We love our homes! Just think back to when you purchased your very first house. Feel the emotions of excitement and the thrill of leaving an apartment for the independence of home ownership. For many, that journey may have begun 30-60 years ago. Those memories are an important component of our life histories. The houses worked for us as long as you kept up with the maintenance both inside and out. But what has changed are the owners of the home!

Over the years our surroundings become a part of us. We sometimes feel that our home and neighborhood are synonymous with who we are and how we view our place in the world. We know the neighbors, the stores, the restaurants and our places of worship, which in most cases are within a short distance of our homes. Thinking of venturing out from our homes to a new environment is daunting. The number one fear holding most of us back from a move to a new apartment or community is the (more…)

I received a frantic call yesterday from a lovely 85 year young lady who was in desperate need of advice. She had been living in her home for that last 40 years. When she had moved in, her knees were working well and her eye sight was 20/20. She drove at night and had the home in tip-top shape. As the years went on her husband passed away and she was the captain in charge of the ship. She took over duties such as paying the bills and making sure the maintenance of the home was up to the moment, as they had always took pride in the condition both structurally and mechanically.

Over the last 10 years her body started to experience difficulties in her ability to navigate the stairs as her knees began to show signs of arthritis. She became less confident when driving at night. She became more anxious about security, as many of her trusted neighbors had moved on. What hurt the most is that many of her friends had (more…)

My article last month addressed the question, what is the top fear keeping seniors from making a move? The answer was fear of change.

I discussed steps you can take if fear has kept you from improving your situation. This week I would like to answer the question, what is the top reason for making a move. In other words, why would a senior want or need to move after living in the home for several years. The answer Maintenance! The many chores and back breaking work needed to sustain a home. Comments from the folks surveyed, were anything from snow shoveling, yard maintenance, home deterioration, lawn maintenance, to finding it hard to rely on maintenance or handymen, and worry as to how the work will get done.

A few months ago I received a letter from a client, Marion. She is a wonderful lady who lived in her home for over 30 years. Her husband had passed away a few years ago, and was alone in her home. She was left with the responsibility of (more…)

Living in Wisconsin presents both beauty and diverse weather patterns. Our past winter and the rains of June have been challenging especially to home owners. We’ve seen problems such as leaky walls and roofs from the ice build up in winter. The flooding rains in June have caused other problems such as leaky basement walls, floors, and window wells, as well as sewer backups. Combine this with the angst due to the current real estate market and you have a seller who is reluctant to even attempt to put their home on the market! (more…)