Real Estate SOS

09/11/2026

➡️ WHAT LIFE LOOKS LIKE IN A 55+ COMMUNITY

Active-adult 55+ communities are designed for independent living, with plenty of amenities, activities, and opportunities to connect.

You can expect homes in these communities to be single-level or offer main-level living, featuring a primary bedroom with an en-suite bath on the main level. Homes range from cozy cottages to elegant gated villas.

Many have a paid lifestyle or social director who organizes social events and activities. Larger communities have lifestyle teams that handle fitness classes, clubs, live concerts, educational programs, and holiday parties. Smaller communities often rely on residents to plan and organize socials and events.

➡️ WHO CAN ACTUALLY LIVE THERE?

One common misconception about these communities is the age requirement.

A 55+ community is more than a marketing term. It is a federal housing classification under the Housing for Older Persons Act (HOPA). This classification allows senior communities to legally limit or exclude families with children without breaking fair housing laws.

HOPA does not require every resident in every home to be 55 or older. To qualify as a 55+ community, at least 80% of the occupied homes must have at least one resident who is 55 or older.

A community can adopt stricter rules, and many do, including requiring a 55+ resident in every home or restricting younger residents.

Know the community rules.

➡️ 55+ COMMUNITIES VS. OTHER SENIOR COMMUNITIES

55+ communities are designed for independent living. They are different from Life-plan or Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs).

CCRCs provide on-site medical care and assisted living. They are often communities for those 62 and older. A separate federal housing classification applies to housing intended for and occupied solely by residents who are 62 or older.

Many life-plan communities require an entrance fee plus a monthly fee and can have long waiting lists.

➡️ BEFORE YOU BUY, ASK THESE QUESTIONS

If you’re thinking about joining a 55+ community, it’s a good idea to get to know the community, understand the rules you’re agreeing to, and determine if it offers enough flexibility for your current season and maybe even the one after.

Clients often get excited about the amenities, but the lifestyle and rules should really guide your decision.

➡️➡️Here are some questions to consider ⬅️⬅️

* Who needs to be 55?

* Can an adult child live with you?

* How long can children or grandchildren visit?

* How much of the lifestyle relies on resident volunteers versus paid staff?

* What services, fees, or memberships are optional, and which are required?

* What’s the social vibe like? Is it lively and well-organized, or more relaxed and natural?

None of these factors automatically make a 55+ community a bad fit.

Actually, I believe these communities are a fantastic option for the right person who’s well-informed and takes the time to peek behind the curtain before making a decision.

➡️ TRIANGLE 55+ WATCH

55+ new construction is growing across the Triangle, with communities by builders including Del Webb, McKee Homes, Mungo Homes, Stanley Martin Homes, Tri Pointe Homes, and others.

Some builders are offering incentives toward closing costs, financing, upgrades, or certain inventory homes. Those incentives may not apply throughout the entire community. In some cases, the opportunity is specific to an individual home.

A resale home could offer a more established lot, mature landscaping, completed upgrades, or a location within the community that is no longer available from the builder. But buyers should compare the resale price with new-construction incentives offered nearby.

➡️ If you’re ready to start exploring 55+ communities in the Triangle or elsewhere in North Carolina, I’m here to help you compare your options, arrange tours, understand what you’re buying into, and ask the questions that matter before you make a decision.

Lakisha Chichester, REALTOR®
Real Estate SOS
984.208.7240

08/19/2026

I’m keeping an eye on Senate Bill 836, which proposes to shorten the required separation period in North Carolina from one year to six months, and allow qualifying domestic violence victims to divorce without waiting through the separation period.

For divorcing spouses, it’s important to know what separation means here:

➡️ Separation begins when spouses live in separate residences and at least one intends for the separation to be permanent.

➡️ You must be separated for one year and one day before you can file for an absolute divorce.

Why does that matter in real estate?

One year is a long time to wait for a divorce when you’ve already decided to end your marriage, especially when you need money for a new place to live while a significant portion of your wealth is tied up in the marital home you just left.

Luckily, you do not have to wait until your divorce is final to buy, sell, or refinance real estate. But because you are still legally married, you do need to handle those transactions correctly so that the new property or financing is not tied to the other spouse.

Cutting the separation period to six months would make that whole transition process shorter and less cumbersome.

I pay close attention to where divorce and real estate intersect because in the legal field, I see the nightmare cases that come from people acting on assumptions about separation, divorce and ownership instead of knowing what actually applied to their situation.

As a REALTOR®, I get to be on the front end and help my clients avoid some of those problems in the first place.

✨Real Estate SOS: Real Guidance for Better Decisions.✨

08/06/2026

Every time a public figure dies without a will, we hear the same advice:

“Get an estate plan.”
“Get a trust.”
“Get a will.”

That’s good advice.

But people rarely tell you where to get these documents or how much they cost

So, where do you start when you don't know where to start?

For starters, you may have estate planning resources through benefits and memberships you already have, including credit unions, employee legal plans, and community programs.

I put together a resource guide that includes:

• Credit union estate planning programs
• Employee legal benefit plans
• Free and reduced-cost legal resources
• Organizations that offer wills, powers of attorney, trusts, and advance directives

If you’ve been putting estate planning off because you thought it was out of reach, I hope this gives you a good place to start.

📖 Access the guide here:

Affordable estate planning may be more accessible than you think. Explore North Carolina credit union programs, employee legal benefits, and free or reduced-cost resources for wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and advance directives.

07/28/2026

The SOS in Real Estate SOS and Probate Property SOS means doing almost whatever needs to be done. 🫣

And the last two weeks have meant ALL THE THINGS with this active probate listing.

Today, I’m clearing bookshelves and closets after a very successful estate sale.

Next, I’m bringing in reinforcements for cleaning and staging so we can get her ready to go live on Friday.

And since we’re doing all this work, let me ask: Who is looking for a Raleigh home with room to live, gather, work, and grow?

This one offers five bedrooms, four full bathrooms, a walkout daylight basement, and nearly four acres. There is space for extended family, guests, home offices, hobbies, entertaining, and gardening.

She goes live Friday, and we’ll be holding an open house this weekend. Let me know if you want the details.

07/21/2026

Some families are shocked to learn that a parent is not automatically authorized to sign away a minor child’s ownership interest in an inherited home.

This often becomes an issue after a minor child loses a parent and inherits an interest in property that will be sold.

In North Carolina, the family may need to petition the court to have a guardian of the estate appointed to manage the minor’s property interest.

Parental status alone does not provide that authority.

Getting a property under contract is not enough. The seller still has to be able to complete the sale.

I’d much rather identify these issues before my client puts the home up for sale, or makes an offer on a house they cannot buy.

Informed clients make better decisions.

06/30/2026

Putting 20% down might be a smart move, but putting less than 20% down might also be a smart choice.

The mistake is believing there’s only one right answer, especially now, when home prices have made 20% down seem out of reach for many buyers, including repeat buyers.

A recent LendingTree survey found that just 23% of homeowners put down 20% or more. More than half (51%) paid less than 20%.

While 20% down offers real benefits: lower monthly payments, less interest, no PMI on many conventional loans, and possibly no escrow, draining your savings to hit the mark can leave you house-rich and cash-poor.

Many buyers make purchases with 3%, 5%, or 10% down. The tradeoff is a higher payment, more interest, and PMI.

A smaller down payment might be the better option for you if:

▶️ You want cash available for emergencies, repairs, or other investments
▶️ You're not planning to stay in the home long-term
▶️ Home prices in your area are rising faster than what PMI would cost you
▶️ You’d rather put your money toward retirement, your business, or other goals

That's why asking your lender for a loan estimate, the document that breaks down your costs, at a few different down payment levels is a smart move.

Compare the full picture: monthly payment, PMI, closing costs, cash to close, and your break-even point.

Your down payment shouldn't be based on what someone else did.

It's a strategy, not a rule. Choose the option that fits your unique financial picture.

06/23/2026

According to the June 15 NAHB report, 62% of new home builders offered sales incentives, and 35% cut prices.

Here’s how these stats are showing up in the market, for buyers and for sellers.

⏩ For buyers:

Builder incentives can be a sweet deal, but they are not automatically the best deal.

An incentive could include:

▶️ A rate buydown
▶️ Closing cost assistance
▶️ Appliance packages
▶️ Design upgrades
▶️ Preferred lender credits
▶️ Price reductions

Those can all be valuable, but the fine print matters.

Buyers should be asking:

❓Is the rate temporary or permanent?

❓Is the incentive tied to using the builder’s preferred lender and attorney?

❓What will the payment be after the buydown ends?

❓Is the home still priced well compared to similar homes?

❓Would another lender offer better terms?

⏩ For sellers:

These stats matter because resale homes are not only competing with other resale homes.

They are competing with new construction communities offering credits, upgrades, rate buydowns, and price reductions.

The Triangle alone has more than 600 new-home communities actively competing for the same buyers you’re trying to reach.

That does not mean a resale home cannot compete.

But it does mean pricing, condition, presentation, and strategy matter.

A resale home may offer things new construction does not:

✅ An established neighborhood
✅ Mature landscaping
✅ Larger lot
✅ High-end appliances
✅ No construction wait time

But buyers are still comparing cost, condition, incentives, monthly payment, and overall value.

So for sellers, the question is not, “What is my home worth?”

The better question is:

“How does my home compete with the other options buyers are seeing right now?”

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I’m Lakisha Chichester, REALTOR® and Certified Paralegal in Durham, NC, serving clients throughout the Triangle.

My focus is education, strategy, and practical solutions because informed clients make better decisions.

If you’re a seller in the Triangle and you want to know how your home stacks up against what buyers are actually seeing, let’s talk.

Real Estate SOS at KW Elite Realty
[email protected]
984-208-7240

06/16/2026

Divorcing or separating and want to keep the house?

Both spouses on the mortgage?

Then you’ll likely need to refinance to remove your spouse from the loan.

That creates two challenges.

➡️ You have to qualify for the loan on your own.

➡️ You could be trading a low rate for a higher one, which can completely change whether staying in the home is financially realistic.

Luckily, the issue is making its way to state law.

Maryland, Virginia, and California have all passed laws requiring lenders to allow one spouse to assume the existing mortgage in a divorce or legal separation. Same rate. Same terms. No refinance needed.

Not in one of those states? Some lenders already offer this option voluntarily.

Most people never think to ask.

So before you assume refinancing is your only option, talk to your lender.

That one conversation could save you from walking away from your home.

05/15/2026

What does representing yourself in court have to do with buying a house?