My husband and I are considering buying into a CCRC. We can afford it, but I am concerned about the financial stability of the community that we might otherwise prefer. They are a non-profit, but are losing money every year and operating on city revenue bonds. I guess it's a great deal for residents now, who are obviously paying less than the cost of the services they get; but we could live another 20-30 years, and if we buy in now, is there much assurance that they can fulfill our contract? When I asked the manager, he said that the management company would find someplace to borrow more money if they need to. I know this industry has had financial problems in some communities. Does anyone know about the resolution of such problems in any specific community or have any advice for me? If we make the buy-in and pay the monthly fee for several years, I fear that we won't have the financial or emotional resources to relocate if the CCRC folds.
When the Manager said "the community would find someplace to borrow more money" that was a major red flag. Find a long establish place by a well known builder who has built successful communities nationwide.
I know I have been looking in my area at the 55+ community where one can purchase a small house or one where the houses are attached to each other [cheaper real estate tax]. There is such a variety out there.
The reason is because I have no heirs to look after my interests should I become unable to. A CCRC guarantees that you can stay in their facility at whatever level of care you need--even if you have to go on Medicaid. Typically, their facilities are much nicer than what a guardian would be able to secure for me under Medicaid.
My question is whether anyone knows of such a facility that filed for bankruptcy and how that affected the residents.
With no relatives left to help you out later on, you might also consider a Revocable Living Trust which names a geriatric care manager and a trustee and specifies how you want your situation and choices to be evaluated and how often and how you want your money to be spent. You can be very specific.
Look, everyone else, I see the "major red flag" and recognize it for what it is. My question is: After the race is red-flagged, what happens to the debris left on the track, and how do the survivors get back in the race?
In the Devonshire case, creditors took over and guaranteed the residents' contracts. Good result, so far at least.
I'm curious what might have happened in other states, especially without laws that might have required the lenders to do that.
That said, however we hold our money, we need someone to look out for our finances when we cannot.
The two CCRCs we are considering are a financially sound one in FL and one in IN, near our current home.
I was executor for an aunt who had a Type A contract for a CCRC. Dealing with CCRC was super sticky in that I as executor could not find a new “buyer” for her “premier garden home” (lol!) or otherwise easily deal with it as an asset of her estate as it continued to be owned & in control of the CCRC. They & only they can determine when it gets placed onto market, if a buyer is approved, doing anything to get it market ready, etc. And for more fun, it could not be used by myself or heirs during this period as you could only stay if you were a guest of the CCRC “resident owner”. Her out of state nephew who volunteered to clear her place was allowed to spend 1 night there but that was it. My experience is that there is little motivation for CCRC to get a unit back onto market (unless CCRCs are in super high demand where you live) or quickly refund any $$$ should there actually be some. The refund from buy in was based on overall buy in paid less resident days & the set low 6 figure non-refundable entry fee & they did that as per contract eventually (over a year after death). But there were still all these monthly & market ready costs still nibbling till then. On retrospect my aunts situation was easy as there were other issues with her hot mess of an estate so needling & waiting on CCRC to find a new buyer and get refund was just another item. But if it had been where heirs needed estate wrapped up quickly, I bet they would have done a lower figure settlement offer. The issue is CCRC, I now realize, do not have to maintain a set escrow like account for refunds, which I find amazing & scary.
Devil is in the details. Really also look to see what medical conditions are excluded from the provided within buy in fee at the CCRC care list. Especially how post hospitalization doctors orders are handled.
Probably the nightmare scenario for CCRC was the Erickson bankruptcies of 20+ CCRCs a decade ago. Also a good NYT article from 2014 on problems with Vi CCRCs and the class action filed.