Your real estate encompasses not only your primary residence but also any vacation homes, rental properties, or even vacant land you may own. The ideal form of ownership varies depending on the type of property and your individual circumstances.
Your Primary Residence
How you own your...
The term homestead may seem like a throwback to pioneer days, but homestead exemption laws are directly relevant to today’s estate planning and can play a valuable role in a modern plan.
Almost every state has some form of homestead exemption law primarily focused on reducing property taxes and...
Your home is likely one of the most valuable assets you own, if not the most valuable.
Calling it an asset can sound cold. A home is far more than an assortment of materials and possessions. It is also a place to live, gather, create life stories, and share...
The bad news: When a person dies owning property in their sole name without a beneficiary, their loved ones will have to go through a court-supervised process called probate to transfer the property out of the deceased person’s name and into the name of intended beneficiaries or heirs at law. Going through...
Rising housing costs, the desire for companionship, and the need to share resources are increasingly leading buyers to consider co-owning a home with someone other than a spouse, such as a friend, relative, or significant other.
Although this arrangement can be beneficial on several levels, it should be approached...
A home is often one of the most important assets that people own. Therefore, most people want to stay in their home until they die and then have a loved one receive it. One common way to pass a home to loved ones is through a will. However, transferring property with a...
If you have established a revocable living trust (which we will refer to simply as a trust), congratulations! You are on the right track in creating a comprehensive estate plan. However, you are only halfway there. Many people believe that because they took the time to create a trust, their estate will...
People often set up bank accounts or real estate so that they own them jointly with a spouse or other family member. The appeal of joint ownership, specifically with survivorship rights, is that when one owner dies, the other owner(s) will automatically inherit the property without it having to go through probate....
Today more young adults are living at home with their parents than at any time since the 1940s. While there are many different opinions about this trend and the cause of its recent prevalence, the primary motivation for young adults staying at home with their parents is usually related to finances.
Your mortgage, like the rest of your debt, does not simply disappear when you die. If you leave your home that has an outstanding loan to a beneficiary in your will or trust, your beneficiary will inherit not only the property but also the outstanding debt. They may have the right to...
