Different Options for Holding Title

There are many great Truckee area homes for sale.  Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (530) 582-6900 for a FREE home buying consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Today, I’m joined by Michael E. Graham, a local attorney who specializes in estate planning. Today, we’ll discuss some of the different ways to hold title and the respective pros and cons of each.

Michael says that for single persons, holding title alone is a no-brainer because you’re taking the title as separate property. The exception is if you’re a married person and you take title solely under the married person’s name, under California law, that’s still considered to be a community property acquisition, unless there is proof that it is separate property.

If the married person wants to take title separately, the title company requires the other spouse to sign off on an inter spousal deed or some kind of quit-claim deed. Simply notify the escrow officer, and they should be able to assist you.

If more than one person is taking title to property, then there are various forms of title. The two most common are joint tenancy and tenancy in common. Joint tenants must hold equal interests in the property. If one person owns 60% and the other owns 40%, then you would fall under a tenancy in common arrangement.

The joint tenancy form of title is the default option that title companies usually offer married people. However, it is not the best option for married people. If one spouse were to pass away, the surviving spouse would record an affidavit with the death certificate in order for the title to pass to them. This is a simple way of avoiding probate court.

There is also a new option for married people who want to hold title with right of survivorship: community property with right of survivorship. This is essentially the same thing as the joint tenancy, and an affidavit if one spouse passes away for the property to vest in the surviving spouse. Michael recommends this for married people in California because there is an important tax ramification.

Tenancy in common is the other form of holding title between adults. Tenants in common means people can own unequal interests that are then passed by the will. If you say in your will that you want the title to go to someone who is not a tenant in common, then that can happen. Tenants in common also allows for restrictions. You may want to consider some type of tenant in common agreement so you don’t end up owning the vacation home with your ex-wife.

A popular alternative is holding title through a trust. The property can still be a community property asset within the context of the trust, and the title can be passed to the person entitled under the trust by the surviving trustee. This guarantees you a sound estate.


We know this is a lot of information, so if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us! We look forward to hearing from you!

What Should You Know About the Truckee Real Estate Market?

There are many great Truckee area homes for sale.  Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (530) 582-6900 for a FREE home buying consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Today I would like to provide you with a brief real estate market update for the Truckee area. It's an exciting time to be a home seller right now, and I'll tell you why in a moment.

We can tell that people are serious about buying because the number of homes that have gone into escrow have nearly doubled. In the last week of August we had 30 homes go into Escrow, and then from August 30 to the present we have had 51 houses go into Escrow.

This isn't to say that supply isn't keeping up with demand because we have seen 72 homes come onto the market in the last 9 days. This tells me that the market is actually accelerating and homes are finally selling.

So, what's the bottom line here? If you've been thinking about selling your property, now is a phenomenal time to do so. Feel free to contact me and we can set up a plan to sell your home for top dollar.

I look forward to hearing from you!

How the Morrison Sales Team Can Help You

There are many great Truckee area homes for sale.  Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (530) 582-6900 for a FREE home buying consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Today, I'm joined by our buyer's agent, Amy Levy. We'll discuss how the Morrison sales team uses our knowledge about the Truckee-Tahoe market to help our buyers find their second home.

We use our knowledge of the market and the area to make the transaction as easy as possible. If you're a buyer from out of the area, it's very important to work with a buyer who knows their area.

I have 15 years of experience and I have closed 750 transactions, and Amy also has 15 years of experience. We know how to navigate the home buying process, and we have excellent negotiating skills. Most importantly, we know all about the different types of neighborhoods in our area.

Tahoe has several different types of neighborhoods. Some neighborhoods are family-centered, while others are geared towards skiers. We also know what areas will get the most snow and what driveways will work best for you. Many people buy vacation homes and end up selling after a couple of years because they bought in the wrong neighborhood or snow piles up in the driveway. Our knowledge can help you determine what neighborhood will best suit your needs.

If you have any questions about today's video, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

What Is Your Home Worth?

There are many great Truckee area homes for sale.  Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (530) 582-6900 for a FREE home buying consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Today we're going to talk about determining the value of your home. Often, people call me asking about their home value because they've seen something on Zillow or Trulia. Zillow and Trulia are often inaccurate, and cannot be trusted to find the true value.

A recent report in the Los Angeles Times featured the president of Zillow, who admitted that there is a deviation of up to 8% in home values quoted online. For a $700,000 home, that could mean that the value is off by $56,000. That's a pretty wide range.

To determine the value of your home, we need to look at what your home is competing with on the market. We need to know what features and benefits your home can offer, and how many buyers are looking for your type of property.

In Truckee, our inventory has exploded. From May to July, we have nearly doubled or tripled our inventory. It's more important than ever for sellers to make sure their property shines. If you're a buyer, you have a lot to choose from.

The good news is if you're selling your property, there are very few new listings coming on the market now. The supply is starting to dwindle right before September, which is one of our best selling months.


If you want to know a realistic value on your home, you should talk to a qualified and experienced real estate agent. They can look at your home objectively, give you the home's true value, and tell you what it will sell for.

How Do We Go About Selling Homes?

There are many great Truckee area homes for sale.  Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (530) 582-6900 for a FREE home buying consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Hey everyone, today we are going to talk about how to have a smooth transaction here in Tahoe/Truckee. Our goal is to make the process as easy as possible for you, and today we'd like to demonstrate how we are able to do that. Today we have invited our listing coordinator, Tabitha, to come talk about what the process is like, from the moment you sign a listing contract with us onward. 

The first thing Tabitha is going to do is look through your contract, making sure everything is signed and in order. She will then give you a call, introduce herself, and get all of your contact information, so we can keep you informed throughout the process.

To start preparing your home for sale, we will run through a checklist. We are going to hire photographers to take pictures of the home, set up any repairs that need to be made, and hire a home staging company to come and make the property look gorgeous. 

The last thing Tabitha will follow up on is the seller's disclosure. She will print it out, send it to you so you have time to look everything over, and answer any questions you might have. Then we will get them back from you, and send them back into escrow.

We find that proper preparation makes the whole transaction that much smoother. If you have any questions for us, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

How to Avoid the "Kiss of Death" When Selling Your Home

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search
Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation
Call me at (530) 582-6900 for a FREE home buying consultation

Are you thinking about selling your property in the near future? If so, you've come to the right place. Today, I'll cover how to avoid the kiss of death when putting your home on the Truckee market! 

I've been selling real estate in the area for over 15 years, and 25-30% of my business comes from sellers who failed to sell their home with another agent.

What is it that caused these homes to sit on the market for so long, you ask? It's quite simple, really: the kiss of death when selling your home is overpricing it from the beginning! 

Within the first 30 days your home is on the market, it is considered a fresh new listing. It's when the listing is in its prime - buyers come by to take a look at it, there is excitement about it, and it's the time period you're most likely to get an offer that's close to the full listing price. 

The problem is that many sellers want to list high and "leave room for negotiation." They don't want to give the home away, but overpricing the home from the start pushes buyers away and greatly diminishes the benefits that typically come with a fresh listing. When a home sits on the market for a long time, the first thing the buyer thinks is, "What's wrong with this home?" or "Why hasn't it sold?"

I don't want you to leave any money on the table, but I also don't want your listing to go stale and sell for much less than it would have otherwise. My experience in the industry is at your disposal - I know how to put the right price on your home, so you can get the most money possible. If you want to learn how I do this, or if you have any questions about real estate at all, give me a call or shoot me a quick email. I would love to hear from you!

What Are the Best Remodeling Options in the Truckee Area?

There are many great Truckee area homes for sale.  Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (530) 582-6900 for a FREE home buying consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.
If you're curious about the hottest trends in remodeling, you have come to the right place! Recently, I talked with two designers from Home Concepts about what people in Truckee are doing to add value and style to their homes! 

If you're interested in remodeling your home, the best thing you can do is visit Home Concepts to discuss your options with a professional. They have a design office that will look at your specific property and give you advice on the best available products. There's really no better way to add your own unique touch to your home!

You can reach home contacts directly at (530) 582-2148 - they are always happy to help! 

What Do Changing Market Conditions in Truckee Mean for You?

There are many great Truckee area homes for sale.  Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (530) 582-6900 for a FREE home buying consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.
Now that 2014 has wrapped up, we want to take a look back on what we saw in Truckee real estate. After we assess last year's trends, we'll take a look at what you can expect moving forward.

The new year marks a transition from a prominent buyer's market to a more balanced market. Inventory is still at record lows. Partly because bank-owned home sales are a thing of the past, we have seen a 15% drop in home sales in our area. However, we did see some gains in prices, as the average sales price rose by 17% and median home price went up by 11%!

The tech boom and real estate recovery in the Bay Area seems to be increasing the sales activity up here. For home prices under $1 million, 20% fewer sold, and the average sales priced increased by only 7%. However, for homes priced between $1 million and $5 million, there were 27% more sales in the area!

So, what can we expect in 2015?

We think prices will continue to increase, but at a slower, more steady pace than we saw last year. Also, expect a small increase in interest rates. If you're planning on buying in the coming year, it's as important as ever that you get pre-qualified before you start looking for a home. Lenders have been very strict about have the proper paperwork in order before going forward with a loan. 

Also, keep an eye for some of the new construction going on in Truckee. There are some great new homes going up all the time! 

If you have any questions about making a move in the Truckee area, we would love to hear from you. Give us a call or shoot us an email if you would like assistance in taking advantage of this great market!