Over the past decade, reverse mortgages have been aggressively pitched in TV ads as an easy way for seniors to cash in their home equity to pay for living expenses. In reality, reverse mortgages can be a good option for seniors in certain economic situations, providing greater financial security and allowing them to age in place. In other circumstances, it could potentially create financial distress and keep seniors trapped in a home that no longer suits their physical needs.

Are you considering downsizing, but the thought of sorting through decades worth of possessions and packing up your home stops you dead in your tracks? To help you get the process jumpstarted, you may want to seek out a secret weapon.

No matter how you slice it, we live in an unpredictable world when it comes to the weather. Most Americans live with the ongoing risk of disaster including hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, and tornadoes. You can’t prevent Armageddon so why dwell on it. But, you can be prepared if catastrophe strikes by creating a home inventory. In order to get reimbursement from your insurance company for items that are destroyed in a natural disaster, it’s essential to have detailed information about your possessions.

Rising prices and a dearth of homes for sale in some markets have made it harder for many looking to buy their first home. One of the biggest obstacles many are facing is saving up for a down payment, particularly in hotter markets where competition for the more affordable homes can quickly drive up prices and put pressure on buyers to bring more cash up front. That trend is prompting many parents to step in, some opening their wallets, others welcoming their adult children to live with them again temporarily while they save money or pay down debt.

Are you a senior, or an adult child of a senior, who has procrastinated on downsizing because it just seems too overwhelming or intimidating? You have accumulated a lifetime of memories and personal possessions that you don’t want to lose. Yet, it has become harder to maintain your current home and the neighborhood has undergone a generational turnover, with older friends and neighbors selling their homes to younger families. To give you the spark and motivation to downsize, or as we like to say, open the door to a new season of life, check out our new “Senior Moments” series as aired on The Eric Stewart Show.

Meet the Realtors® from the Eric Stewart Group of Long & Foster at the upcoming Beacon 50+ Expos, taking placing in Silver Spring, MD on Sunday, October 18 at the Silver Spring Civic Center and on Sunday, October 25 in Arlington at the Ballston Mall. Both events will be held from 12pm – 4pm.

Andrew Carle is an award winning professor and Executive-in-Residence and Founding Director of the Program in Senior Housing Administration at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. On a recent segment of Eric’s radio show, Andrew provides insight on the future of retirement communities, and how they will follow in the diversification footsteps of American icon, Coca-Cola.

According to CoreLogic, a real estate analytics firm, 14 of the top 100 real estate markets in the U.S. are overvalued, which is more than double the number that were at the end of first quarter 2015. An overvalued housing market has home prices that are 10% or more above the long-term sustainable level.

When it’s time to downsize, you will most likely have many items that you will not have room for at your new residence. While yard or estate sales are still popular options, you will increase your reach and exposure through online channels.

Please join Widow Care at their 2nd annual 5K on Saturday, October 17th. This year, it will take place at the beautiful grounds of 301 Odenhal Avenue in Gaithersburg, MD. Participants will enjoy live music and one another as they support widows and widowers!