What happens when the co-owner of your home dies with debt? This reader is concerned that they’ll get stuck with the bill or worse yet, that they’ll lose the home. Q: My mother and I currently share ownership of my home. We own the home equally. I've been reading some of your posts on ThinkGlink.com [...]
With an underwater mortgage, this senior homeowner is desperate for help. Thanks to the Great Recession, this older homeowner is struggling with selling at a loss or staying in their home. Q: My mother is 90 and needs to soon move from her condo to an assisted living facility. She bought her condo at the [...]
Can you sell your home if it’s held in a living trust? It all depends on how you set up the trust and what happened with the quitclaim deed. Q: In 2012, I set up a living trust, and at that time signed a quitclaim deed to my house and property over to my daughter. [...]
What you need to know about paying taxes on a home sold after a spouse’s death. Q: Just finished your awesome article on computing tax due on the sale of the primary home when a spouse passes. I just had a quick question. Let’s say a spouse passes on March 01, 2017. The first thought [...]
Do you need to renovate an old inherited home before selling? The first step to deciding involves speaking with a local real estate broker to lay down the numbers. Q: Our sister recently passed away leaving the family home that mom left her six years ago. She had no will and left outstanding debts as [...]
Should you have a transfer on death deed, a living trust or both? For this reader, it may be best to pursue all options available to them. Q: My father signed a quit claim deed in 2008 for my mother to be sole owner of their mobile home. Now, in 2018, she put him as [...]
Estate planning and capital gains taxes: What you need to know before selling high value property that could be inherited. Q: My parents are elderly and live in Virginia. They own a rental house in California. Since they bought it, the home has increased greatly in value to about $1 million. They are trying to [...]
What happens when property is promised to you but not written in the will? Depending on how the will is written, you may be out of luck. Here’s what you should know. Q: My father told my dying sister her husband would receive her portion of his estate, including his house, in the presence of [...]
We recently received a letter in response to one of our readers who wondered whether the timeshare owned by a parent would become the reader’s responsibility after the parent’s death. This is what this person wrote (The letter has been edited for clarity and space). Q: You recently ran an article from a reader who [...]
What happens if there’s no will? Homeownership and property taxes are two key issues to sort out if someone dies intestate (with no will) but has real property. Q: Does a family member or friend have to start paying property taxes after the owner of the house (who was over 65) dies in order to [...]
