Make Yourself at Home In Tucson Arizona

Su Swanne, Realtor - GRI, CSHP, SRES

Graduate, Realtor Institute

Certified Senior Housing Professional

Senior Real Estate Specialist

520-248-6297

Make Yourself at Home in Tucson

In this month of November we celebrate and give thanks for the many gifts we have in our lives - our families, loved ones who have passed, our Veterans, our health, our free elections, and those who serve us in many ways that we often overlook and fail to acknowledge. This month I am grateful to have a new roof on my house, and my truck in good repair, and for those who made all that happen; I’m grateful to have my partner and my elder friends, and the many opportunities to serve others.

A Word About Real Estate in Tucson

Housing inventory remains low while the prices continue to rise. The median price of homes in Tucson stands at $211,845, a 7% increase over the same month last year. If you have been thinking about selling your home, consider that the value of your home has also increased and it is still a seller’s market up to $350,000-$400,000. To see a complete report for the Tucson housing market, visit my website. For any questions you might have about the value of your home, invite me for a no-obligation consultation.

A Word About Seniors

• The Walk for Alzheimer’s took place on November 10, and raised nearly $258,000 toward their goal of $290,000. If you have someone in your family, or you know of someone who is challenged by the disease of Alzheimer’s, contact the Pima County Office on Aging (PCOA) - (520) 322-6601 - for information about support groups.

• If you or someone you know is a Senior thinking about downsizing to a smaller home or into a senior retirement community, I invite you to contact me (520-248-6297) for a no-obligation consultation.

• In the future I will be offering workshops and seminars about the issues facing Seniors and how Seniors can plan for their transition to a different way of life. Be on the lookout for announcements of these events!

A Word About Me

Last month I attended the 4th annual Legacy Conference of the Senior Real Estate Institute in Oklahoma City. The theme of the conference was Thinking Outside the Box. As Realtors serving the Senior population we accept the challenge to create DIFFERENT services and value for our customers and clients. Working with Seniors in a sales transaction involves much more than the typical real estate services provided by Realtors. Training as a Certified Senior Housing Professional (CSHP) involves not only knowledge of real estate practice, but also of the psychological and life-phase issues of Seniors in their later years.

A Word About Events in Tucson

• Visit the Holiday Art Marketplace in Tucson Mall, next to Macy’s on the second floor during November and December. If you are looking for Mosaic artwork, visit Piecing It Together, mosaic pieces created by one of my Senior friends. And you better hurry, as she will only be there through the end of November!

• Tucson Food Tour - November 16, 2018 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Sample food from at least six restaurants, $55, in advance.

• November 19, 2018 - The Fourth Annual Free Community Thanksgiving Dinner  - Armory Park, 11-3. Donations for food and volunteers to cook and serve are needed. If you would like to participate in this event for the Tucson community, go to Tucson.com for more information.

• November 22, 2018 - Thanksgiving Day - Several Tucson restaurants will be offering Thanksgiving meals. If you don’t want to cook you may want to dine out at one of these fine restaurants! Go to this link for more information.

"Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life

is the foundation for all abundance."  Eckhart Tolle

Sponsor of the SPOTLIGHT Senior Services & Living Options Tucson Guide

Visit us today and say "I Saw You In SPOTLIGHT!"

LIVE TO BE 100 ~ Plan On It!

Toby Parks

Senior Real Estate Specialist, SRES

(520) 310-0122

tparksaz@gmail.com 

IN THE SPOTLIGHT Toby Parks, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage

Toby Parks

Senior Real Estate Specialist, SRES

(520) 310-0122

tparksaz@gmail.com 

As a second generation, Arizona native and University of Arizona grad (GO CATS!) living in Tucson, my family and I have served this community for many years. I bring a wealth of insight and expertise about buying and selling real estate in Southern Arizona. Whether it's guiding a family while they consider options for their aging parents or helping a Senior age in place, I can help. If you're looking for a special pocket area on a golf course or want to live near the Loop, I can help. 

My knowledge about schools, local things to do, restaurants, shopping, etc. will guide you to the perfect neighborhood.
Hiking Sabino Canyon and digging in the dirt planting my spring and fall vegetable garden are two of my very favorite things to do. 

It may be hard to believe, but not all real estate agents are familiar with their local market. I live, work, invest and play in our community. I've built a reputation I'm proud of. Let me help you with your real estate needs. 

Your real estate referrals will be professionally handled and greatly appreciated!

Sponsor of the SPOTLIGHT Senior Services & Living Options Guide.  Visit us online today and say "I saw you in SPOTLIGHT!"

www.tobysellstucsonhomes.com 

IN THE SPOTLIGHT Southern Arizona Eldercare

We are pleased to announce our newest advertiser in the Tucson SPOTLIGHT Senior Services & Living Options Resource Guide

Established in January 2016, Southern Arizona Eldercare has a solid reputation and is a respected agency in the world of in-home care.  

We started the company with the intent of providing ethical and superior services, and is exactly what we do. As a licensed in-home care provider, Southern Arizona Eldercare truly understands the value of human interaction and communication. 

With a complete staff of professional and trained caregivers, we are here to provide support for you and your family, whatever the situation.

Visit us today online and say "I saw you in SPOTLIGHT"

https://southernarizonaeldercare.com/

Make Yourself at Home In Tucson!

Su Swanne, Realtor - GRI, CSHP, SRES

Graduate, Realtor Institute

Certified Senior Housing Professional

Senior Real Estate Specialist

520-248-6297

Pictured here are French Marigolds - Marigolds are the Birth Flower for October. I remember my mother planting some of these in her garden when I was a kid. They have a most interesting scent; I could almost smell them as I was loading them onto the page! Marigolds of all varieties are great plants to brighten your Fall garden. If you are preparing your home for sale, consider using them to give a bright “punch” to your landscape. And CALL ME to arrange a listing appointment!

A Word About Real Estate in Tucson

The Housing Report on my webpage can give you some insight about the current value of your home. If you are thinking about moving up or moving away, you can get a close idea of how much money you could get for your home. If you like to see the numbers and graphs of the current statistics, just go to my website and enter your information. You might be surprised! Many of the homes that were under water a couple of years ago are now back to the place where they were before the downward housing spiral. Did You Know that you can subscribe to the monthly housing report and receive it in your email inbox automatically?

The Snowbirds are heading back this way as temperatures drop in the northern and northeastern states. The population in Tucson increases every year, and so does the desire to find a place to stay, or even buy a second home. If you know of someone who visits each year, and who has in mind a purchase, I would appreciate a referral to help them find exactly the right place.

Lookin’ For A Home?

A Word About Downsizing

Did I mention that I have downsized from a fifth-floor condo to a 25-foot travel trailer? That was 760 square feet to 200 square feet. I lived in that trailer for seven years. If you have any questions about downsizing, I have some answers! Sometimes folks want to downsize because they no longer want to manage a large home (and they might want to travel in an RV, or not!) Some folks find themselves in a situation where they must accommodate changes in their health and lifestyle. Whatever the reason, I can help in making the transition. Call me for a confidential, no-obligation consultation about selling your current home, and moving into a new situation.

A Word About Seniors

I just learned about a transportation service that assists Seniors to get around without needing a smartphone. The service is called GoGoGrandparent and it connects Seniors with drivers for Lyft and Uber without the confusion of looking for an app and becoming proficient with it. You can get the rides you need for doctor visits, shopping, hair salons, etc. by calling the number and creating an account. Although it’s been around for a couple of years, I just discovered it, so I wanted to draw your attention it. Now, there’s no reason for Seniors to not be able to keep moving!

Sign Up Now… for the Alzheimer’s Walk on November 10, 2018 at Reid’s Park  in Tucson. Contact Nadine Hanson at 520-322-6601 - nahanson@alz.org to register or volunteer. The truth is...

• 1 in 3 Seniors die with Alzheimer’s or another dementia.
• Alzheimer’s Disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States.
• 5.7 Million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s and this figure is estimated to increase to 14 Million by 2050.
• Nearly ⅔ of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women.

A Word About Me

This month I am heading to Oklahoma City, OK to attend the 4th Annual Conference for Certified Senior Housing Professionals (CSHP), sponsored by the Senior Real Estate Institute. As I only received my designation of CSHP back in June,I look forward to meeting other Real Estate Professionals who assist Seniors through some of their more challenging phases of life. I’m excited about learning new ways of providing excellent services to my clients. I will report back in my next update.

Bankruptcy In Retirement ~ A Senior Crisis

Whether America is facing a “retirement crisis” in which seniors are making do with shrinking financial resources has been widely debated. But here’s a telling metric: Seniors are making a larger share of bankruptcy filings.

That’s the finding of a new paper by academic researchers affiliated with the Consumer Bankruptcy Project, which periodically samples personal bankruptcy filings from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. “Older Americans are increasingly likely to file consumer bankruptcy,” they write, “and their representation among those in bankruptcy has never been higher.”

The figures should worry advocates for seniors, because in terms of the overall financial health of the 65+ cohort, it’s likely to be the tip of the iceberg. “Only a small fraction of those who are having financial troubles file for bankruptcy,” one of the authors, Robert Lawless of the University of Illinois law school, told me. “So this is part of a much bigger story about financial distress among the elderly.”

It’s true that the elderly have been the beneficiaries since the 1930s of America’s strongest and most successful social safety net. The system was born with Social Security in 1935, which aimed to reduce the scandalous poverty rate among seniors. It was followed by Medicare and Medicaid in 1965, which offered relief for healthcare, and culminated in the Medicare prescription drug program enacted in 2003.

During that same period, a sizable percentage of American workers were covered by corporate defined-benefit pensions, producing what retirement experts have called “a brief golden age” when many American workers could retire with confidence.

Over the last few decades, however, confidence in that safety net has ebbed. Defined-benefit plans have given way to defined contribution plans such as 401(k)s, which saddle workers with all the risk of investment market downturns — and in which wealthier workers are overrepresented, both in enrollment rates and balances.

This is part of a much bigger story about financial distress among the elderly.

 ROBERT LAWLESS, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

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Some older Americans may have more access to retirement income than their forebears, but they’re also carrying more debt. The share of Americans still carrying mortgage debt when they reach age 65 rose to 38% in 2013 from 22% in 1995, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard. Their mortgage balances also have risen over that period, to $73,000 from $27,300 in inflation-adjusted terms. Despite Medicare, medical expenses remain a large component of seniors’ financial burdens.

It’s also proper to keep in mind that the stagnation of wages for workers is certain to have an impact as today’s workers move into retirement. Jobs that once offered a stable middle-class income with benefits have morphed into low-wage jobs without job security, healthcare or pensions. Workers struggling to make ends meet in an economy in which corporate profits are approaching a post-recession record aren’t likely to become suddenly flush in their retirement years.

Mortgage debt has been increasing among the 65+ age cohort... (Joint Center for Housing Studies)

 

The bankruptcy paper has sustained some criticism from commentators who believe the retirement crisis has been exaggerated. Kevin Drum of Mother Jones observed, fairly enough, that the bankruptcy rate for the 65+ cohort hasn’t changed at all over the last 15 years, and the run-up in the rate during the decade 1991-2001 reflects a sharp increase in the rate among all Americans — and that increase began in the mid-1980s.

But I would argue that more seems to be going on here. To begin with, the bankruptcy bulge seems to be moving up the age ladder. In 1991, 8.2% of all bankruptcy filings were made by households led by people 55 or older; by the 2013-2016 period, their share was 33.7%. According to the new paper, the bankruptcy rates among all age groups 54 and younger have fallen since 1991, but the rates for all groups 55 and older have risen.

This isn’t related to the general graying of the U.S. population. As Lawless observes, the over-65 population has risen by 16% since 1991. But bankruptcy filings in that cohort have increased by 2 ½ times.

...contributing to a rise in the share of bankruptcies filed by seniors, from 8.2% in 1991 to 33.7% in 2013-2016. (Data from Thorne, et. al.)

 

“This is not a trend, but something qualitatively different in what we’re seeing,” he says.

Lawless and his colleagues point out that while bankruptcy is a last resort for any debtor and nothing like the panacea it’s often depicted to be, it’s an especially dire choice for seniors. Unlike younger debtors, seniors don’t have years ahead of them to rebuild their household finances while their debts are held in abeyance. “By the time they file bankruptcy,” the paper observes, “their wealth has vanished.”

America has some serious policy choices to make, and pretending that seniors are living the high life on Social Security doesn’t clarify matters, especially as the claim is typically made by conservatives as a rationale to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits.

The figures on bankruptcy suggest that the opposite is necessary — expanding Social Security and increasing benefits to shore up retiree resources against the decline of personal savings and pension income. The guaranteed retirement accounts advocated by a number of retirement experts — personal accounts funded by workers and employers during their working years, supported by a tax credit and a government guarantee against loss of principal—are a promising option. America has more than enough resources to make sure, as it did in the 1930s, that its seniors won’t be facing their last years fearing penury.

Visit us online today to learn more about reverse mortgages at:

www.novareverse.com 

How To Find Your Passions In Retirement

We’re all constantly searching for something meaningful to do in retirement. Some may find that a difficult task, but we haven’t much choice but to keep looking. The reality is we have a personal responsibility to move our lives forward. 

A number of life coaches have come up with recommendations for discovering your passions, and I’ve accumulated these below. Some of their ideas might seem a little wacky, but they have been found to work so you might as well consider them. And I’ve also added a few of my own wacky ideas.

Give up what you’re doing now

If how you spend your time is not satisfying, then admit some changes are needed. Otherwise you wouldn’t feel a need to find something that’s more fulfilling.

Go through a university course catalog

Regardless of whether or not you’re interested in taking a class, you might find a topic or two that draws your attention as you flip through the pages, and you can pursue these on your own.

Talk to a life coach

They can take you through the process of identifying your interests, and help you evaluate and prioritize various options.

Talk to your friends and family

They know what you like to talk about, so they have a sense of what turns you on. They can spur your thinking toward a specific field or endeavor.

Pay attention to what you do or think about

Many of the things we dwell on are usually the things we love. If you find that you lose track of time with something you’re thinking about, you’re interested and engaged, and that makes it a passion.

Think like a child

Believe it or not, many life coaches recommend this technique. Think back to the things you enjoyed doing as a kid. For example, if you loved to listen to music, take it up a level — study music at a local college or learn how to play an instrument; if you liked coloring, learn how to paint or get involved with your local art league.

Be willing to experiment

There are no bad ideas in this stage of your development process. So don’t reject something because you think it’s just not you. You might discover something about yourself. For example, I always hated dancing, so I decided to take dance lessons. I did that for about three years, and while it’s not exactly a passion, I actually enjoy it now (even though my wife still thinks I’m pretty bad).​

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Have the right attitude

Look at this searching process as an adventure, a chance to learn new things and grow. Don’t feel pressure to get it done right away and don’t be afraid of getting it wrong. Seeing it as a journey can make it a positive experience, and that’s motivating and helps keep you committed.

Discover recurring themes

Take an inventory of things you tend to accumulate, such as books, films, etc. If you’re watching TV or reading, what do you watch or read about? If you go to a book store, what section do you go to? You might notice there are certain themes that attract you. 

Keep a list

Write down the things that seem to strike you as enjoyable and worth pursuing. This is a work in progress, so keep adding to your list as ideas occur to you.

As I said, this isn’t easy. Discovering your passions won’t happen overnight and you probably won’t have a “eureka” moment.  That’s important to keep this in mind because a lack of initial success can lead you to quit.

But you can get there if you stick to it, and you’ll be happier and have a more satisfying life for having done so. Using time constructively is one of the surest ways to achieve emotional well-being and a sense of personal self-worth. Giving up, on the other hand, will leave you with a “life sucks” attitude and that can make you miserable, and probably the people around you.

This is just the first step. In a follow-up article, I’ll get into how you can implement your passions into action.

Visit us online today to learn more about reverse mortgages @ www.novareverse.com 

Sponsor of the SPOTLIGHT Senior Services & Living Options resource guide.