After several months of negotiations, the ownership of a local senior living facility has officially changed hands.

Monday saw the finalization of the property transfer for the The Palmerton, formerly the Village at Palmerton, from Life Care Holdings to Inspirit Senior Living of Fairfax, Virginia.Life Care Holdings, based out of Allentown, has held the assisted living facility for about 14 years. President Joseph Cimerola said that the decision to sell has been in the works for over half a year."They started talking to us about eight months ago. It was a very fair offer, and it was a good time to sell. They were looking to move into the Pennsylvania market, so they purchased the sister property as well," Cimerola said, referencing The Willow in Macungie.Cimerola and Life Care Holdings found the $5,060,000 offer for the property enticing enough to entertain, but money wasn't the only factor in the decision."I liked their company, and the way their philosophy matched ours," Cimerola said. "After holding the building about 14 years, I wanted to make sure it got sold to the right people."Inspirit Senior Living was founded in 2015 by David McHarg, a former executive in the senior care field for over 25 years. McHarg's properties, including Foxbridge in Memphis, Tennessee, and Hilltop in Winchester, Virginia, focus on providing a choice of independent or assisted living, a strong memory care program, and a sense of community and companionship.Cimerola is confident that McHarg and Inspirit will continue to provide excellent service, and that the company will be working to improve the care experience for all residents."There will be some upgrades to the building, some capital improvements," Cimerola said. "I think it's going to be very positive for the residents."