Residents’ Gift of Real Estate is a Win for Everyone

In 2008 Tim and Judy Trissler moved into the West Cottage expansion at Bethany Village. They reflect fondly on their decision, saying, “It was good to move to a community with fellow senior adults with similar interests, while planning ahead and saving our children from having to make the difficult decision of where to put mom and dad.”

The Trisslers had their home on the market for more than a year after moving to Bethany Village. The stress of constantly checking on the property weighed heavily on the couple. In 2009, after a conversation with Director of Development J.D. Shuman, the Trisslers took advantage of a gift opportunity that they describe as a “win-win.”

“We donated our property to the Asbury Foundation to benefit Bethany Village. We funded a charitable gift annuity that pays us monthly. The check is always there when it’s supposed to be.”

Mr. and Mrs. Trissler are benefiting from a “wealth replacement” gift. They have chosen to use some of the income from their charitable gift annuity to fund a life insurance policy on Judy. This allows the Trisslers to use the insurance to transfer the value of their home on to their children tax-free.

Tim says, “We were fortunate that we did not need to sell our home in order to fund the entrance fee. We realized it really was a blessing for us to be able to support benevolent care at Bethany and at the same time remove the stress of selling our home in a down market, and be able to pass the value of our home on to our kids. God has blessed us throughout our lives and we need to pass on that blessing to others.”

When asked if they had any regrets regarding their decision, the Trisslers quickly reply, “No regrets! This may not be for everyone, but it’s worth investigating! We are very glad we did.”