By Linda Chuss

Nina Sable has worked with many seniors in her real estate practice with William Raveis in Natick, and before, that in her elder care career. She has seen the challenges elderly homeowners face with their living situations. As she describes it, at some point, the work to maintain a house becomes too much. The wonderful memories associated with a home are reasons to stay, but the required effort can offset that joy.

In addition to nostalgia, other aspects keep senior homeowners from taking action. Sable said, “Some people think their home condition isn’t well-suited for selling and they aren’t excited about fixing it up. I explain why they don’t need to.

“First, William Raveis has a beneficial ‘Refresh’ program. A company representative goes to the house and helps determine what’s needed to best sell it. They’ll arrange for the work to be done, but the owner doesn’t pay for it until the house sells; it’s then the expenses are deducted from the proceeds. For the homeowner, that’s easier financially and ensures the right updates are made, with minimal effort. Plus, the sales price typically ends up higher than what the owner anticipated.

“Another point is that now is an excellent time to sell. There is a flurry of buyers, and not enough homes. Smaller homes are especially in demand right now and buyers are competing for them.

“Even beyond smaller homes, the market for sellers is strong right now. I just sold a beautiful and unique contemporary home for an elderly woman who was moving to an out-of-state continuing care community. It needed clearing out, so I connected her with a decluttering agency.”

Often older owners have many items they no longer need, and figuring out what to do with them can be overwhelming. Sable said, “I can put the homeowner in touch with specialists who make that process much easier.

“It also can be hard for the owner to decide where to go next and can take someone awhile to figure out. From my experience, I have valuable contacts who can help. I’ve begun working with a long-term-care placement professional, who’s a great resource.

“Because it’s a multistep process, rather than delay taking action, it will feel better to get started. I advise contacting me early on, long before you think you’re ready to sell, to leverage the resources I have and make it easier for yourself.”

As a way to share more about the process with a greater number of seniors, Sable is planning for in-person educational events, where homeowners can learn more.

“And I’d like to add sessions for other situations, such as probate and will sales,” she said. “I have a web site just for that: sellwithsablewillsandprobate.com. If someone passes away and their home needs to be sold, it’s similar to what I do for seniors who are transitioning to a more manageable place to live. One added consideration with will or probate sales is that dealing with courts and lawyers adds complexity and takes longer. A year or more is typical. My main advice is like what I tell seniors transitioning to new living accommodations: start early on so you can take advantage of my resources to help. For example, in cases where the home needs to sell more quickly, I work with investment buyers.”

Clients appreciate Sable’s diligence. “Nina was outstanding,” said J.M., whose home Sable recently sold. “Nina’s best attribute is that she is accessible and always willing to go the ‘extra yard’ for her clients … My priorities became her priorities.”

For more information, visit sellwithsable.realtor, or contact Sable at (508) 733-8935 or [email protected].

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