Tag: Probate
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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…
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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…
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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…
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I Inherited a Home. Should I Sell It, or Rent It Out?
Many heirs receive real estate because it’s a valuable asset — not necessarily because they need the homes to live in. So, for the heir who doesn’t want to live in the inherited home, what’s the best decision to make? Rent or sell the home? The answer is clear: It all depends! It’ll turn on…
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When in Delaware… A Homeowner’s Deed Must Be Filed With the Register of Wills
What happens with Delaware real estate deeds when someone dies? The home’s title (whether the owner dies with or without a will) vests immediately in the beneficiaries’ names. The home county’s Register of Wills sends the deed to the County Assessment Office. That’s how a title is transferred upon death. There’s no need for a…
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I Deeded My Property to Someone Else. Can I Revoke My Gift?
Giver’s regret isn’t unusual. A desire to void the gift of a home after transferring the deed could happen for various reasons. Perhaps you recovered from a serious illness and could really use that home after all. Or maybe your tax expert told you that letting someone wait to inherit your home would be better…
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Will Versus Quitclaim: When There’s a Conflict, Who Owns the House?
Usually, the quitclaim deed overrides the instructions in a will. But the devil is in the details. At age 60, Letitia bought her Sacramento home, as a sole owner. Twenty years later, aged 80, Letitia went into a care home. Letitia subsequently signed a quitclaim deed and gave the home to Jackson, the only one…
