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My dad is 94 and many of you have seen his 'progression' here in this forum. Since covid started, he has had to move from assisted living to skilled nursing due to a downturn in his health. We have tried to get him to 2 different memory care facilities but was turned down by both because of his continuing medical needs. His dementia is worsening and he is unable to walk anymore -- he is confined to a wheelchair. He has not been in his house for over a year. It sits like it did since the day he went to the hospital a year ago in September, and was not able to return home. As guardian, I am responsible for keeping it maintained, although I haven't really done much except hire a yard service to maintain the yard. All his stuff is still there and there is no chance he will be able to move home. He is on self-pay at skilled nursing and has enough funds to last a while. I still pay all utilities on it plus property taxes and yard care. The house itself is paid for. I am very afraid of something happening to it. It is an old house. It sits back in the woods in a grove of very large fir trees. In talking to my guardianship attorney this week, she suggested looking into selling it. We are concerned about what the 'basis' might be, however, and if it is going to be too large a tax bill, we might hang on to it. My dad still asks to move home which can't happen. To sell his house would send him into a spiral and because of the guardianship, he will receive copies of all legal papers. This may be more than I can do emotionally and I'm just not sure what to do.

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I would make sure it was well insured for now. Then, I would get someone in there to clear it out- sell what is valuable, donate what is usable, toss what has outlived its usefulness.

I would put it on the market. If the tax bill is too high and selling right now isn't a good idea, how about a rent to own situation? First time buyers are having a tough time competing in this very competitive realty market. You could find someone to take the carrying costs off your hands and treat the place as their own.

It depends on where your dad is on this journey. When we got rid of the car, we had a couple days of upset and then he forgot we did it. Maybe the guardian can send him all the paperwork at once so it isn't a constant stream of reminders?
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I agree that renting is a possibility but only if you have the bandwidth for more management, and you will need to clear it out first. If not sure what you will do I would still start thinning out what's in the home, removing valuables, sentimental items, heirlooms, etc. from the property completely and then maybe have an estate sale company sell the rest. I'm assuming you live reasonably near your dad and his house so that this isn't a commuting burden.

My in-laws didn't have as much as what your dad probably has but it still took us a long time to sort through what they had. In the end we held a "name your price" garage sale so that nothing needed to be marked. We put up a sign letting people know the proceeds were going to pay the NH expenses of my MIL. People were very generous.

Get a lot of large, clear tubs so you can group logical things together that you remove. You don't have to decide right then and there if you're keeping things, you can remove them and go through them later (if you have a place off site to store it, or at your own home). I agree with Marcia that even after being notified of a sale he probably won't remember for long. The finality of this can be emotionally draining for family. I wish you peace in your heart.
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Babs75 Oct 2020
I like the idea about the bins. So much of what is there belonged to his wife (trinket-y type stuff). Her daughter doesn't want any of it. He still insists he wants to move home (not going to happen) and I have no intention of being a landlord. The house is old, needs a lot of work, and I suspect whoever buys it will tear it down. It sits on 1/3 acre in a prime location in a popular suburb near shopping, schools, etc. and has many large, old fir trees. The value is in the land. My gut feeling tells me someone will buy it, tear down the house, take the trees to the mill, and build a multiple dwelling on it.
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I don't understand the tax bill will be too high. Has Dad sold property before? If not, then isn't he allowed to sell property one time and the Capital gains aren't taxed?

Why not do this. Start cleaning out and sell what you can. Once you get that done, maybe things will have worsened with Dad and papers concerning a sale of the house he won't understand anyway. Insurance on an empty house is very high. You can get timers for lights to come on at a certain time and go off at a certain time. I unplugged all appliances to cut down in the electricity used. I put the heater at 55. This will keep pipes from freezing.
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Babs75 Oct 2020
I went over this weekend and turned the heat back on to 60 deg. I had left it off all summer. His house is old and I don't think it has much insulation because the furnace seems to run all the time. But I guess that's better than frozen pipes.
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I agree with every word from Barb. I thought the taxes would not be a problem. And Dad isn't earning now, so whatever he has to pay in taxes will be his estate to pay.
My worry here is insurance. Are they keeping the insurance policy going knowing it is unoccupied. We were informed this would be a problem on my brother's place after a year. They very much dislike unoccupied.
I especially agree with cleaning it out, and I wouldn't talk with your Dad a whole lot about that. I don't think he could even retain it if you did? And it would be upsetting for him to hear given he still thinks he could return home.
Wishing you the best of luck.
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What will the house go on the market for? Have you had it appraised? There are certain rules that apply to the sale of a home. From the legal website nolo.com comes the following:

You must own and occupy the home as your principal residence for at least two years before you sell it. To qualify for the home sale exclusion, you don’t have to be living in the house at the time you sell it. Your two years of ownership and use may occur anytime during the five years before the date of the sale. This means, for example, that you can move out of the house for up to three years and still qualify for the exclusion.

You say your dad left the house only a year ago and that there's no way he'll be going back. In that case, the sale would qualify for the $250K tax exemption. The remainder of the capital gain would be taxed as a long term gain at 0,15 or 20%. To me it's a no brainer. You'll keep the first 250K along with 80% of the remaining profit. If you keep that property longer than 3 yrs from the time he left, your give up the 250K exemption.
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Babs75 Oct 2020
I've reached out to his CPA and should hear from her tomorrow. The house was owned by his wife when he married her in 1985. At some point, he was added to the deed. She died in 2015 and the deed was changed to his name only. The way I'm reading the statute in the IRS website is that his basis started over when he was widowed and the new basis is what the home was worth on the day she died (not quite sure how we figure that out). But waiting for clarifcation.
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I'm in a similar position. Mom is in memory care, and my brother and I live far out of state, so we stay at her house when we visit. If we sell the house, where would we stay? I try to think of the house as a shoebox full of $400,000 cash sitting on a pile of leaves--in that case, I would act right away! But the minute I walk in, all the memories are there, going back to the 1970s. The regular home insurance refused to renew because the house is unoccupied, so I found unoccupied home insurance through Farmer's. The post office refused to continue forwarding mail after several extensions of their allowed time, so this month when my brother and I were there, we hired someone to install a mail slot in the door and instructed the mail carrier to resume normal delivery--cost $500 for mail slot, but worth it because some things can't be forwarded, like renewed registration and license plate stickers for mom's car--which is now sitting in the driveway with a dead battery that is so uncommon that it must be ordered, can't just be purchased at an auto parts store. Sighhhh....just know you're not alone.
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Babs75 Oct 2020
lol ... about the car. My dad has 2 cars - both in his garage. One with a dead battery, one with a flat tire. He had one of them at assisted living where he was a year ago and finally when he moved to skilled nursing, I was able to park them both. He still talks about them. I may end up donating. They're old cars and the cost to make them driveable (battery, tires, brakes, etc) would be more than they are worth.
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Babs, you really do face a dilemma.

I definitely would not make a decision on sale until you have financial advice either from an estate planning, real estate, or elder law attorney.    You might explore this scenario:

I believe his interest in the house vested in his name when he was added to the deed - however,   I'm not sure b/c it would depend on how the deed was titled.    So, assuming they owned the house jointly, she died and:  HOW was the deed "changed" to his name?   This could be a major factor on determining the date in which his interest in the house began to accrue.

I would have thought that his interest was stepped up to full ownership on his wife's death.    When he himself passes, his own interest is stepped up to the value of the house at that time, but this should be verified, especially given the fact that he held title with his wife jointly before she passed.

As to the basis calculation, I learned when my father died that now an appraisal is required by the IRS w/i a certain time to establish a basis on the date of his death.  I would raise that issue with the attorney.    I don't recall what the time period was for getting an appraisal.  (A trust accountant told me this.)

As for keeping the house and holding it until he passes to capture the step-up advantage, have you considered renting it?    It would draw income and you could use that to offset the costs, while still preserving the house.

If the house is held in trust though, the rental income would be taxed at a different rate from a house not held in trust.  

Another factor of keeping it empty is the cost of vacant house insurance.    It's a little over $2K annually for my father's house, but vacant house insurance is limited and does NOT cover for water  damage (at least the policy I have doesn't).   And there are only a few companies that insure vacant houses, per my insurance agent.

If you decide to keep it and not rent it out, I would seriously consider having the water shut off for the winter.  If the pipes burst and there's a flood, the damage would NOT be covered under a vacant house policy, and you'd be facing some serious financial expenses.
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Babs, in terms of taxes, remember that likely ALL of his nursing home bill is deductible as a medical expense.
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Babs75 Oct 2020
Yes, good reminder. His CPA told me to keep all those receipts for her.
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I’d suggest that you donate the 2 cars soon so it’s in this tax year. Plus 2 less things to deal with & you don’t need to go back to court to do it.

On the house, if the gains are too heavy to warrant a sell, Im going to approach this from a different angle.... forget about the “house”, it’s all about the land. If it’s more than likely to be a tear down, then get it ready for that eventuality, so no real repairs, no big maintenance, no bringing anything up to newsy codes. Nothing done to make it more traditionally market ready. Just the minimal upkeep.
If he has funds for next 2 years to pay for all things house and his MC, the house will outlive him. Inheriting it is always the better financial option. Plus you’d have to deal with new legal to his guardianship & it sounds sticky & exhausting, I’d avoid selling it if it was at all feasible.

You’ll need a Vacant Dwelling Policy & as others have said they are not exactly inexpensive even tho it’s basically just a fire policy. You may need to get a few quotes to find one that’s reasonable.
I agree with the others on getting it winterized, so it can be shut down with minimal utility & plumbing worries. If it has a fireplace, I’d suggest that you get a chimney pro to secure it so no surprise woodland creatures as tenants. They can do amazing amount of damage.
The stuff in the house, it’s not your childhood is it? It’s your dads late wife’s home & collections, right? I’d do a registered letter to her daughter about her taking all that she wants from the place. Yes even tho she said she wanted nothing. It’s a CYA Justin Case.
Is her daughter at all a heir? Or if it was sold now, is she expecting some of the $ as it was her mother’s fully paid for home at the time of remarriage? Is this a factor in you dads not wanting it sold?
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Babs75 Oct 2020
Yes, the house will probably outlive him as long as nothing happens to it. Those big trees really worry me! Not to mention if one falls on a neighbors house. I don't want to end up in some sort of legal issue.

The house was not my childhoood house. It belonged to his wife and it was their daughter's childhood house. Her name is not on the deed nor is she an heir to his estate. I suspect we may have an issue with her. I have never trusted her and I tolerate her at best. My dad is clinging on to old memories.
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Unoccupied home insurance? My homeowner's went from $1,300.00 a year to $4,500.00 a year.
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Babs75 Oct 2020
An that will be another reason to let it be sold, Thanks,
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I haven’t read through everything but I do have some personal experience with aging loved ones and old houses. I also understand your reluctance to rock the boat with dad by forcing the sale of the house in his mind and if you can’t convince him to get on board with selling I can see why it isn’t worth doing that to both of you. The next best option, I would think is to rent it. Even if rather than get enough to cover taxes, insurance and expenses you end up taking a little less to have a family or someone really responsible in there. Maybe someone who will take care of things rather than call on you to do it every time there is a need, you might even be able to find a situation where someone rents it with the thought that when the time comes they might the purchase it so they are treating it like their own. It won’t be a money maker in any of these scenarios but it might take a lot off your plate and make things easier. In leu of that if you live close enough and are willing to take on the work, it sounds like it might be in a great spot for short term rental and you could explore that which has the possibility to generate a profit rather than simply hold it. Either way having someone living in the house is always preferable to having it sit empty especially this time of year and over the winter. Since it is empty now do make sure there is a cap in the chimney and all possible critter entrances are sealed. Once they get in and they will and can make themselves at home for the winter you have big problems, we experienced this the winter my mom was living at my brothers after her stroke and heart surgery, even though they would “visit” the house periodically it wasn’t until spring when she wanted to spend more time there hoping to move back in that we discovered raccoon’s had set up shop in the eves behind the upstairs bathroom and squirrels in the ceiling above the big room on the other side of the house and walls in the living room. It was the raccoons that made the biggest mess though, they had been using the bathroom as just that, a bathroom and by the time we discovered it spring had happened and it was illegal to use some of the easier methods to get them out because they might have babies, it was far more expensive and difficult to get a professional in to deal with it for that reason as well. It really is beneficial to have someone living there for various reasons, insurance included so that what I would be trying to do in your place at least this year. I’m sure being a landlord for your dads home is not high on your list but it might be the wisest thing right now, sorry.
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Personal opinion the house should have been sold 12 months ago.
Or at least in this time go through the house and remove and distribute to family what is to be kept. Sell what there is of value, donate what is of no value to you and toss the stuff no one wants or you can not donate.
Your other option is to have a family member buy the house and they can sell the house they currently have and move into "dad's house".
You could ask about the house being placed in a Trust so the Trust would own the house and it can remain in the family.
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No issue? I would get that in writing!
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Either rent the house or sell it. Why are you holding onto an unoccupied house when you know that he will never return?

You risk having the home occupied by squatters or wild animals.
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If you can legally sell his home without him knowing, then I wouldn't tell him when you sell it. I sold my 87yo mother's home several months after taking care of it for two years. Honestly, I thought my mother would pass and then there would be no guilt in selling it. She has severe dementia and unable to walk and will never have "gotten better." If she asks about the house, I say "the house looks great." But since COVID and our brief visits, the house has never come up. I suspect it won't anymore. If you can sell it without your father's knowing, that's what I would do.
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Babs75 Oct 2020
We're meeting my realtor there tonight to give us an idea of what type of fixes we need to make. The house is old. There's no way I'm going to be a landlord. We're still working on figuring out the tax implications of this and what tax will be owed. I need to have this figured out before I present the idea to my 3 siblings (this directly affects their inheritance and I know I will take heat for it) even though none of them have lifted a finger to help maintain it (it was not our house growing up - it was my dad's wife's house when they married in the 1980's). Right now since I can't see dad becaise of Covid, we don't talk much. My concern is that once things open up (which they partially have here), and I am able to see him again, the questions will start.
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With regards to your siblings, the money realized from the sale after taxes are paid is used for dad's care, correct?

Please remind them for me that it doesn't become an inheritance until the testator is dead.

"Inheritance" is an unseemly word to utter before probate.
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With your dad's declining mental state, can you get 2 doctors to sign paperwork declaring your dad incompetent? If you can do that, and take it to the court you might be able to get them to allow you to sell the house. It's worth a shot!
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I’m not sure about the laws in your state and this is hearsay from my sister who worked in real estate. It was said that you can sell your house once and not have to pay capital gains tax on it once you hit a specific age. The money realized from the sale could and should be put into an account specifically for the cost of your fathers care. I used a fiduciary account for my fathers veteran benefits, this was done because when you are POA you can no longer access any of his bank accounts. This account let me continue to write checks to pay his outstanding bills.
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wolflover451 Oct 2020
when you said if POA you can no longer access any bank accounts, I was a little confused. I am POA for my father (when living) and my mother (still living). I take care of/write out all her bills (signing my name as POA) and have never had any problems.  Were you stating that because of the selling of the house?  just curious that's all.  I have been working with elder attorney since my father had entered NH back 2014 and he just recently passed in May 2020.  my mother still living but her writing is terrible so I handle all the bills.  I only needed to supply the paperwork on that to the utility places to verify that. thanks
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Dont sell his home unless you have to.
My 96 yr old Dad has dementia and he always saud he wanted to stay in his home which he had done. One year ago his dementia had gotten so bad that he can no longer get up without help to get to and from his wheelchair.

I hired Caregivers 24 7 and of course that isn't cheap.

Im now considering hiring a Live In because that would be about 1/3 to 1/4 the cost of using several Caregivers doing shifts.

I know my Dad is happy in his own home with failure surroundings.

I have installed Nest Cameras so I can keep an eye on my Dad any time 24 7. I can sleep better at night knowing I can check on him at anytime and see how he is doing and how he is being treated.

Unless you actuall need the money for his Care and need to sell the house then you shouldn't sell it.

you could always bring it up in a conversation about his thoughts on the subject.

Sonetime the only thing Seniors have going for them and keeping them alive is their memories and or thoughts that one day they'll be returning to their home.
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disgustedtoo Oct 2020
Her dad hasn't lived in the house for a long long time, so your suggestion to hang on to it and hire help doesn't really help. He's been in AL for some time and now in a NH. His needs are met, the house may be a "memory" for him, but it is more like an albatross at this point - at the very least, a money pit! He doesn't live there and won't be returning, so there is NO reason to hang on to it.
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Since he isn't using it, you might consider selling it or renting it out. If you rent his home, then the tenants can care for the yard, pay utilities, and pay enough to cover property taxes as well as a little "income" for Your LO's needs. In some states the taxes will be more since it is not under "homestead". Consider having the contents of the home removed and placed into storage.
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right now im putting my grandmothers house for sale I do have a buyer but the house has had a lot of renovations inside the funds are going to run out eventually going into 2021. in NJ since she is still living, i have to get approval from the surrogate court which is now in the pending stages and may be delayed as i spoke with the elder care attorney they are changing the judge which makes this situation a bit more difficult and will delay the process a bit longer. I even went thru this 2 years ago with guardianship process with that being delayed since the judge went on vacation. I dunno if they'll even let me apply for medicaid. I dont want the home to take the house to pay for months if that happens more stress on me which i dont need.
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disgustedtoo Oct 2020
If possible, see if your attorney can set up some kind of deal with the buyers where they pay "rent" while waiting for the process in the courts to shake out. They may not be willing. When I was selling my house, the buyer's peeps kept delaying things. Initially the atty allowed a delay in the sale, but on the second delay, it was going to cost the buyer. They worked out a deal such that he paid X amount until the sale completed.

Granted this was an issue on the buyer's side, but it might be worth asking about whether this can be done. I would think the court would approve the sale, to give her funds to cover her care and keep her off Medicaid!
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speak with an elder attorney and they can help you get things figured out for the house, etc.  All bills should be coming out of your "fathers" monies, NOT yours.  And even though it will be hard, you can take 1 or 2 hours a day and start cleaning out the house (old papers, any food, old medicines, etc)  put in boxes things that can either be donated (pots/pans) or put them in a box for yard sale stuff (if you want to do that).  If you know that he will never be coming home, you can even donate furniture, bigger stuff or you take if you want.  but start preparing the house now to be sold.  You can (once cleaned up/out) either paint the walls yourself or hire someone to paint them to give them a fresher look.  clean the carpets......but all in time.  IF/when you sell the house, use that money to open an account (an elder attorney can help with this also) and deposit the house money in there to pay out monthly for his care wherever he might be.  Do NOT put it into your account....it must be kept separate.  Either way if you keep the house and he passes.......at some point I would think (not 100% sure -elder attorney would know) that you would need to pay some kind of inheritance tax or whatever.  Do you have a really good friend that could be with you when sorting thru your fathers stuff?  Wishing you luck.
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disgustedtoo Oct 2020
Inheritance tax was already on very high amounts and was increased. I don't think that is an issue, it is the cap gains. IF held onto until he passes, the cost basis would likely change, which might be beneficial, BUT over time if there are large maintenance costs and taxes, what would the gain/loss actually be?

The feds might levy an estate tax (paid from the proceeds, not those inheriting) and the state might also come with hand out for their share.

Definitely use a separate account for the proceeds of the sale. They are still his, even though Babs75 is guardian. A good investment plan might help too. Mom's total assets, including those from the condo sale, have remained almost static, despite taking quite a lot out every month, more when the condo needed coverage, but still a lot (covers about 1/2 MC and various supplies, necessities not provided.) The 2 year graph, except for a dip early in the virus days, is almost flat! Best plan ever!!!
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Get legal advice from an attorney and do you know if he is a candidate for hospice? The MC's that I know accept hospice patients, as long as they don't require IV's.
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Do NOT sell your father's home! Why would you want to distress him like that. Put yourself in his situation. It can WAIT!!!!
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What is the likelihood that he will ever be able to return to the house? Even to look at it. Probably not likely at all. Legal papers could be set up to be mailed to your own address since you are guardian for a reason - his memory is gone. Do you have other mail sent to him at facility or to your own home? Not likely if he wouldn't know what to do with the mail anyway.

The house is wasting away and likely to depreciate in value the longer it sits. The proceeds from the house could be used to pay for his facility care and possibly mitigate capital gains.

With certain taxes varying state to state, you need advice from those who know the answers.
You might ask a tax pro about selling in in 2021 so that any capital gains tax would be offset by paying facility care out of the house money in 2021. Capital gains from a property held more than a year are taxed at a lower rate (so he's already had the house longer than that). If you're thinking about selling the house for less than fair value, that could come back to bite you if he finally runs out of money and needs a Medicaid bed - so an elder atty could explain that part to you.

So my suggestion is talk to elder atty - he may have all the answers about asking price versus market value. He may also have the answer about capital gains being mitigated by paying facility care out of the house money. If not, then see the tax pro. This should give you enough info to decide what to do.
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When my parents were no longer going to live in their house, my sister and I sold it and put the money in their trust account, from which their nursing home expenses were paid. The house was in excellent condition but not in an area in which it would be likely to appreciate in value--other properties for sale in that area take a long time to sell. The next-door bought it and is using it as a rental property. Neither my sister nor I had any desire to keep the house, because we don't live near the area nor have a desire to do so.

I figured that a house generates expenses while securities in the trust fund generate income, so it was an easy decision.
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Since you write there is no chance for your dad to move back, do whatever causes the least stress for YOU.

If you have siblings, I would ask someone to take the lead on cleaning out the house. (This will need to be done eventually anyway). If you choose the fussiest/most headstrong sibling for this difficult task, there will be less fussing later (complaining that you had not completed this process and thus deprived them of quick receipt of their portion).

Home prices and interest rates are favorable now.
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HVsdaughter Oct 2020
"...no chance for your dad to move back, do whatever causes the least stress for YOU." AMEN. No one knows the ENTIRE situation better than you. And you and your health and well-being matter, too.
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Bab75;

Long time, no rest for the weary! What will you do with all your free time and space in your head when he passes on??? ;-)

I won't be able to post everything in one go, but there are many issues that were brought up by others and you. Before getting into details, definitely work with those who are qualified to discuss these issues, such as tax preparer, EC attorney, the court. In particular there is concern about what the insurance contact told you - that's covered in the "details" (the devil is in them!!!)

Yup, now that I am ready with responses, I'm going to break out my replies as replies to this post, as follows, so as to not exceed max and make it easier to keep all categories separated and easier to reference:

House maintenance
Selling house vs landlord
Deed/inheritance/cost basis
Insurance
Court/Taxes
Inheritance

As for MC:
"We have tried to get him to 2 different memory care facilities but was turned down by both because of his continuing medical needs. His dementia is worsening and he is unable to walk anymore -- he is confined to a wheelchair."

This is odd that they won't accept him, but perhaps it's because he wasn't moved to MC soon enough (not your fault!) If he had moved to MC before more medical issues, perhaps he could have stayed, but if many medical issues have popped up, they likely won't want to deal with it. The bottom line would be impacted!

I'm sure there are also those places who would request you move out of MC as well, if too many medical issues cropped up. I was concerned about this, given progression will lead to more and more care needed. Mom is finishing year 4, has been in a wheelchair now for maybe a year, possibly less. Recent discussion with them (she had a stroke earlier this month) is that she can stay to the end, no need to move to NH!!! YAY! The down side is her "rent" covers up to 1 hour of personal care. That will likely cost us, at some point. The sad part is that they charge a full hour if she exceeds the 1 hour, even though it might only be 10 min! I wish they could do it in 1/4 hour increments. It will likely still be less expensive than a NH.
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disgustedtoo Oct 2020
House maintenance:

"I am responsible for keeping it maintained, although I haven't really done much except hire a yard service to maintain the yard."
and
"I went over this weekend and turned the heat back on to 60 deg. I had left it off all summer. His house is old and I don't think it has much insulation because the furnace seems to run all the time. But I guess that's better than frozen pipes."

Someone else mentioned it, but I will say it too - get it winterized. It will cost a bit, but the savings (and worries reduced) should offset that! This place I bought had been winterized as it was unoccupied. If your location gets colder in winter, the heat savings will be great! It also eliminates worries about freezing pipes.

If you don't want to winterize, get maintenance on the heating system. It could be running inefficiently if it hasn't been cleaned in a while.

When considering cleaning the heating system, also have the vent/chimney checked/cleaned. If there is no cap on it, have that put on too - it will keep "critters" out. When I replaced the woodstove they had here with a pellet stove, I asked about the clean out (area that collects all the ash that isn't expelled - should be cleaned yearly!) When we opened it, not only was it not clean, it had a dead squirrel in it!

Minimal upkeep and "fixing" might increase sale value. If the exterior of the house needs to be painted (probably too late in the season for that), plan for that next year, if it isn't sold soon. Patching/painting inside can "spruce" it up a bit - clear out the stuff first, so you can fully assess what repairs might need to be done. Appraisal might identify other needs, such as electrical upgrades might be needed, new heating system, insulation, etc. IF appraiser thinks it might be more of a tear down and rebuild, obviously you won't want to do any of these. These issues can be deducted from the value if you have a buyer who wants to fix it up.

If you are *really* concerned about the trees, you can get an estimate to have them removed. If the potential is tear down, skip that!
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Imho, you could speak to an elder law attorney.
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I was made POA for a married couple friends of mine in 2013. The wife had frontal temporal dementia, the husband short term memory issues that kept him from processing the changes in his wife, who was the chief organizer in their relationship. It took me a long time to convince him it was time to move to the memory care apartment I had found for them, but when she became incontinent and started to wander at night and needed 24 hour care, I finally convinced him and they moved there in May, 2015. They were never coming back to their two bedroom condo with a two car garage. The wife lived to the end of October, 2015 as her mind was just shutting down and she could no longer swallow food.
I began going through all their stuff to decide what I should do. I had antique buyers come to buy some of the old antique furniture. I had native American friends of theirs come to take whatever other furniture they could use--for free. I moved some of their family heritage stuff--old photos, etc, to my house to eventually get to a relative. Then had the carpets cleaned, some damaged windows replaced and put it on the market. That took 2 1/2 years. Low value housing was in great demand and the second couple who saw it bought it. All the money went directly to the husband's bank account and helps pay for his costs. The day of their move, a friend took them out for breakfast in a nearby town, then to have their nails done. During this time, we were moving their furniture to their memory care apartment and arranged it just like they had it in their condo. Everything was familiar and when the reluctant-to-move husband saw his favorite recliner facing his same tv with the couch in the same place and the same pictures on the wall, he sat down with a sigh to relief and never said a word about living in a different place.
I never told him all I was doing to deal with their condo and I made sure any money I got went right to their bank account and never took a cent for myself. It was a lot easier this way and they had given me this authority, so I used it. I was retired and had the time and I loved giving this service to my friends.
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PrivateCitizen Oct 2020
What a wonderful and loving thing you have done! I'd want you in MY life!! Just having a miracle friend like you was such a blessing for them... the more I read these stores of changing living spaces to meet needs makes me realize we have to plan and prepare, at least be ready with making decisions when needed.
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