Do we really need an elder law attorney for a real estate decision?

Not for every home purchase, but yes for most senior moves. When a parent is moving, selling, or gifting property, an elder law attorney makes sure the deed is correct, the power of attorney covers real estate, and nothing in the plan threatens Medicaid or other benefits. A few hundred dollars of legal review can prevent problems that cost tens of thousands later.

What does a senior move manager actually do?

A senior move manager handles the parts families dread most: sorting decades of belongings, coordinating movers, labeling boxes, staging the new home, and helping a parent say goodbye to their house. They charge an hourly rate or a package fee, and most families tell us the service paid for itself in peace of mind alone. We keep a list of trusted move managers across the region.

How do we pay for the team?

Most of the team is paid from the proceeds of the sale, so the work happens first and the invoices settle at closing. Some services, like a move manager, may be paid as you go. Ask each professional for a written estimate up front and check whether the cost can be drawn from the estate or the sale. A tax professional can confirm what is deductible.

How do the Golden Girls fit into the team?

We are the coordinators on the real estate side. We value the home, prepare it for sale, market it, and find the right next home, whether that is a ranch in Crown Point or a 55+ community in Schererville, and we keep the two closings aligned. We also connect you to the attorneys, accountants, move managers, and estate sale pros we trust. Reach us through our contact page and we will help you build the team around your family.

Building Your Senior Move Team: The Professionals Who Make a Family Move Easier in Northwest Indiana

Families tell us the hardest part of a senior move is not the moving truck. It is the hundred questions that come first: who handles the sale, who protects mom's legal rights, who sorts sixty years of belongings, and who keeps the numbers straight. The answer is that no single person should carry all of it. A small team of trusted professionals, coordinated by the right Realtor, turns an overwhelming season into a calm, well-paced process. This guide explains who belongs on your team and when each person steps in.

At the Golden Girls of Real Estate, we coordinate the real estate side of senior moves every week across Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties, and we refer families to the attorneys, tax professionals, move managers, and estate sale companies we trust with our own families. Here is the team we recommend, in the order we recommend building it.

Key Takeaways

✓The core team is four people: a Realtor, an elder law attorney, a tax professional, and a senior move manager
✓Build the team in the right order: legal protection and the numbers first, then the hands-on help, then the sale
✓A senior move manager pays for itself in sorting, packing, and emotional weight; most families wish they had hired one sooner
✓The estate sale company and the senior services network handle the contents and the community around the move
✓The Golden Girls keep the real estate side moving and connect families to trusted local pros across the region

The Realtor: The Quarterback of the Move

Every senior move has two real estate pieces: selling the current home and finding the next one. One Realtor should handle both so the timing of the two closings stays aligned. We value the family home honestly, prepare it for sale with care, market it with the same attention we give any listing, and help you sort through ranches, condos, and 55+ communities until the right fit appears. Our 60-day downsizing and moving calendar shows how the sale and the move fit together week by week.

The Elder Law Attorney: The Paperwork Shield

An elder law attorney protects the legal side of the move: confirming the power of attorney covers real estate, reviewing the deed, and making sure no decision threatens Medicaid or other benefits. If a parent already has a transfer-on-death deed in place, the attorney makes sure it still matches the family's wishes. A few hundred dollars of legal review here prevents problems that cost tens of thousands later.

The Tax Professional: The Numbers Person

A CPA or tax professional runs the numbers behind the move: what the sale may cost in taxes, how the stepped-up basis applies after a loss, and what the Homestead Deduction and Over-65 Credit save on the next home. Their advice belongs in the room before any contract is signed, not after. Our guide to financial planning for seniors around a home sale outlines the questions to bring to that meeting.

The Senior Move Manager: The Hands and Heart

A senior move manager handles the parts families dread most: sorting decades of belongings, coordinating movers, labeling boxes, staging the new home, and helping a parent say goodbye to the house. They work by the hour or by the package, and families almost always tell us they wish they had called one sooner. Our complete senior moving checklist shows the full scope of what a move manager can own end to end.

The Support Circle Around the Team

Around the core four, a wider circle handles the contents and the community. An estate sale company prices and sells what the family does not keep, which is often more than anyone expects. Senior services like the Area Agency on Aging, Indiana 211, and local senior centers connect the family to rides, meals, and home care while the move is underway. Our guide to community resources for seniors and our estate sale company comparison cover both pieces in detail.

Build the Team in This Order

Start with the elder law attorney and the tax professional as soon as a move is possible, because their advice shapes every decision after it. Bring in the Realtor and the move manager next, and the estate sale company once the legal and financial picture is clear. Then let the team run in one rhythm: we coordinate the sale and the search, the attorney keeps the paperwork straight, the accountant keeps the numbers honest, and the move manager keeps the boxes moving, from Crown Point ranches to Schererville 55+ communities and everywhere between.

"No family should carry a senior move alone, and none of them have to. The team does not just divide the work. It gives everyone permission to be a daughter or a son again, instead of the project manager."

The Golden Girls of Real Estate

Related Resources

The 60-Day Downsizing and Moving Calendar the week-by-week plan for the whole transition.
Transfer-on-Death Deeds in Indiana how a home passes to family without probate.
Financial Planning Around a Home Sale the tax and equity questions to bring to your CPA.
The Complete Senior Moving Checklist packing, paperwork, and moving day in one place.
Contact the Golden Girls to start building your family's team.

For independent guidance on caregiving and senior transitions, AARP maintains thorough caregiving and housing resources, and the State of Indiana website links to aging services and programs for residents.