The Senior Show – Real Estate in a Changing World: Commercial Market Shifts, 55+ Housing, and Unlocking Home Equity – S1E6

Let’s get into it—this is The Senior Show!

In this episode, Neil Himmelstein and Tim Kennedy welcome Kelly Koukou, commercial real estate broker and partner at Lee & Associates, to discuss how COVID, remote work, and interest rates have reshaped both the Long Island economy and the commercial real estate landscape. Kelly breaks down the “rewrite of the playbook” since 2020—office space shrinkage, today’s push to return to offices, the glut of lower-quality space, and the “flight to quality,” plus how some markets are converting older office inventory into residential use. The conversation also connects real estate to retirement planning: the rise of 55+ communities, seniors’ desire to age in place, and how home equity can create liquidity when pensions and Social Security aren’t enough. Tim shares a strategy some homeowners use—leveraging a reverse mortgage to access equity, purchase investment properties, and use rental income to pay down the loan—while Kelly explains how commercial properties are valued, how higher rates compress asset values, and why the best investor opportunities often come from buying under-managed properties with vacancy and upside rather than fully “finished” deals.

Join us every Friday at 5 PM EST on 103.9 L.I. News Radio to catch "The Senior Show," hosted by Neil Himmelstein and Tim Kennedy.

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For questions or planning help:

Neil Himmelstein - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.mainstreetplanninggroup.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tim Kennedy - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.timtalksreverse.com/