Shelli Stinson is Now a Certified Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES®)

A Seniors Real Estate Specialist is a REALTOR® who has completed additional training through the National Association of REALTORS® to understand the specific financial, legal, and emotional considerations that come with buying or selling a home later in life.

That includes things a general-practice agent may not encounter often: how a reverse mortgage affects a sale, how to use retirement accounts in a purchase, how Medicare or Social Security timing can factor into a move, and how to spot the predatory lending or scam tactics that sometimes target older homeowners. It also means training in empathy — recognizing that selling a home you've lived in for twenty or thirty years is rarely "just a transaction."

I'm equipped to coordinate with other professionals, across the NKY area, who often get pulled into these decisions, from elder law attorneys to financial planners to senior move managers, so you're not managing all of it alone.

The biggest difference is usually the "why." A younger seller is often moving for a job or more space for a growing family. A senior seller is more often navigating a life transition — retirement, widowhood, a health change, or simply wanting less house to maintain — and the home itself is frequently full of decades of memories, not just square footage. That changes the pace and the process.

There's often more emotional weight in deciding what stays and what goes, more coordination needed with adult children or other family members, and more questions about where to land next, whether that's a smaller home nearby, a 55+ community, or a move closer to family.

Practical issues also tend to be more layered: age-related home modifications that may need to be disclosed or removed, decades-old systems that need updating before listing, or a larger volume of belongings to sort through.

*This is not legal/tax advice

A reverse mortgage, most commonly a federally insured Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM), lets homeowners 62 and older convert home equity into cash without monthly mortgage payments, as long as they continue living in the home and keeping up with taxes, insurance, and upkeep.

It can provide helpful supplemental income in retirement, but it comes with real trade-offs: fees and interest accrue over time, the loan balance grows while your equity shrinks, and it can reduce what's left for your heirs. If you already have a reverse mortgage and decide to sell, the loan balance must be paid off from the proceeds at closing, which affects your net proceeds and needs to be factored into pricing and timing well before you list.

If you're considering one instead of selling, it's worth comparing it against other options like a HELOC, a cash-out refinance, or simply downsizing. Anyone weighing this decision is required to complete HUD-approved counseling before applying, which is a good, unbiased place to get your questions answered.

I've got some great partners across the NKY community, including, but not limited to: 

• The Aging and Disability Resource Center at the Northern Kentucky Area Development District (NKADD)

• PACE Program 
• The Kentucky Senior Resource Center
• Assisting Hands Homecare
• Heaven Sent Homecare
• Senior Helpers Homecare
• Independence Senior Center
• Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home
• Stages Elder Care Law Firm