1. The need for assistance in activities of daily living often requires the home to be remodeled to enable safe and comfortable aging in place.
2. Some houses are not conducive to aging in place, or the remodeling would be too complicated and cost-prohibitive. Therefore, sometimes it's best to sell and purchase a home that already is conducive to aging in place.
3. Upkeep on the house becoming dangerous due to health problems.
4. Upkeep on the house may be too tiring, causing neglect of the home maintenance.
5. Medical and health problems often require assistive devices and home modifications. Sometimes modifications are not feasible or are too costly for out-of-pocket expenditure, and selling the home and buying a more suitable home is advisable.
6. As people age, they often find it difficult to climb stairs. If they live on two levels, they may begin to see stairs as barriers that prevent them from enjoying the full use of their home. If the laundry room is in the basement it becomes a frequent falling and injury risk to go up and down stairs, especially with loads of laundry and supplies.
7. Steep driveways and steep lawns make routine activities such as setting out the garbage or mowing the grass a high-risk endeavor. Sometimes the reality requires selling the house and moving to a home with a safer floorplan, or to an assisted living community.
8. A home that may have been a dream home when bought years ago may become full of hazards today.
9. If a senior has mobility problems, selling and downsizing give an opportunity to choose a home with easier accessibility. That enables the senior to age in place longer rather than moving to an assisted-living facility.
10.  However, fatigue, arthritis, memory loss, poor medication management, balance problems, cognitive decline, and other health problems can outweigh the natural preference to continue living in the familiar home.
    

     

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• As we age there is a natural loss of physical strength and stamina. Whatever the reasons, sometimes the physical demands of owning a home are just too much.

  1. Upkeep on the house may become dangerous or difficult.
  2. As people age, they often find it difficult to go up and down stairs. If they live in a multi-level home, they may start limiting themselves to using only the main floor, even if the bedrooms are on the second floor.
  3.  If there is a basement, they may stop using it. Neglecting the basement can cause problems to develop unchecked, such as water leaks, mold, not changing furnace filters, and more.
  4. Steep driveways and lawns can cause hardship in simple tasks such as taking out the garbage to the street or mowing the grass.
  5. Need for freedom from home maintenance responsibilities due to the the physical demands and risk of performing home maintenance

   

  • Selling the house as a solution:
    • Sell the house to move to assisted living.
    • Sell the house and move into independent living 55+ community
    • Sell the house and move into a one-level condo or patio home
    • Sell the house and move in with adult children.
    • Have adult child move in with the aging parent. If the home is too small for two families, sell the home and buy a bigger home.
    • Sell a 2-story home and move into a one-story home.
    •  

       

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Seniors have often lived in their homes for ten years, twenty years, thirty years or more. As we age so does the house we live in. Home maintenance, repairs and replacements of small items and expensive large systems present themselves. Many seniors sell their home to liberate themselves from the physical, financial and emotional burden of home maintenance.

•  Home maintenance has a financial cost, takes a physical toll, and has a stressful and emotional impact on the senior homeowner.
• As home maintenance tasks pile up and repairs remain undone, the senior gets more and more frustrated and fearful that the deferred maintenance will develop into more expensive repairs or make the house unlivable.
• I have helped seniors sell their home and:
  1. Move into newer construction, which has much lower maintenance because of the newer age.
  2.  Move into newer construction condo or one-story patio home. That reduces interior maintenance and puts the exterior maintenance on the Condo Association
  3.  Move into a rental. Eliminates the financial and physical burden of home maintenance.
  4.  Move into a retirement community. Maintenance and utilities are included in the monthly fee.
•  When moving to a new home, the senior also tends to downsize and declutter, thereby reducing the need for extra rooms and/or a basement. Less space equals less maintenance.
• Reducing the amount of “stuff” also means fewer things to clean and maintain.
• A smaller home, especially modern construction, will also lower utility bills.
•  Less home maintenance means:
  1.  More time to spend with loved ones
  2.  More time to socialize with friends
  3.  More time to pursue hobbies or develop new ones
  4.  More money for other endeavors
  5.  Less stress, more quality time to do whatever “floats your boat.”
•  

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1.  Falling and injury from health reasons
2.  Falling and injury from clutter and tripping hazards
3.  Falling and injury from stairs to second floor, to basement, or exterior steps
4.  Falling and injury while doing home maintenance.
5.  Falling and injury from physical exertion
6.  Difficulty driving, or driving privilege taken away.
7.  Medication management
8.  Alone in the home vulnerable to burglary or attack
9.  Alone and vulnerable to scammers

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There is a cost of ownership even if the home is owned free and clear of a mortgage.

1.  Property taxes
   • Avg in Louisville KY $250,000 * 1.2% = $3000/yr
2.  Homeowners Insurance
   • $1500/yr

1.  Routine maintenance
   • Grass cutting and landscaping
2.  High dollar repair of items
   • Driveway, windows, carpet.
3.  Replacement of systems
   • Roof, Plumbing and Water Heater, Furnace, Central Air
4.  Utility bills
   • Especially higher bills in older homes that have inefficient furnaces, inefficient windows, inefficient insulation.

•  The physical risk of performing routine home maintenance, causing seniors to pay contractors to do simple maintenance
• The need for assistance in activities of daily living, paying for in-home care. When living alone and being unable to perform ADLs and IADLs invariably causes the senior to have to pay for services that otherwise would have no cost.
• In-home aide services for example costs about $25.00 an hour. 3 hours a day is $75.00 per day. 7 days a week is $525/week, or $27,300 a year. 6 hours a day double that to $54,600 per year.
  1. Explanation of activities of daily living (Basic ADL’s and IADL’s
     1. Basic ADLs
        •  Eating
        • Bathing or showering.
        •  Grooming
        •  Walking
        • Dressing and undressing.
        •  Transfers
        • Toileting
     2. IADLs: Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) are things you do every day to take care of yourself and your home. They are one way to measure how well you can live on your own. While activities of daily living (ADLs) are basic self-care tasks like bathing, IADLs require more complex planning and thinking.
        • Use the phone. This includes answering and calling others.
        • Shop for groceries on your own.
        • Plan, heat, and serve your own meals.
        • Manage your medicines. This includes refilling them when needed and taking them correctly.
        • Clean your house or apartment.
        • Get around on your own, either by car, taxi, or public transportation.
        • Manage money and pay bills.

•  House too big?
  1.  Costing money unnecessarily
  2. Unused Space, paying mortgage, taxes, insurance, maintenance, utility bills for unused space.

•  If you find that you don’t need the space and its expenditures (whether that’s the mortgage, rent, or general home costs) are becoming a major burden on your finances, downsizing could be wise.

•  Not living in the house?
  1.  It is draining money with no benefit to you.
  2. Mostly not living in the home?

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1.  Grief, and memories in the house
2.  Fear to be sick alone with no one to care for them when bedridden and no one to help them decide to call an ambulance or accompany them to the hospital.
3.  Clutter anxiety, demotivation, depression, hopelessness of ever being able to clean it up
4.  Fear of falling
5.  Safety fear
6.  Medical fear
7.  Insecurity
8. Loneliness
9.  Social Isolation

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Some seniors sell their home to free up their time to put it into more rewarding activities.

What do seniors want to do with extra time?

Spend more time with family

Spend more time with friends

Enjoy more time on existing hobbies

Develop new hobbies that have been postponed

Travel

Walking and hiking

Go to more events, whether concerts or car races, sports events, spiritual events, art shows, and whatever makes them happy.

Finally learn computers, tablets, smart phones, FaceTime,  and all those other technologies they always wanted to master.

Become gourmet chefs, or master of the barbeque.

Pursue education just for the fun of it, or to pick up a college degree, or knowledge that can be converted to a profitable endeavor.

Play more sports; golf, tennis, swimming, and all those things they wanted to do “when they have time.”

Develop new passions, and a new pace of life.

Binge watch TV shows.

Watch all those award-winning movies that you missed over the years.

Or… just plain rest and do nothing!

Selling a home invariably includes decluttering and reducing the amount of “stuff” that has accumulated over the years. A big side benefit is that less “stuff” means less time that needs to be dedicated to organizing and cleaning.

Selling the home and moving into a low-maintenance newer construction home or condo or moving into a retirement community frees up the senior’s time from home maintenance responsibilities.

Moving into a retirement community enable you to save large amounts of time related to meals. You can dine without having to shop for supplies, prepare the ingredients, cook, or do the dishes afterwards.

When you move to an environment that reduces your responsibilities for maintaining a home you have more time to spend as you desire. That gives you more time with your friends and family. Many retired adults use that time to travel, visiting children or grandchildren who live out of town.

Spending less time with physically demanding chores is another reason seniors opt to sell their homes and find a less demanding home environment.

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 Selling A House Because It’s Too Big

1. Parents often find there’s less need to maintain large homes after their children grow up and move away.
2. Choosing a smaller home can reduce housing costs and reduce many maintenance tasks.
3. Fewer rooms make housekeeping an easier task.
4.  Empty nester seniors who live in large homes often end up using only a few rooms, such as their bedroom, living room and kitchen. If the bedrooms are on the second floor the living room may double as a bedroom and living room further confining and frustrating the senior.
5. The rest of the house is rendered unused and unneeded which may cause stress and frustration.
6. If there is a basement, sometimes seniors haven’t gone down to the basement for years.
7. Unused areas of a house will often end up collecting clutter. Why clean or organize when there’s so much space for “stuff”?
8. Examples of rooms or areas that may become obsolete in your retirement years include:
9.  Game rooms, especially in the basement
10.  Home office
11.  Extra bedrooms
12.  Bigger houses have bigger expenses such as:
    1.  Higher property taxes because of higher assessed value.
    2.  Higher insurance premiums
    3.  Higher utility bills
    4.  More lawncare if the lot is also large, and more exterior maintenance.
13.  The dream home of the past may simply be too big for the senior’s current lifestyle and needs.

Sell and move to smaller home, a condo or a patio home that has been designed for seniors. Floorplan conducive to usage of walkers and other assistive devices.

Sell and move to an assisted living

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Having an adult child move in to the aging parent’s home is sometimes a viable option. However, sometimes the home is too small or the floorplan is not conducive to be a multi-generational home.

I have seen families sell their smaller home and buy a bigger home to accommodate both families, sometimes combining resources to do so.

Please consult an attorney who specializes in estate planning, Medicaid planning and elder law. The rules are quite complicated and you want to maximize your position has it relates to inheritance, Medicaid qualification, asset preservation, and taxation. The answers aren’t always obvious and sometimes may be contradictory. Every situation is different and the right attorney can help families preserve tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars or more.

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1. Stress contributes to the sale of a senior’s home, some sources of stress include:

2.  Too much “stuff”
   1. Taking care of items and properties also costs mental and physical energy. Even if there is no pressing deadline for you to complete those house projects you know you should do, having them lurking in the corners of your mind can lead to feelings of guilt or frustration. Sometimes the act of clearing the way for new projects or passions is just as valuable as getting those old projects done.
   2. Sadness
   3. Feelings of hopelessness about the situation
   4. Loss of interest in enjoyable activities or socializing in the home
   5. Feelings of guilt
   6. Overwhelm leading to paralysis of action and lost motivation
   7. Not maintaining a clean home
   8. Neglect of routine maintenance, problems obscured by the clutter
   9. Lack of energy to clean and or organize
   10. Persistent negative thoughts
3.  Stress about packing to move
   1.  Even if there isn’t a hoarding situation, downsizing and packing is still very stressful.
   2. Solutions:
   3. Hire a professional downsizing professional. Declutter the home and stay in the home.
   4. Hire a professional downsizing professional to enable a move to a smaller house or condo.
   5. Hire a professional downsizing professional to enable a move to a retirement community.
   6. Downsizing and packing is almost always too hard to do on your own, or even with family help here and there.
4.  Stress of Home Maintenance
   1.  Cost
   2.  Unpredictability
   3. Physical demands

5.  Stress of financial upkeep of the home
   1.  Mortgage
   2.  Taxes
   3.  Insurance
   4.  Routine maintenance
   5.  Repair and replacement of major systems
   6.  Plumbing and water heater
   7.  Furnace
   8.  Central air
   9.  Roof
   10.  Carpeting and flooring
   11.  Old and non-insulated windows
6.  Stress of Loneliness
7.  Stress and fear of medical emergency
8.  anxiety, fear, frustration, depression
9.  restlessness, poor concentration, forgetfulness

How some seniors recognize the sale of their home is a big stress reliever:

1.  Selling your home and moving to assisted living opens up a world of new friendships, social activities, help is just a phone call or emergency button away. It also provides relief from shopping, food preparation, cleaning, maintenance, yard work, etc.
2.  All this combines to reduce the stress of loneliness, the stress of performing physical work around the home, the stress and worry of falling and injury with no one around. Family can still visit and the senior can still go out and visit and participate in regular offsite activities if so desired.
3.  Selling your home and moving close to adult children can also reduce many of the stress factors.
4.  Moving in with adult children is a common thing to do. It also reduces many of the stress factors but adds others.
5.  Downsizing can be a huge stress reliever in the long run, although it often feels stressful to think of changing in the short term. If you are currently managing a home, a yard. Removing these responsibilities can improve your satisfaction in life and reduce the stress associated with managing so many variables.
6. Choosing a smaller dwelling can reduce housing costs and eliminate many maintenance tasks.

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1.      Medical and health problems often require assistive devices and home modifications. Sometimes the size and the floorplan of the home make modifications impossible or are too costly for out-of-pocket expenditure, and selling and buying a senior-ready suitable home is advisable.

2.      I have seen families sell their smaller home and buy a bigger home to accommodate both an adult child moving in to provide in-home care or their aging parents. Sometimes both families combining resources to do so. This is sometimes called a “multi-generational home.

3.      Are they driving, or are they relying on you (the adult child) to take them to doctor’s appointments, pick up prescriptions and shop for groceries and routine pruchases? Selling and moving closer to family alleviates this problem.

4.  Sell the house to move to assisted living.
5.  Sell the house and move in with adult children.
6.  Sell the house and buy a bigger house that has room for adult children to move in.
7.  Sell a 2-story home and move into a one-story home.
8. The need for assistance in activities of daily living often requires remodeling to enable safe and comfortable aging in place.
   1.  Some houses are not conducive to aging in place, or the remodeling would be too complicated and cost prohibitive. Therefore, sometimes its best to sell and purchase a home that already is conducive to aging in place.
9.  Space for adult child or relative to move in
10.  Space for in-home aide
11.  Better floorplan, example 1-story instead of multi-story
12.  Setting up a home for aging in place of requires floorplan or structural modifications such as moving walls, widening doorways, modifying exterior steps to ramps, modifying kitchens and bathrooms to enable space for walkers
13.  Adding mobility and stability accessories, or move into a 55+ community that has incorporated design for seniors.
14.  Moving to a different home can help make room for a live-in family member or caregiver. If you expect that you will need a full-time caregiver, relocating or removing unwanted furniture and items can help make room for that individual should they need to provide you with 24-hour care.
15.  One of the easiest and most effective ways to downsize is to move to a supportive living community. Supportive living communities, also known as retirement communities, are an opportunity to release the burden of homeownership, maintenance and many common chores, while making it easier to get personal care assistance.

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1.  Loneliness and social isolation are very real risks for aging seniors. Much research and many articles detail how loneliness can evolve into physical afflictions and even shorter lives.
2.  Loneliness is the feeling of being alone, regardless of the amount of social contact. Social isolation is a lack of social connections.
3.  Some sources of loneliness and social isolation: Children move out and away which can cause an empty and lonely nest. Some seniors outlive family and friends in their age group.
4.  To remedy their loneliness some seniors:
   1.  Sell their home to move closer to family.
   2.  Sell their home to move in with family, sometimes with adult children but I have seen siblings move in together to take on the world together.
   3.  Many are opting to sell and relocate to an independent living community that offers programs for socializing with other like-minded seniors in the community. There are 55+ communities with clubhouses, theaters, sports such as tennis, golf, swimming and more, social clubs, networking, spiritual and social events.
   4.  There are also assisted living communities that place great emphasis on social activities, and have full-time qualified program directors who ensure that the activities calendar is full and has events that appeal to the residents.

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It is very common for aging seniors to sell their home and move closer to family, often from several states away. This accomplishes:

1. Enhances the care of the senior
2. Reduces loneliness
3. Gives the senior more transportation opportunities to social events and medical appointments.
4. To be closer to the grandchildren. 
5. To have the adult child move in with the aging parent
6. For the aging parent to move in with the adult children

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1.  Many seniors suffer silently from lack of social interaction.
2.  Limited mobility, loss of drivers license, outliving friends and family, distance from community centers, all combine to reduce the social opportunities of seniors.
3.  Enhancing their social life is a contributing factor to a senior’s decision to move.
4. Many decide to sell their home and relocate to an independent living community that offers programs for socializing with other like-minded seniors in the community. There are 55+ communities with clubhouses, theaters, sports such as tennis, golf, swimming and more, social clubs, networking, spiritual and social events.
5. There are also assisted living communities that place great emphasis on social activities, and have full-time qualified program directors who ensure that the activities calendar is full and has events that appeal to the residents. The events and programs are right outside your doorstep and arranged for you.
6. When seniors have fewer responsibilities for taking care of a home they have more time to spend on important things, such as socializing with friends or making new friends.
7. A new lifestyle in an active retirement community can make room for new friends or for more time with family. The senior can still maintain all previous friendships.

For older adults that are at or nearing retirement, that’s often a welcome opportunity to refocus on the most meaningful aspects of life. Do you want to spend your time maintaining a large, full house? Or do you want to focus more on your family, friends and interests?

8.  Retirement communities have full-time life engagement coordinator who plans and implements activities. They include:
   1.  Musical performances
   2.  Wellness education
   3.  Exercises like tai chi and yoga
   4.  Off-site trips
   5.  Travel and cultural exploration
   6.  Book club
   7.  Spiritual events
   8.  Crafts and flower arranging
   9.  Wine and cheese social hour
   10.  Games such as Bingo, Rummikub and Texas Hold’em
9. It is a positive life-changing environment, going from living alone to living in a vibrant social community where everything is just outside your door.

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1. Today’s retirement communities are not like the “old age home” of yesteryear. Many of today’s aging seniors grew up with the image of stark, neglectful and lonely building where seniors would just languish. In the 1970’s and 1980’s the assisted living industry blossomed and today in the 2020’s many assisted living and even skilled care facilities resemble beautiful upscale resorts and hotels. Older retirement communities have undergone upscale renovations to stay competitive.
2.  After careful analysis seniors and their adult children often realize that moving to an assisted living community is often equal or similar in cost to living at home. Homeownership costs add up
   1.  Property taxes
   2.  Homeowners Insurance
   3.  Electric, gas and water bills, which are usually included in the monthly fee to the assisted living community.
   4.  Maintenance; interior and exterior
   5.  The need for a car to get around and shop or pickup medications.
   6.  Mortgage payments
3.  In addition, moving to a retirement community has other benefits
   1.  Less need for driving and transportation.
   2.  Meals: shopping, food prep, cooking and cleanup are done for you.
   3.  Social programs
   4.  Various degrees of on-site medical care. Shuttle services available for off-site medical appointments.
   5.  Less billpaying
   6.  Maintenance included.
   7.  Utility bills included.
   8.  In-house laundry
   9.  Housekeeping included. 

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There are so many benefits of moving into new construction.

Lower Maintenance

Seniors have often lived in their homes for ten years, twenty years, thirty years or more. As we age so does the house we live in. Home maintenance, repairs and replacements of small items and expensive large systems present themselves. Many seniors sell their home to liberate themselves from the physical, financial and emotional burden of home maintenance.

Lower Utility Bills

•  Energy efficient systems
•  Energy efficient windows
•  Better insulation

Latest Technology

A substantial benefit to buying a newly built home or recently built home is the incorporation of new technologies that can make the daily life of seniors more convenient.

Smart House Heating And Cooling

1. Smart Thermostats
2. Smart Vents
3. Smart Ceiling Fans
4. Whole Home Humidifier

Smart Kitchens

5. Smart Refrigerators
6. Smart Dishwashers
7. Smart Intercoms

Smart Security And Safety

8. Smart Door Locks
9. Smart Indoor Cameras
10. Smart Video Door Bells
11. Smart Water Leak And Mold Sensors
12. Smart Smoke Detectors
13. Smart Garage Door Openers

Smart Floors And Finishes

14. Smart Air Purifying Hardwood Floors
15. Smart Robotic Vacuums
16. Smart Self-Cleaning Tile

Smart Bathrooms

17. Smart Showers
18. Smart Baths

Smart Lighting

19. Smart Sockets
20. Smart Light Bulbs

•  Home maintenance has a financial cost, takes a physical toll, and has a stressful and emotional impact on the senior homeowner.
• As home maintenance tasks pile up and repairs remain undone, the senior gets more and more frustrated and fearful that the deferred maintenance will develop into more expensive repairs or make the house unlivable.
• I have helped seniors sell their home and:
  1. Move into newer construction, which has much lower maintenance because of the newer age.
  2.  Move into newer construction condo or one-story patio home. That reduces interior maintenance and puts the exterior maintenance on the Condo Association
•  Less home maintenance means:
  1.  More time to spend with loved ones
  2.  More time to socialize with friends
  3.  More time to pursue hobbies or develop new ones
  4.  More money for other endeavors
  5.  Less stress, more quality time to do whatever “floats your boat.”

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• Ask yourself if staying in the home they are in right now provides the best quality of life that could be available to them.

  What are the elements that make up quality of life, especially for seniors?

  1. Health
  2. Hobbies
  3. Purpose
  4. Usefulness
  5. Staying Relevant To Family, Friends, And Community
  6. Loving Relationships With Family And Close Friends
  7. Physical Security
  8. Mental Stimulation
  9. Service To Others
  10. Staying Busy And Occupied
  11. Retaining Cognitive Abilities
  12. Social Immersion
  13. Hygiene
  14. Independence
  15. Safe
  16. Clean Environment
  17. Mobility
  18. Personal Care
  19. Financial Security
  20. Health Security
  21. Comfortable With All Caregivers
•  ----------------------------
• Sometimes the house is holding you back from doing the things you always wanted to do.22. You will have more space for company. Gatherings  with family and friends don’t have to be kept outside. Invite your guests indoors with a better home rearrangement that focuses on minimalism and open spaces.
• Invest Time in People
  • When you have fewer responsibilities for taking care of a home, vehicle or yard, you have more time to spend as you desire. A new pace of life can make room for new friends or for more time with your family. Many retired adults use that time to travel, visiting children or grandchildren who live out of town.
• Put More Energy into Doing What You Love
  • Most of us have hobbies and interests that get pushed to the side because of all the responsibilities in our lives. Downsizing can help reduce those responsibilities, freeing you up to put more energy into activities you’re passionate about. Maybe there’s a hobby you’ve always wanted to try. Or perhaps you’ve relegated one of your lifelong passions to a “once in a while” hobby. Making a change in your responsibilities could help you find more time and energy for those pursuits.
• Spend Your Money on What’s Most Important to You
  • Maintaining a home costs approximately one percent of its value every year. That adds up — especially if your home or vehicle was primarily used for people other than yourself, such as children and grandchildren. Now that everyone is out of the house, you could be spending an outsized amount of money to maintain those things.
  • While they may have sentimental value to you, consider that it was the people who made them special. Your history with those people and the memories you made together won’t change. In many cases, downsizing will allow you to free up money to spend or save elsewhere, enabling you to spend more money on travel, new experiences or other passions you’ve always wanted to pursue.
• Housework, repairs, yard work and hauling groceries are time-consuming and tiring. Many older adults don’t want to put the strain on their body doing these types of chores and would rather pursue more engaging physical activities, such as golf or hiking. When you downsize and have fewer things to take care of then you can also reduce the physical strain on your body. Let your energy and strength be put into more rewarding activities than these physical demands by simplifying your responsibilities.
• Keep Learning and Growing
  • Downsizing can help you change your life in a positive way that frees up your time and energy for more enjoyable pursuits, including further education if that’s what you’re interested in. Take that class at the local college that you’ve been interested in,or sign up for a workshop from one of your favorite associations. Downsizing is an opportunity to learn and grow both formally and informally.
• When considering whether and how to downsize, you’re also considering what’s most important to you and what you want your life to look like in the years ahead. For older adults that are at or nearing retirement, that’s often a welcome opportunity to refocus on the most meaningful aspects of life. Do you want to spend your time maintaining a large, full house? Or do you want to focus more on your family, friends and interests?
• One of the easiest and most effective ways to downsize is to move to a supportive living community. Supportive living communities, also known as retirement communities, are an opportunity to release the burden of homeownership, maintenance and many common chores.
• Concordia is a great community option in Oklahoma City that allows residents to enjoy low-maintenance living. We’re a nonprofit community offering a variety of supportive living environments, including independent living that gives you all the freedom you’re used to with services and amenities designed to make your life easier. Contact us for more details on how we can help you downsize and refocus your life around what’s most important to you.
• You may decide to downsize before retirement. Or, maybe you are just looking for a simpler lifestyle. Parents often find there’s less need to maintain large homes after their children grow up and move away.
• Paring possessions when you downsize will increase enjoyment of your home and reduce stress, says Liliane Choney, executive director of ReVisions Resources, a nonprofit group that provides resources and information about successful aging. Getting rid of unneeded furniture, unused exercise machines and outdated electronics gives you additional living space.

• Many people who live in suburban communities feel isolated in retirement, says Choney. Moving to an apartment or condominium in an urban setting can bring you closer to shopping opportunities, restaurants and entertainment venues.
• Despite retirement planning, many retirees have limited household income and are looking for ways to adjust their expenses. Selling your home could be the right route for you. Without a mortgage payment, property taxes or homeowners insurance payments, the possibilities for your life could really open up.

• Join an Active Community
• At Abe’s Garden Community, lively community events are no longer opportunities you have to search and plan for. They are right outside your doorstep and arranged for you. When you downsize your living space into one of our spacious floor plans, you are given the opportunity to immerse yourself in a vibrant community.
• Abe’s Garden Community Independent Living has a full-time life engagement coordinator who plans and implements activities. They include:
• Musical performances
• Wellness education
• Exercises like tai chi and yoga
• Off-site trips
• Travel talks and cultural exploration
• Book club
• Spiritual events
• Crafts and flower arranging
• Wine and cheese social hour
• Games such as Bingo, Rummikub and Texas Hold’em
• No matter your interests, there is something here for you. This is a time in your life when you can explore and discover new things about yourself. It is a time that you can expand and grow as a person. What better way to do this than to join an already dynamic community committed to your well-being?
• Dedicate Time to What Matters Most
• When you finally move into a senior living community, you might be surprised by the time that your home demanded of you. This is a new era – one where you are gifted with time and agency. At Abe’s Garden Community, we help you prioritize and optimize your life.
• As you prepare for or perhaps have already entered your retirement years, you may be considering moving out of your current home. Perhaps you want to retire to a warmer climate, or move closer to your grandchildren, or simply want to downsize into a smaller and more manageable property. Maybe you dream of relaxing in a retirement community surrounded by friends and hobbies. Regardless, you’ve likely questioned whether now is a good time to sell your house.
• Second, If you decide to move to a retirement community – more specifically a continuing care retirement community – those savings may increase even more. That’s because all the money you were putting into property taxes, maintenance, utilities, etc. can go to enjoying life instead. Retirement communities such as those from Acts Retirement-Life Communities include lawn care, snow removal, utilities, and other needs within their existing monthly living fees. Plus there are often extra amenities, such as access to an on-campus fitness center with instructor, a pool, a calendar of social events and activities, hobby rooms like art studios, and much more. And then there are also opportunities to dine in a variety of restaurants from professionally-trained chefs. Finally, CCRCs offer a full complement of health care services and accommodations, so that you will have a plan for whatever the future brings for you.
• Senior life is all about enjoying yourself, not managing home maintenance or worrying about paying the bills on a larger property than you need. That’s why selling your house and downsizing to a smaller, more affordable place that’s easier to maintain is such a popular choice. And moving to a continuing care retirement community will provide you with the peace of mind to truly enjoy life as the world experiences a reopening!
  • Move to a smaller home and travel more!
• Many seniors are simply living in a house that is too big for their needs. As life goes on kids move out, home offices stop being useful, and spare bedrooms see less and less use. All this extra room equates to more cleaning and maintenance for retirees living in a home that is too big for them. The extra space can also be seen as extra cash just sitting around waiting to be put to good use. By downsizing to a smaller more manageable home, there will undoubtedly be money left over that can be enjoyed during retirement. Use the savings to take an annual vacation or even buy a motor home and travel more.
• Sell your home and move to your dream location!
• After a life time of work, why not retire in the place of your dreams…you earned it! With equity in your home there is no reason you can’t live out your dream retirement Move to a walkable community!
• Living Alone
• Not only is all that square footage expensive to operate and maintain, it just doesn’t make much sense to many seniors anymore. An empty nest can feel pretty lonely at times. Many are opting to relocate to a community that offers opportunities for socializing with others in the community. Areas like Portland, Oregon, are full of optional living situations for retirees from all ages and all walks of life.
• One of the first questions to ask when wading into this process is “Would my parent benefit from moving into a senior living community?” The answer to that likely depends on your parent’s current quality of life.
• 5. Does my home fit my new lifestyle?

• Retirement lifestyle around the corner, and with it comes a host of questions about how to transition into your new way of life. One of the more common sets of questions facing soon-to-be retirees revolves around your living situation and what to do with your home.
• Entertainment and travel
• Does my home fit my new lifestyle?
• Picking up new hobbies both inside and outside of your home.
• More time for staying active through activities like walking around the neighborhood.
• You may find more enjoyment of your new retiree lifestyle by finding a home that is a better match.

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Thousands and thousands of aging parents are currently living in the homes of their adult children and their families.

Although stressful at times, moving in with adult children is a fine way of:

1. Alleviating loneliness
2. Alleviating social isolation
3. Renewing and strengthening the loving bonds between all involved
4. Improving medication management
5. Improving nutrition of the senior loved one
6. Enabling transportation to medical appointments and social events
7. Improving the physical safety of the senior loved one
8. Usually enhances the senior’s sense of purpose and feelings of self-worth as they participate in the life of their adult children and their grandchildren.
9. Sometimes there is pooling of financial resources.
10. It is common for the adult child to purchase a larger home to accommodate the space and floorplan needs of multi-generational living. In real estate this is becoming known as “Accessory Dwelling Unit.”
11.  What is an ADU?
12. An ADU or Accessory Dwelling Unit is a smaller, secondary residential unit located on the same lot as the main residence. ADUs may be called by many names, including granny flats, carriage houses, basement apartments, or mother-in-law suites. ADUs provide complete, independent living facilities (which at a minimum includes permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation which are accessed independently).
13. As a Realtor, I have helped numerous clients buy or sell homes that either had an official accessory dwelling unit or homes that were conveniently accommodating multi-generational living. Please call me at any time for more information. My personal cell phone is (502) 664-7827.

Many seniors would prefer to continue living in their own home, aging in place. Sometimes circumstances work against those preferences. Whatever the reason, there may come a time when parents, along with their adult children consider selling and moving into a multi-generational living arrangement.

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1. Having an adult child move in to the aging parent’s home is sometimes a viable option. However, sometimes the home is too small or the floorplan is not conducive to be a multi-generational home.
2. I have seen families sell their smaller home and buy a bigger home to accommodate both families, sometimes combining resources to do so.
3. Please consult an attorney who specializes in estate planning, Medicaid planning and elder law. The rules are quite complicated and you want to maximize your position has it relates to inheritance, Medicaid qualification, asset preservation, and taxation. The answers aren’t always obvious and sometimes may be contradictory. Every situation is different and the right attorney can help families preserve tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars or more.

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Sell your home and move to your dream location!

After a life time of work, why not retire in the place of your dreams…you earned it! With equity in your home there is no reason you can’t live out your dream retirement Move to a walkable community!

Considerations for choosing a dream home

1. Unique cultural activities.
2. Close to beaches
3. Golf courses
4. Do you want to be in a warmer climate?
5. Do you want to be near family?
6. Move to be closer to your grandchildren?
7. Live in nature, and still have direct access to five star meals and cultural activities?
8. Or mountains and fishing streams?
9. Perfect for retirees who want to be part of the great outdoors
10. Retirees who still want to be out and about
11. Impressive cultural offerings and amenities of a large city.
12. Large metropolitan cities:
13. Bustling social scene with a laid-back beach attitude
14. Mild winters
15. Boasts crisp mountain air
16. Warm weather
17. Warmer, drier area
18. Year-round warm weather and endless outdoor and ocean activities
19. Near a major airport?
20. Laid back attitude
21. General tax friendliness and
22. A lower cost of living
23. Consider access and costs of healthcare in your current location. Is it reasonably priced? What medical conditions can you anticipate? Are you close to great hospitals?

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Some retirees don’t want to be tied down to one location and to house payments on a home they rarely live in.

I have seen retirees sell their home and live in an RV for years travelling. Other ways that retirees gain flexibility is living on a houseboat, renting a small condo or buying a small condo. Living in a condo shifts the responsibility of exterior maintenance to the condo association, thereby freeing up the senior to travel without risking neglect of the exterior.

Some reasons for retirees to desire flexibility of living location include:

1. Traveling to visit adult children
2. Traveling to visit grandchildren
3. Visiting destinations on a bucket list
4. Following pleasant weather
5. Sampling different locations before deciding where to settle in for retirement
6. There are many short-term rental possibilities nationwide and globally that make it easy for the senior to enjoy location hopping.

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1. Move closer to family
2. Move in with family
3. Family moves in with the senior
4. Downsize and travel
5. Downsize housing expenses frees up money to travel to family, or take trips with family
6. Downsizing enables the seniors to spend time and money on what is most important to them.

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Clutter, especially excessive clutter is a sensitive topic. Some seniors know they have to sell their home and move on to a better living arrangement, but they are overwhelmed by the task of sorting and downsizing decades of accumulation of prized possessions.

I have helped many seniors sell their cluttered home and see them thrive in their next home, whether they moved to a different home, a condo, or a retirement community. The process of packing and moving forced the issue of downsizing the over accumulation of possessions.

Sometimes, sadly, the heirs are tasked with what to do with all the possessions if the parent or relative passed away.

Don’t let the decluttering project prevent you from moving to a new, clutter-free, home. There are professionals who compassionately help downsize the clutter. The homeowner doesn’t have to do any physical work. The downsizing expert will ask about each item the following questions:

Keep?

Gift to family or friends?

Donate?

Sell?

Throw away?

The downsizing professional will accomplish in days what would take the owner months, years or maybe never.

The downsizing professional is also a move manager and will pack all the “keepers” deliver to the new residence, then unpack, set up all the furniture and place all the “keepers” on or in the shelves, tables, drawers from where they originated.

Please don’t let the fear of decluttering and moving to keep a senior stranded in a home that is too big, too high maintenance, too high cost.

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      The Emotional Toll Of Living In A Fixer Upper Home

• Anxiety
• Depressing
• Never looks right, never looks or feels clean
• Kids are embarrassed to bring friends home
• You don’t bring friends over
• You don’t have family gatherings at your home
• Partially finished and missing pieces like, baseboards, walls, cabinets. It’s a broken house.
• Money pit of maintenance and utility bills
• Mess, dust, always a feeling of needing to fix something
• Sometimes a physically dangerous or unhealthy environment. Your house may be getting you literally sick!
• Lower self-esteem
• I have personally seen many clients look healthier and happier after selling their house that needs work, and moving into a nicer place.

      Use a Realtor – But It Has To Be The Right Realtor

      Using The Right Realtor will get you the most exposure, and the right exposure to the right target buyers.

• You’ll net more with the right Realtor, even after commission. The right Realtor will get the buyer market to compete for your home, getting you an increase in price that is far greater than the commission you will pay. (Hint! Dave Halpern, Realtor!)
• You need a Realtor who is experienced with renovations of all types and scopes of work. (Hint! Dave Halpern, Realtor!)

• Deciding to downsize is only one half of a very important question. The other half is when you should put your house on the market. This is a complex matter, as it involves a number of different factors. Do you have the financial ability to purchase a new home prior to the sale, or do you need to rely on the equity of your existing home? Does your home need some repairs and maintenance first, or is it ready to be put on the market immediately? Plus, there are some general guidelines you could follow, like warmer months are typically when there’s the most market action.
• Some seniors don’t look forward to selling their homes just because of the hassle of listing them with a realtor, having to fix the house up to get it ready to market, and countless interruptions for showings to prospective buyers. Selling a home for cash avoids all those hassles. The house can be sold in “as is” condition, and it can be sold very quickly—no renovations, no showings, no commissions, and no waiting. The sooner seniors can cash out their equity, the sooner they can improve their lifestyle and start living in comfort.

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      Common Questions and Issues When Selling Homes That Need Updating

• What should I fix? What is the biggest bang for the buck?
  • When I walk through your home I will make recommendations for the cheapest things you can do to get the highest return.
  • Often my recommendation is to do nothing, don’t waste your time and money because a few repairs won’t increase the price of the home.
• What if there’s no money to fix anything?
  • Then don’t fix anything. The house will still sell, and buyers will still compete to buy.
• What if the fixer upper is embroiled in other problems?
  • Divorce
  • Bankruptcy
  • Probate
  • Foreclosure
  • Judgments
  • City code violations and fines
  • Mechanics liens
  • Dave Halpern has experience in successfully navigating these complicated problems and successfully getting the house sold.
• Realtor should not sugarcoat
  • Be upfront about the problems
  • Target the right buyers, otherwise you’ll waste time
  • Sugarcoating will frustrate buyers and Realtors
  • Your real target audience will not be aware of the opportunity
• Price it right – don’t price it at the market value of a fixed up home
  • Target the right buyers, otherwise you’ll waste time
  • Sugarcoating will frustrate buyers and Realtors
  • Your real target audience will not be aware of the opportunity
• Worst combination is sugarcoating with the pictures, description and overpricing
• Don’t sell directly to “we buy houses” companies without Realtor representation
  • The right Realtor will get a multitude of “We Buy Houses” companies to compete for your home, thereby raising the price.
• How many buyers are interested in buying your house?
  • Many!

Dozens, maybe hundreds.

Deciding to downsize is only one half of a very important question. The other half is when you should put your house on the market. This is a complex matter, as it involves a number of different factors. Do you have the financial ability to purchase a new home prior to the sale, or do you need to rely on the equity of your existing home? Does your home need some repairs and maintenance first, or is it ready to be put on the market immediately? Plus, there are some general guidelines you could follow, like warmer months are typically when there’s the most market action.   

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1. How does the sale of a seniors home fit in to the senior’s estate plan?
2. There are many variables influencing this decision. I am not a lawyer and therefore cannot give legal advice.
3. I advise you to consult with an estate planning attorney and/or an elder law attorney.
4. Some of the considerations are as follows:
5. Is it expected that in the case of going into a nursing home the senior will have enough money to private pay? Assisted-living is about $5,000 per month and skilled care is about $12,000 per month. That adds up to $144,000 per year! In many states Medicare does not cover those expenses. Medicaid does cover the skilled care option but first the senior needs to spend down all their assets to no more than $2,000. Different states may have different spend down requirements.
6. However, there are legal strategies that are in compliance with Medicaid rules that an elder law attorney can put in place for the senior and for the senior’s family to real estate and other assets from Medicaid.
7. Lack of planning may cause you to lose your home. Good planning can help you preserve your home and your hard-earned equity.
8. A good elder law attorney can save you many hundreds of thousands of dollars. The time to consult with an elder law attorney is right now. It’s never too early.

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How does the sale of a seniors home fit in to the senior’s Medicaid and long-term financial plan?

1. There are many variables influencing this decision. I am not a lawyer and therefore cannot give legal advice.
2. I advise you to consult with an estate planning attorney and/or an elder law attorney who specializes in Medicaid planning.
3. Some of the considerations are as follows:
4. Is it expected that in the case of going into a nursing home the senior will have enough money to private pay? Assisted-living is about $5,000 per month and skilled care is about $12,000 per month. That adds up to $144,000 per year! In many states Medicare does not cover those expenses. Medicaid does cover the skilled care option but first the senior needs to spend down all their assets to no more than $2,000. Different states may have different spend down requirements.
5. The real estate can be legally sheltered from Medicaid, but it has to be done meticulously by an elder law attorney who specializes in Medicaid. And, the plan has to be executed well in advance, actually years in advance. The time to consult with an elder law attorney is now. Today. If not today, then tomorrow morning.
6. However, there are legal strategies that are in compliance with Medicaid rules that an elder law attorney can put in place for the senior and for the senior’s family to real estate and other assets from Medicaid.
7. Lack of planning may cause you to lose your home. Good planning can help you preserve your home and your hard-earned equity.
8. A good elder law attorney can save you many hundreds of thousands of dollars. The time to consult with an elder law attorney is right now. It’s never too early to plan.

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• You might drive less often
• Many people who live in suburban communities feel isolated in retirement, says Choney. Moving to an apartment or condominium in an urban setting can bring you closer to shopping opportunities, restaurants and entertainment venues.
• Let’s face it, living in the United States most likely means that you rely on your car. Many seniors in their retirement find driving more difficult as time goes on; and, to make things worse, at some point your driving privileges may be taken away due to your advanced age. This is a great reason to get set up in a community that is developed with pedestrians in mind. The fear of losing your drivers license is not the only reason for seniors to search out homes that have a walkable neighborhood. Most seniors today enjoy staying active and getting out of the house for some light exercise. Many retirees enjoy meeting up with friends on a regular basis for a brisk walk. Living in a community with plenty of open spaces, trails, and paths for walking gives seniors a huge boost in their quality of life during retirement.
• Are they driving, or are they relying on you (the adult child) to take them to doctor’s appointments, pick up prescriptions and grocery shop?

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