through Jaime's experience, “Love It or Leave It” comes to life as more than theory – it's a real-world testament to thriving in the next chapter. Whether staying to reshape a beloved home or moving toward simplicity, the goal remains the same: a space that supports dreams rather than hinders them.
For Twin Cities empty nesters navigating similar crossroads, Cari Ann Carter Group offers personalized guidance, from decision frameworks and market insights to coordinating teams for renovations or seamless transitions. As Jaime demonstrates, the right choice isn't about loss – it's about gaining a home, and a life that feels perfectly aligned.