In many ways, people have a relationship with the place where they live. They might personalize their homes, giving them names or referring to them with human pronouns. They may fall in love at first sight during a tour and then experience a honeymoon phase throughout the transaction in which the home seems absolutely perfect. However, as in any relationship, those rosy-colored glasses eventually come off, sometimes due to a serious issue arising. Homeowners in Texas sometimes discover after taking possession of a property that the central air conditioning unit for their more than 3,000-square ..read more

Your home is likely one of your most valuable assets, and leaving it to your children as part of your legacy can be a meaningful way to provide for their future. There are various estate planning options that can enable you to leave your home to your children. Before you begin the estate planning process, it’s essential to understand the current value of your home. You may want to consult with a real estate professional to get an accurate market value, which will help you make informed decisions regarding your estate plan. How can you leave your home to your children? There are several estate ..read more

You’ve spent decades building your wealth. You’ve worked very hard for the money that you’ve earned. You’ve made wise financial decisions. Now that you’re making an estate plan, you’re planning to leave a significant portion of that wealth to members of the younger generations in your family. Unfortunately, you may be worried about some of your heirs. Perhaps they don’t make the same types of financial decisions that you do. You worry that they’re going to squander their inheritance. Is there any way for you to prevent this, other than simply disinheriting them and leaving them nothing? You co ..read more

If you’re looking to buy a home, you may find that the real estate market is very competitive. You may feel the need to give yourself an edge. Someone may suggest that you write a “love letter” about that new home and send it to the current owner. Essentially, writing a home love letter means detailing why you hope they will pick you to purchase the property. For instance, in these letters, people frequently discuss how they want to raise their family in the home or how their parents used to live in a similar neighborhood. What you choose to bring up will be unique to your situation, but the h ..read more

People get married and also divorced almost every day in Texas. Although the typical marriage starts with the best of intentions, a substantial fraction of marriages eventually end in divorce. If you believe that your marriage is unhealthy or have recently discovered significant misconduct by your spouse, you may hope to pursue a divorce and to enjoy a better life moving forward. Thankfully, the state of Texas does not make it too difficult for spouses to move on from their marital unions. While there are some legal hurdles you’ll need to jump through – more if your divorce case proves to be c ..read more

Buying your first home is a significant accomplishment. It also tends to be a long process with lots of paperwork to fill out, negotiations with the seller and waiting for the lender to approve your mortgage application. Once you finish signing everything at closing and the closer hands you the housekeys, the fun of owning your own home begins. Besides the day-to-day of maintaining a home, there are the financial implications of purchasing what might be one of the most valuable assets you will ever own. Among those implications is what will happen to your estate after you pass away. Do I reall ..read more

When divorcing parents can’t seem to agree on anything, it can be important to the divorce process to remember that they both love their children and want to cause as little pain to them as possible. Focusing on that can help you find a way to work through property division and other aspects of the divorce more amicably. Some experts recommend having a “child-centered” divorce. That doesn’t mean thinking only of your children and not about your own needs. However, if you focus on minimizing stress and anxiety for them, you’ll likely do that for yourselves as well. Minimizing your time in court ..read more

Parents who go through a divorce need to ensure they do what’s best for their children. One option that many parents are trying to work is co-parenting. The parents work as a team in this arrangement to raise the children. A successful co-parenting relationship takes work. Making sure you’re doing things that help the situation is important. Be sure you avoid these five actions that can disrupt the co-parenting relationship. #1: Failing to communicate effectively Communication is the foundation of a successful co-parenting relationship. Speak to your ex with respect and keep things focused on ..read more

Marital dissolution or divorce is well known for being a stressful process. Even people who usually have excellent emotional regulation may struggle to remain calm and rational throughout their divorce. Although it is common for people to try to ignore their emotional reactions to the thought of divorce or their initial decision to file, they may put themselves at a disadvantage by ignoring their feelings. Unprocessed emotions may subconsciously start to influence how someone behaves and can lead to self-destructive behaviors during divorce proceedings. Many people preparing for divorce turn t ..read more

The idea of creating an estate plan surfaces from time to time. But you hesitate. You occasionally have “paralysis analysis” because you do not know where to start and are unsure about what your estate plan should include. But what ignites you are some of the basic foundations of estate planning. You get a chance to protect your estate and pass your assets on to heirs and beneficiaries. It is your move, but you want to make sure that you avoid making mistakes along the way. Not informing your family Here are some of the mistakes when it comes to estate planning: Not creating an estate plan: Ha ..read more