02 Oct Should we buy mom a home for Senior Freeze purposes?

Q. My mother is 80 and lives on her own. Her income is only Social Security and a small pension from my dad, but I’m thinking she will need some help soon. If I have her move in with me, are we better off buying a separate house in her name so she can get stuff like the Senior Freeze that I am not eligible for?
— Thinking

A. That’s a really tough one.

You’ll face big costs with moving, whether you’re planning to move in with her or if she joins you in your home. And as you said, it matters in whose name the home is.

The Senior Freeze has three requirements, said Jody D’Agostini, a certified financial planner with The Falcon Financial Group in Morristown.

The individual must be at least age 65, which your mom meets. The program has annual income thresholds, which she may meet from what you describe, D’Agostini said.

“Lastly, the senior must have this home be her primary residence and she would need to own the home, which she does not,” D’Agostini said. “She therefore would not qualify for the Senior Freeze.”

She would qualify if she owned her home in her name, D’Agostini said. Email your questions to .

This story was originally published in October 2025.

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