Selling Your House When You’re Moving to Assisted Living

I’m Troy Molde, a licensed real estate broker and the owner of Henry Home Buyer. I’ve been in real estate since 2004. Over the years I’ve sold well over 1,000 homes in multiple states, and I’ve flipped many of the homes I’ve bought. I buy houses as-is in the Twin Cities, then fix them up and resell them.

This page is for people moving to assisted living, and for adult children helping a parent sell a house. If you need a sale that is fast and reliable, I want you to have clear information about how a cash sale works, when it may fit, and when listing with an agent will be the better choice.

When a cash sale may fit — and when it may not

A cash as-is offer is less money than you would likely get by listing the house at retail. What you gain is convenience and certainty: no repairs, no showings, and no waiting on a buyer’s financing.

I want to be honest about that tradeoff. If top dollar matters most, fixing up your home, doing repairs and listing with an agent will be the better choice, and I will say so. When I make you a written offer, I close at that price.

If you need to sell on a set timeline, don’t want to clean out or repair the house, or simply want a straightforward path so you can focus on the move, a direct cash purchase may fit better.

No pressure, just honest information

Moving out of a longtime home is a big life change, and I don’t add pressure to it. I explain how a cash sale works, how it compares with listing, and what I can offer, and then I step back. I don’t push, I don’t use deadline tactics, and I don’t keep calling.

If listing is the better choice, I’ll say so. If a cash sale looks like a fit, I’ll put the offer in writing so you and your family can review it with no rush.

As-is, including the contents

You keep what you want to take with you. I take care of the rest after closing: the cleanout, recycling, and donations. I try to donate everything I can and recycle what can’t be reused, so as little as possible ends up in a dumpster. Sellers tell me it means a lot to know their belongings are going to people who can use them.

Nothing needs to be repaired, staged, or emptied before we close.

Terms drafted around your needs

There’s no bank in the middle of these purchases. It’s just me, so the terms can be drafted around what you actually need. Once I understand your situation, I figure out a plan to make the transition easier.

Some sellers need the money from the sale first in order to move. In some situations, possession a week or two after closing can be an option, arranged case by case at my discretion.

If it’s easier to sign at home or at the facility, I can arrange a mobile notary.

Questions about benefits or a care facility’s requirements should go to an elder law attorney or a financial advisor. I don’t give advice on those rules. What I can do is work around the timeline you and your advisors set.

A recent example in Rosemount

One seller in Rosemount wanted to buy another home that was already on the market. I bought her house and let the other home’s seller know I was buying hers, which helped her offer. We closed in a week or two. She then closed on the house she wanted and needed about another week to move. I was able to allow that, and I took possession after she moved out.

What one seller told me

I bought a house from a seller who was moving to assisted living. We closed, and she moved later, which made the transition easier for her. After we had been working together, she wrote:

“I really appreciate that. You have been wonderful to work with.” — Roxanne

Examples of work

You can see recent before-and-after photos of homes I’ve bought and renovated on our Our Projects page. Those photos show the kind of houses I take on.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to clean out the house before closing?

No. Take what you want to keep. I handle the rest after closing, and I donate and recycle as much as I can.

Will I get as much as I would if I listed the house?

Usually not. A cash as-is sale is typically less money than a retail listing. If top dollar is the priority, fixing up your home, doing repairs and listing with an agent will be the better choice.

Can the closing date fit our move?

I can often work around a timeline you already have. Every offer I make includes a closing date in writing, set around your move. In some situations, possession a week or two after closing can be an option, depending on the circumstances.

Will you pressure us to accept an offer?

No. I give you the information and the written offer, and I let you decide. If the answer is “not now” or “no,” that is fine.