yes, she needs a real friend to help and support her through this for sure !

That's the problem with living in an HOA community.. An your so called neighbors turn on you like a snake.

Exactly ! NOT, "Oh here, let me help you out, I don't know you but I'll just buy your house and you can pay me rent..... yada, yada..... yep, it's Florida, everyone's got an angle. Hope some can form a real support group for her, maybe she is relatively "fine" mentally, but just depressed and overwhelmed, maybe with some REAL friends, she could come right out of this !

That is VERY suspicious, but, of course it could be true. You'd think someone would recognize she needs help, if only with a state of "indecision" ? I do know of a case of a distant relative who "seemed" mentally functional, however, in his mind he had NO money.... I know that seems odd, but this is true. Lived in Colorado and was cold and hungry because he "thought" he had no money, yet, his behavior was not otherwise odd or out of line. Taught me that people can get bazaar thoughts, and yet, can be considered competent and to others appear perfectly normal, and in most ways ARE ! In this case, he was NOT legally incompetent, was found to have a DEEP SEATED FEAR of poverty, of running out of money, so it took awhile to figure our why he let small things go in his nice home; not have the a plumbing problem fixed in a bathroom he did not need or use himself, failed to have the AC fixed in his car as it was "outrageously expensive and don't need it that much in Colorado", etc. etc. You just never know what people can get into their minds. This relative actually had a "decent" income; the thinking got skewered but was otherwise in tact. No one at his church or in his card group, caught on ! ?

Most people don't have any education or knowledge of how mental illness or disorders present. I had to read about 30 books to figure out how some issues present. . . and not being professional, i certainly missed many very obvious signs with my mom's dementia. Most will use logic to excuse the behavior.

The scenario as I read it does not have enough information, but getting into this situation means that the woman needs some help, and does not understand her options, or can't deal with her options, such as downsizing, etc. Most likely she is overwhelmed being alone, has diminished mental capacities, and wasn't prepared for her outcome. . . Not the first person who i have met who didn't plan and just assumed life as they know it would continue indefinitely.

Unless you are equipped and experienced dealing with elderly and their issues, and can prevent yourself from begin accused of manipulation, the best suggestion is county social services.

Good points. Wouldn't being brought into court for failure to maintain the property bring an elderly homeowner under the radar of not just the courts but of social services, too?

The social isolation that people have been under for the past 9 months has contributed to mental declines in otherwise functioning people. It could very well be that a little friendship and laughter could be the best medicine. Simply feeling all alone can, in and of itself, be overwhelming. Hopefully with the clubs and activities reopening, people are getting out for some much needed support and companionship again.

Retire Better
 

You are exactly right. I can help her. I work for Mutual of Omaha and do reverses in the Villages. She would probably net about $300,000, which sits in a line of credit, growing every year. She can take lump sums, monthly payments, anything she wants. She ALWAYS owns the home. When she sells or passes, she pays back whatever she used to live better, fix up the home etc. No payments are ever required.

Retire Better
 

I can help her. I work for Mutual of Omaha and do reverses in the Villages. She has no mortgage apparently, but if she did we pay it off so she no longer has a mortgage payment, which is HUGH for some people. She would probably net about $300,000, which sits in a line of credit, growing every year. She can take lump sums, monthly payments, anything she wants. She ALWAYS owns the home. When she sells or passes, she pays back whatever she used to live better, fix up the home etc. No payments are ever required.

It’s only option upon retirement. O wait I retired 26 years ago, they might of changes the rules?

The survivor benefit plans are extremely expensive. My husband's was $350 per month. We only took it for one minor child at the time of retirement, 1994