Planning Today for Tomorrow: Smart Housing Choices for Seniors and Their Families
Are you seeking some wisdom and ideas on the best senior housing options for your loved one? Whether you will be moving to a different location or aging in place, we will be sharing ideas that can help with where to move, how to move and how to finance it.
Host: #JoGarner #MortgageLoanOfficer (901) 482-0354
Co-Host: #LynnDoyle #OwlBeThere (navigating senior housing) 901 609-8884
Featuring: #LeahAnneMorse #AllThingsNew Moving Company for organizing and downsizing and moving locally or across the country (901) 488-9733
Subscribe to get weekly Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe podcasts with show notes at www.JoGarner.com
#seniorhousing #reversemortgage #mortgagesolutions #seniormoves
LET’S GET STARTED…(Jo) (Good morning, Memphis! Welcome to our internet listeners and podcast listeners across the 50 states! . You’re on Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe. I’m your host, Jo Garner, Mortgage Loan Originator. You can connect with me at www.JoGarner.com. Our topic today is July 25th, 2026. Planning Today for Tomorrow: Smart Housing Choices for Seniors and Their Families. Thank you to real estate attorneys Shelley Rothman and Rob Draughon of Griffin, Clift, Everton and Maschmeyer Law Firm for sponsoring this episode of Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe. For the title work and closing on your home purchase or refinance, contact Rob and Shelley at 901 752-1133.
Introducing Lynn Doyle of Owl Be There- Lynn Doyle has decades-long experience working in the senior care industry. Her services through Owl Be There is free to her clients since their compensation comes from other sources. She has a long list of clients who sing her praises for her expertise in helping them find the best senior housing solutions for their family members. It doesn’t hurt that she also has a masters degree in counseling.
Lynn has about 1.5 Minutes introducing herself and talking about the services she offers
(JO) COMMON QUESTIONS OLDER MORTGAGE CLIENTS PONDER
Should you stay, remodel, downsize, or move closer to family? Will my current home fit my lifestyle 5, 10, or 15 years from now? Am I house-rich but cash-flow tight? Can my home equity help me improve my quality of life?
LOAN TYPES USED OFTEN IN RETIREMENT
Reverse mortgages used to purchase a home and enjoy not having to make a mortgage payment.
Reverse mortgages to refinance your home and have an income or a credit line for making repairs, paying off other bills or using the funds to enjoy life with no mortgage payment.
If you are over 62 years old and you want to live in your home for a long time, the government-backed home equity conversion reverse mortgage has seen recent improvements. If you plan to live a long time in your home and you don’t already owe a high balance on it, let’s explore the things you can do and a better life you can enjoy using this reverse mortgage tool.
Cash out refinance-Does have a monthly payment and is often used for consolidating high interest credit cards and other debt into one, single-digit, fixed rate mortgage. When used correctly, this has saved some of my clients hundreds of dollars of debt payments per month. Less debt to pay each month can bring a happier life too.
Home Equity Lines of Credit – this are easy to get, but beware of the variable rate with no safety caps on it. These you DO have to make monthly payments if you owe a balance.
Renovation and Repair-These are specialized loans you can use if you are buying a fixer-upper home or refinancing one.
Asset Depletion Loan If you have $500,000 to one million dollars or more in marketable stocks and bonds, this mortgage assumes you are good for the monthly mortgage payments and loans you the money with zero income needing to be verified.
Hobby Farms- if you want to live in the country
Mortgage Tools such as Recasting, Loan Assumptions and Hybrid Adjustable Rate Mortgages
How to avoid losing your home and your life savings if you have a mortgage or not:
Watch out for foreclosure relief offers. There may be some legitimate ones out there but it is the bad ones that can make your situation, not better, but worse. If you are struggling to make your mortgage payments and don’t want to go into foreclosure, you can call 888-995-HOPE to talk with HUD-certified counselors.
Identity Theft when someone fraudulently uses your ID and credit to get a loan secured on a home. One way to lower the chance of this happening, is to sign up for credit monitoring. Put a freeze on your credit profile with the credit bureaus. Check your credit at www.annualcreditreport.com annually.
Title Fraud- when someone fraudulently transfers title in your home to their name. Sign up for title monitoring offered through some county register offices. This is a growing crime in across the country and here in the Mid-South.
Watch out for scammy mailers that make it appear it is from your mortgage company, realtor or title company. This scammy mailers are almost always trying to get you to buy something you don’t need. Sometimes they are trying to sell you your warranty deed, which you already have a copy you got at closing. They will try to sell you prepayment to principle plan. You can prepay your mortgage yourself without any fees.
(Jo) (Lynn Doyle launches into her topics until the ad break about 5 minutes -to be continued after break)
OUTRO: You’re on Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe. I’m your host, Jo Garner, Mortgage Loan Originator. What do YOU want to accomplish with YOUR mortgage? I can make the mortgage process EASY for you with the right mortgage. Connect with me at JoGarner.com When we come back, we will be hearing more from Lynn Doyle of Owl Be There. Also Leah Anne Morse of All Things New Moving Company will be joining us… See you back in just a moment.
2nd segment is after first break 8 minutes 50 seconds
( Waaka Waaka song in background ) COMIC QUERIES (you probably already know the answer, but we will ask anyway
(Lynn) Riddle #1:
The Ironic Investment
Riddle: What costs the least when you buy it early but becomes one of the most expensive things if you wait?
(Jo) Answer: A good plan.
(Jo) Riddle #2
I give you 24 hours of total freedom every single day, yet I am the strictest boss you will ever have because you can never take a vacation from me.
What am I?
(Lynn) ANSWER: Retirement.
Today on Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe we are talking about” . Planning Today for Tomorrow: Smart Housing Choices for Seniors and Their Families
I’m your host, Jo Garner, Mortgage Loan Originator . For your home purchase or a mortgage refinance you can brag about,. We can find the right mortgage product and make the mortgage process EASY on a traditional mortgage, on special programs and outside-of-the-box mortgage programs too. Connect with me at JoGarner.com
Lynn Doyle of Owl Be There Direct: (901) 609-8884
TALK SHOPPE BUSINESS TIP FOR REAL ESTATE PROS
2nd segment after 9:15 advertising break – (producer to start the song “Taking Care of Business” by Bachman Turner Overdrive –but bring the volume down before the lyrics start) It’s time to talk shop with Talk Shoppe’s Business Tip For Real Estate Professionals. Talk Shoppe is a marketing company offering free education and networking to anyone interested in real estate or in business. Talk Shoppe is made possible by the financial support of its sponsors and advertisers. For more about Talk Shoppe, go to www.TalkShoppe.com (shoppe) For our Talk Shoppe Business Tip today we have Talk Shoppe sponsor Leah Anne Morse of All Things New, an organization company and moving company. Your customers have repeatedly said that you make the down sizing, up sizing a very positive experience. Leah Anne Morse of All Things New, what is our Talk Shoppe Business Tip for Real Estate Professionals today? (Leah Anne has about 1.5 min to share her tips )
Leah Anne Morse, how do our listeners contact you when they are ready to get organized or move across town or across the country? (901) 488-9733 www.allthingsnewwtn.com
Leah Anne’s Tip: If you are considering moving or downsizing, my number one tip is to tell you to start now! Start cleaning out your attic, clean out closets that have extra decor you no longer use or you only use seasonally. Pare down as much as you can in rooms you don’t enter often first. Pull everything out of the drawers of dressers and chests that you’ve had for years, but haven’t looked in. Keep what matters most and donate or discard the rest! When you start early, you make rational decisions, not emotional decisions!
____________________________________________________________
TOPICS COVERED BY LYNN DOYLE OF OWL BE THERE
When should you consider helping your loved ones find the right facility to best fit their needs? This topic considers pre-planning, understanding the physical and emotional needs of your loved one.
Financial considerations when exploring options. Understanding the cost of facilities/alternative housing and how your/their budget will support a move or higher level of care.
Conversations with those you love who might need help and support as they consider a move. Discussing their plans and desires for their future. Discussing what a move will look like.
Conversations with family members who need/want to be included in these plans. Family dynamics can play a large role in how you and your loved ones work together in resolving challenges and conflicts.
How important is a POA?
3RD SEGMENT 12 minutes
- ( Small Victories Song playing in background)
- For Did You Know today…(see if you can guess the answer before we do)
- (Lynn) Question: What was the name of the South’s first African-American millionaire?
- (Jo) ) Hint #1 When the devastating 1878 yellow fever epidemic caused tens of thousands of people to flee, Memphis went entirely bankrupt and lost its city charter. While others gave up on the city, this man planned for today for a better tomorrow. He stayed in Memphis and spent years meticulously buying up real estate at rock-bottom prices.
- Hint #2: When Memphis finally tried to restore its charter in 1893, they needed to sell municipal bonds. This gentleman confidently stepped up and bought Municipal Bond No. 1 for $1,000, single-handedly financing and anchoring the successful rebirth of modern Memphis
(Leah Anne) ANSWER: Robert R Church Sr.
Today on Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe we are talking about.” Planning Today for Tomorrow: Smart Housing Choices for Seniors and Their Families
I’m your host, Jo Garner, Mortgage Loan Originator . For your home purchase or a mortgage refinance you can brag about,. We can find the right mortgage product and make the mortgage process EASY on a traditional mortgage, on special programs and outside-of-the-box mortgage programs too. Connect with me at JoGarner.com
Lynn Doyle of Owl Be There Direct: (901) 609-8884
TOPICS COVERED BY JO GARNER, LICENSED MORTGAGE OFFICER
OTHER COMMON FINANCING OPTIONS FOR FAMILIES LOOKING FOR SENIOR HOUSING SOLUTIONS
Some families choose to sell their old home and buy a different home that allows their older family member to live with them and still have their private space. Many times the down payment and income to qualify for the home purchase comes from the older family members and the younger ones buying the home-especially if the family members all plan to live together.
Other scenarios are where the family adds a room or modifies their existing home with a home improvement loan or equity line to fit the new living arrangements.
Fannie Mae offers a special mortgage program called the Family Opportunity Mortgage. This program allows you to buy a home for elderly parents or disabled adult children at owner-occupied rates (typically 0.5 to 1% lower than investment property rates) with just a 5% down payment versus the 15 to 25% required for investment properties.
Enjoying Retirement with NO MORTGAGE PAYMENT-The IMPROVED Reverse Mortgage Program
Reecy Roland (not her real name) was around 70 years old and realized there were still a lot of adventures she wanted to experience in life but knew she wanted to remain living in her home.
In the past she never considered getting a reverse mortgage that would give HER a lump sum of cash AND a monthly income because she wanted her kids to inherit her home.
But, after talking with her financial advisor and her mortgage lender, she decided the reverse mortgage program had improved with better safety features that would make it easier for her family to still inherit her home one day when she was no longer with them.
Improvements included limits on how much the lender could require to be paid back, leaving more time and more options for the family to still have some equity left in the home when it was time to pay back the mortgage.
The HECM would allow her a small lump sum to do some repairs and improvements on her home. It would pay off the small mortgage balance still owing and would give her a credit line to use for monthly income. The monthly income would help her experience some items on her bucket list. One day it could help her afford to get assistance so she could remain living in her home longer. When she would no longer be living in the home, there were options for her family to pay off the reverse mortgage and own the remaining equity.
Carter and Claire Caldwell story– Bounding over Barriers To Be With The Grandbabies
Here is a brilliant idea from one of my past “rock star” mortgage clients. Carter and Claire Caldwell were both over 62 years old. They loved their home next to the lake and their longstanding neighbors and friends. But, the Caldwell’s yearned to spend time playing with their toddler grandchildren who lived several hundred miles away. These grandparents were motivated to financially mastermind a way to get a second home near their grandkids. Want to know their brilliant idea????
Since the Caldwell’s were over 62 years old and they had paid off their mortgage early, they got a Reverse Mortgage on their primary residence. The reverse mortgage was now providing an extra income source and a cash down payment allowing them to purchase the vacation home near their grandchildren. Their dream had come true of having a vacation home to live in whole months at a time playing and making memories with the grandkids. If you want to see STUNNINGLY BRILLIANT strategy, observe what happens when grandparents are determined to spring themselves across the miles to hold their grandbabies in their laps.
Knowing Something About Tomorrow Can Help You Win Big Today
A couple came to me with a contract to buy their dream home but shared with me that they planned to retire in a couple of years. They did not have a large enough down payment to get the mortgage payment low enough to be affordable in 3 years when they retired since their income would be less. However, they would be selling a home they owned with no mortgage on it and getting a whopping amount of money within the next 12 months. They planned to take this cash over the next year and pay down the mortgage balance on this dream home they were buying today. In a year, the new balance on the new mortgage would be paid down by 50%.
At that time adjustable interest rates were so much lower than the fixed rates. The adjustable rate program featured some tight safety caps that limited how much the rate would could move up or down each year.
The first year their payment would be low because the adjustable mortgage rate was lower than the fixed rates in the market. The golden nugget on this loan program was that every year when the rate adjusted, the payment would be calculated only on the unpaid balance. Even after calculating what would happen if the adjustable rate moved up to the maximum allowed each year over the next five years, this couple would still have a mortgage payment of much LESS per month for the life of the loan because the balance was so much lower when they prepaid 50% on the loan after the first 12 months. This couple had found their diamond in the rough by choosing the adjustable rate. They could see their payment would continue to so low, they could easily pay the mortgage off early and save even more on interest.
Plan today with your family members so you can enjoy your tomorrows:
Spend time talking with family members. Consult with your financial adviser about your money. Consult with a trusted realtor who can give you real estimates on home values and availability of homes for sale. Talk with someone like Lynn Doyle of Owl Be There and consider resources she can share with you that might not have popped into your mind. Let’s sit down and make sure you are getting the exact right mortgage that will help you today and also work for you tomorrow.
MAKE YOUR PLAN. LET’S WORK YOUR PLAN. IF THE DEAL WORKS FOR YOU TODAY, LET’S DO IT TODAY. I can make the mortgage process easy. Connect with me at www.JoGarner.com You can email me at Jo@JoGarner.com or call me at (901) 482-0354
4th Segment 8 minutes and 50 seconds
(THE SONG UpBeat Inspirations PLAYING IN BACKGROUND ) INSIGHTS & INSPIRATIONS
Long Game Today For Prosperity Tomorrow
In 1990, a filmmaker had a massive, vivid vision for an alien world called Pandora, but he quickly realized the technology to create it didn’t exist yet.
Instead of compromising his idea, he chose to play the long game. He wrote a highly detailed, 80-page treatment for his planned movie, locked it in a vault, and spent the next fifteen years systematically building the tools he would need for the future. He partnered with virtual effects companies, helped invent an entirely new stereoscopic 3D camera system, and pioneered groundbreaking motion-capture technology.
By the time he finally pulled the script out of the vault in 2005, the cinematic world had caught up to his blueprint. This filmmaker, James Cameron, spent decades of patient preparation that finally paid off. The movie, Avatar, became the highest grossing film of all time bringing in approximately $2.92 billion globally.
Are you pondering what you can do today to enjoy a better tomorrow? Do you want to buy a home? Do you already own a home but not sure the best move to make with restructuring your finances? Call or text me at 901 482-0354 or connect at JoGarner.com We can explore some mortgage scenarios to find the one that will help you today and serve you best in your future.
Today on Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe we are talking about” . Planning Today for Tomorrow: Smart Housing Choices for Seniors and Their Families
I’m your host, Jo Garner, Mortgage Loan Originator . For your home purchase or a mortgage refinance you can brag about,. We can find the right mortgage product and make the mortgage process EASY on a traditional mortgage, on special programs and outside-of-the-box mortgage programs too. Connect with me at JoGarner.com
Lynn Doyle of Owl Be There Direct: (901) 609-8884
Leah Anne Morse- All Things New 901 488-9733
REAL ESTATE TIP OF THE WEEK
Leah Anne Morse’s Tip from All Things New (1 min)
If you’re considering moving to a smaller home or to a senior living community, think about the furniture you would like to take with you. Pick your favorite things. Measure them to see how they will fit in your future floor plan. You may have to take your favorite piece of furniture like a chest of drawers or a chest someone made for you and just use it for something differently than you used it for in your current home. The important thing is to take the things that you love the most and be willing to part with some of the things that won’t serve you as well as they did before.
Lynn Doyle’s Tip from Owl Be There (about 1 min)
Jo Garner’s tip about 1 min:
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Talk Shoppe equips with education, engages by offering connection opportunities between business people and empowers businesses in a supportive community. Talk Shoppe meets every Wednesday 9A-10A CT at Clark Tower 5100 Poplar Ave 8th floor Memphis, TN
(Thank you Ben Hunter 901 660-2912 outstanding Financial Professional at Independent Planning Group for being Talk Shoppe’s location sponsor)
Equip, Engage and Empower YOUR Business at the Talk Shoppe event July 29th, 2026. 9AM CT for the Mastermind Principle based on the book “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill.
Thank you to One City Church Memphis for Talk Shoppe’s new location sponsor starting the end of August 2026. They are one of the main host of the REVIVE MEMPHIS event today at Hamp Football Field 456 Tillman St in Binghampton in Memphis, TN. Get some free food, listen to some great praise music. The kids can enjoy the water slides. Find out more at UniteMemphis.com
Talk Shoppe thanks Christine Wood of Opus Elegant Senior Memory Care for your sponsorship. When you need the right place for your loved one who needs memory care, contact Christine Wood of Opus Elegant Senior Care at 901 468-7977.
Thank you to MidSouth Home Helpers for your sponsorship. Call Home Helpers for non medical assistance home care at 901 414-9696.
MAKE YOUR PLAN. LET’S WORK YOUR PLAN. IF THE DEAL WORKS FOR YOU TODAY, DO IT TODAY.
Subscribe for weekly Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe podcasts with show notes at www.JoGarner.com
SPECIAL NOTE: REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE SHOPPE DOES NOT ENDORSE 100% OF THE CONTENT ON THIS EPISODE. REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE SHOPPE RECOMMENDS THAT YOU CONSULT WITH A FINANCIAL, LEGAL OR OTHER CERTIFIED, LICENSED PROFESSIONAL BEFORE ACTING OR INVESTING ON ANYTHING YOU HEAR OR SEE FROM THE CONTENT ON THIS SHOW OR BLOG POSTS. THE INFORMATION WE SHARE ON REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE SHOPPE IS GENERAL IN NATURE MEANT FOR GENERAL EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, AND NOT AN OFFER TO LEND. EXAMPLES GIVEN FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ON REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE SHOPPE AND MOST ARE BASED ON TRUE STORIES BUT WE USE FICTIONAL CHARACTERS AND DO NOT DIRECTLY REFLECT REAL PEOPLE OR EXACT DETAILS IN ANY OF THE SITUATIONS. JO GARNER IS A LICENSED MORTGAGE LOAN ORIGINATOR. (EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY)
- QUOTE CORNER: Richard Cushing “Always plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND CREDITS
REJOINDERS:
- Tim Flesner of MidSouth Home Helpers (non-medical home assistance) 901 414-9696
- Brandi Spicer of Howling Wolf Bookkeeping www.howlingwolfbooks.com
- Jackie Woodside, author of “Calming the Chaos,” Marlboro, MA
Transitional Music: First Segment “WAAKA WAAKA” (PD) for Comic Queries; “Small Victories” by Allen McCool allenmccool.com and on Pixabay for Did You Know segment; “Upbeat Inspiration” by Ikoliksaj for Insights and Inspiration segment.
INTRO AND OUTRO THEME MUSIC “Country Roads” by Sergie Pavkin
PICK UP YOUR COPY OF “CHOOSING THE BEST MORTGAGE-THE QUICKEST WAY TO THE LIFE YOU WANT” by: JO GARNER
An essential guide for real estate professionals and their customers.
On Amazon and Barnes and Noble
ABOUT LYNN DOYLE OF OWL BE THERE
Lynn Doyle holds a master’s degree in counseling from the University of Memphis and has spent her career in mental health counseling and management.
She serves on the Board and is a past President for the Professional Network on Aging. She serves on the Mary Galloway Board and is the Vice Chair for The Page Robbins Adult Daycare Board. Lynn is a member of the Women in Senior Healthcare group.
Lynn is a frequent speaker for Churches and Professional Groups.
She proudly works for Owl Be There assisting clients and families as they navigate choosing the right housing for their loved ones.
Lynn Doyle
Area Business Development Manager
Owl Be There of Memphis
Direct: (901) 609-8884
Lynn.Doyle@OwlBeThere.com https://owlbethere.com/memphis/
On a mission to help seniors? Owl Be There franchises are available!
Owl Be There helps families find options based on needs, preferences and budget. This may include independent senior housing, home care, residential assisted living homes, assisted living communities, Continuing Care Retirement Communities, and specialized Alzheimer’s memory care units. The service is offered at no charge to families, as the providers pay a fee to Owl Be There.
Providers may be included in the Owl Be There network if they are appropriately licensed by the state or province in which they operate. If Owl Be There determines that a provider has lost its license, for any reason, or if Owl Be There has received complaints of significant dissatisfaction by consumers which are documented and can be proved, the provider may be excluded from the Owl Be There network. Owl Be There does not endorse or recommend any provider as we believe it is the consumer’s sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for a loved one or for oneself.
The providers which are referred to families are options to assist in finding the right care or housing. Families are encouraged to tour and ask questions of each community or agency to ensure they select the community or agency that best meets their needs. Owl Be There is happy to share with families questions that past customers have found valuable when considering care options.
Owl Be There does not own or operate any of the providers to which it refers. Owl Be There does not broker, sell or lease space directly and is not a party to any transaction between the provider and the family.
ABOUT JO GARNER-MORTGAGE LOAN OFFICER:
www.JoGarner.com (901) 482 0354 jo@jogarner.com X @jogarner NMLS# 757308 (currently working with Everitt Financial dba Supreme Lending)
ONLINE LOAN APPLICATION : https://jogarner.supremelendingLO.com
“Whatever YOUR personal priorities are, my job is to help you get the mortgage terms that will give you bragging rights when you talk about it and help you score on hitting your goals .”
As a mortgage loan officer, my job is to help you get to the benefits you want from your financing terms. What is most important to you? I can help you find the financing terms that will help you get to what you want. What is your comfort level on a house payment? How much are you comfortable paying down,? What type of financing do you need to get the house you want to buy or refinance?
Different clients have different priorities in life—some are buying their first home with very little down payment funds. Some are recovering from medical challenges, divorces or preparing to send children to college and some are embarking on a long term goal of buying properties to build rental income.”
Jo Garner is a mortgage officer with extensive knowledge in helping her clients find the right mortgage program and making the refinance or home purchase mortgage process EASY. She offers conventional, FHA, VA or other loan programs for primary residences, second homes and investment properties.
Jo can help you look at rent vs buy, when it makes sense to refinance, how to get the best deal on your home purchase financing.
Jo Garner has been in the real estate/financing business for over 30 years. She grew up in West Tennessee and got her start in real estate in Portland, Maine where she first began her real estate career. She received her real estate education from the University of Southern Maine and was personally mentored in San Diego, California by Robert G. Allen, author of Nothing Down, Creating *Wealth and The Challenge.
On moving back to West Tennessee in 1987, she went into business buying and selling discounted owner-financed notes secured on real estate. In 1990 Jo went to work for a residential mortgage company and has been a mortgage loan officer for over 30 years.
In addition to her work in the mortgage field, Jo Garner is the primary sponsor and founder of Talk Shoppe in Memphis. www.TalkShoppe.com Jo Garner also host the radio show Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe airing on the Mighty 990 AM, 107.9 KWAM & streaming on the app https://mighty990.com/app with podcasts and show notes published on www.JoGarner.com Pick up Jo Garner’s book on Amazon or Barnes Noble “Choosing the Best Mortgage-The Quickest Way to the Life You Want”