The Mansfield Independent School District has put together a program to say “thank you” to their senior patrons. The Gold Card program offers MISD residents 65 and over the benefits of:

• Free Admission to all regular season home district athletic events
• Free admission for campus main stage theatre productions
• Free admission to select theatre productions at the MISD Center for the Performing Arts
• An invitation to the annual Senior Tour each spring which features a walking tour of various campuses, highlights of academic and extracurricular programs, free lunch and other goodies
• Information about upcoming district events

To receive your Gold Card pass, visit https://www.mansfieldisd.org/page.cfm?p=5111&LockSSL=true and fill out the online form or download and print the form here.

For more information, contact the MISD Communications Department at 817-299-6369.

Aging adults have more housing choices than ever before but navigating those options can be a bit overwhelming.  To help separate fact from myth,  Ingrid and John Sullivan of Senior Downsizing Experts will host a moderated panel discussion with professionals from the senior housing industry on Saturday, July 9th at 11:00 am at the Mansfield Activity Center located at 100 S. Wisteria.

This collaborative education presentation is designed for boomers, seniors, children of aging parents, or anyone else interested in finding out more about the different types of living options available for the 55+ population.  Attendees will be educated about the housing choices in the area and the differences in the levels of care available to them in each. 

Participating are representatives from Ladera Mansfield, The Watercrest at Mansfield, Cedar Bluff Assisted Living & Memory Care, Brookdale Arlington, and The Pavilion at Creekwood.  The panel will be moderated by Ingrid Sullivan.

The event is free but you must register with the Mansfield Activity Center by calling 817-728-3680.  Light refreshments will be provided and attendees will be eligible for door prizes.

About Senior Downsizing Experts:   

Ingrid and John Sullivan of Keller Williams Arlington have more than 20 years experience in the Real Estate industry.  They have completed extensive training and are both certified Senior Real Estate Specialist® by the National Association of Realtors.  Ingrid has also achieved the more in-depth Certified Senior Housing Professional (CSHP®) designation through the Seniors Real Estate Institute. The Sullivans have managed late-in-life moves for hundreds of clients - including their own parents - and are aware of how emotional and complicated the process can be.   Their message to seniors and their families:  "You Are Not Alone."

As senior adults and their families begin to face the challenges of “downsizing" -- a move for the elder from a larger family home into a smaller home, apartment, or senior living community -- they can feel overwhelmed.  Many don't know where to start or what their options are.

To help Dallas/Fort Worth seniors and their families to better deal with the complexities involved in late-life moves, Senior Downsizing Experts Ingrid and John Sullivan have put together a casual and interactive workshop entitled  “Downsizing Made Easy."   The seminar will be presented on Saturday, April 2 at 10am at Isle at Watercrest at 200 E. Debbie Lane, Mansfield, TX  76063. 

During their hour-and-a-half presentation, the Sullivans discuss questions to consider before making a move, senior living options in the DFW area, questions for touring senior living communities, tips for hiring various professionals related to the moving process, guidance on estate sales, and more.   They urge attendees to look at all of the options available for a new chapter of life that requires less maintenance and allows for more freedom and fun.   

"In many cases home ownership proves to be a financial burden and a source of isolation for seniors.  While remaining in the home may have been a goal earlier in life, by the time home ownership starts to feel unmanageable, the prospect of evaluating other options and actually moving, can be completely overwhelming," says Ingrid.  “As a DFW Realtor specializing in the 55+ real estate market, it is my goal to insure that older adults and their families are adequately equipped and aware of all the senior living options and resources available to them.  This part of my job is a great joy. Seniors and their families often don't know which way to turn when making these important decisions and we are happy to be here to help."

For more information, or to register for one of the free seminars, please visit www.seniordownsizingexperts.com or call 817-635-1043.

Seniors are often targets for scams and fraudulent business practices.  Con artists target the older population because they often have a “nest egg” and because those who grew up in the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s were generally raised to be polite and trusting. These scammers know how difficult it is for many from this “greatest generation” to say “no” and will exploit these traits.

Here are a few of the scams that target mature adults:

1. Health Care/Insurance Fraud – Healthcare fraud can take many forms. Medical equipment fraud, “Rolling Lab” schemes, and Medicare fraud are just some of the ways that seniors are taken advantage of.
2. Door-to-door Sales/Repairs – Products may never be delivered or repairs never done.
3. Funeral/Cemetery Fraud – Unsolicited callers try to sell you prepaid funerals or scammers attend funerals and aggressively demand payment for debts they claim the deceased owed them.
4. Counterfeit Prescription Drugs – Unauthorized sites, which seem to have the best prices, may send ineffective or harmful drugs.
5. Telemarketing Fraud – Offers for free prizes, health care products, low-cost vitamins. They may steal your credit card information and share it with others.
6. Fraudulent Anti-Aging Products – Scammer distributors offer a “fountain of youth” with bogus homeopathic remedies that are ineffective or can possibly have health consequences.
7. Internet Fraud – Pop-up browser windows will fool victims into downloading fake anti-virus software that could download a virus that could steal personal and financial information.
8. Grandparent Schemes – Scammers will contact the senior citizen and pose as a grandchild or other relative saying they are in jail or stranded in a foreign country and request cash.
9. Investment Schemes – From pyramid schemes to real estate investments, scammers target seniors who are looking to safeguard their cash for their later years.
10. Reverse Mortgage Scams – Scammers will send fraudulent letters offering to arrange a reassessment of the seniors property for a fee.

Best practices to avoid being taken advantage of:

• If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Trust your gut!
• Never give your personal or financial information out to an unsolicited caller.
• If you don’t know the person knocking at your door, don’t open it. Never let someone you don’t know inside your home.
• Shop around before making a major purchase. Do your homework and know what the best price is for the product or service.
• Beware of contracts. Make sure you fully understand the terms of any contract you sign.  Give yourself a few days to review the contract.  An honest business person should understand and be willing to let you do that.
• Verify that any contractor you use has a local office and is licensed. Get references and take time to check them yourself on your own time.
• Don’t be afraid to say no. Scammers may act insulted and will use their well-rehearsed speeches to make you feel guilty but don’t let that work on you.
• Never sign a blank form.  Make sure all terms and charges are spelled out.  This goes for medical claim forms as well as contracts.
• Only give your insurance/Medicare information to your medical providers.
• Review your bank and financial statements regularly to watch for fraudulent activity.
• Remember that Microsoft, Dell and most other reputable computer/software companies don’t make unsolicited calls. If you get a call telling you that something is wrong with your computer, even if they seem to have sensitive information, don’t give them any user names or passwords and don’t let them remotely control your device.  Simply hang up.
• Beware of pop-ups on your computer claiming that you have a virus. Many times these are scams and ways to install spyware or viruses on your computer.  Don’t click anything in the pop-up!  Shut your browser down and scan your computer with a reliable virus scan software.  There are many free options available including Microsoft Safety Scanner, Avast, Malware Bytes and AVG.

If you’re afraid you have been a victim of one of these schemes and aren’t sure what to do to report it, visit our Fraud Resources page for some helpful links.

As Realtors® we are often asked, “How’s the real estate market?” or “Is now a good time to sell?”   The simple answer to these questions is “Yes!”

For over a year now most areas in the DFW Metroplex have been in a “Seller’s Market.”  What is driving the market is the low inventory (more homes sold each month than homes coming on the market) of homes for sale.   Some areas have less than 1 month of inventory.  A normal market has 5 to 7 months of inventory.

We are coming into our top selling season of the year which is between the months of May and September mainly because more people move during the summer months.

The Sullivan & Sullivan team recommend preparing and getting your home on the market in the spring months of March and April.  If you can get your home on the market during these months, you can beat the competition who may be waiting until May, June or even later.  With the inventory being low and great interest rates there is a good pool of ready, willing and able buyers wanting to jump on the homes as soon as they come on the market.

Start now preparing your home to get ready.  Does your home need painting, touch-ups, cleaning or de-cluttering?  Start getting the landscape in shape.  Trim bushes and plant some colorful seasonal flowers.

Sign up here to receive a free, custom analysis of what the market is like in your neighborhood.

If you have any questions about the real estate market area, referrals for getting your home ready to sell or any other assistance in the sell or your home, feel free to call the Sullivan & Sullivan team at 817-330-9235.