Where to live. What to do with your home. What comes next.
You may be looking for a senior living community for a parent, thinking about selling a longtime home, or hoping to remain where you are. Each situation brings different questions. We help you explore the options before you decide.
Our Living Options Assessment helps us understand your needs, location, accommodation preferences, and budget.
Could your home equity help you stay or make your next move?
Your home may be part of the financial solution. There are different ways to access equity, whether you want to remain at home, make improvements, manage expenses, or plan a transition.
Reverse Mortgages
For eligible homeowners, a reverse mortgage can provide access to equity without required monthly principal-and-interest mortgage payments. For FHA-insured HECM loans, homeowners must generally be 62 or older. Interest accrues, and property taxes, insurance, and home maintenance remain your responsibility.
Home Equity Lines of Credit (HELOCs)
A revolving line of credit lets you draw on available home equity as needed during a draw period. HELOC rates are often variable, so monthly payments can change. Repayment requirements also change when the draw period ends.
Second-Lien Home Equity Loans
A lump-sum second mortgage may allow you to access equity while keeping your existing first mortgage. Unlike a revolving HELOC, a closed-end second mortgage provides the loan amount upfront, with repayment terms based on the loan selected.
Loan eligibility, terms, costs, and available programs vary. Loans secured by your home involve repayment and property-related obligations.
Different situations deserve different solutions.
There's no single next step that makes sense for everyone. Start with the question you're trying to answer.
Explore senior living communities
Finding a community is more than picking a location. You need to know what kind of accommodation is offered, whether the care fits, and what the total monthly cost may include.
- Independent living, assisted living, and memory care
- Room and apartment preferences, including private or shared options
- Current pricing and availability checked for your specific needs
Make a plan for your home
If a move is being considered, the home often becomes part of the decision. Selling before a move, afterward, or keeping the property can lead to very different plans.
- Understand what the home may sell for
- Explore a traditional sale, an as-is sale, or preparing the property
- Consider timing, belongings, repairs, and moving resources
Explore staying in your home
Sometimes moving isn't the preferred choice. If staying home is the goal, it helps to look at the practical and financial considerations before deciding what is possible.
- Home maintenance, accessibility, and in-home assistance
- Your home's value and potential equity options
- Reverse mortgages, HELOCs, and second-lien mortgage options
We've walked through the communities we write about.
Our Scottsdale-area community articles are based on actual visits, conversations with staff, and details that stood out along the way. Those observations help you begin your research with more than a list of amenities.
Rates, room availability, and services can change. We check those details when we know what you're looking for.
At Belmont Village, it wasn't just the building that stood out. It was seeing how the Circle of Friends classes encouraged residents to participate, learn, and talk with one another.
An observation from our visit to Belmont Village Senior Living in Scottsdale
Tell us your situation. We'll help you explore what fits.
You don't need to have everything figured out before getting in touch.
Share what you're considering
Complete our Living Options Assessment. Tell us whom you're helping, the areas and accommodations you prefer, your budget, and whether a home is involved.
We review the relevant options
For community inquiries, we can contact the communities about the specific room types, current availability, and pricing. For home-related questions, we'll identify what information is needed next.
Discuss the next step
We can help you compare the information, explore real estate options, or explore the financing options presented on this page, based on your goals.
Explore the information we've already gathered.
Research is useful when it helps you understand your situation and ask better questions. We also share health and wellness resources that may be useful as needs change.
Reverse Mortgage, HELOC, or Second Lien?
Not every homeowner needs the same type of loan. Some want to reduce required monthly mortgage payments, some need flexible access to funds, and others prefer a single lump sum while keeping their current first mortgage.
We can discuss the differences and determine which programs are worth evaluating based on your goals and eligibility.
Consider this when accessing equity without required monthly principal-and-interest payments is a priority. The balance grows as interest and fees accrue, and the loan must eventually be repaid.
Consider this when you want to draw funds over time rather than receive everything at once. Compare variable-rate payments and what happens at the end of the draw period.
Consider this when you know the amount you want to borrow and would like to retain an existing first mortgage. A HELOC can also be a second lien, but a closed-end loan provides a lump sum rather than a revolving line.
All loans are subject to applicable underwriting, eligibility, property requirements, and lender terms. Borrowing against your home creates an obligation secured by the property. For a reverse mortgage, property taxes, insurance, occupancy, and maintenance requirements continue to apply.
You can begin without knowing which option you'll choose.
Tell us what's happening, what you're considering, and what matters to you. That gives us a useful place to start.