HELP IS OUT THERE FOR ELDERLY HOMEOWNERS WHO CAN NO LONGER MAKE THEIR OWN REAL ESTATE DECISIONS

I have seen firsthand what can happen when elderly homeowners can no longer live safely and independently in their own home. It can be devastating when the aging process interrupts the independence they once enjoyed. And their adult children are faced with making lifestyle decisions for them, usually in emergency situations that leave no time to consider their parents’ wishes.

An accredited Estates and Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES)—credentials that only one-half of one percent of Realtors across the country have—and a Maricopa County seniors advocate, I successfully work as a team player for trustees, fiduciaries, lawyers and estate planners to counsel the aged and their families on their real estate options: whether to sell, rent or retain their home if parents enter into independent, assisted living, skilled nursing, memory care or other types of senior care facilities.

Ideally seniors who are homeowners should have a strategic plan in place that outlines their lifestyle preferences in the event of incapacity. The reality is that we don’t plan because we don’t want to think about it, and by the time I get an emergency call from their families, it’s too late to determine and honor those preferences.

Emergency living situations can arise from sudden illness, an inability to meet nutritional needs, hoarding, a lack of daily social interaction, lack of transportation, financial exploitation from phone and online scams, the loss of a spouse, or an inability to make decisions or maintain the home.

Each situation is different with diverse problems to solve.  Sometimes elderly homeowners can’t maintain their property anymore due to illness or financial hardship so they stop making their mortgage payments. They don’t realize that once the lien and fees are paid off, the home will most likely still have significant equity for the beneficiary. I have also been involved in numerous hoarding cases in the Valley, working with specialized services that can make the home habitable and saleable again. I look for the solutions that will best benefit homeowners and their families.

Estate and elder law attorneys, licensed fiduciaries and administrators who work to ensure the well-being of the elderly, rely on my real estate expertise in family advocacy, distressed properties and estate concerns as well as special needs and court-appointed and probate situations. As a seniors advocate, I am required to testify at public hearings that the client is receiving fair market value when such properties are sold, and as a mandatory reporter, I am obligated to report incidences of elder abuse, neglect and financial exploitation.

My professional guidance has also enabled families to deal with health, social and financial issues through extensive community partnerships and trusted resources in the Valley including the Area Agency on Aging, Maricopa County Public Fiduciary’s Office, Maricopa Elder Abuse Prevention Alliance, Alzheimer’s Association Support Group and Arizona Hoarding Task Force.

Successfully helping the elderly to problem solve comes from personal experience. Raised in an atmosphere of community service, I took on the responsibility of relocating my retired parents from their home in Missouri to an independent living community here. Seeking access to quality health services, more socialization and interaction with family members living in the Valley, Mom and Dad worked with me to review and revise their senior goals. Recognizing the physical and emotional challenges such a move would cause them, I took a step-by-step approach to ensure a smooth transition and that they were comfortable in their new lifestyle which they enjoyed for many years.

We all hope to live out our retirement years in complete independence in the environment we desire, but sometimes it doesn’t happen the way we’d hoped. Families should prepare for that possibility.

For more information on the services I offer, I encourage you to explore my website.

 

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