Seniors Success Stories
Lending A Helping Hand
A long-term client had a mother who had made the decision to move from the home where she had lived for 50 years. Like some seniors, she was "real estate rich and cash poor", meaning her home had no mortgage, but she also didn't have a large nest egg in the bank to comfortably move into the retirement community she desired and be able to do some needed repairs to the home prior to placing it on the market for sale. We suggested a simple solution: we would loan her $25,000 so she could move in to the retirement community she wanted; furthermore, we coordinated the home repairs that would increase its value and get a higher purchase price, and then placed the property on the market. We quickly found a buyer, a wonderful family who loved the house and neighborhood, and were able to close escrow just 41 days later, at which time the $25,000 "bridge loan" was paid off, and all the remaining proceeds from the sale were deposited into her bank account, safe and sound. We made a seemingly impossible obstacle something incredibly easy to not even have to worry about.
Downsizing: Helmet And Firesuit Required
This is a story you don't hear too often, so we thought we would share it with you. One of the trust officers at a national financial institution we had the pleasure of working with for many years had recently remarried, and we helped his new wife sell her condominium so they could live together as husband and wife in a large, beautiful home. Later on, when they reached retirement age, he was looking to downsize and begin doing something few people would ever think of doing at his age. Part of the plan was to move out of town, so we listed the property, coordinated the sale and move out of San Diego County, worked with the buyer's agent on the transaction, and successfully closed escrow. With part of the sale proceeds, our client fulfilled a lifelong dream and purchased his own 2001 Ferrari Spider to race at regional events. Who says retirement has to be slow?
Lost Family Jewels
A professional woman had moved her mother to be closer to her in Los Angeles County, as the mother's health was deteriorating. While most of the items in the house had been cleaned up and sold at a garage sale, she didn't have the time to come back down and finish the job of clearing out the remaining items including several boxes stacked and stored in the garage. She was referred to us to list the property for sale by a local estate attorney with whom we have worked with for many years, and she expressed her concern that she had been unable to find some of her mother's jewelry. We offered to coordinate the removal of the remaining items and boxes from the property, donating anything that could be donated to local charities, and removing anything else that had no value. The out-of-town daughter sent us the housekeys, along with signed listing documents. We instructed the cleanup company to be on the lookout for the lost jewels. Two days later, after every single box was sorted through, two shoeboxes of jewelry and other valuables had been found. Needless to say, the daughter was very happy. We placed the property on the market, found multiple buyers who bid up the purchase price, and sold the property. The first time we met the daughter in person was at the escrow company towards the very end of the entire process. Up until that point, all communication between us had been over the phone, through email, or by FedEx package. It was at escrow that we handed her the two boxes of family jewelry, happy to know they were finally back in the proper hands.