My senior mom and I are finally getting settled after moving two states over. It's definitely been a challenge but Kentucky is beautiful, our new neighbors are great, and I'm finally starting to get through some of my piles. I have even survived my first experience watching "Bambi" cross the road! For a city girl, that was a major shock and you can bet I'm watching extra carefully as I drive. 
I've set up my new health, auto, and rental property insurance. Did you know they probably all have to be changed if you move to another state, even if you stay with the same company! That was definitely a time-consuming shock to the system. And when you are taking care of aging parents' affairs, Medicare health insurance for seniors has its own requirements and needs! It's definitely vital to plan on some serious time spent working on all these projects when you move!
My senior mom handled the move like a trooper though even she admits it was a bit exhausting during the process. I was able to do all the house hunting and apartment hunting myself before we moved which saved her quite a bit of stress and strain. In addition, it really helped that we were able to move directly from one rental home to another without having to live in temporary housing for a month or so as many people do when they relocate. While that's often a necessity, if you can avoid it with aging parents it will usually make a smoother transition for each of you.
How about you? Have you had to live in temporary housing with a senior parent? How did they do? How did you do?
Tagged as:
apartment hunting,
health insurance for seniors,
house hunting,
medicare,
relocate,
rental property insurance
If you need to relocate to a new area or are now starting to help an aging parent in a different area from where you live, the local newspaper can be a big help to you!
Many newspapers provide newspaper subscriptions via mail so that you can stay abreast on what is happening in the area. From crime alerts to the classifieds for ads to help with house hunting or apartment hunting to fun activities for aging parents, you will find plenty of useful information for your needs. Unfortunately, the cost can be somewhat steep due to postage, but often it’s well worth it.
Another thing to check on is whether they offer an annual supplemental magazine about their area. All three of my last cities have published one of these and they are worth their weight in gold!
These little supplements have all sorts of interesting information about the various cities in the immediate area. They often provide population numbers and breakdowns, the names of the schools in the area, give descriptions of the various businesses, churches, and health systems. They provide details on the different art activities, fun attractions, and health systems as well.
When I moved from one coast to the other, I called the local newspaper in the new area. I talked to a very sweet gentleman who confirmed they did publish that and he was able to find me one of the last ones available and mailed it to me. What a blessing that was to us as we were trying to learn everything we could about the new city we would soon relocate to.
Two of the newspapers I’ve subscribed to published their supplements in January. Our new paper just published theirs in October. I would call the local newspaper first, and if they don’t have any more, call the local library. The library probably won’t be able to mail it to you, but perhaps you could pop in and make some photocopies when you are out house hunting or visiting your aging parents.
To find the name and phone number of the local newspaper, you can check SandwichINK’s article, 16 Newspaper, Radio and TV Sites for the Sandwich Generation. Another option is to go to Google and type in the name of the city and state, the word AND in capital letters, then type the name of the newspaper. For instance – for Louisville Kentucky, type: Louisville, KY AND newspaper. Sure enough, the first thing that popped up was the Louisville Courier Journal. If you need more help finding a newspaper, you can also go to RefDesk. They have a wonderful page with links to newspapers for the whole world! Refdesk is such a great resource.
These little supplements provide a wealth of information that is very useful for all and particularly for those of us in the Sandwich Generation who are also looking to relocate and interested in renting or buying property.
Tagged as:
apartment hunting,
buying property,
house hunting,
investment properties,
newspaper subscriptions,
relocate
As always, Twitter has some great resources for those of us in the Sandwich Generation who are involved in property investing:
Here’s a handy site – a mailbox finder. It can help you find a mailbox to drop the mail off in an area you are unfamiliar with – where an aging relative lives, where you are planning to relocate to, etc.
This looks like a good site for apartment hunting if you are relocating to be closer to aging parents.
Speaking of apartment hunting as well as house hunting, here are some great hi-tech tips from LifeHacker.
Oh my – if your aging parent’s home is standing vacant, keep a close watch on it!
Here’s some good real estate news! The 10 strongest U.S. housing markets – Handy to know if you are looking for a good place to relocate to.
US new home sales up sharply. That’s good news, too, though I’m not sure all are seeing it in their locales. My family isn’t, on either coast. How about you? Per @HousingReporter
If you or your aging parent is trying to sell a home fast by owner, please be sure to take extra precautions and be alert at all times. This article relates the sad tale of a fake real estate agent who got into a house under false pretenses. So far, it doesn’t look like he did anything, but then again…
Helpful pointers on how to grandchild-proof your home from one of my favorite real estate Twitter resources - @blogboy.
This verse is PERFECT for those dealing with real estate – in any manner! Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.
Some great reminders and tips for our aging parents, college-bound older kids, and even ourselves about rental property insurance! Thanks to @MonroeOnABudget
One last bit of housekeeping. I am adding this site to Technorati, who would like me to add this intriguing bit of code to my site. So just for you, Technorati, because we do appreciate you VERY much. 3b9ynd8esv
That’s it for now, y’all. Have a great week!
Tagged as:
apartment hunting,
investment properties,
mailbox finder,
relocate,
rental property insurance,
sell home fast
