Austin Living Magazine There is much more to the story of Tasse and owner Carmen Tribbett including the part local illustrator Katie Hunerdosse played in bringing the playful pup to life on the printed page. Pick up the upcoming May-June edition of Austin Living and read more on Tasse, Carmen, Katie and much, much more. Photos by Eric Johnson/ photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Lessons from a friendly pooch named Tasse By Hannah Yang hannah.yang@austindailyherald.com
If one were to meet Demitasse, they would know immediately she has a high-class personality. The spunky Shih Tzu exudes human-like tendencies, often casting loving looks at her owner Carmen Tribbett before settling down on the floor. If there’s company, Demitasse — Tasse for short — would lift her head up in a dignified fashion, announcing her presence before walking into any room. “She’s a small dog with a big attitude,” Tribbett explained. “She’s very high class. That’s Tasse.”
Still, the dog earned it, having served as the main character for Tribbett’s self-published book “The Monster Dog: A Small Dog with a Big Attitude,” which is available on Amazon and for purchase at Sweet Reads book store in downtown Austin. Written from Tasse’s point of view, Tribbett crafted a story that explored lessons for children, such as love and forgiveness. Writing children’s books was considered to be her “fifth career,” as Tribbett has lived a long life with plenty of experiences along the way. She just celebrated her 87th birthday
and refuses to let time slip past. Her social calendar is packed with trips, birthday dinners and more. However, writing has taken center stage for Tribbett these days. The makings of another book has appeared on several sticky notes that are stuck onto her bathroom mirror. She emphasized how important it was to continue living and making memories in the everyday moments. Of course, Tasse is there along for the ride. “I felt led to do it,” she said. “It was on my mind Carmen Tribbett brought Tasse to life in the pages of her books, filled with adventures and meaningful stories. all the time.”
Retiring? What you need to know about reverse mortgages By Hannah Yang hannah.yang@austindailyherald.com
When pre paring for your first home, you take on a mortgage. Now when you’re about to retire, what do you do? These were the questions that Kris Heichel of Fairway Mortgage Company hears about regularly. However, there are resources available for retirees such as a reverse mortgage. A reverse mortgage is a type of loan that’s not asked about as much, but Heichel believes should be. “I am not asked about this option as much as I would like because when used strategically, a reverse mortgage can greatly improve an individual’s retirement,” she said. “We are here to provide the
to help those who were retiring with limited income to use the accumulated wealth in their homes to cover basic monthly living expenses and pay for their healthcare. There aren’t any restrictions in how reverse mortgages can be used, and it’s called a reverse mortgage because the lender makes payments to the borrower instead of monthly payments to the lender. With this type of mortgage available, Heichel said that more retirees should be made aware A reverse mortgage can by a great option for those retiring. of the opportunity. Also Metro Image with a reverse mortgage, a education and allow the a loan available to home- home can be purchased as homeowners to make an owners who are 62 years or opposed to the belief that educated decision, but that older, which allows them to it’s only to refinance their cannot happen without the convert part of the equity current residence. knowledge.” in their homes into cash. “I feel that a lot of retirA reverse mortgage is This was created as a way ees do not know about re-
Jane Ballard Life at the Village Cooperative of Austin is retirement living made easy. Beautiful grounds and a walking path surround the property. Our cars are safely parked in a heated underground garage.
John & Catherine Conway After calculating our yearly homeowner expenses of insurance, property taxes, utilities, cable TV/internet and maintenance material and labor costs, we concluded that the Austin Village Cooperative is truly a bargain.
verse mortgages or they have only heard the negative myths and misunderstandings,” Heichel said. “We at Fairway are here to provide education to consumers and professionals, and change the way retirement is done in this country.” With this type of loan, the borrower is also not required to pay it back until their home is sold or vacated. As long as t h e y l ive i n s i d e t h e i r residence, they’ re not required to make any monthly payments toward their loan balance, and must remain updated on property taxes, homeowners insurance and homeowner association dues if applicable. As for any negatives to going for a reverse mort-
gage, Heichel shared that unless a homeowner decides to live in another home as their primary residence while keeping the reverse mortgage on a different home, or failing to pay their property taxes, homeowners insurance and maintenance on the home, then there aren’t really any cons to opting for a reverse mortgage. “We hear the phrase ‘this seems too good to be true’ pretty much any time someone begins to understand how it works because it really does seem too good to be true,” she said. “I would do this for my family, friends, neighbors, pretty much everyone I come in contact with. I will do my own reverse mortgage as soon as I’m eligible.”