Seniors Visiting Seniors in South Denver

I've recently launched an initiative throughout South Denver called "Seniors Visiting Seniors," a Senior ambassador program designed to help brighten the lives of Seniors in retirement and assisted living facilities.

It’s a fairly simple concept based on giving Seniors an easy way to connect with other Seniors through requested visits within a Senior Community.

The pilot program was launched at Someren Glen Retirement Community, which is part of Christian Living Communities in Centennial, Co.

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The idea is based on the exact opposite message we have all seen hung on hotel room doors boldly stating 'DO NOT DISTURB.'

Instead, the same style of door hanger stating 'I WOULD LIKE A VISIT' is given to all residents should they ever want to request a visit for any reason. They may be lonely and just need someone to listen. They may have been dealing with something difficult and just not know anyone well enough to reach out for support of any kind.

Here are a few ways I intend for this program to be beneficial to all concerned: 

1) Staff at the communities can be alerted to any potential physical or emotional problems their residents are experiencing.

2) The residents themselves benefit from knowing that someone cares and by the emotional boost they receive from the Ambassador visits.

3) Senior Ambassador volunteers from within the community have an opportunity to support their peers, stay active and truly enjoy getting to know their neighbors better often by sharing stories and discovering common interests.

4) This will encourage socialization and connections among the residents of the community themselves, with those who are being visited inspired to get out of their apartments or rooms and become members of the program themselves, visiting others and actively participating in "Seniors Visiting Seniors."

5) During the summer months, we plan to recruit school-age kids to take part in the program as well, bringing a sense of youthful exuberance to the visits. 

With the help of my assistant, Christine Watson, and the support of Someren Glen's Life Enrichment Director, we have begun the process of recruiting and training Ambassadors, with an initial 26 visits already placed.

Feedback from the Ambassadors has been quite positive. It’s been a pleasure for them, while making a great difference for all the folks they visit.

My vision is that this program be primarily resident-driven, placing no additional burden on community staff.

As a south Denver real estate agent who specializes in helping seniors or their caregiver families negotiate the complexities of a late-in-life move, I love the opportunity to be able to give back to our community and enrich the lives of all involved in this project. The more communities and people we can get involved in this initiative, the better!

If you'd like more information on including the "Seniors Visiting Seniors" program at your community along the Denver Front Range, or if you're involved with a group of youths who may like to be involved as Ambassadors in the summer months, please contact me here for more information.

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How the Government Shutdown Affects Home Loans and Mortgages in Denver

Here's what buyers and sellers of homes in the south Denver area can expect as a result of the shutdown of the U.S. government.

Many U.S. agencies involved in the federal approval of loans for houses in Colorado - in addition to agencies you may need customer service from as part of the home sale process - are not open for business.

Here's a rundown of their status and what you can expect in terms of non-service and delays. This information is via The National Association of Realtors. - Jim Holmes

Please feel free to contact me here for ANY of your real estate needs.

What a Government Shutdown Means for Real Estate Transactions

(As of October 1, 2013)

Congress has failed to approve a Continuing Resolution (CR) providing funding for most government operations. Therefore, spending authority for most of the government expired at midnight on September 30, 2013. Until legislation providing for funding is signed into law, many offices and programs of the federal government are now shut down. This means many, but not all, government programs, including some that impact federal housing and mortgage programs, have been suspended or slowed due to the lapse in government funding. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requires each agency to have contingency plans in place. The information below is based on NAR staff review of agency agency contingency plans for the current shutdown and past experience with previous shutdowns and near-shutdowns.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

The IRS is closed and has suspended the processing of all forms, including tax return transcripts (Form 4506T). These transcripts are required for many kinds of loans, including FHA and VA, so delays can be expected if the shutdown is protracted.

Social Security Administration (SSA)

The Social Security Administration is closed and has suspended most customer service functions. According to the SSA Contingency Plan, verifying Social Security numbers through the Consent Based SSN Verification Service will also be suspended during the shutdown, a further complication for mortgage processing.

Federal Housing Administration

HUD’s Contingency Plan states that FHA will endorse new loans in the Single Family Mortgage Loan Program, but it will not make new commitments in the Multi-family Program during the shutdown. FHA will maintain operational activities including paying claims and collecting premiums. Management & Marketing (M&M) Contractors managing the REO portfolio can continue to operate. You can expect some delays with FHA processing.

VA Loan Guaranty Program

Lenders will continue to process and guaranty mortgages through the Loan Guaranty program in the event of a government shutdown. Expect some delays during the shutdown.

Flood Insurance

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) confirmed that the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) will not be impacted by a government shutdown, since NFIP is funded by premiums and not tax dollars. Changes to the flood insurance program scheduled to take effect on October 1 will be implemented as scheduled.

Rural Housing Programs

For the U.S. Department of Agriculture programs, essential personnel working during a shutdown do not include field office staff who typically issue conditional commitments, loan note guarantees, and modification approvals. Thus, lenders will not receive approvals during the shutdown. If the lender has already received a conditional commitment from the Rural Development office, then the lender may proceed to close those loans during the shutdown. A conditional commitment, which is good for 90 days, is given to a lender once a USDA Underwriter approves the loan. If a commitment was already issued, the funds were already set aside and the lender may close the loan at its leisure. If Rural Development has not issued a conditional commitment, the lender must wait until funding legislation is enacted before closing a loan.

It is important to note that the traditional definition of “rural” for qualifying communities for assistance will be continued in effect during the shutdown. We expect that language to continue the current definition will be included in whatever funding measure is eventually enacted.

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