{"id":1231494,"date":"2025-06-11T00:20:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-11T04:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.washingtoninformer.com\/?p=1231494"},"modified":"2025-06-11T21:48:56","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T01:48:56","slug":"importance-of-estate-planning-for-homeowners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.washingtoninformer.com\/importance-of-estate-planning-for-homeowners\/","title":{"rendered":"Securing and Protecting Your Bag: Estate Planning Critical to Owning a Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The process of getting approved for, finding, and purchasing a home can be a gratifying, but arduous process; but when the deed is signed, it is imperative to add one more step to protect such a big investment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Legally adding a newly purchased home to one\u2019s list of possessions\u2013also known as estate planning\u2013is the only way to protect the home\u2019s smooth transfer to family and ensure generational wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat way, whatever you\u2019ve accumulated in life goes to the people you want it to go to,\u201d said Murray Scheel, managing attorney for the D.C. Bar\u2019s Future Planning & Probate Program. \u201cEverything that you may happen to own or ever will own or have control over in your life, your car, house, an apartment, anything else that you may ever come to own or have \u2026 it\u2019s much simpler for everybody, better for you, better for the people that survive you, if you\u2019ve got a plan in place for that.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to property, estate planning designates who will inherit a home or land. It can also dictate how the property is divided amongst family or loved ones or if it should\u2013or should not\u2013be sold. If there is no estate plan, the property goes through a process called probate where family members must wait on the local government to make a decision on who is entitled to receive the property. In the absence of a will, in some cases, the property can be taken by the government and sold in auction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe will leaves all control in your hands,\u201d said Tina Nelson, senior managing attorney with Legal Counsel for the Elderly<\/a>. \u201cSo you decide who you want to let your property after you pass and you don\u2019t have to look at the government of the District of Columbia to decide who gets your property and what percentage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nelson also cautions residents to store original copies of wills safely so that someone can locate it when it becomes necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI do want to get a will and make sure that the things I\u2019ve worked so hard for over the years are protected,\u201d said Dr. Gwen Adams, a septuagenarian who owns a home in Clinton, Maryland. \u201cThe reason I don\u2019t have one yet is probably procrastination. You say you\u2019re gonna do it, then put it off until tomorrow, but then often don\u2019t do it tomorrow. There\u2019s so many things we put off until tomorrow. But the truth is, we can\u2019t miss opportunities.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘It’s Not Just for Really Wealthy People<\/strong>‘<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Estate planning does not discriminate\u2014 all homeowners are encouraged to do so. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting an estate plan together is not just for when you\u2019re older or any particular time or age,\u201d said Scheel. \u201cIt\u2019s not just for really wealthy people. It really takes a conversation with an estate planning attorney.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working with an estate planning attorney can cost anywhere from $250 to $5,000, depending on a client\u2019s needs. Many programs exist in the DMV providing the service for free or at discounted rates including the D.C. Bar\u2019s Pro Bono Clinic<\/a>, D.C. Affordable Law Firm<\/a>, in addition to law school clinics led by students and supervised by faculty attorneys, like Howard University School of Law\u2019s Estate Planning and Heirs\u2019 Property Clinic<\/a> co-led by Professor Aimee Griffin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Howard\u2019s clinic sends students and their supervising attorneys into the community to educate people on estate planning and heirs\u2019 property on a personal level during group discussions and individualized sessions. If interested, a lawyer-client relationship can be set up to formally assist residents in completing wills, powers of attorney, advanced directives for healthcare and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Griffin said the worst case she\u2019s seen involves a family that didn\u2019t inherit an estate plan from the matriarch. Following two deaths in the family, a relative remained in the home and refused to move out despite siblings\u2019 wishes and utilities being turned off. The family was forced to sue the sibling and the sibling, in turn, sued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s much money being spent on legal fees and there was money that was lost because there was someone who was willing to buy the home for so much more,\u201d said Griffin, who is also the principal for Life & Legacy Counselors, an estate planning law firm serving the DMV, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. \u201cBut everybody is losing as a result, and not only that, the relationships have been absolutely destroyed. I encourage you to preserve and protect. Your house is both a liability and an asset. It\u2019s easy if you know where your house is going.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Education, Asking Questions Leads to Protection, Empowerment<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

John Square, III, a rising third-year Howard University School of Law student who works with the clinic, rarely counsels fellow xennials and millennials, but feels it\u2019s never too early to learn and start planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou might not be educated on the topic but it\u2019s also because a large part of creating an estate plan is having assets and sadly, a lot of 20 and 30 year olds don\u2019t have assets,\u201d he said. \u201cBut those of us who do definitely should be educated on these things and participate in estate planning clinics or just create their own plan if they have assets.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While experts say naming loved ones in an estate plan is the surefire way to ensure generational wealth, it is also important to know how to do so without hurting their eligibility for healthcare benefits, college loans or first-time homeowner programs, for example. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maryland estate planning lawyer Leah Boston emphasizes talking to loved ones in advance of preparing a will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lump sum distribution may cause a beneficiary to lose governmental benefits,\u201d Boston said. \u201cIf you have a disabled child or you have an elderly parent that\u2019s on Medicaid, Medicare, or getting some sort of disability\u2026. those lump sum distributions from your estate now go to this person, they may get kicked off [from receiving] benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Boston said asking questions and pre-planning is one way to prevent challenges in the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really sad that these are possible issues that can happen,\u201d she said, \u201cwhen the simplest thing that we can do is either put together a will, or put together a trust, or talk with an estate plan attorney.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Estate planning is a crucial step for homeowners to protect their investment and ensure generational wealth, and it is not just for the wealthy, as it can be done at a variety of price points and through various programs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4427,"featured_media":1231495,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"_primary_brand":0,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","nota_seo_page_title":"Estate Planning: Protect Your Home and Generational Wealth","nota_seo_page_description":"Estate planning is crucial for protecting generational wealth, especially for homeowners. Learn more about the importance of planning and resources.","newspack_featured_image_position":"beside","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[33755,30834,30854],"tags":[83479,83477,83478,58237,83563,40203,81774,83480,83475,45950],"brand":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"nota":[],"coauthors":[72486],"class_list":["post-1231494","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home-ownership","category-homeownership","category-supplements","tag-d-c-affordable-law-firm","tag-d-c-bars-pro-bono-clinic","tag-dr-gwen-adams","tag-iii","tag-john-square","tag-legal-counsel-for-the-elderly","tag-murray-scheel","tag-professor-aimee-griffin","tag-tina-nelson","tag-wi-supplements","entry"],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nEstate Planning: Protect Your Home and Generational Wealth - The Washington Informer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Estate planning is crucial for protecting generational wealth, especially for homeowners. 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