Category: Elder
-
Selling Your Home in Retirement: How to Manage Deed and Title Transfers
Retired and thinking of selling your home? If so, you’re not alone. According to the National Association of Realtors, baby boomers are the largest group of both home sellers and buyers in the country. Here are some considerations for handling your deed and title transfer during your home sale.
-
Time for an Estate Planning Review? Check for 9 Common Deed Mistakes
Creating an estate plan is a wonderful thing to do for your loved ones. And it’s actually never too early to do your estate planning. Every homeowner should be confident that their intentions will be carried out, according to clear, effective documents. So, let’s briefly go over nine common mistakes to look out for when…
-
When Parents Won’t Let Go: Micromanaging Homes in Family Trusts
Family trusts can be helpful estate planning tools. A trust can protect a household’s assets, and effectively pass wealth along to family members. Those who receive income or assets from a family trust are called beneficiaries. But some of the people who are supposed to benefit may not entirely appreciate the gesture. They might resent…
-
St. Louis County Deed Holders: Submit Your Property Tax Freeze Application Now
St. Louis County’s senior property tax freeze has begun. Rejoice! The program halts real estate property tax increases for eligible seniors. From now until June 30, 2025, you may submit the online application that covers 2024. You’re eligible for this money-saving initiative if you: Of course, you can only claim your Senior Property Tax Credit…
-
Selling the Family Home to Fund Retirement: Get It Done in 5 Steps
Thinking about the financial and practical aspects of selling your family home to fund your retirement? Wondering where to even begin? It’s a major milestone. And it’s best approached one step at a time. Here are the steps in the process of navigating the real estate market as a senior, selling your home and starting…
-
As You Get Older, You May Need Medicaid. Protect Your Deed.
Medicaid is a popular program, funding healthcare needs. For millions of eligible people, these needs include nursing home stays. First, the good news. Most people don’t have to sell their homes to qualify for nursing home funds. Now, the not-so-welcome news. The state could record a lien on your title and collect from your estate…
-
When a Co-Owner Has Dementia: What’s Ahead?
Do you co-own a home? Then you could one day be asking if your deed can be signed over to someone else if either co-owner develops dementia. You might even want to transfer the deed entirely, and move to a place that will be easier on one or both of you. Let’s take a look…
-
Seniors Under Pressure: Could Someone You Love Sign a Deed Away?
It’s an all-too-common story. You’re caring for your parent, who’s a deed holder. And when you’re not looking, another person persuades the senior to sign over the deed. Who puts pressure on elders to give away their homes? It could be a renter. Maybe an acquaintance or relative. Maybe a health assistant or handy person. …
-
Estate Planning for Seniors With Multiple Properties
Seniors who own multiple properties have unique estate planning challenges. It’s a good problem to have. But if you’re in this situation, you’ll need to develop a strategy to pass your valuable assets after your passing. You’ll want to know the basics about deeds, wills, and trusts. Tax implications? Yes, those too. You’ll want to…
-
How a Durable Power of Attorney Works for a Home Deed—And How to Create the POA in 8 Steps
Have you thought about estate planning and your home? One tool you should know about is the durable power of attorney. A durable POA can help a senior deed holder manage property and money, even when they’re losing the ability to do this personally. The document names your agent(s) and lays out their continuing authority…
-
When a Homeowner Dies, What Happens to the Home?
What happens when a homeowner dies depends on whether there’s a will, the level of debt left behind, and how members of the deceased person’s circle think about others who could be beneficiaries of the estate. Understanding these factors can help a homeowner write a will that works. And if you stand to inherit an…
-
Understanding Life Estate Deeds: Benefits and Drawbacks
It’s possible to deed your property into a co-ownership with the person who will receive your home after your life. Perhaps you plan to leave your house to an adult child, or even a friend. A life estate deed is one option. It keeps you in your home for life. After your life, your home bypasses probate,…
-
My Dad Put My Nickname on the Deed: What Should I Do?
My dad passed away. His name and mine are on the home deed I just inherited from him. Here’s the issue. He put my nickname, Kathy, on the deed — though my actual name is Katherine. Do I need to change the deed? If so, can you tell me how? This kind of situation arises…
-
Lost Deed to Inherited Mineral or Oil Rights. What Should I Do?
From time to time we’re asked what to do if a deed is missing to mineral or oil rights. Can you recover your interest in these rights if you’re missing the deed? And how are these rights exercised? In this article, we take the questions one at a time.
-
Seniors’ Advocates Urge States to Ban Predatory ‘Cash for Listing’ Contracts
States are outlawing listing agreements that bind homeowners to specific companies to sell their homes in the future. In the last two years, 30 states have acted to prevent businesses from taking control of people’s property by recording brokers’ contracts against their deeds. The agreements can result in restrictions, liens, or even stealth mortgages recorded…
