Probate is a court process to retitle assets. Probate is designed to create a “final accounting” upon death. It is the legal process of “proving up” a Will, or verifying that a Will is valid, takes place in one of two instances. First, if a person dies leaving behind a Will, or second, if the deceased has died intestate, that is, has not left behind a Will or estate plan of any type or the Will cannot be found. Estate planning attorney Steve Waltar with Legacy Estate Planning joins Suzanne to give us a primer on probate.

Steve says, "Probate is a Latin term that means 'to prove,' and it's essentially to prove who died and prove what their assets are. So, it's this court process to retitle things. Probate is not caused because you have a will, and it's not caused because you don't have a will. It's really caused because there are things that need re-titling."
Probate articles by Steve Waltar
Legacy Estate Planning at Answers for Elders
Legacy Estate Planning website
More podcasts with Steve Waltar
Find an attorney near you at the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys website
Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks

Probate is a court process to retitle assets. Probate is designed to create a “final accounting” upon death. It is the legal process of “proving up” a Will, or verifying that a Will is valid, takes place in one of two instances. First, if a person dies leaving behind a Will, or second, if the deceased has died intestate, that is, has not left behind a Will or estate plan of any type or the Will cannot be found. Estate planning attorney Steve Waltar with <a href="https://www.waltar.com/">Legacy Estate Planning</a> joins Suzanne to give us a primer on probate.
Steve says, "Probate is a Latin term that means 'to prove,' and it's essentially to prove who died and prove what their assets are. So, it's this court process to retitle things. Probate is not caused because you have a will, and it's not caused because you don't have a will. It's really caused because there are things that need re-titling."
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.waltar.com/?s=probate">Probate articles</a> by Steve Waltar</li>
<li><a href="https://answersforelders.com/legacy-estate-planning/">Legacy Estate Planning</a> at Answers for Elders</li>
<li><a href="https://www.waltar.com/">Legacy Estate Planning</a> website</li>
<li><a href="https://answersforelders.com/legacy-estate-planning/steve-waltar/">More podcasts</a> with Steve Waltar</li>
<li>Find an attorney near you at the <a href="https://aaepa.com/member-listing/">American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys</a> website</li>
<li>Check out our affiliate podcast <a href="https://alzheimersspeaks.com/">Alzheimer’s Speaks</a></li>
</ul>

Answers for Elders is the North Star in Navigating Senior Care.  Our content is designed to Empower Seniors and their Families through the Daunting Journey of Aging.

Featuring our host, Suzanne Newman and top industry providers across the USA, together, we support, coach and assist seniors, caregivers and their families in finding the best independent solutions in world of aging, with a comprehensive line-up of topics covering Health & Wellness, Life Changes, Living Options, and Money & Law.

Answers for Elders is the North Star in Navigating Senior Care.  Our content is designed to Empower Seniors and their Families through the Daunting Journey of Aging.
Featuring our host, Suzanne Newman and top industry providers across the USA, together, we support, coach and assist seniors, caregivers and their families in finding the best independent solutions in world of aging, with a comprehensive line-up of topics covering Health &amp; Wellness, Life Changes, Living Options, and Money &amp; Law.

Answers For Elders Radio Network

Empowering Seniors and their Families through the Daunting Journey of Aging

For Caregivers: If you're caring for a senior loved one, or navigating later life care, we help make the journey so much easier for you and your family.

For Seniors: We help you be proactive to prepare for your aging years ahead, honoring your wishes.

Featuring our host, Suzanne Newman and top industry providers across the USA, together, we support, coach and assist families in finding the best independent solutions in world of aging, with a comprehensive line-up of topics covering Health & Wellness, Life Changes, Living Options, and Money & Law.

Empowering Seniors and their Families through the Daunting Journey of Aging
For Caregivers: If you're caring for a senior loved one, or navigating later life care, we help make the journey so much easier for you and your family.
For Seniors: We help you be proactive to prepare for your aging years ahead, honoring your wishes.
Featuring our host, Suzanne Newman and top industry providers across the USA, together, we support, coach and assist families in finding the best independent solutions in world of aging, with a comprehensive line-up of topics covering Health &amp; Wellness, Life Changes, Living Options, and Money &amp; Law.

Answers for Elders

Probate is a court process to retitle assets. Probate is designed to create a “final accounting” upon death. It is the legal process of “proving up” a Will, or verifying that a Will is valid, takes place in one of two instances. First, if a person dies leaving behind a Will, or second, if the deceased has died intestate, that is, has not left behind a Will or estate plan of any type or the Will cannot be found. Estate planning attorney Steve Waltar with Legacy Estate Planning joins Suzanne to give us a primer on probate.

Everything You Need to Know About Probate

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/1c0f5f87-adb6-4d9b-baf6-b17a000d2e10/transcript

How can families be supportive during a senior loved one's downsizing to senior living, and when is it time for Mom to let professionals take over? Rebecca Bomann, CEO of SASH Services (Sell a Senior's Home), joins Suzanne to advise families during downsizing. Sometime families help, and sometimes they get in the way and make it more complicated than it needs to be. Her three tips: Let mom take ownership of the move; let professionals be the bad guy; and validate mom's emotional journey.

Let mom take ownership of the move. Rebecca says, "I really believe strongly that the more the senior gets to make their own decisions in the sale, the more it's done on their terms and on their timeline, even if it's not convenient for the family. They'll feel a sense of ownership, that I did this when I was ready, I did this My Way like Frank Sinatra says. I encourage families: let your parents decide, give them options to choose from, and respect the timeline they're on, because they will arrive at their timeline. Sometimes it's longer, sometimes it's shorter. Sometimes it takes a crisis, but just give them the autonomy and the agency to decide when they want to do it and how they want to do it. It's hard for family, especially when there's a lot going on. But it's so powerful for the senior to experience."

Let professionals be the bad guy. "When should family step back? Professionals come in, they're detached from the home emotionally. They're there to do their job, and they're experienced and trained in taking care of seniors, and they won't get as frustrated with mom or dad that they want to take, you know, 11 lamps to their new apartment. So let them be the bad guy. Let the downsizer and the mover and the placement advisor and the senior care professionals, let them be the person giving the guidance. So you can just be the son, you can just be the daughter, in a supportive and loving place, letting your parent have this journey on their terms."

Validate mom's emotional journey. "Another thing really is just validating and respecting the emotions that the parent is going through. There's going to be the denial and the grief that they're feeling about leaving the home, and the sadness about the memories. I would never say, 'you know, mom, at least you have a place to move to mom. At least you have money in the bank.' Just say, ' it's so understandable to be sad right now. And this is really hard, dad,' and just validate the place they're coming from, because they're still a person and they have agency. Validating their feelings and letting them have permission to grieve, and go through that emotional journey, makes it such a better landing on the other side."
Hear more podcasts with Rebecca Bomann on Answers for Elders.
SASH Services overview at AFE
Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks.

How can families be supportive during a senior loved one's downsizing to senior living, and when is it time for Mom to let professionals take over? Rebecca Bomann, CEO of SASH Services (Sell a Senior's Home), joins Suzanne to advise families during downsizing. Sometime families help, and sometimes they get in the way and make it more complicated than it needs to be. Her three tips: Let mom take ownership of the move; let professionals be the bad guy; and validate mom's emotional journey.
Let mom take ownership of the move. Rebecca says, "I really believe strongly that the more the senior gets to make their own decisions in the sale, the more it's done on their terms and on their timeline, even if it's not convenient for the family. They'll feel a sense of ownership, that I did this when I was ready, I did this My Way like Frank Sinatra says. I encourage families: let your parents decide, give them options to choose from, and respect the timeline they're on, because they will arrive at their timeline. Sometimes it's longer, sometimes it's shorter. Sometimes it takes a crisis, but just give them the autonomy and the agency to decide when they want to do it and how they want to do it. It's hard for family, especially when there's a lot going on. But it's so powerful for the senior to experience."
Let professionals be the bad guy. "When should family step back? Professionals come in, they're detached from the home emotionally. They're there to do their job, and they're experienced and trained in taking care of seniors, and they won't get as frustrated with mom or dad that they want to take, you know, 11 lamps to their new apartment. So let them be the bad guy. Let the downsizer and the mover and the placement advisor and the senior care professionals, let them be the person giving the guidance. So you can just be the son, you can just be the daughter, in a supportive and loving place, letting your parent have this journey on their terms."
Validate mom's emotional journey. "Another thing really is just validating and respecting the emotions that the parent is going through. There's going to be the denial and the grief that they're feeling about leaving the home, and the sadness about the memories. I would never say, 'you know, mom, at least you have a place to move to mom. At least you have money in the bank.' Just say, ' it's so understandable to be sad right now. And this is really hard, dad,' and just validate the place they're coming from, because they're still a person and they have agency. Validating their feelings and letting them have permission to grieve, and go through that emotional journey, makes it such a better landing on the other side."
<ul>
<li><a href="https://answersforelders.com/tag/rebecca-bomann/">Hear more podcasts with Rebecca Bomann</a> on Answers for Elders.</li>
<li><a href="https://answersforelders.com/sash-services/">SASH Services overview</a> at AFE</li>
<li>Check out our affiliate podcast <a href="https://alzheimersspeaks.com/">Alzheimer’s Speaks</a>.</li>
</ul>

How can families be supportive during a senior loved one's downsizing to senior living, and when is it time for Mom to let professionals take over? Rebecca Bomann, CEO of SASH Services (Sell a Senior's Home), joins Suzanne to talk about families during downsizing. Sometime families help, and sometimes they get in the way and make it more complicated than it needs to be.

Three Key Tips for Families During a Senior Downsizing

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/25c9ea92-0974-47c8-84e3-b18f0157e58e/transcript

What are the obstacles to downsizing, and how can we get past them? Rebecca Bomann, CEO of SASH Services (Sell a Senior's Home), joins Suzanne to address obstacles people face as well as their solutions.

Rebecca says, "I've sat in hundreds and hundreds of living rooms over the years that I've been providing these services, and my clients articulate to me why they don't feel like they can move even though they really want to or need to.

"One of them, and this is kind of a misperception, is they have the physical limitation of not being able to sort and pack their whole home. Of the hundreds and hundreds of clients that we've assisted, only two of my clients actually did their own packing. Everyone else had a team of helpers, professionals downsizers, people to come in and help sort and pack. My dream is that someone can sit in their recliner with their favorite beverage, and they're just making decisions. 'I don't want that. I do want that,' and they have professionals help them with that process. No one should ever feel like they can't move because they have to physically do the work. Bring people in, you deserve that kind of help. There's a great network of what's called senior move managers around the country. Just go to their website, type in your zip code, and see who's near you. And that website is https://www.nasmm.org/, the National Association of Senior Move Managers. It's a great resource. 

"Another obstacle is they feel like they can't really get through it, because they don't have family living close by that can help them through the process. Families are scattered all over the country and the world these days, they very rarely all live on the same block, and they think, 'I'll never get through this. My family's all out of the state, or on the other side of the country.' And I always say, 'Bring in the professionals. You actually can have a very low-stress, very supported, very easy move because you've got a team of people helping you, whether your family can be there or not. And it's sometimes a blessing if your family can't help. Because they will sometimes come in with their emotions, their attachment to the home, competition between them, fighting over heirlooms, or they can only give you an hour a week for six months. Don't feel bad at all if your family can't help, it's probably a good thing. 

"One more obstacle is feeling like people have limited resources to pay for the sorting, and packing, and emptying out of their home. They think, 'Well, I don't have the $5,000, $7,000, or $9,000 to be able to pay all these people to come and help me. So I guess I'm stuck.' There's so many ways that this can be paid for. A lot of senior living communities actually provide assistance with this. They have incentives, they give financial credits, or they have their own moving services. The other thing that we've seen many time is that the selling of valuables in the home will actually pay for all of the labor and professionals to come and help you in the home. So if you've got lunch boxes from the 1960s in your attic, an amazing a collection of antique furniture, or World War II paraphernalia in the basement, collectors all over the country are looking for these things. They will pay good money. You can have an online auction with professionals who'll manage it for you. I've seen online auctions make $10,000, $13,000, $18,000 for a client. And then they have plenty of money to pay for their move and don't have to dip into other resources."
Hear more podcasts with Rebecca Bomann on Answers for Elders.
SASH Services overview at AFE
National Association of Senior Move Managers
Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks.

What are the obstacles to downsizing, and how can we get past them? Rebecca Bomann, CEO of SASH Services (Sell a Senior's Home), joins Suzanne to address obstacles people face as well as their solutions.
Rebecca says, "I've sat in hundreds and hundreds of living rooms over the years that I've been providing these services, and my clients articulate to me why they don't feel like they can move even though they really want to or need to.
"One of them, and this is kind of a misperception, is they have the physical limitation of not being able to sort and pack their whole home. Of the hundreds and hundreds of clients that we've assisted, only two of my clients actually did their own packing. Everyone else had a team of helpers, professionals downsizers, people to come in and help sort and pack. My dream is that someone can sit in their recliner with their favorite beverage, and they're just making decisions. 'I don't want that. I do want that,' and they have professionals help them with that process. No one should ever feel like they can't move because they have to physically do the work. Bring people in, you deserve that kind of help. There's a great network of what's called senior move managers around the country. Just go to their website, type in your zip code, and see who's near you. And that website is <a href="https://www.nasmm.org/">https://www.nasmm.org/</a>, the <a href="https://www.nasmm.org/">National Association of Senior Move Managers</a>. It's a great resource. 
"Another obstacle is they feel like they can't really get through it, because they don't have family living close by that can help them through the process. Families are scattered all over the country and the world these days, they very rarely all live on the same block, and they think, 'I'll never get through this. My family's all out of the state, or on the other side of the country.' And I always say, 'Bring in the professionals. You actually can have a very low-stress, very supported, very easy move because you've got a team of people helping you, whether your family can be there or not. And it's sometimes a blessing if your family can't help. Because they will sometimes come in with their emotions, their attachment to the home, competition between them, fighting over heirlooms, or they can only give you an hour a week for six months. Don't feel bad at all if your family can't help, it's probably a good thing. 
"One more obstacle is feeling like people have limited resources to pay for the sorting, and packing, and emptying out of their home. They think, 'Well, I don't have the $5,000, $7,000, or $9,000 to be able to pay all these people to come and help me. So I guess I'm stuck.' There's so many ways that this can be paid for. A lot of senior living communities actually provide assistance with this. They have incentives, they give financial credits, or they have their own moving services. The other thing that we've seen many time is that the selling of valuables in the home will actually pay for all of the labor and professionals to come and help you in the home. So if you've got lunch boxes from the 1960s in your attic, an amazing a collection of antique furniture, or World War II paraphernalia in the basement, collectors all over the country are looking for these things. They will pay good money. You can have an online auction with professionals who'll manage it for you. I've seen online auctions make $10,000, $13,000, $18,000 for a client. And then they have plenty of money to pay for their move and don't have to dip into other resources."
<ul>
<li><a href="https://answersforelders.com/tag/rebecca-bomann/">Hear more podcasts with Rebecca Bomann</a> on Answers for Elders.</li>
<li><a href="https://answersforelders.com/sash-services/">SASH Services overview</a> at AFE</li>
<li><a href="https://www.nasmm.org/">National Association of Senior Move Managers</a></li>
<li>Check out our affiliate podcast <a href="https://alzheimersspeaks.com/">Alzheimer’s Speaks</a>.</li>
</ul>

What are the obstacles to downsizing, and how can we get past them? Rebecca Bomann, CEO of SASH Services (Sell a Senior's Home), joins Suzanne to address obstacles people face as well as their solutions. The national association of senior move managers at NASMM.com is a fantastic resource.

Overcoming the Obstacles to Downsizing

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/9fea10f5-5a0d-4824-b432-b18f015613a2/transcript

Rebecca Bomann, CEO of SASH Services (Sell a Senior's Home), joins Suzanne to talk about various options for downsizing and moving, including for those 55 and up, as well as the emotional journey of leaving the family home.

Rebecca says, "Happily, there's so many options out there for seniors who are looking to downsize from their home, more and more living options, a greater variety of pricing options for people, amenities, activities. They're allowing pets more in these communities. There's a lot of open doors and opportunities. So it doesn't feel like clients are looking at kind of a barren landscape of where to go. There's a rich buffet of opportunity and options where people can live.

"They allow guest stays at many of these. Instead of just doing one tour and feeling like you have to make a decision, people can go and stay for a weekend as a guest. Take it for a test drive. See what it's like in the dining room, meet new people in the hallway. If they don't like it, they can keep looking. It's a risk-free way to have a good sense of that community.

"The younger boomers and the folks that are just starting to search, they don't want all of the work of a giant home and property to take care of, and they're looking at a senior living community as a quality of life choice. We're gonna have less to take care of, more amenities, a heated pool, a clubhouse, people to talk to, social events, and we want to start this fun phase in our life. We don't want to put it off forever while we hang on to this big house that we don't need anymore. We don't need a big 3,000 square foot home."

Rebecca adds, "I feel like the emotional journey of leaving the family home is actually bigger than the physical part of listing it and selling it. I always say to my clients, 'The listing of your home at the end of this journey, and putting it on the market and selling it is about 10% of all that we're going to do here together. We have the sorting and downsizing of household items. Saying goodbye to things that folks are attached to, having family come and pick out the things that they want to take, doing an auction or an estate sale, saying goodbye to the home, and all of those feelings that people feel about the home. I feel like sometimes they're a little bit embarrassed to feel grief about leaving their home. And my personal belief is that it's just like a family member. After 30, 40, 50, even 60 years, it is as familiar and comfortable and home and warm as a family member. And so leaving that home is like losing a family member and there needs to be grief."

If you're in the state of Washington, call SASH Services at 888-400-7274 or visit https://www.sashservices.com/. Outside of Washington, check out the national association of senior move managers at NASMM.com.
Hear more podcasts with Rebecca Bomann on Answers for Elders.
SASH Services overview at AFE
Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks.

Rebecca Bomann, CEO of SASH Services (Sell a Senior's Home), joins Suzanne to talk about various options for downsizing and moving, including for those 55 and up, as well as the emotional journey of leaving the family home.
Rebecca says, "Happily, there's so many options out there for seniors who are looking to downsize from their home, more and more living options, a greater variety of pricing options for people, amenities, activities. They're allowing pets more in these communities. There's a lot of open doors and opportunities. So it doesn't feel like clients are looking at kind of a barren landscape of where to go. There's a rich buffet of opportunity and options where people can live.
"They allow guest stays at many of these. Instead of just doing one tour and feeling like you have to make a decision, people can go and stay for a weekend as a guest. Take it for a test drive. See what it's like in the dining room, meet new people in the hallway. If they don't like it, they can keep looking. It's a risk-free way to have a good sense of that community.
"The younger boomers and the folks that are just starting to search, they don't want all of the work of a giant home and property to take care of, and they're looking at a senior living community as a quality of life choice. We're gonna have less to take care of, more amenities, a heated pool, a clubhouse, people to talk to, social events, and we want to start this fun phase in our life. We don't want to put it off forever while we hang on to this big house that we don't need anymore. We don't need a big 3,000 square foot home."
Rebecca adds, "I feel like the emotional journey of leaving the family home is actually bigger than the physical part of listing it and selling it. I always say to my clients, 'The listing of your home at the end of this journey, and putting it on the market and selling it is about 10% of all that we're going to do here together. We have the sorting and downsizing of household items. Saying goodbye to things that folks are attached to, having family come and pick out the things that they want to take, doing an auction or an estate sale, saying goodbye to the home, and all of those feelings that people feel about the home. I feel like sometimes they're a little bit embarrassed to feel grief about leaving their home. And my personal belief is that it's just like a family member. After 30, 40, 50, even 60 years, it is as familiar and comfortable and home and warm as a family member. And so leaving that home is like losing a family member and there needs to be grief."
If you're in the state of Washington, call SASH Services at 888-400-7274 or visit https://www.sashservices.com/. Outside of Washington, check out the national association of senior move managers at NASMM.com.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://answersforelders.com/tag/rebecca-bomann/">Hear more podcasts with Rebecca Bomann</a> on Answers for Elders.</li>
<li><a href="https://answersforelders.com/sash-services/">SASH Services overview</a> at AFE</li>
<li>Check out our affiliate podcast <a href="https://alzheimersspeaks.com/">Alzheimer’s Speaks</a>.</li>
</ul>

Rebecca Bomann, CEO of SASH Services (Sell a Senior's Home), joins Suzanne to talk about various options for downsizing and moving, including for those 55 and up, as well as the emotional journey of leaving the family home.

Downsizing: Numerous Options and the Emotional Journey

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/8adbb7e9-236d-4f2f-89af-b18f015504a4/transcript

Everything You Need to Know About Probate

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