My Father's Journey and Why I'm Here

Five years ago, my father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and dementia. Since then, I have been his sole caregiver; no siblings, no shared responsibility, just me navigating every decision on his behalf.

His journey through the senior care system has been exactly the progression I now help other families prepare for. He started in assisted living when he could still participate in the decision. Within six months, his dementia progressed faster than we expected, and he needed memory care after waiting out the long list almost every quality facility has in Northern Virginia. Within a year, the cost of memory care was spending down his savings faster than I had planned for. That's when I learned, under pressure, that I needed to protect his remaining assets and apply for Medicaid. I sat with elder law attorneys, figuring out the five-year lookback and asset protection. I kept his home rather than selling it, putting it in a trust and converting it into a rental to help fund his care.

Then came the detail no one had told me: most memory care facilities do not accept Medicaid. Our only option was to move him again into a nursing home that does.

After living this, I pursued my Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) certification. Most realtors see a house. I see a family in transition. I know the difference between assisted living, memory care, and a nursing home because I have lived the transitions between all three.

My father is still with us. And because of him, DownsizingNOVA exists.

My Background

I'm a lifelong Virginian. I grew up in the Blue Ridge mountains of southwest Virginia, then came north to attend Marymount University, where I studied fashion design. Northern Virginia's energy hooked me, and I've never left.

That fashion design background shows up in my real estate work more than you'd think. Preparing a senior's home for sale requires a creative eye and obsessive attention to detail. I can walk through a 40-year family home in McLean or Arlington and see the version buyers will fall in love with, without putting families through unnecessary stress or expense.

I joined The Davenport Group at TTR Sotheby's because we share the same standard of service: honesty, trust, and clients first. I hold active real estate licenses in Virginia and Washington D.C.

What I Do Differently

DownsizingNOVA is built around a simple idea: families should not have to assemble a team of specialists on their own while in the middle of a crisis.

When you work with me, you get a Certified Senior Real Estate Specialist, a vetted network of elder law attorneys, financial advisors, Medicaid planners, senior move managers, and senior living placement specialists all coordinated under one roof. You get hyper-local expertise in McLean, Arlington, Falls Church, and Reston. You get support designed for long-distance when adult children who can't always be here in person.

Most of all, you get someone who has actually done this.

Let's Talk

If you or a parent is beginning to think about downsizing or you're already deep in the process and need someone who understands it, I'd love to hear from you.