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Senior Real Estate Answers

Reverse Mortgages: Pros and Cons

by Lisa

Reverse mortgages understandably have their fair share of both advocates and critics. A financial tool to help seniors pay for home improvements, stay in their home, and increase their standard of living, the downside of reverse mortgages is that the cost can be high. I recently met with a family who asked me to help them talk with their aging parent about moving. The senior and her adult children shared with me their concerns about why they thought it...Read the rest of this article »

How Can a Real Estate Agent Save Me Money?

by Lisa

At seminars, I’m often asked to talk with seniors about the process of selling a home. The most common question I get is: what do I need to do to get my home ready to sell? I usually tell the person who’s asking that I’d be glad to visit the home and make some suggestions. The response I almost always get: “Oh no! I would need to get my house in order before you came over.” We all think...Read the rest of this article »

8 Tips for Hiring a Great Real Estate Agent

by Lisa

Recently I wrote an article entitled “How to Hire a Realtor Who Specializes in Working with Seniors.” Once you’ve decided whether you want to work with a realtor who specializes in working with a senior clientele, it’s time to compile a shortlist of candidates and begin scheduling interviews. Let’s consider eight essential rules of thumb that you’ll want to keep in mind for these next crucial steps in the hiring process. 1. Ask someone who works with seniors if...Read the rest of this article »

How to Hire a Realtor Who Specializes in Working with Seniors

by Lisa

With the graying of America, small business is already trying to capitalize on the increase of aging baby boomers. Many service-driven businesses have concocted designations that signify they “specialize” or are “experts” in working with seniors. As a consumer, you should know what the service professional did to earn the designation of “senior specialist.” Some designations simply require the professional to warm a chair in a classroom for eight hours, while some require study and grueling written tests. Then,...Read the rest of this article »

My Mom Needs to Move…I Think!

by Lisa

It happens every year, starting the week after Thanksgiving: adult children migrate home to spend time with their parents and see signs that their parents are aging. Sometimes the signs are subtle, such as undone chores, or deferred home maintenance; sometimes they’re more alarming, such as a significant weight loss, unsteady balance, or the inability to remember major life events. Every year around this time, I receive a deluge of phone calls from panicky family members who declare, “It’s time...Read the rest of this article »