Southern California Housing Market

[Michelle German]

The Southern California housing market is going crazy right now. Houses are selling for well over asking price. My husband would like to take advantage of this market right now and sell our house and live in an apartment until the market slows down. We could probably approximately make $500k from the sale. 

Our original goal was to pay off the house (less than 10 years left on mortgage), retire, rent it out and travel the world. I am concerned, that even if the market goes down, we will never be able to get back into the Southern California housing market. Some of our retirement depends on the equity in the house. 

Is my husband being too risky or am I being too conservative? We are both in our mid 50s and don’t want to make a bad decision.

Thanks.