| Author |
Message |
Pamy
Member
01-01-2002
| Sunday, March 11, 2018 - 8:49 pm 
You should really consider something else besides a will to pass your property. will means heirs have to probate and spend 10s of thousands of dollars.
A revocable living trust is one of the best way to pass real estate to loved ones...if you cant afford to create one, have those heirs help you pay. you can get one for about 1000...sometimes more, sometimes less. but trust me they would rather pay 1000 now than 10,000 in future. and they are written to account for if any heirs pass before you do...
also wills can be contested, trusts cant...so no drama later on 
suzeorman.com
she has info on it all. she is fabulous!
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Sunday, March 11, 2018 - 10:26 pm
I was about to say look into making them co-owners on the house now, but Pamy probably has a MUCH better idea.
Bigdog's Momma died June 2016. Probably around 20-25 years ago a friend of mine who is an attorney and lived in Arkansas, where Momma lived, agreed to create a living trust for Momma, making Bigdog the trustee. He was a quite brilliant and savvy fellow. He drew up a trust and charged Momma over $2000 for it. The cost sort of took our breath away, as we presumed it might be at a big discount, and it was not. Momma paid up, and got a really good document and proceeded to put all of her assets into the trust.
Momma was always a very vindictive woman if she imagined anybody had crossed her and got more so as she got older. But she was also very frugal, and the fact that she paid $2000 for that living trust probably prevented her from revoking it on a whim. Friend was probably in his mid to late 50's when he wrote the trust, Momma in her late 80's. I asked him to keep the original of the document, and he refused, saying, "Oh, Momma will outlive me." Friend died at 66, Momma at 111.
But, I digress. Bigdog, as trustee of Momma's trust inherited everything VERY smoothly without going through probate, and with very little hassle. Friend also prepared a simple will designating all of her assets go into the trust and be divided between her two sons equally upon her death and designating the survivor trustee if either or both sons should pre-decease her.
Sorry to digress, Bisc, but yes, look into living trust.
So sorry to hear you might be getting the flu. It has been a very bad year for it all over the country, and very hard-hitting for those who contract it. Take it real easy, and come through it with minimal trauma.
I am sorry I don't have any friends currently practicing law in the state of WA. Contacting senior services sounds like a VERY good idea. I do know WA is one of the best states, if not the VERY best state, for senior planning. And, if you don't have the time or energy right now, but want to get something together right away, I learned a few years ago that one of the best places with a lot of info on senior services was/is the public library. And you also probably have multiple senior centers in Seattle.
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Colordeagua
Member
10-24-2003
| Monday, March 12, 2018 - 4:21 am
will means heirs have to probate and spend 10s of thousands of dollars.
If you do NOT have a will, you have to probate.
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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Monday, March 12, 2018 - 9:20 am
New question: Has anyone ever heard of Case Western Reserve University?
I'm googling a doctor and this is where he went to medical school. I want to know if it is a good one or not. Lol!
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Dogdoc
Member
09-29-2001
| Monday, March 12, 2018 - 10:42 am
I have heard of Case Western.
It is not the medical school that makes a good doctor, it is the dedication of the medical student that makes the difference.
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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Monday, March 12, 2018 - 11:25 am
True, but he's the emergency room doctor and i cant find any reviews on him and I gotta start somewhere while I'm bored. Lol!
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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Monday, March 12, 2018 - 11:28 am
Ah, I see he did his residency at Mt Sinai. Not to shabby.
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Dipo
Member
04-23-2002
| Monday, March 12, 2018 - 12:26 pm
Yeah, I think it is more meaningful where they do their residency than the school.
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Pamy
Member
01-01-2002
| Monday, March 12, 2018 - 2:51 pm
Color, if you only have a will and your heir isnt on title in CA you have to go thru probate to have a court decide who is entitled to the property. We cant just transfer title if someone shows us a will.
Bisc, in CA adding people to title can cause re-assessment depending on the way the deed is written. fyi
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Pamy
Member
01-01-2002
| Monday, March 12, 2018 - 2:53 pm
Color, eta maybe with the will it's not a full blown probate, I dont know that part. I just know how we can transfer title/what documentation is needed/
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Roxip
Member
01-29-2004
| Monday, March 12, 2018 - 3:09 pm
I know in Texas you don't have to probate the will if there is no cause for it. The only reason we had to probate my mom's estate was because she had one small savings account that had both my dad and her name on it and the bank wouldn't release the funds to him. Ridiculous.
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Biscottiii
Member
05-29-2004
| Tuesday, March 13, 2018 - 6:40 pm
THX everyone for the enlightening feedback!!!
I'm reading up on your suggestions, making up a list of all my assets (started remembering others that I hadn't considered), plus a list of all my questions.
THEN, I'm going to call my lawyer to see what we can work out - maybe I could pay for his notary to come to the house. I have the money already for it all. Questions such as, wonder if a living trust would help to transfer Kid Sis' name to my existing mortgage after my demise?
I know back when he wrote up the will he said that WA State probate was simpler & regular people could do it plus he would be glad to help if there were any questions. He said WA didn't want to gouge people like in AZ or CA, where an entire estate could be eaten up in attorney fees.
Thanks again for giving useful advice! I plan to take it.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Tuesday, March 13, 2018 - 10:54 pm
Bisc, if the attorney's notary can't come to the house, I think you are on NextDoor. There will certainly be a traveling house-call notary in a nearby neighborhood, probably somebody who has forgotten they even ARE a notary.
Also consider the option of consulting an attorney who specializes in living trusts and geriatric law. Your local senior center would have a recommendation. It concerns me a bit that a lawyer would talk to you about probate and other places eating up the estate with legal fees when a trust avoids probate altogether. I do NOT know WA law about probate and trusts, etc. Perhaps there is a reason you do not qualify for a living trust. You might have too large of an estate to qualify or something like that. A million dollars sort of rings a bell with me. In Arkansas pretty much nobody had a million dollars. In Seattle, you might be sort of poor if you don't have a million dollar estate. Check into that aspect. But you DO NOT have to tell us here. Just pointing out stuff.
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Biscottiii
Member
05-29-2004
| Friday, March 16, 2018 - 5:05 pm
THX Juju!
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Naja
Member
06-28-2003
| Tuesday, March 20, 2018 - 12:56 pm
When you guys send flowers or plants to a funeral home, do you expect a thank you note? I ask because I just got another one (different funeral) for what I sent. That last thing I want someone worrying about after the death of their loved one is to remember to send me a thank you note. They just don't have to do it. I won't feel bad at all not getting one.
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Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Tuesday, March 20, 2018 - 1:11 pm
Yes, thank you notes for flowers, donations, food/meals etc after someone has died are to be sent to those who were kind enough to think of you and your family.
The funeral home likely kept a list and possibly pictures of any flowers that were sent to the funeral. Ideally, the thank you cards are sent within a few weeks.
When my mom died unexpectantly, we started writing the notes the afternoon and next day after the service. That worked well as we were all still in town and could all help my dad with the sites as well as personally write a note to our specific friends or co-workers.
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Lakecat
Member
10-01-2006
| Tuesday, March 20, 2018 - 1:11 pm
I don't expect a thank you card and I didn't send any when my mom died but I would ask someone to look for my flowers if I'm not going to be there to make sure they arrived. One time I ordered and they didn't get there.
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Rosie
Member
11-12-2003
| Tuesday, March 20, 2018 - 1:15 pm
thank you notes are for old farts - the younguns don't care much about thank you notes
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Dfennessey
Member
07-25-2004
| Tuesday, March 20, 2018 - 1:50 pm
I went to 2 weddings in one summer 2 weeks apart the bride of one was cousins to the groom of the other this was 3 years ago Got a thank you card (and yes it was for both the shower and the wedding all wrapped into one) from the groom and his wife shortly after the wedding which was the second wedding . these weddings were almost 3 years ago and to this day I have not received a thank you card from the 1st wedding that we went to. and not that I am looking for pitty but I was unemployed this summer but still gave gifts
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Naja
Member
06-28-2003
| Tuesday, March 20, 2018 - 1:54 pm
Oh I expect a thank you for wedding gifts and similar things. I am specifically talking about a thank you note for funeral flowers or plants (or whatever you may send). I just don't want someone that is grieving over their dead loved one to worry about getting a thank you to me. There's enough for them to deal with.
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Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Tuesday, March 20, 2018 - 1:55 pm
I am not an old fart and I know to send thank you notes and I do expect a gift to be properly acknowledged.
Those who can't be bothered are no longer worthy of my time.
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Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-30-2000
| Tuesday, March 20, 2018 - 1:56 pm
I give everything without strings. I never expect a thank you.
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Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Tuesday, March 20, 2018 - 1:59 pm
I expect basic courtesy. Letting someone know that something was received is basic courtesy.
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Rosie
Member
11-12-2003
| Tuesday, March 20, 2018 - 2:02 pm
Sugar, I agree with you but some people just don't pay attention to thank you notes anymore. A quick thank you on the cellphone is probably more realistic these days.
(oh, and i am an old fart so i can say that )
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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Tuesday, March 20, 2018 - 2:03 pm
What exactly are you supposed to say in the Thank You note? Are you supposed to mention the specific flowers they sent? Are you supposed to thank everybody that showed up at the funeral home, it too? I've sent flowers but never expected to get a card back.
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