My Team is Expanding!

For many in Contra Costa County, my name is a familiar one in real estate—and that’s something I never take lightly. My career has been built on guiding clients through changing markets with clarity, realistic expectations, and strategies that truly serve their goals. 

Today, I’m proud to share that my team is expanding once again. Christine has been an integral part of my business for many years, assisting behind the scenes with Transaction Coordination and Property Management. As a licensed Realtor®, her experience, dedication, and advocacy have always stood out. I’m thrilled to officially welcome her to the forefront of our team, where her clients will benefit directly from her tireless commitment—from mobile homes to mansions on the hill. And then… there’s the next generation. 

It’s my honor to welcome my grandson, Byron R. Rodriguez, to the team. Born and raised right here in the community, Byron understands the neighborhood he hopes to serve because he grew up in them. With a strong work ethic, real-world  experience as a property owner, and the ability to serve clients in Spanish, he is ready to hit the ground running.

                            Trust. Enthusiasm. Legacy. 

                            Where experience meets the 

                            next generation. 

                            Your REALTORS® for life.

VIEWS FROM AN EXPERT:

JOY LOVERDE

Best-Selling Author of The Complete Eldercare Planner.  More about Joy Loverde can be found at elderindustry.com.  Featured in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, on The Today Show, CBS Early Show, ABC NewsNow, Fox News, National Public Radio, and recognized by The American Medical Association, Ms. Loverde is an expert on family caregiving. The SRES® Newsletter recently talked with her about the challenges of dealing with seniors and their adult children when it comes to moving.

Why the move?

Parents don’t often state directly why they are considering moving. And they typically don’t ask a child for help directly—nobody ever hears “I can’t live in the house anymore. I have to get out of here.”

When parents start talking about 

moving, it’s usually the first indicator that something is going on—why are they moving? Are they experiencing problems that they may not be telling you? Is the house beginning to be too much? Are they having memory 

problems? Can they no longer drive and won’t tell you? When a parent brings up moving, the adult child should ask parents, “What’s the reason behind the move? Is there something you want to tell me?” It’s one of the first signs that elder care may be needed in the not-too-distant future. 

It's more than just a house move.

Involvement in the move may also include what happens in the new environment. Concern for the parent moving doesn’t end with the move. There’s their current location and then the new location. Often, they are moving to unfamiliar territory. They need new doctors, want to know what the neighborhood is like, how they get around—all kinds of questions that need answers. It takes time to set all this up. A real estate agent can be such as asset with this.

It’s a process.

Family members typically do not anticipate that it’s going to be a stop-and-start process. A parent may say, “Okay, we’re moving.” And then they start to get overwhelmed, And they stop. 

Or they have good intentions of being physically and emotionally well enough to want to keep going. And then they stop. 

In the meantime, their neighbors, friends, and everyone around them come by and tell them how upset they are that the parents are leaving. 

Just because parents mention they’re going to move, it’s not a nice, straight line; it could take years. 

An adult child —and their real estate agent—needs to understand that it could take a lot longer than they think.

Be ready for change.

Parents can move away. And then move back. When they move away, they may be fine. When they move back, they may be much less independent.

The real estate agent should make sure all the paperwork is there. People might say they have all their paperwork in order, but they may not. See it. Put eyes on it. If they say everything is in a box, open the box.

The situation of a senior may change in the middle of the process. Their health might change in a moment. Don’t assume their health and situation at the beginning of the process will be the same throughout.