Free download

The Retirement-Ready Homeowner Checklist

One document that covers what every homeowner heading into retirement — and every family planning together — should have squared away. It's the agenda for the conversation most families keep postponing.

What's inside

• Property-tax breaks you may be missing. Most states have exemptions, freezes, or deferrals tied to age or income — and many eligible homeowners never apply. We list what to search for in your state.
• What repairs and upgrades really cost. Ballpark ranges for the big-ticket items, so a quote that's double the honest range gets spotted immediately.
• Your home-equity options on one page. Reverse mortgage, HELOC, cash-out, and selling — when each fits and the questions to ask first.
• The scam patterns aimed at homeowners. Contractor deposit cons, "free" inspections, deed theft, and the calls that follow a public-records search.
• The documents to locate before you need them. Deed, insurance, mortgage statements, POA — and where families usually find the gaps.