All Posts By

Michelle J. Lane

Why it is Important to Work with a Real Estate Agent

Even if you plan to sell the property to a family member, you should work with a real estate agent. We help you avoid many pitfalls in the process of selling an inherited home. We can provide an unbiased…

The Initial Costs of Inheriting a Property

Mortgages & loans Often when a property is inherited, mortgages and loans will have already been paid off during a lifetime of ownership. However, this isn’t always the case. Occasionally a property will have been left with a mortgage…

The Probate Process

Inheriting property from an estate is governed by a legal process. If there is a valid will describing the deceased person’s wishes, this may allow skipping much of the legal actions. If there is no will, the estate will be distributed…

Minimizing Capital Gains Tax

After an owner’s passing, the home must be appraised and the cost basis for the house becomes the value assigned by the appraiser. This is known as the stepped-up basis. You can avoid capital gains taxes on inherited property…

Selling A Parent’s House

If your parents have not passed away, you will need to have them sign Power of Attorney to give you authority to handle the transaction for them. If you need help finding an attorney to assist with this, we…

Evaluating Senior Living Facilities

Quality care is of utmost importance when selecting a facility for yourself or your parent. Below are tips on evaluating assisted living facilities, memory care and independent living facilities. Assisted living facilities can be very expensive, so narrowing down…

Steps in the Search for a Nursing Home

Finding a skilled nursing facility or nursing home after a hospital stay can be daunting. Follow these steps and tips to make the process easier. Click Here for the full article by Patricia Mertz Esswein Consider What you Can…

What Seniors Need to Know About the December 2020 Stimulus Package

In addition to $600 checks for eligible adults and children, the December 2020 stimulus bill includes several provisions that help older Americans. For one, there’s money for rental assistance, and the eviction moratorium was extended to January 31, 2021. The…

SECURE Act and Your Retirement

The SECURE Act (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019), aimed at improving people’s retirement security, was signed into law at the end of 2019. Some key changes of the SECURE Act (http://bit.ly/2HwrLfV) affect Individual Retirement…

Helping Your Parents Downsize

It is typically a sudden illness or fall that causes us to be faced with helping our parents to sell their home and move to a safer and more comfortable environment. A time when we are least prepared to…