By Kelly Shue
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

For years you’ve dreamed of making that last mortgage payment. Maybe you’ve even fantasized about what you’d do with the extra money now available in your monthly budget. Unfortunately, you are probably painfully aware that unplanned expenses are robbing you of your savings.

Many homeowners are finding that once their house is paid off, the expenses associated with home ownership continue to rise. That’s because houses that are 30 years and older often require constant repairs and maintenance costing thousands of dollars.

Just ask Ted Repsholdt of Deerfield. “There are three R’s in an old home:repair, replace, and renovate. At Sedgebrook, I don’t have to worry about any of these.”

To make matters worse, basic upkeep on a 30+ year old house remains constant. Add to that the reality of snow, wind, and rain taking a toll on roofs, exterior paint, driveways, windows,siding, and fencing, and home maintenance quickly becomes the great, unending money pit.

Now the savings you worked so hard to earn goes to maintaining a house with rooms you no longer use and time-consuming repair  projects that eat up your free time.

However, if you were living at Sedgebrook all your maintenance repairs would be covered under your comprehensive monthly service package. You’d no longer have to budget for unforeseen repair needs such as a leaky toilet or broken window. Sedgebrook’s highly skilled maintenance staff responds quickly to all in-home repair requests and is available seven days a week. And, in most cases, is  completely free.