Virginia's Story: How Virginia is using Truehold to stay independent in her home

‍The Truehold team talked to Virginia, a Truehold resident in St. Louis, who used our sell and stay transaction to keep living in the home she loves without the physical and financial burdens of homeownership. 

‍

Planning for the Future

Virginia has always been a very independent person. She lives alone in her Fenton home. In her free time, she writes her mother’s biography and goes on girls’ nights out with her church friends. Now that she’s getting older, however, her adult children want to be involved in her decision-making. 

Virginia has lived in her home for 34 years, and homeownership is starting to weigh her down: “It’s too much maintenance for me. I don’t like to keep up on the bills, paying the taxes...finding all the information you gotta do if something goes wrong. That’s a lot of work. I got tired of that.”

Her daughter suggested she move into senior living, but Virginia doesn’t want to give up the independence she treasures. “I like living in one place. It’s comfortable, you know? I know it. I know everything about around here. I’m older. When you get older you get more secure in your ways. You want to keep it the same. You don’t like change.”

When it comes to her estate planning, Virginia doesn’t want to leave her children with loose ends and stressful responsibilities: “I don’t want it to be an issue. I’ll sell [the home], if I can.”

“I like living in one place. It’s comfortable, you know? I know it.”

Virginia's Solution

Virginia and her children started looking into options that would satisfy everyone: Virginia wanted to stay in her home without key maintenance responsibilities. Her children wanted her to be safe and start preparing her estate. 

They looked into reverse mortgages, but they knew “a couple of people it worked for and a couple people who it didn’t,” so they were hesitant. They considered listing the home, but “I didn’t wanna hassle with moving, and I don’t know if I can find another place to rent.” They also considered refinancing, but, “I had refinanced myself before, twice in my life, and it was horrible. I got taken to the roots, both times, I was so disappointed.” 

When Virginia saw that Truehold would “buy at top dollar and keep you in your home,” she talked to her daughter and knew this was what she wanted to do. Her Truehold representative was “so friendly” and “everything went just the way she said.” Virginia said she’s been involved in a lot of business agreements, “and never have I experienced a smoother transition in favor of me!..This time, it went like, turn the page, and you’re done. It was so smooth.” 

“Never have I experienced a smoother transition in favor of me!”

A Perfect Compromise

Virginia got exactly what she wanted: “I could stay in my home, and I would be a renter again.” With Truehold, she has a property management service she can trust. 

She’s already used her equity to pay off her bills, including minor medical bills that added up over time. Most importantly, Virginia has maintained the independence that she loves: “I can do what I want and when I want. I don’t have to check with someone.”

Thank you to Virginia for sharing your story! 

Do you want to stay in your home without worrying about your house? With Truehold’s sell and stay transaction, you can unlock your equity and then stay at home while Truehold covers property taxes, property insurance, and essential repairs. 

_{This story is based on an interview conducted between the customer and a member of the Truehold team. All quotes are from the customer, with some words cut for length and clarity. The customer may have received compensation for their time.}