Moving mom and dad out of a home they’ve lived in for many many years requires patience and team effort.

More and more of the aging “silent generation”  thinking about down sizing or resizing their real estate needs poses a whole set of issues that often require and patience and teamwork on the part of both the Realtors as well as potential buyers.  Probably the best way to start the “selling process” is for family members to discuss with mom and dad about what they want to do and then offer assistance when and where it’s seems appropriate.  Notice I didn’t say tell them that they are moving and introduce the Realtor you selected to handle the sale.  If your parents are unable to handle selling their property- that’s an entirely different scenario from dealing with long time empty nesters who either want or need to move to a different type of house/condo/senior community.

•  #1 Who is the legal decision maker?  If one or both of your parents are not in good health (or they don’t have a will) it would be wise for them to consult with an attorney about taking proactive to steps to resolve the  myriad of issues that may surface they cannot actively participate during the sale and or purchase of real estate.

Today, many family members are doing their best to be helpful, but they may not have the “legal authority” to sign documents. As a Realtor(r) I’m happy to have the “kids” sit in on everything- but ultimately mom and dad make the decision and sign the paperwork.  More importantly, unless they tell me otherwise during the listing consultation- I will not divulge the details of any communications I’ve had with your parents.

• #2 Family members should have the discussion with the parent(s) about who’s in-charge prior to meeting with Realtors, movers or anybody else.

On the flip side, when family members don’t communicate with each other and contracts to purchase the next dwelling are signed without any consideration to the financial problems on the current house….the lack of coordination/communication may stress out your parents.   In short, (though I don’t recommend it)  it’s fine to be working with one real estate agent to sell and another agent to purchase-just make sure the details are communicated your parents and the respective Realtors know what’s going on.

•  #3 Sometimes our concern about making the move easier for our parents actually causes more problems due to lack of communication/coordination.

As the sandwich generation handles the challenges of helping our parents move and make decisions about where and when they want to resettle, taking the preliminary steps will greatly reduce everybody’s level of stress. If need help locating local resources to help make the transition easier -Click here to to Call: 513-300-4090,by email