Clients 50+

Certified Seniors Specialist

As we age, we demand specialists for health care, financial planning and more. You should demand the same specialization from your real estate professional. As a certified Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES®), Stephanie Huffman assists seniors as well as those with aging parents.

Her expertise is tailored to people:

• Looking to downsize
• Seeking advice and assistance about moving into an Active Adult Community
• Wanting advice on reverse mortgages
• Seeking information about aging in place
• Wanting to purchase a second home or investment property

What is SRES®?

The SRES® Council awards its designation to realtors who have successfully completed its comprehensive and demanding education program. Designees are qualified to counsel clients age 50+ through major financial and lifestyle transitions involved in relocating, refinancing, or selling the family home. They often offer counsel to couples with aging parents who are uncertain about the best time to sell, or the best options for next-stage housing. SRES® designees not only create a customized approach to marketing and selling your property, but they work with you to explore your housing options to ensure that your next home best serves your current and future needs.

Stephanie has acquired specialized knowledge about everything from reverse mortgages and the importance of universal design, to the uses of pensions and other investments in real estate transactions. Stephanie will also help you steer clear of loan schemes and scams that victimize aged 50+ borrowers. And when you need help from other professionals, Stephanie will put you in touch with qualified home inspectors, movers, attorneys, CPAs and other experts. Stephanie has all the resources and knowledge to simplify the transaction and eliminate the anxiety of selling your home.

Universal Design – an option for aging in place

Universal design is often referred to as barrier-free living. Design features could include no-slip floors and tubs that increase safety for everyone in a home. Other examples of universal design characteristics are lever door handles that serve the person with arthritis and the person entering a room with an armful of groceries equally well. And no-step entries make it simple for seniors to safely move from room to room.

The features are especially beneficial as people age and face more limited mobility. Living in homes designed with universal design principles makes it more likely that you’ll be able to age in place with comfort.

Universal design helps prevent falls, the leading cause of injury among older adults. Even simple changes, such as raising light levels, removing throw rugs and installing handrails and grab bars, can enhance the safety of a home considerably.

Stephanie is trained to assess your house and make suggestions on how to incorporate universal design principles. She can also refer you to remodeling professionals who can perform small and large home modification projects.