“Whatever you can do or dream you can begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!”
~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Most people in their 80’s are looking to downsize their single family home and move either into a condo, assisted living or an extended family living situation. But who says you can’t buy your very first house at the age of 88? A very determined lady named Nellie, after many years of managing her father’s property, knew she wanted to do just that. Her story proves it is never too late to purchase your first single family home. Nellie’s nephew contacted a Realtor®, Connie Radlof, of Prudential NJ Properties in Martinsville, NJ to start the process of finding the perfect place for his Aunt. Connie just happened to have a listing in the area where Nellie grew up. Here is the story, told through Connie’s eyes, of how Nellie purchased her first home:
I showed Nellie my listing and one other house. She loved the one I had listed. She said, “OK, I’m going to buy it.” And I said, “Well that’s it? You don’t want to look at anything else? You’ve only looked at one other house.” She said, “Connie, at my age, I don’t have a lot of time to think about things. Once I want to do something, I just do it. That’s it.”
It was her very first house. Her family had come from Syria and they owned real estate in the town. She was living in her father’s property. It was a small apartment building and she was collecting the rents and managing that building up until she was 88 years old. She had not married and had no children. At that point, she made the decision it was time for her heirs to take over and start collecting the rents and managing the building. She wanted her own place to say she purchased it and it was hers.
The house she purchased was a ranch. It was a 1-story, 3-bedroom house with 3 full baths. It had a large living room/dining room combination with a fireplace, eat-in kitchen and a full finished basement with a bathroom and a fireplace. And the house also had a 2-car detached garage. So it wasn’t small. But it was in her hometown. She had a sister-in-law in the neighborhood. It’s where she felt comfortable and where she wanted to be. She bought it with cash. This was where she wanted to be for the rest of her life and she plans to leave it to her nieces and nephews.
I thought it was amazing. When her nephew first called me and said it was for his 88-year old aunt, I thought, “Yeah, right, OK.” But when you met her, you knew that she was very savvy and sharp. She had managed her father’s property for many years after his death, so she understood real estate very well and just wanted to own her very own house before she died. She was gearing up for the next ten or so years, they way she talked. She still has a lot of life left in her and she wants to continue to maintain her independence. She serves as a reminder that whatever your heart’s desire, you can still go for it, no matter your age.
Nellie is approaching 91 now. She’s still happy and going strong. She had a dream of owning her own home before she died and, with the help of her Realtor®, she made that dream come true. Her story serves as an inspiration to people both young and old to never, ever give up on their dreams of home ownership.
EnJOY and blessings,
Photo Credits: © Indigocrow | Dreamstime.com, Photo by Horia Varlan, © Tratong | Dreamstime.com
