Help for friend who is overwhelmed with taking care of her business

[JohnG332793]

My late 70's friend and her Aspergers husband are sinking deeper into marital and financial trouble.  They have 3 houses in far-apart states.  She does all the work to take care of the properties, personal finances and all of their stuff. They need to sell at least one of their houses.  He can't/won't help her because its too frustrating for him to deal with her lack of organization and ability to finish projects. Plus it is physically painful for him to deal with strangers.  She is a very capable person but she no longer has her fastball and the projects are piling up around her.  She can't keep up and is falling further behind. The husband has expressed that he can no longer live with the situation. He is contemplating his mortality and all the things had hoped for in his later life.  She is overwhelmed with what to do to get her/their lives back on track.  They are both hurt and aren't sure what the future holds.

They need an organization that can help them clarify their projects and help them resolve their challenges efficiently.  Sell one of the houses, pay back taxes, dispose of the tons of stuff they no longer need, sell their time share, etc.  At a time of their lives in which they need to simplify, things are getting much more complex. They can afford to pay an organization to help them simplify things.  They have homes in VA, MD and ME. They want to sell the home in VA.

[sktn77a]

Have them contact several of the cash offer real estate companies (open door, mark spain, etc) and sell the house(s) to the highest bidder.  They won't get the highest price but it will take all of the necessary details and organization off them and on to the buying company.

[GailL1]

@JohnG332793 

I don’t know about an organization per se - sounds like what they might need is a Professional Fiduciary. 

But for one to be effective, they are gonna have to get on the same page with their plans of what they want and what they expect to be the result.  They also have to trust the person - to do what is best for them and the goals that have been set forth.  Do you think that they will go along with the acceptable plan or will they want changes and tend to micromanage?

Please understand that a Professional Fiduciary is not just a financial planner - they must be certified to work in the best interest of the client.  Their fees are usually a flat fee.  They can be charged with doing just about anything surrounding money matter or outside of it also - like arranging for care - healthcare or daily living care.  You might find one that has a real estate license but most likely they would just initiate the sale with a local agent whom they vet just like the people would do if they did it alone.

Now finding one that fits well with each of them might be a little difficult - but you know them.

Good Luck - that’s all I got.

[JohnG332793]

Professional Fiduciary - perfect.  They have no kids.  I'm not interested in taking on the responsibility of fixing their problems.  An impartial, legally responsible and accountable person who knows what and how to do these things is exactly what they need.  I knew there was a role for them, I just wasn't sure what they were called.  Thank you - what you got is right on!