INHERITANCE RIGHTS OF ADOPTED, HALF-BLOOD AND STEP CHILDREN

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 …

Probate in Texas

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 …

GET OUT AND VOTE!

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 …

Federal Regulation of Residential Real Estate

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 …

The Right to Farm Act

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 …

JUST VOTE IN 2024

Another primary is upon us.  This will be the first year without Mom and I will miss discussing the candidates with her.  I had a conversation with a friend about voting, and they had never voted.  So I thought I might try again to encourage folks to vote.  My family has always challenged each other …