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D.C. Housing Notes – October 2019
Community opens in Silver Spring The Landing of Silver Spring is one of the newest communities providing assisted living and memory care services in Montgomery County. Located in the Colesville area, the Landing includes 138 apartments: 79 for assisted living and 59 for memory care. The community began accepting residents in July and will hold a grand opening on October 24. The... READ MORE
Remodel for aging in place with style
Your kids are successfully launched and, suddenly, you seem to have more disposable income. This could be a good time to tackle the remodeling projects you’ve been putting off. And while you’re updating your house for style, consider adapting it so you can age in place comfortably. Studies show that most homeowners age 50 and older say they want to remain in their house as they... READ MORE
Home equity can become your safety net
[Introductory note: A reverse mortgage allows homeowners 62 and over to borrow against the equity in their home while retaining the right to remain in the home as long as they live. The money can be made available in the form of a lump sum, an annuity or a line of credit with a guaranteed rate of growth, and never needs to be paid back by the homeowner. The lender will recoup the... READ MORE
Protect your home from deed, title theft
Q: I keep seeing ads for services claiming to protect people from home title fraud or deed theft. Is this even a prevalent problem? Is there an easy way for me to confirm that my title is clean rather than paying for a service? A: In 2008, the FBI identified “house stealing” as the “latest scam on the block.” Since then, it has popped up periodically in cities such as Chicago,... READ MORE
How ‘solo agers’ can stay happy and safe
Retirement coach Sara Zeff Geber visited several Northern California assisted living facilities to interview “solo agers” — people, either single or coupled, who don’t have children to help them as they grow older. At many facilities, she couldn’t find any. That puzzled her until she realized that adult children are often the ones pushing the move into long-term care... READ MORE
Planning too early beats failing to plan
When we were growing up, we were always told to be prepared. Do your homework when you get home from school instead of waiting until midnight, and many other logical preparations. I had a very unstable childhood. We moved around a lot. I was always adjusting to a new school, trying to make new friends. My parents both loved me, but they didn’t love each other. Being prepared ahead... READ MORE