It comes to me as second nature, but when you are entering a real estate deal, you should hire an attorney. I am amazed at how many verbal land sales and homemade contracts I see. Homemade deeds with incorrect or insufficient legal descriptions are common as well. If you are going to invest your hard …
When most business owners think about estate planning, they’re usually focused on one thing: what happens to the business after they’re gone. And while planning for succession is essential, there’s another scenario that often gets overlooked—what happens if you’re still alive but unable to run your business? Incapacity isn’t just about catastrophic accidents or permanent …
When assisting families with real estate that has belonged to a family member, commonly there are questions about siblings which were either adopted, stepchildren or children from outside the marriage. Therefore, in this week’s column I will explain how each of these scenarios may affect inheritance rights. The inheritance rights of adopted children are protected …
Continue reading “INHERITANCE RIGHTS OF ADOPTED, HALF-BLOOD AND STEP CHILDREN”
If you are considering selling or buying real estate, or getting a divorce, drafting a Will or even forming a corporation, you will find advice at just about every stop you make. Co-workers may have said “You don’t need to hire an attorney. You can do it yourself.” Let me caution you to think very …
A lot of what I do as an estate planner is help you protect your assets: I help you protect your assets for your children when you die, help you protect your assets when you are elderly and need long term or nursing care, help you protect your business or investment assets from frivolous law …
Many folks decide to go into or open a new business everyday. It is part of the American culture to be an entrepreneur. While it is wonderful to “be your own boss,” it does come at a cost and with risk. Following fast on the heels of a decision to go into a particular kind …
With the influx of people to Texas in the last few years, it occurs to me that many may not be familiar with the system of Probate in Texas. Probate is one of the most misunderstood words in the legal language, probate is simply the administration of a deceased person’s property or transfer of their …
My youngest son is attending Texas A&M Univeristy and a member of the Corps of Cadets. Due to his commitment to Texas A&M, he will not be able to come home and vote on Election Day. So, he filed out paperwork to mail in his ballet. I am proud that he values the importance of …
Big Brother, Federal Government Regulation, is coming to residential real estate transactions. This is on the heals of the Corporate Transparency Act (discussed in an earlier column). Issued on February 7, 2024, with a stated purpose of “combat[ing] and deter[ing] money laundering in the U.S. residential real estate sector by increasing transparency, the Residential Rule …
Continue reading “Federal Regulation of Residential Real Estate”
Again, this week I am writing about information that might be beneficial if you have a farm, ranch or rural property for hunting. Heck, it might even apply if you raise vegetables to sell at the Saturday Farmers Market in front of O’Reilly Auto Parts. The Texas Legislature addressed a few right to farm topics …
