Common questions
Straight answers to what families ask us most. If your question isn't here, call or text and ask.
Care
Are you a placement agency?
No. We are not a placement agency and take no community referral fees. Nobody pays us to send your parent anywhere, so we can talk plainly about the choices.
What is the difference between the levels of care?
Independent living is for people who mostly manage on their own and want less upkeep and more company. Assisted living adds daily help with things like bathing, dressing, and medicine. Memory care is a secure setting for people living with dementia, and a nursing home, also called skilled nursing, gives round-the-clock medical care.
Roughly what does senior care cost in Oklahoma?
It depends on the level of care and the place, and prices change every year. Our guide to the cost of senior care in Oklahoma walks through each level and where the numbers come from. When you talk to any community, ask for the full price list in writing, including what raises the monthly fee as needs grow.
How do families usually pay for care?
Most families use some mix of savings, income, long-term care insurance, veterans benefits, and sometimes money from renting or selling the house. Which ones fit depends on your parent's situation. Our guide to paying for care in Oklahoma explains each one in plain words.
My parent needs more help. Where do I start?
Start with an honest list of what your parent can and can't do safely each day, and talk it over with their doctor. Then ask your parent what matters most to them. Bring that list to every visit or call so you are comparing the same things.
What do you actually help with?
The house. When a parent moves to care, someone has to decide what happens to the home, and that is the part we know. We can walk you through keeping, renting, listing, or selling it as-is, bring a cleanout and repair team whose costs come back at closing instead of up front, and put what each option would net on one page. We don't choose or recommend care communities.
Do we have to sell the house to pay for care?
No. Some families keep the house, some rent it, and some sell it, and each can be the right choice. If it would help to see the numbers side by side, we can put them on one page for free.
Staying home
Can my parent keep living in their own home?
Often, yes, with a safer house and the right help. Many older adults want to age in place, and with some planning it can work for a long time. The key is to be honest about what is getting harder and to plan before a fall or a hospital stay makes the decision for you.
What safety changes make the biggest difference?
Start with falls, since a fall is often what forces a move. Grab bars in the bathroom, bright lighting on stairs and at night, railings on both sides of steps, and clearing loose rugs and cords all help. Later on, a walk-in shower or a bedroom on the main floor can matter a lot.
What kind of help can come to the house?
There are two main kinds. Home care helps with daily tasks like meals, bathing, errands, and company, while home health care is medical care, like nursing or therapy, usually ordered by a doctor. Many families also lean on meal delivery, a neighbor who checks in, or a medical alert button.
How do I know when it's time for more than staying home?
Watch for falls, missed medicines, weight loss, unpaid bills, getting lost, or a family caregiver who is worn out. One sign alone doesn't mean it's time, but several together usually do. Talk with your parent and their doctor, and make the choice together if you can.
How do we keep the house in order while a parent ages there?
Keep up with the small things before they become big ones: the roof, gutters, furnace filters, smoke detectors, and any leaks. Make sure the insurance and property taxes stay current, and that someone your parent trusts can see the bills. It is also worth asking the County Assessor whether the senior valuation freeze applies.
What if the house needs repairs my parent can't afford?
Talk about it early, before it turns into a safety problem. Some repairs can wait and some can't, like a failing roof, a broken furnace, or a dangerous step. If the house is becoming more than anyone can keep up with, we are glad to walk through the options with no pressure to sell.
Do you help with aging in place?
We don't provide in-home care or remodeling. What we know is the house itself, and we are glad to talk through what keeping it, renting it, or selling it someday would look like, whenever your family is ready.
Paperwork & legal
Are you attorneys?
No. We are not attorneys and do not give legal advice. When a question turns legal, we will say so and suggest you ask your probate attorney, and we are glad to work alongside them.
Do I need probate?
It depends on how the house and other property were titled, whether there was a will, and what else the estate owns. Some houses pass outside probate, for example through a transfer on death deed or joint ownership, and many don't. An Oklahoma probate attorney can look at your situation and tell you which path fits.
What does a personal representative do?
The personal representative is the person the court names to handle the estate, usually a family member. In general, they gather and protect what the person owned, pay valid debts and expenses, keep records, and then distribute what is left as the court directs. Your probate attorney will tell you what the court expects from you and when.
What is a transfer on death deed?
It is a deed an Oklahoma owner records during their life that names who gets the house when they die, often without probate. After the owner passes, the beneficiary still has paperwork to record with the county, and there is a deadline. Ask your attorney to check that the deed was done correctly and that the steps after death happen on time.
What should I do with the mail and bills?
Forward the mail with a USPS change of address so bills and tax notices don't pile up at an empty house. Keep the insurance, utilities, and any mortgage payments current, and keep a simple record of everything you pay. Before paying other debts with estate money, ask your probate attorney what the estate should pay and in what order.
Should the house stay insured during probate?
Keep it insured. Call the homeowner's insurance company, tell them the owner has passed and whether the house is empty, and ask what they require. Many policies limit coverage once a home sits vacant 30 to 60 days.
Do you write wills or trusts?
No. We don't write wills or trusts. If your family is planning ahead, we can refer you to an Oklahoma estate-planning attorney.
The house
Do I have to clean out the house or fix it before selling?
No. An estate house can be sold exactly as it sits. If you would rather clean it out or make repairs first, we can bring a cleanout and repair team whose costs come back at closing, not up front. Before anything leaves the house, check with your attorney that the estate allows it.
Can I sell the house during probate?
Often, yes. In most Oklahoma probates the court approves the sale, and your attorney handles that step. We work alongside your attorney and keep them informed so the sale fits what the court needs.
Should we keep it, rent it, list it, or take a direct offer?
Each one can be the right choice. Keeping fits when someone will live there, renting when the house is in good shape and someone can manage it, listing when it shows well and the estate can wait a few months, and a direct as-is offer when it needs work or the family wants it settled. If you take a direct offer from us, KRE Group is the buyer. You should see both numbers, and your family decides.
What is the difference between listing and a direct as-is offer?
Listing means Bucky, a licensed Oklahoma real estate agent with Waypoint Realty, sells the house on the open market, which often brings more but takes longer and may need some work. A direct as-is offer means KRE Group buys the house as it sits, with no showings or repairs. You should see both numbers, and your family decides.
What if the heirs don't agree?
That happens in a lot of families, and it doesn't make yours unusual. It often helps to put every option on paper so everyone is looking at the same numbers instead of guesses, and we can help find and coordinate heirs who live far away or are hard to reach. When there is a real dispute, your attorney is the right person to guide what happens next.
What is the free one-page net sheet?
It is one page that compares three options for the house, each after costs: listing it as-is, making a few light repairs and then listing, or a direct offer. If you take the direct offer, KRE Group is the buyer. It is free, it can be done without a meeting, and you can hand it to your attorney. Ask for it on our What your options net page, or call or text (918) 317-2874 and just say numbers.
What does the house cost the estate while it sits?
Insurance, utilities, property taxes, any mortgage payments, and upkeep keep coming while the estate is open. That is worth counting when your family compares options, so nobody is surprised later.
Letters
Why did I get a letter?
A probate case was filed in Tulsa County, and you are listed on it. We write to families in that situation because the house is often the hardest part of an estate, and many people have no one to ask about it. There is no obligation.
How did you get my name and address?
Probate filings are public court records. We read Tulsa County probate filings and write to the people listed on them, so your name and address came from that public record.
Is this a scam?
No. The letters come from Bucky Cordray, a licensed Oklahoma real estate agent with Waypoint Realty, and his company, KRE Group, in Tulsa. You never have to reply, and there is no obligation if you do. If you would like to check before you call, you are welcome to show the letter to your attorney.
I'm not the right person, or it's already settled.
Then you can toss the letter. If it's settled, we are glad, and there is nothing you need to do. If you would like the letters to stop, use our Stop mail requests page, or call or text (918) 317-2874 and say stop.
How do I stop the letters?
Fill in the short form on our Stop mail requests page with the name and address exactly as they appear on the envelope, or call or text (918) 317-2874 and say stop. Either way, we stop. If a letter was already in the mail, it may still arrive in the next few days.
Do I have to sell the house to talk to you?
No. We are not asking you to sell anything. Many families only want answers about insurance, taxes, or when the court lets you sell, and that is fine.
What was the checklist in my letter?
Some of our letters include a one-page checklist of what the court and the county usually expect with the house in the first 90 days. Keep it either way. If you misplaced it, the same checklist is on our site as the Oklahoma estate house checklist.
KRE Group may also make a direct cash offer on a property; you are always free to list with any agent or accept other offers.
Talk with someone who has done this before
Call or text (918) 317-2874. No obligation, no pressure.