That would be rare most retired military passes to spouse

Mortage: No - Reverse Mortgage: Yes
 

If there is enough equity in the house, it sounds like a reverse mortgage would be a very good option.

Interesting that the first thought is to throw money at the problem (via GoFundMe). Reminds me of our government. A little research indicates that throwing money is NOT the answer. The answer is a tough love discussion about viable options. There are some great responses here.

How do I get ahold of her to help?
 

thisim story and it’s been bothering me all day. Her husband was military till he died and she needs help to bring her house up to standards. She seems like a great candidate for a Go Fund me page but I have no experience with that. Do you? Any ideas? There but for the Grace of God...Merry Christmas? I’m not a contractor but I am able to do some things and would be happy to help from free



A Villager is claiming her loss of supplemental income is making upkeep at her home too expensive for her to afford.

The home of Ingrid Rickard at 16558 SE 77th Northridge Court in the Village of Calumet Grove was the subject of a public hearing Friday before the Community Development District 4 Board of Supervisors.

A complaint about missing lanai screens and weeds was lodged against her property Oct. 13 with Community Standards. The violation was verified the following day.

Rickard’s husband, a retired Air Force colonel, died in 2012. They moved to The Villages in 2003. The house in Calumet Grove was built in 2004 and they were its first and only occupants.

In the years since her husband’s death, Rickard has fallen on hard times.

She said her supplemental income from retirement has been depleted

“I have no other way of making any money,” the 76-year-old told the CDD 4 board.

She had to trim back on her landscaping budget to save money and friends from her church have been helping her pull weeds.

On Tuesday, she signed an agreement with a contractor who can replace the screens in her lanai. But the contractor is “backed up” and can’t get to her job for 12 to 14 weeks.

Rickard said she understood she could be fined if the work isn’t performed in a timely manner.

“I had to borrow money to have the screens replaced. I cannot afford a daily fine,” she said.

Supervisor Don Deakin urged Rickard to get other competitive bids and potentially use them to spur her chosen contractor to move up the job on his priority list.

CDD 4 Board Chairman Jim Murphy reminded Rickard that she has a responsibility to “keep up the property.”

By a unanimous vote of the board, she was given 45 days to bring the property into compliance. If she fails to do so, she will face an initial $150 fine followed by $50 daily fines.[/QUOTE]

It does not take eight years to figure out you cannot afford a house and sell it to move into a smaller place. Everybody's heart is in the right place but she will be right back here if a change is not made. Very sad.

A lot of advice, but no real help, welcome to Florida's friendliest hometown.

[QUOTE=Eg_cruz@comcast.net;1873146]Sound like a reverse mortgage is what would really help her. She would be able to have funds in a line of credit where she could draw monthly income.
This is exactly why reverse mortgages help some.

I think I read about this and now can't access "the other newspaper" via my google account. Anyhow, I think she has a reverse mortgage on it. It was yesterday or the day before that I saw an article.

I’m sure there’s more to the story. I volunteer at an organization that helps people but vets them first. We review the income and expenses and give recommendations and, if needed, send someone to help with repairs and budgeting. You can’t really jump to conclusions without all the facts. Once you know the facts you can move on from there. I’d be more than happy to visit this person and see what can be done. Many times people aren’t willing to accept help.

I don't think a reverse mortgage would be a good financial decision. This house is on a prime golf course lot with a swimming pool. If it went on the market, it would probably sell very quickly at a good price. As others have noted, the woman could buy a smaller house in the same area and be financially better off.

[QUOTE=Debfrommaine;1873170]There was a story 2 days ago, but it did not mention a reverse mortgage.

Shame on you if you suggested she sell her house. This is not merely her house but her home. Being military it probably is the only one she has known. Did you notice her name. She maybe from Europe and married military man. And military pensions are not automatic the military person has to signup for it at time if retirement for their spouse and there is a monthly premium to be paid that is not cheap.
The residents of the villages many have a great deal of money and it would be the right thing to do to set up a fund to help her Having her move will add to her already difficult situation. Emotional and financial as moves are not cheap.

That’s what I was thinking.

It would be rare, but it happens. The retired miltary person can opt out of the surviving spouse pension. But, they do need to get their spouse's signature approval. However, I have a relative who was a military spouse who signed the approval without even knowing what they signed. The retired military person gets a higher pension if they opt out of the surviving spouse pension.

Not to sound uncaring, but your remedies of a GoFund me, neighbors helping to fix up etc is a temporary fix for a log time problem, house & property maintenace. The issue is on going and her real solution lies in downgrading. I beleive with all the Covid issues and generally the aging population, more & more northerners are heading to the villages. Housing prices have been going up significantly.

Is anyone in touch with this woman? I would be happy to meet with her and potentially purchase the house and let her stay there and pay monthly rent. OR I would be willing to see what she is in need of and help her get workers scheduled and put up funds to get the work done. How do I get in touch with her? Kim Quintana 978-476-1342