A trust is a legal document that people use alongside their will. A trust works by having a grantor give a trustee assets. The trustee is then responsible for distributing the assets as instructed.  Revocable trusts are the most common. The grantor can alter this trust to include or remove assets and beneficiaries. Once the grantor passes away, the trust becomes irrevocable.  There are many different kinds of trust. The language in these trusts can give grantors and beneficiaries certain advantages. Here’s what you should know: Blind trust There’s often at least a little bit of confl ..read more

As people age, they often become more interested in investments and estate planning tools to help them prepare for retirement. Unfortunately, illegitimate service providers might take advantage of these individuals and scam money out of them using fraudulent products or services, such as living trusts. Some sell fraudulent living trusts, promoting them as an ideal solution to elders, helping them prevent probate and save money. These schemes usually approach seniors with impairments, making them vulnerable targets of these illegitimate products. Salespeople usually claim to be trust specialist ..read more

It’s not uncommon for a business owner to want to sublet a rented property. After all, subletting a rental unit comes with a number of benefits such as maximization of the usable space. Done right, a sublease can be a win-win arrangement for the original tenant and the sublessee. But should you let the tenant sublease their rented property? As a landlord, here is what you need to know about subletting a commercial property in California. It is not against the law Subletting a rented property, commercial or residential, is not illegal in California, as far as the law is concerned. However, the ..read more

A will is one of the most important legal documents you can ever sign. And when you set aside time to draft one, you hope and trust that it will be implemented to the letter when you die.  However, it is not uncommon a will to become the subject of a costly legal battle. If this happens, your wishes may be derailed and your estate might be negatively affected. But how do you know someone is likely to dispute your will? Here are common reasons why your will might be disputed: 1. Your will is not properly executed A will is a legal document. Thus, for your will to become enforceable, it mus ..read more

Increasingly, people are using living trusts rather than their wills to pass on the bulk of their assets to their family and other beneficiaries. The primary advantage of a living trust for most people is that assets in it typically don’t have to go through probate. As we noted in a recent post, this allows assets to pass directly to the beneficiaries. This can save time and expense for surviving loved ones. It also helps maintain privacy since there are fewer court documents. Among the assets that people most commonly place in their living trusts are homes and other real estate, cars, boats a ..read more

The commercial-landlord relationship can differ from a residential one due to its complexities. While you may have invested in commercial real estate (CRE) due to its benefits, you may conflict with your tenants. Below are four causes of such disputes:  1. Late payment of rent A tenant may fail to make monthly rent payments or respond to your warnings, resulting in disputes. While it’s understandable a business may be struggling, the owner should do their best to avoid breaching the rental agreement they signed. 2. Property damage Undeniably, you want your commercial property to be in goo ..read more

Across California, depending on what area you’re in, you may see multiple electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in parking lots of commercial structures where people grocery shop, go to the movies and bank. You’ll see them on the properties of commercial office buildings, universities, hotels, hospitals and more. Over the next decade-plus, we’ll be seeing many more – and commercial real estate developers, owners and investors will need to give them a lot of thought. That’s because last year the California Air Resources Board approved regulations that put California on track to end the sale o ..read more

A living trust is a legal document that allows individuals to transfer their assets into a trust during their lifetime, with the aim of managing and distributing those assets upon their death. While not everyone needs a living trust, there are certain situations where it can be a valuable estate planning tool.  Here are some scenarios in which establishing a living trust may be beneficial: Avoiding probate One common reason to establish a living trust is to avoid probate. This process occurs to distribute a deceased person’s assets to their beneficiaries. It can be time-consuming, expensi ..read more

Savvy California real estate investors and developers keep abreast of news that could affect the commercial and residential real estate markets alike. Shifts in one market may serve as harbingers for shifts in the other, so taking a broad view when digesting information concerning trends, regulatory changes and world events that could impact California specifically is often key to success.  Recently, one of the most pressing issues affecting the commercial real estate market specifically involves lending practices. Essentially, many lenders are tightening their financing criteria, even as ..read more

Real estate is renowned as one of the most reliable investments. California investors have a vast range of options to choose from. And most choose commercial real estate (CRE) due to its high-income potential and tax benefits. Additionally, investors can make money in numerous ways. This guide discusses two of them: Rental income  Investors with adequate capital can purchase commercial property and become the landlords of businesses. They will make money from rent. This is one of the reasons CRE has a high cash flow. If a property has many units and a low vacancy rate, an investor can hav ..read more