Ditching $7,000-a-Month Assisted Living for a Cash-Purchased Home

After a $7,000-a-month assisted-living arrangement proved unaffordable, 74-year-old Lana Mountford bought a cash-priced 1,350-square-foot, two-bedroom home near Bellingham, WA for $580,000 and now lives independently with a part-time caregiver. Her ongoing costs include six weekly hours of care (about $200/week), a roof replacement (~$17,000), HOA, taxes, and utilities—much lower than her former bills. Despite COPD, asthma, high blood pressure, and chronic kidney disease, she plans to stay in her home long term with family support.