Q: What exactly is a "modified house"?
A:
A "modified house" is one that has been renovated to make it easier for a
person with disabilities to do such everyday activities as: move from room to
room, reach and use countertops, appliances, cupboards and sinks,
get from one floor to another, get in and out of bathroom facilities or simply
enter and exit their home.
Q: How do most modified houses get that way?
A: The majority of heavily modified houses are financed by insurance from car
or catastrophic accidents. In order for an injured person to move back into
the community instead of remaining institutionalized, the insurance settlements
often are used for housing renovations and transportation such as vans modified
for wheelchair or cars with modified controls.
Q: What if the disability occurs from illness or some condition not covered by
insurance?
A: For situations with medical conditions such as advancing MS, post polio
syndrome, increasing arthritis and osteoporosis, the person seeking a modified
house to fit their
particular requirements, may apply for a government grant of up to $15,000 to
put towards modification costs, or must draw on savings for the renovations,
or hope that there is something that happens
to be available on the market at the time they happen to be looking.
Q: What happens when the person no longer needs the modified house?
A: In the past, sellers have often been advised to rip out modifications even
before listing their property. Buyers who have no need of the modifications,
may insist that the removal of the modifications be completed at the seller's
expense before closing.
Q: Doesn't that mean the person with the disability takes a double hit
financially?
A: Yes, absolutely. And the cost ripples throughout the system, negatively
affecting insurance rates and available government funding, when yet another
house has to be modified after this one's modifications are no longer available.
Q: Isn't there a way to avoid wasting all that investment?
A: Yes there is. When a real estate agent has the background to specialize
in modified housing, they also have a network of contacts, homeowners and
information about modified houses in the area, especially if any might be
coming on the market in the near future. The chances of finding what a person
needs, in the timeframe they have, go up considerably. When modified housing
can be recycled, it benefits everyone -- individuals who can use it, their
families facing the stress of the move, insurance companies footing the bill
and the taxpayers whose funding tries to help all who are in need.
