The House That Built Me

I know they say you can’t go home again
I just had to come back one last time
Ma’am, I know you don’t know me from Adam
But these hand prints on the front steps are mine

–Miranda Lambert

As you, or your older adult loved one, prepare to change your living environment, it is important to remember that everyone whose memories were built in your home is leaving a little piece of their heart behind. When you move on from your home, your entire family likely feels some sense of loss. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “A house is made with walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams”.

Real Estate and homes are emotional business. Your LIFE happened there. Perhaps you and your spouse saved for years to purchase your dream home. Maybe it is the home to which you brought your newborn babies. It might be the last place you ever laughed with your own parents or your spouse. You can picture your grandchildren happily celebrating holidays in your family room. Perhaps you have a memorial to a beloved pet in your yard. And you know every neighbor on your block. Leaving this part of your heart behind can be an extremely difficult decision and transition. Though you may not feel like it, perhaps you are lucky and get to make the decision for yourself. Sadly, sometimes time and circumstance make it for you. It may be easier to consider moving sooner than wait for events that force you to move during a crisis.

Considering Your Circumstances

As you can imagine, there are so many different circumstances that have put you in a position to change your living arrangements. You may now be living alone. You may have physical limitations. You may be unable to handle all of the “life chores” necessary to stay on your own. It is time for something to change and there are so many options available. You could stay in your home with adaptations to make it safer and more liveable for you alone. You could have help come into your home to allow you to live semi-independently. Or it could be time for you to move into a senior living community.

As a senior considering selling your home, it really is crucial to have assistance from someone who understands your specialized needs. After all, your home may be your biggest financial asset. The sale of your home could impact your financial situation, with potential ramifications to pensions, IRAs, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, or estate planning. That is a lot to take in and understand, in addition to the emotional toll of moving and aging. Additionally, you will need to sort, declutter, and pack up a lifetime of memories and valuables. This may mean it is time to discuss an estate sale, another very emotional consideration. Regardless of your specific situation, it is time to seek out the assistance of an expert to guide you and your family through the challenging decisions and logistics that lie ahead.

Connect With Us to Empower Yourself

A Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES) is a real estate professional who is specifically trained to help the 50+ age group make empowered decisions for home buying and selling. Jill Yasskin is a Senior Real Estate Expert, Certified Referral and Placement Specialist, and Elder Care Manager at Aging at 5280 while simultaneously a Real Estate Agent at Barrington Group Real Estate company. Jill’s professional background includes 10 years in the hospice and palliative care industry, in addition to having been a Realtor since 2007. Jill has a unique and special understanding of key issues facing seniors and their families, and is passionate about helping them find a calm transition in their living situation.

Jill understands that you may be completely overwhelmed by finding yourself in the situation of needing (and only maybe wanting) to move and not even knowing where to begin. She is able to patiently provide you with trusted resources and guidance as you navigate into the next chapter of your life. She realizes it may take many months to prepare your home for sale as you work with organizers, repair people, packers, and movers; and she is prepared to patiently hold your hand through all of this. As a SRES, Jill can combine her knowledge about the current real estate market with her training in tax laws, probate, estate planning, and equity conversion strategies. Jill’s devotion to her professional training, along with the personal passion she has for seniors and their families, makes her an asset to you during a particularly arduous and sensitive time of transition.

“Aging is a journey with evolving stages of health, social and financial well-being. I will be by your side assisting in navigating this new course.” — Jill

Take time to carefully consider your relationship with the house that built you. Remember that there are experienced experts out there, who can escort you through your own thoughtful deliberation of how to begin the passage into a new living environment. And remember, that your new home will also be made with “love and dreams”.

Sources: National Association of Realtors | Senior Home Sales