Take 5 minutes to call your lender… no really, it's easy. If your monthly mortgage payment has increased in the past year or so, it’s likely because your taxes and/or insurance have gone up. Your mortgage company likely uses a 12-month payment plan by default to pay off your escrow shortage, but they usually don't tell you that you have additional options. To help lower your payment, call your mortgage company and simply ask them if you can pay out the escrow shortage over 2-3 years. Most of the time they just say yes without any issue or pushback. A 10-minute phone call could drop your payment by hundreds.    Ask the Tax Assessor’s Office to split your tax payment throughout the year. The first installment must be paid on or before Nov. 30. The second installment must be paid on or before June 30. Those who qualify for the over 65 or disability exemptions may pay quarterly: Jan. 31, March 31, May 31 and July 31. Taxes not paid by Jan. 31 will incur penalties and interest unless the half payment or a quarterly installment is applied to the account. Contact the tax assessor before Nov. 30.    Triple check to make sure your exemptions are in place. The appraisal district can actually cancel your exemptions anytime without a great reason, such as, if mail they send you is returned undeliverable. This video shows how to verify your homestead exemption is in place in Tarrant County.  If you find out you need to file, this video provides the application link and, step by step instructions. Refinance your mortgage. Money is on sale! Interests rates are low and even lower. Get free quotes from your bank, an online company, and an independent lender. Then you can confidently choose who will meet the needs of your unique situation. We always recommend and trust Alex Varela, a branch manager for   Prime Lending. He's innovative and magical to get you into your dream home. Fill out this form if you would like more information.   Ask us for a free insurance quote. Your house payment includes taxes, insurance, principle, and mortgage interest. If your payment has increased, there is a good chance your insurance rates have increased. Many people are significantly overpaying. Talk with one of our expert insurance agents on staff to get you a free quote for home and auto. We shop A-rated insurance carriers to get the best coverage for best rate. Fill out this form .   Reduce your utility costs. Chandler saved a bunch of money with Energy Ogre, so he partnered with them to offer the same service to you.    Reduce your utility consumption. Your monthly electricity bill is often the second-largest expense after your mortgage. Making some simple changes around your home could add up to big savings. We have 27 tips to cut energy costs here.    

  My tax bill is too high. I can’t afford the house!!! Here is a list of options to consider... Reduce your insurance cost. Your house payment likely includes taxes, insurance, principle, and mortgage interest. If your payment has increased, there is a good chance your insurance rates have increased. Many people are significantly overpaying. We have expert insurance agents on staff that shop A-rated insurance carriers and get them to compete to provide the best quote… for free. We save some clients a ton of money. Just send us an email and we’ll be happy to get you a free quote.   Reduce your utility cost. This company is saving Chandler over $250/mo on average (and it only costs $10/mo!!!). It’s borderline magical. We wanted to offer the same service to you, so we partnered with them. Use this link to sign up, and you get the exact same service paying the exact same as you would if you went directly to them. The only difference is by using our link they agree to contribute $2 to help fund our free tax protest service for every person that signs up. Go here to see how much you can save.  Drop your PMI. Ask your lender if they are charging you mortgage insurance (or PMI). This is a cost that lenders charge if you have less than 20% equity. With house prices increasing so rapidly, there's a good chance you already have enough equity to force the lender to drop PMI even if you purchased your house last year. All you have to do is call them and ask what documentation they need. It may be much easier thank you think.  Reduce your utility consumption. Here are 50 ideas that can help reduce your electricity consumption.  Ask your mortgage company to spread out your escrow shortage over 24 months. If you have a mortgage and your monthly payment has increased in the past year or so, it is likely due to an escrow shortage because your taxes and/or insurance have gone up. Your mortgage company likely uses a 12-month payment plan by default to pay off your escrow shortage, but they usually don't tell you that you have additional options. To help lower your payment just call your mortgage company and simply ask them if you can pay out the escrow shortage over 2-3 years. Most of the time they just say yes without any issue or push back. A 10-minute phone call could drop your payment by hundreds. I’m keeping track of which companies agree to this and which ones won’t. Please let me know if your mortgage company agrees to spread out your escrow shortage or refuses. It will help me help others. Here’s what I have so far: Status on Mtg co’s Triple check to make sure your exemptions are in place. The appraisal district can actually cancel your exemptions anytime without a great reason, such as, if mail they send you is returned undeliverable. This video shows how to verify your homestead exemption is in place in Tarrant County.  If you find out you need to file, this page provides the form you need, step-by-step instructions, and a video to that answers all your questions.  Go here to get the form you'll need and a tutorial video that will answer all your questions and demonstrate how to fill out the form.  Buy a smaller house - Obvious, but it's still an option. Hard times call for hard decisions. Moving far enough away so you would be in a different tax district. Either a… Different county Different school district Move out of your neighborhood if it has a PID (public improvement district) Move to a rural area so you avoid city tax all together Rent. Would it help if I had a list of every rent house and every apartment in the area that fits your price range? Move into a house that doesn’t have an HOA Move-in with a friend/family Buy bigger so you can rent out rooms Buy a house with a garage apartment and rent out the apartment Live in an RV (sounds crazy, but I routinely sell houses because people are doing this more and more) Consider a condo or townhouse Buy a barndominium Move into a tiny house Build a shipping container house Buy with land so you can raise animals, crops, eggs, and sell stuff to offset housing expenses. Rent out your current house and move into another home to create extra income. Biggest issue: Solve the cash-flow crunch by making extra income This article & video covers at-home in-quarantine ideas Sell your possessions (garage sales / online classifieds etc) Eliminate debt Cut down on luxury items Rent out space in your garage to allow (item or vehicle) storage for other people Rent out an extra bedroom on Airbnb  Start an in-home business - childcare, adult care (skilled nurses/caretakers), pet care (boarding, walking), sell home-baked goods, make crafts to sell on Etsy, volunteer to host parties for MLM friends Profit from your yard: Plant berries, vegetables, flowers to sell, make compost from worms Provide fulfillment (boxing and shipping) services for other home-based entrepreneurs Allow people to shoot movies/film at your house: https://gov.texas.gov/film/page/your_property_in_films Have more ideas? We want to share them. Please email them to us at chandler@chandlercrouch.net Options we’re trying to avoid, but are still viable options to consider Stop making payments… forbearance, bankruptcy, foreclosure

How To Find Senior (or 55+) Housing Your first step will be to make a plan on what to do with your current house. We specialize in helping seniors. Contact us for a free home valuation and to map out the best strategic plan to maximize your return and have a smooth hassle free transition into housing that fits your needs 817-381-3800 hello@chandlercrouch.com The term "Senior Housing" is really too broad to accurately describe exactly what you're looking for. If you are uncertain about exactly what kind of housing you need, please scroll down to see "What is Senior Housing." However, when people ask me about Senior Housing, they are usually looking for a retirement community or housing that specifically caters to senior citizens offering additional amenities, socialization opportunities, and a cruise-like atmosphere. One of the best 55+ housing developments I've ever seen is Robson Ranch. This is a master-planned active adult community with clubs, classes, and social opportunities like no place I've ever seen. Villas of Stone Glen is another housing development in Keller Texas that is 55+ restricted. Developed by Epcon Communities, the neighborhood will host 115 single family homes from 1607-2000sqft. Amenities include a 3000sqft clubhouse with exercise room, multipurpose event room, media area, and kitchen. Year built construction dates range from 2013-Present and house prices range from the low $300's to mid $400's. If you would like a tour of the premesis or to view the interior of any homes, please give us a call at 817-381-3800. If you are more interested in leasing, take a look at this list of local apartments and additional housing options at a more affordable price: Heritage Senior Living 877-757-1003 701 Heritage Way, Hurst, TX 76053 http://www.seniorhousingnet.com/seniorliving-detail/heritage-senior-living-ltd_701-heritage-way_hurst_tx_76053-564346 Rent: $1389-$1689 Sqft: 810-1204 Services offered: 1 and 2 bedroom floor plans. Wait list for 1 bedrooms. Smoke-free. rent includes continental breakfast, coffee bar, membership to Hurst Senior Center (community shares parking lot), aerobic classes at pool, and discounted At&T package (resident pays $25 and community pays any additional. normal bill is $80), travel to Winstar for $10. pets are allowed for a small monthly fee. Residents pay for electric, water, trash Evergreen at Keller 817-741-6000 501 Bourland Rd, Keller, TX 76248 http://www.evergreenkeller.com/ Rent: $730-$882 Sqft: 700-925 Services offered: floor plans include 1 and 2 bedroom options. Only 2 rent rates. No wait list. Smoke Free. Rent includes bus to grocery store every Tuesday, computer room with printer, community organized activities including fitness 5 days a week, bingo, computer classes, library on site, games nights etc.   Conservatory at Keller Town Center 682-593-2742 200 Country Brook Dr, Keller, TX 76248 http://www.conservatoryseniorliving.com/ Rent: Waiting to confirm Sqft: 717-1110 Services offered: LM for sales team. Unable to get questions answered immediately. 1 and 2 bedroom floor plans. Kitchen in unit or full menu dining service. Professional team onsite 24 hours a day.   Silver Ridge Assisted Living (and Independent Living Cottages) 817-517-3826 5314 Bransford Rd, Colleyville, TX 76034 http://www.sedonavillageseniorliving.com/ Rent: $2,700-$3,500 Sqft: 500-700 (approx) Services offered: 6 month minimum lease which can be canceled if medical conditions change. 4 total units with no wait list studio or 1 bedroom only. Can participate in assisted living activities such as bingo, but nothing really set up for independent living people. Units include with rent all utilities, internet, phone, complimentary meals 3 times a day (kitchen is available in the unit), snacks and beverages, weekly housekeeping, weekly medication set up (such as pill boxes), bed linens laundered, and more.  Sedona Village 817-232-9300 2800 Sedona Ranch Dr, Fort Worth, TX 76131 http://www.sedonavillageseniorliving.com/ Rent: $600-$880 Sqft: 716-1007 Services offered: 1 bedroom or 2 bedroom floorplans. Tax based credit property for fixed income seniors. Rent rates vary depending on what you qualify for. Waitlist also varies. Can be added to waitlist from a short phone call. 2 person income cap to qualify is $33,480. ! person income cap is $29,280. Have activities every day that are mostly resident run. 3 waitlists for 30%, 50% and 60% reduction. 30% has a 3 yr wait-list, 60% has a 1-3 month waitlist. cost of 1 bedroom at 30% is 339/month, 50% 600/month, 60% 731/month. 2 bedrooms at 30% is 409/month, 50% 723/month and 60% is 880/month. No application fee, but $100 deposit for 1 bedroom or $200 deposit for 2 bedroom. Pets under 35 pounds are allowed for $250 deposit and $15/mo rent What is Senior Housing or 55+ Housing? The first step is to accurately define exactly what you're looking for. After you do this, the search gets easier. Obviously, some of these are housing situations you probably wouldn't choose for yourself (eg Alzheimer care). This information might be helpful for someone trying to care for an aging parent. If you are looking at this for personal needs, the more education we have about different types of living situations, the better we can accurately communicate our future wishes and desires to our loved ones that may be helping care for us in the future. Doing a little homework in advance is an incredibly loving and generous gift you can give to those that you may depend on at some point. Here is a list of different kinds of Senior Housing terms and what they mean: CCRC - Seniors buy-in for care for the rest of their lives. Includes all levels of care from independent living to skilled nursing care in one location. In Home Senior Care - This can include anything from scheduling entertainment to Hospice supervision in your own home. Lowest cost if only need for part of the day. Usually requires a family member / friend as the primary caregiver Retirement community - Own or rent in a community just for seniors. Access to social activities, valet services and often an emergency call system. Other terms that might be considered retirement communities are: Senior Co-op Congregational Active Senior Senior Apartments - Total freedom with access to other seniors Independent Living - Total freedom with access to other seniors, entertainment, and emergency help Respite Care - Includes a wide range of temporary care in a facility Assisted Living - Personal Care Homes (PCM's - unique to certain states) care including ADL's plus help with medication and finance (paying bills). Often includes more socialization Personal Care Home - Help with meals, hygiene, entertainment, and transportation Dementia / Alzheimer Care - Assisted living plus high level of daily supervision Nursing Home - Rehabilitation and 24 hr supervision by a skilled nurse Hospice Care - End-of-life support at home or at a special care facility   Call us today to get help on mapping out a plan on what to do with your current house. We specialise in helping seniors. Contact us for a free home valuation and to map out the best strategic plan to maximize your return and have a smooth hassle free transition into housing that fits your needs 817-381-3800 hello@chandlercrouch.com