West Columbia Real Estate Company provides real solutions for Seniors (SC)
On May 12, 2009, in an obscure law office located in Lexington, South Carolina, a real estate closing was completed. To an outsider the closing would have been just like any other Real Estate Closing that took place on that date. However, this particular closing was the culmination of an extraordinary effort to provide quality care for one of our national treasures - a senior adult.
This story began in late October 2008, with a call to Agape Senior from a niece that was in desperate need to find a care provider for Mary, her aunt. The situation was further complicated by the fact that all of the family members lived out of state.
Conditions at the home were deteriorating. Recently, a large pine tree had snapped in a wind storm and had crashed down near one corner of the house. Fortunately, the house only received a glancing blow. The experience scared Mary terribly and she felt she could no longer remain in the home.
The politicians will tell you that the senior population should remain in their homes as long as possible. I suspect none of these people has ever run a Meals on Wheels route to see the real conditions in which our seniors live.
Many older adults choose to suffer in silence rather than become what they perceive as a nuisance to their families. The end result is that they will live in sub-standard conditions in a home they can no longer maintain. Mary's experience is a typical example of that scenario. An out of state family, lacking resources, had tried to look after her through neighbors and local friends.
A long-time friend of the family would check on her from time to time. On one of his visits a year earlier it was discovered that her central AC unit no longer functioned. With the scorching South Carolina summer looming, he bought and installed a window unit so she would have some relief in one part of the house. On another occasion he found the water heater had rusted through and no longer retained water. When he questioned her about it, he discovered she had been without hot water for over six weeks. Clearly, Mary did not need to be living in these unsafe conditions anymore.
Agape Senior's leadership has always provided its employees with the ability to think beyond the current reality and to ask the question "what if." Mary's family certainly did not have the ability to pay for her care. Mary was receiving a small amount from Social Security but it was not sufficient to cover the cost of care. The house was the only other asset she owned and it was in pretty bad shape.
The call was placed to have the house assessed by Agape's property company, Exit Agape Real Estate Services. It was determined that in as is condition the property would only bring about half of the market value for the neighborhood. However, if the property was repaired and properly updated it would then be able to be marketed at full price.
A complete inspection by qualified contractors revealed the property could be completely renovated for a price that would allow the family to realize approximately 42% more income from the sale of the home, once repair and renovation cost were backed out of the equation.
Senior management approved the plan and Mary immediately started receiving the proper care she needed at Assisted Living in West Columbia. There were a lot of dedicated people that made this project a success. I believe it is a great example of a company offering real solutions to a difficult problem.
Thanks to the following people and departments for making it happen:
Kim Rushton for asking the question "what if";
West Columbia admissions for getting Mary in on short notice;
Dan Belk and Jody Morgan for managing the financial end;
Ellyn Nester for managing the renovation, staging, remarketing, and selling of the
Property;
Kim Stroud for assisting with marketing of the property;
Ken Byrd, our contractor extraordinaire, for bringing back the charm of the mid-century modern home;
Scott Middleton for having the dream.
Joe B Nester, Broker/Owner of Exit Agape in West Columbia SC - Senior Real Estate Services.
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