Downsizing, Senior Moves, and Helping Aging Parents in Colorado Springs

These answers are for two groups of people who often end up at the same kitchen table: homeowners deciding whether to stay, downsize, or move closer to family, and adult children trying to help a parent through that decision, sometimes from another state.

To see how I help families plan and coordinate the whole move, visit Senior Home Transition & Downsizing Help.

All seniors and downsizing questions

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How I approach these moves

Most people start by asking what to do with the house. I start with the life you want next. Before we talk about price or timing, we look at why you're considering a move, what the next chapter should look like, and whether the numbers support it. Sometimes the answer is to stay. When moving is the right call, having a clear picture of that next chapter is what carries you through the hard parts, because moving after decades in one home is rarely easy.

The practical side is a project, and it helps to treat it like one: set a target date, work backward, and break the work into steps you can see. That usually means coordinating with people outside real estate, such as senior move managers, estate sale companies, estate attorneys, and CPAs. I can introduce you to people I trust, and I don't receive referral fees from the movers, estate sale companies, or other providers I recommend.

Helping a parent with a move

If you're the adult child, your parent is still the decision-maker unless someone has legal authority to act for them. The most useful thing you can usually do is help organize the information, the people, and the timeline so your parent can make a decision they're comfortable with.

Estates, probate, and inherited homes

Before a home can be listed or sold, someone has to have the legal authority to sign. Depending on the situation, that may be the owner, an agent under a valid power of attorney, a court-appointed personal representative or conservator, or a trustee. The title company will confirm that authority before closing, and an estate or elder law attorney can tell you which one applies to your family.

Local help worth knowing

• Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging. Part of the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments, it serves adults 60 and older in El Paso, Park, and Teller counties, with services that include information and assistance, family caregiver support, home safety renovations, and legal counseling. Call 719-471-2096.
• El Paso County Assessor. Colorado's senior property tax exemption is applied for through the county assessor. See what happens to your property taxes when you downsize for how it works when you move.
• Seniors Blue Book (Colorado Springs): A local directory of senior housing, care, and services. I wrote about how to decide whether it's time to downsize: Time to Downsize in Colorado Springs? Start With the Life You Want

Talk it through

Sources

• Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments, Area Agency on Aging for El Paso, Park, and Teller counties
• El Paso County Assessor