Horizon Real Estate & Probate and Trust Help
Horizon Real Estate & Probate and Trust Help
[email protected] DRE#01218310
[email protected] DRE#02042935
619.741.0111
Kim Ward has been actively involved with real estate for over 20 years. As far back as 1989, Kim and her husband, Dave, began purchasing and renovating residential property. They did this while working full time and raising four children. From these experiences Kim learned valuable critical thinking skills, successful multi-tasking, and how to nurture relationships. Their children have grown into independent, well-adjusted young adults.
Kim's life philosophy influences everything she does. It's the "can do" approach to any challenge
coupled with her positive attitude that contributes to building a successful real estate business strictly by referrals.
Today, 80% of her business is focused on helping Estate Representatives and Attorneys through the process of preparing, marketing, and selling real estate. Need guidance with your property in probate or a trust?
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If a grandson has been living in the house for 2 years to take care of grandma would he be able to keep the current tax rate ? Would it help if the daughter and grandson were both added to the title of the property ?
Why should those that inherit a property they don't live in and did nothing to earn, inherit a low property tax basis?
We were told in a realtor association meeting by the Los Angeles county assessor himself that moving in for one year would not change the taxes indefinitely. The child had to move in and stay in there. Once the child moves out say in a year or 2 years or 3 years the property taxes would go to market value. Double check that for San Diego. I think the Reyes are in for a rude awakening.
This is what liberal insanity has done to people of Kalifornia!!!
What's insane about this?
Wow. Urine is ammonia. Why? Just why?
Death tax is inheritance tax, it only applies to large sums of money only the rich would endure. Doesn’t apply to most Americans
Father in laws home in Hemet was in a revocable living trust, he died July 2023, the home was sold in January 2024. We were shocked that the property tax for the seller was reassessed to selling price. Prop 19 sucks. It needs to be modified. What is the use of the trust , doesn’t avoid higher taxes. What would have been better than a trust?
This is taxing u until u have nothing … Socialism, communism, NWO, liberalism, The club of Rome,The 300, UN ….
I forgot to mention also that not all estates automatically go into probate even if they fall into the guidelines for probate. If the executer / trustee doesn’t inform the court then you won’t have to worry about probate.
That’s exactly right all of the personal property of the principal’s belongings to the estate. Now when there is a Executor / Trustee all of the assets of the estate now belong to the trustee to do what’s in their best interests. A trustee does not have to include beneficiaries for anything, including providing information to the beneficiaries, distributing assets to the beneficiaries. The executer / trustee does not have to follow the instructions of the will, trust or both. Is it a crime that a trustee doesn’t fulfill their fiduciary duties to the beneficiaries ? No of course not. Can they be held accountable for completely ignoring the beneficiaries completely keeping them in the dark ? Nope If you are a beneficiary and you think you have rights to your inheritance, then think again because the executor / trustee can determine what information or assets you will receive and if anything at all. No matter what the will or trust states it’s completely up to what the trustee decides. True facts not opinions
It's a No win situation for the small landlord who does the best that they can. And some are manipulating tenants who are gaming the system. In the long run all we want is these people out. But I am amazed which I kinda knew that should a landlord sell their property, the new owners (LLC's) can get evictions. What a wonderful system. 😢
What happens when a sibling helped with nothing. The other siblings cared for the parent. The other sibling lived with the parent and paid the taxes and insurance for past 5 years after the time of, passing. All the clean up and fixed up was done by the remaining siblings. The non helpful sibling agreed to take her name off deed. Is now pissed at the others. never thought this would happen with our family.
One mans trash is another mans treasure! Merica!
Thanks for all of the info. My sister and I are going through this right now. Not junk, not hoarding. But lots of stuff. It's subtle, but I can really tell that you've had lots of experience with these situations. It's way more than do this, do that. It's a unique experience for which there is no training.
Hi my mom passed away 11 years ago. As her executrix I opened an estate account at that time. The estate account was closed and all monies dispersed. I recently had to reopen the estate as my mother was included in a payout settlement. My question is do I use the same ein number as I’ve read it’s never canceled and it’s the same account just reopened? Also this settlement will be paid in several installments. This time around there will be no outstanding possible debts as she’s been deceased for many years. I know the first time I had to wait a year to see if any debtors came forward. Do I still need to open an estate bank account as I have no idea over how many years this payout will take place? I know the payout will be made to her estate account as well. I didn’t know since there would be no debt this time how I would go about cashing the payouts. Thank you any light you may be able to shed on this situation. Sorry for being so lengthy.
Hi, this is a better question for your legal council, as I cannot be sure of your exact circumstances. Sorry I cannot be of more help, thank you you for watching and commenting.
@@ProbateandTrustHelp thank you just the same.
About a week after my mother's death, my sister (the trustee) rented my deceased mother's home to my niece for 1 year and claimed the home can't be sold until the rental lease expires. Can she rent it out without first consulting all beneficiaries? Can I ask for a copy of the lease and its terms? I think my niece got a discounted rent so she can save money for a down payment and purchase the home at a low price
Hi. in terms of the the lease agreement and its legality I would consult with an attorney to get a clearer understand of how to handle that situation. For the sale of the property guidelines will be outlined in the trust so I would take a copy of the trust with you to meet with an attorney and make clear your concerns about a lower sales price in the future. You can also gather additional information such as current comparable rental rates near the home, as well as sales information about similar homes. hope this helps and good luck!
Hi! Is there a way to know how much he spent on repairs? Thanks 😊
Hi, unfortunately I can't give specific financial information regarding the cost of repairs on my clients upgrades. When my team and I suggest cost effective repairs we always consider the cost of said repairs in comparison to the value it will earn the estate. I will say that the cost of the repairs for John was significantly less then the 76,000 more that he received from offers. thank you for commenting!
@@ProbateandTrustHelp thank you
Thank you my father died 2009 he was married her didn't have kids, so as kids we couldn't inherit the house, the wife took everything
Sorry for your loss, I know it can be heart breaking to lose all of your loved ones possessions. This is why I always suggest getting a trust as it will prevent these sorts of problems. Thank you for watching and comment!
What about fraud title the insurance cover for this?
What kind of fraud are you referring to?
Next to buy out in 100s as shown
I'm not sure what you mean by this comment, if you have a question I would like answer it for you, can you rephrase it? Thank you for watching and commenting.
@@ProbateandTrustHelp Hi Kim, I cant remember exactly, something struck me as funny, maybe one of the stock images or videos. But, thanks for the good info
thats ok, I'm glad you enjoyed it! thank you for watching and commenting 🙂
How much do you need to surround yourself ? Unmarried siblings have no use in "hording" parental treasures. In past times umarried siblings could prevent quarrels by entering a monastery. Nowadays unmarried siblings better abandon inheritance rights such as jewelry to avoid quarrels with married siblings who have daughters. Unmarried siblings in many cases depend on the help of other married relatives.
this is something that each individual person will have to determine for themselves. Thank you for watching and commenting.
You didn't mention WHEN to open an estate account. We have all the info to open it, but, haven't been to probate court yet.
Right! I could not open an estate account until I had an EIN number and Letters of Testamentary…which is 90 days after I started the probate process. So for the first 90 days I had no choice but to use my own funds from my own account to manage bills. But I have been keeping detailed records and plan to reimburse myself at the closing of probate. However, I never hear anyone talk about this in-between time period. And not to mention...there were not enough funds available to pay the utilities and mortgage on the house.
@Rachelsjourney is correct, you'll need to have your letters from the courts, and to apply for an EIN #. Thank you for watching and commenting!
@@Rachelsjourney I had the same experience. The "in-between" period before I could open the estate account. Also, make sure to get the "official" confirmed copy of the Letters Testamentary stamped by the court. One bank was OK with what the attorney had supplied me, but another bank withheld my access to the accounts until I got the "stamped" official copy from the court.
@@Bluebird-wj4nj agreed! Since I was dealing with an out of state court, this took some extra time. Then once I went to the bank they also had an approval process that took ~5 business days. So in the end, I didn’t have an estate account until 115 days after my father’s death. It might be a shorter or longer time frame depending upon various factors.
Awesome stuff. Right now I'm living in it until distribution. This only because I was domiciled here at the time of the Decedents passing. Had I not been, then we would need vacant property insurance. I was able to get what's called a spinoff to continue the previous owners Homeowner insurance. I am also the son and one of the hiers of the previous owner. My PaPa ❤
Well it sounds like this all worked out very well for you and your family, thank you for watching and commenting.
I hope NOBODY has to go through the nonsense I'm dealing with. Prenups and a will DOESN'T matter if someone is WITH HOLDING paperwork. ANY ADVICE I can give is MAKING sure the ATTORNEY has copies for all involved. Not EVERYONE is a descent human being.
That i good advice, its important for all the beneficiaries to be informed to keep thing moving along smoothly. Thank you for watching and commenting!
Hi I did the zinzer oil base 3 x on concrete. Still faintly. Twas a puppy so I don't know the trajectory. I may have made the mixing of chemicals mistake too. Anyway hit drywall 3 x zinzer oil based. Next will throw away moulding which had zinzer treatment too.. If that doesn't work..? May buy a chemical smell detector if that exists. And may have to remove and replace drywall panels.. I've done this before..but this is a stubborn odor. Please send me some advice?? Thanks..
Hi, that sounds like a lot of time and energy, I'm so sorry you're struggling with the puppy smells. My best suggestion at this point is to contact a professional cleaner and see what they suggest. Good luck, and thank you for watching and commenting!
@@ProbateandTrustHelp Thanks.
Can you receive two fees? One for serving as a trustee and one for serving as an executor?
I am not an attorney, so I'm not sure about that. I would reach out to your trusted attorney and see what they have to say.
I’ve been clearing out my moms house as executor. Nothing I thought or knew would be “worthy” was removed, but now that the appraisal has gone past it seems there should be little problem clearing. Are we saying here this is bad? We’re talking a house full of stuff, not hoarding level but near enough for chaos. I mean, if we have to sell the house, it has to be cleared, no? Or are you saying everything would go to a storage place?
I believe what you're asking is if the house can be sold with the personal items still inside. We have previously sold probate properties this way as sometimes there is no money or means to remove the items. This would be something to discuss with your trusted real estate agent so that they can ensure it is clear in the documentation. thank you for watching!
@@ProbateandTrustHelp Thank you, but I do not assume the household items would be sold with the house (I know that is possible, e.g., "furnished", but not likely here and very unusual). I just don't want to think I'm stupidly trashing everything. But frankly I think it's better to whittle it down to a reasonable level, where the house could be viewed OK if the house is for sale, and also to expose better those items that might be saleable if we do estate sales.
got it, sorry for the confusion... I always recommend, if you're going to have an estate sales company come through, to NOT remove anything. This is because what the estate sales company sees as valuable to a sale may be different then what you think is valuable. If there is a great deal of trash then that would be worth removing, and anything that the beneficiaries would like to keep, everything else should stay. Regarding organization of the items, the estate sales company will often take care of this as part of their service. Hope this helps!
got it, sorry for the confusion... I always recommend, if you're going to have an estate sales company come through, to NOT remove anything. This is because what the estate sales company sees as valuable to a sale may be different then what you think is valuable. If there is a great deal of trash then that would be worth removing, and anything that the beneficiaries would like to keep, everything else should stay. Regarding organization of the items, the estate sales company will often take care of this as part of their service. Hope this helps!
Mom (and Dad) had a simple not fully thought out and edited will. Bottom line, she never, ever made even a notarized list of items to go to certain people. I haven’t even found an informal list. But I did know certain things. So, they will go and I told the heirs such, but also had to tell them they’ll have to wait as it is part of inventory. Actually I asked them if they know of other things. I knew all the stuff Mom wanted ME to have, and only 1 thing that another is to have. These BTW are the valuable things (at least they were in olden days). All I can do is go on honor.
We often tell our clients, when the family is working well together, to let family members come into the property and label the items they would like with a sticky note. That way if there is any cross over they can discuss amongst themselves what items to take. It takes the stress off of you and the PR and gives them more responsibility in the process. But it is entirely up to you and the PR to determine if this would be a good course of action for the estate. Good luck!
@@ProbateandTrustHelp That's actually a good idea. However, I had the appraisal done, and first have asked heirs to tag any of these "valued" (for lack of better term) items. THEN once they have claimed or not, I figure I'd ask if there might be anything ELSE "non-valued". Just trying to keep myself straight. However, indeed I've already chucked quite a few things, but my next step now is to ask for claims on the latter. Probably better to do as you stated - in fact, my wonderful nephew just mentioned he'd like something he gave his grandma, but I sheepishly had to tell him it is gone! BTW, the other prime heir is in CA (3000 mi away), and the nephew (lesser) is about 200 mi away. The other heirs are nearby. So not too easy for the biggies to make claim, mostly by memory. Thank you so much for your insights, especially for this East Coast executor.
Good advice
thank you! We try our best to put out helpful information so that executors, administrators, and trustees can make well educated decisions. Thanks for watching and commenting!
My sister passed a month ago and we don’t believe there is a will. She was a widow with no children. I’m her only sister. It’s been a very sad month for me, and we have not been given permission to enter her home pending toxicology results. So far, her bills have cost me over $15,000 and I fear that the probate process is going to take over a year or more. . I’m worried because not only do I have to keep up her utility bills, lawn care, pool service etc…I also have to pay her property taxes and her home owners insurance. I don’t have a lot of cash to keep up her property for years while this is being probated.
Im so sorry for your loss, have you spoken with your attorney regarding the finance of the estate? Keep very good records of what you have spent as the estate should pay you back once funds are available. Without a will or trust the estate will likely need to go through probate and the intestate succession laws of your state will determine who inherits this way. I am in San Diego county California so if the house is located here I can help you with the sale. If you would like a referral to an agent in your area I have a network of certified probate real estate advisors and can help you find the right agent for you [email protected].
Excellent video. Thank you. Just to confirm, the supplemental tax bill will be the tax on the difference between the previous assessed value of the property and the actual price the property sold at for the time period from the date of death of the decedent to the transfer of title to the new owner. There is no consideration for costs by the estate to do repairs and prepare the property for sale. Is this correct?
I am not a tax advisor, but to my knowledge, yes, this is how it is organized. I have never seen cost of repairs considered in the supplemental tax bill. hope this helps, thank you.
Don't forget to see if they had a storage unit. We found out my mother in law has one. Now that we have the death certificates and copies we will be able to access her belongings and sort through them. If the deceased has a pension, you also have to notify the provider. The Neptune Society (for cremation) called Social Security for us as part of their service. My mother in law passed on Mother's Day of 2024. We miss her as we navigate through this process. Thank you for sharing your insight with us.
Im sorry for your loss, thank you for sharing this knowledge!
In my mothers will there are 4 siblings nominated as executors, but cannot get on with each other so we are having trouble agreeing with decisions that have to be made. two are narcissists and they want to run the show. It is a nightmare.
That sounds rough! You can always choose one individual to fill this roll, or higher a professional fiduciary to act as executor. I wish you and your siblings luck through the process!
Will states “upon the death of the last parent, the house is to be sold and divided equally amongst the five siblings” which are named. The youngest sibling #5 moved in and is a squatter, refuses to comply, been to court with attorneys and judge said to go into mediation. After five years of trying to get a mediation session, we had to get the judge to issue a court order for mediation. We just finished that session and #5 offered us $1,000.00 on a $400,00.00 home. As soon as we declined that offer #5 and his lawyer got up and walked out, end of session. I really don’t understand why the judge in the first place didn’t just act on the WILL. It is legal, prepared by an attorney with witnesses signatures and filed with the county. And what part of “equally” did the judge, #5 and his attorney do they not understand?
Im sorry Robert that is terrible. We see struggles like this happen because legally a will is not as binding as a trust. I would keep pushing forward with your attorney. Good luck to you.
So, the new lawyer supposedly a litigation lawyer wants $20K from each of us four siblings upfront and 40% of the settlement afterwards. Putting the pencil to it it is not worth pursuing. My initial $20,000 up front can best produce revenue in its IRA place because if I withdraw that money not only will I have to pay tax on it it goes towards my income thus projecting me into a higher tax bracket AND increasing my Medicare premiums. Don’t think the IRS would be looking at that for an aggressive use of deadly force audit.
Even in a TRUST, squatters have more rights. KARMA will catch up to him (drunken B@$turd)
Oh yes! Be glad that is ALL. I'm dealing with 2 step mothers (one an ex)! My dad had an iron clad paperwork and prenup. Playing Hide the paperwork since 2020 and she doesn't even live in the home. Squatting is an understatement because that is where the girlfriend has kids with my brother DAMAGING the property and the ex-wife is behind that one. I only have one surviving brother and we are working together. The disrespect is off this planet. I'm going to haul all their asses into a civil suit for their involvement once this nonsense is over. I'll let a judge decide because I'm ready to freeze bank accounts and put liens on their property. Why do people have to be so ugly and entitled. It's disgusting and NOBODY wins. We had a buyer which is my late fathers brother. How can people act that way when it's NOT theirs to begin with? They didn't work for any of it. Then destroying property that is NOT theirs and squatting. I didn't even mention NO funeral for my father whatsoever and SHE walked out with 750k after.
I forgot to mention above, that $20,000 retainer was from each of the siblings involved. 4 X 20K = 80,000 then if we get an award he wants 40% from each one of us. You see why I choose not to pursue it any further.
Not, my dad asked my brother and sister before he cut me out of his will to please take care of your sister, obviously they didn't
Sorry Robyn that sounds difficult, I wish you luck sorting this out with your attorney and siblings.
😂.I'm the top co executors. Of my mom's will and her stepson is controlling it all with the lawyer and not me. they just tell me, let us do our job. Without any updates. But they keep my half brother informed on everything. Can he control the lawyer and the trust funds by himself? Without my knowledge or not..because that is exactly what they are doing to me..and he's Even said it more than once.
if you're unhappy with how the trust is being handled I would reach out to your attorney and ask them to give you regular updates (weekly) and keep you informed of all changes. Often times there is just a lack of clarity around who should be in the loop for changes or decisions made. Good luck to you.
@ProbateandTrustHelp I do try, his secretary is very rude and they keep giving me the runaround and she well tells me that I'm not listening and to let them do their jobs..every time.. they are clearly not working with me.
@@ProbateandTrustHelp They even let my half brother probate and petition it by himself and when I found out the lawyer told me my half brother went to his office and he was complaining about me saying I wouldn't work with him and we couldn't agree on nothing and they let him probate it and petition it by himself...and I do have the recording of the conversation with the lawyer telling me that..the lawyer could have called me or my half brother could have called me if he had a problem..
So I've heard the thing about the 15-year-old water heater being described in the inspection report as end-of-life, and I understand why it would be unreasonable to ask for replacement. But what about a 25-year-old, severely corroded water heater with in an area where water heaters typically last about 15 years? No leaks, still works. I can see the seller's POV that the buyer is not purchasing a new home makes replacement with a brand new WH seem too much; what's a reasonable ask? A credit towards half the replacement cost? Something more? Or less?
In situations like that it is best to consult with your real estate agent. My take is usually a partial credit for the cost of the water heater, often times about half the price. However, it really depends on what else the buyers are asking for (i.e. is that the only items? are they asking for a lot of other repairs or closing costs?). Your agent should reach out to the buyers agent and give you clear advise about what they're looking to get out of the request. thank you for watching and commenting!
@@ProbateandTrustHelp - Thanks for your reasoned reply; this was very much what I was thinking. After having listened to your advice in the video, we only asked for two repairs (in the form of credits): for the water heater, and for a fire safety issue with the electrical panel. My thinking is that we would be willing to meet the seller half way on both items. Thanks again for a very helpful discussion!
My brother told me father I do not want any property when he asks him to ask me but it's ok we died an ge an leave everything for the greedy I got nothing
that is terrible, I'm sorry.
Good information. If the executor lives out of state, they must be bonded.
In our case, there are three siblings. We have asked two of them to buy us out. They are paying us cash after the appraisal. Everyone is in agreement. However, my Brother in law is saying we split it to 1/3rd after what the realtor fees would be. We are not in agreement with factoring realtor fees when not using a realtor. Is it typical to calculate what that fee could be when doing a buy out?
I'm in the same situation - brother wants to buy me out but wants to deduct 6% realtor fees and closing costs from the price of the house (i.e. estimated price of house is $600k but he is deducting $36k plus a few thousand in closing costs and saying my share is worth half of $560k). Is this the fairest way to do this?
Thank you!
You're welcome! thank you for watching!
We had to travel 400 miles to clean out her dads condo. We threw away a lot of good stuff BUT we were in kind of a time crunch as we had to get back home. Still, we spent 3 weeks at it. Its funny isnt it? A person spends a lifetime colecting this N that furniture of thier desire, art, clothing THEN, once they are gone the kids usually dont want any of it. maybe 1 or 2 or 3 things to remember mom & dad by but all else goes into the dumpster. We were left with an extensive coin & stamp collection after which we had a terrible time unloading. He said he guessed it worth maybe $38K. We got $4K If you have such a collection, as you become elderly, sell it off bit by bit to save your kids who know nought about it the trouble of giving all your hard work & investment away. Sell it off & invest the proceeds in a CD or whatever. They will appreciate it. ALSO, my Grandmother & her Grandmother both made the same big mistake. Both properties were placed in all 3 kids names. When these ladies passed 1 kid tried to swindle the other 2 out of their share and all had to go to court where the judge decreed the properties were to be sold & the proceeds distributed equally among all 3. DUH. So, dont do that. Spell out who gets what. !
Yeah, it can be challenging to manage all their personal property left by our loved ones. It sounds like you made it thorough, but I know that there are always bumps in the road. You're correct that there are lots of things that can be handled before someone passes that make the entire process easier for those who will inherit. Thank you for watching and commenting!
My mother has a house in Clairemont and a house with two apartments in Old Town. (All are mortgage free) One brother lives with her and wants to keep the house and have me and my brother split the rental property. If it were twice the value of the home I would agree, but it is about 1.5 the amount. Can I put the difference in a trust as a percentage of ownership in the home, payable upon sale or death? This would keep his inheritance from being reassessed and give me or my children an appreciating asset.
Steven, good question. Regarding your mother’s home being reassessed ie. property taxes, my understanding is proposition 19 has an allowance that if he lives in the house for 365 days or more after your mother’s death, he would be able to keep her property tax basis. Regarding your other question, I would really recommend that you speak with real estate attorney to determine how best to address the Clairemont house and the two apartments in old town. Please let me know how it turns out.
How would I search for a certified probate real-estate agent/advisor in the SanFernando Valley
Hi, can help you to find a certified probate real estate advisor with a bit more information from you. Can you please send me an email with the property address and a brief description of your circumstance. That way I can reach out to my trusted colleagues to find the right fit for you. [email protected]
Aren't there any goddamn lawyers in Michigan
I'm sorry you're struggling to find a attorney to represent you. I'm located in San Diego county so I cannot refer you to anyone that I know personally. I would suggest using the Michigan state bar website they have a referral service on this page: lrs.michbar.org/ Good luck to you!
Im assuming the buyer pays the buyer's closing costs and the estate pays the seller's? Or since the buyer is a beneficiary, would buyer also pay his portion of the seller's closing costs?
Typically the buyer pays their closing cost but this can be negotiated during the sale of the property. hope this helps!
I want to know can I set up something with mail service to send a note and gift per month to my children once I am dead
I am not sure, you would have to speak with a delivery service about that.
How does it work if a house goes into probate needs to be sold and the tenant is one of the heirs who can be difficult and has lived in the house with the deceased for eight years? Can the tenant/heir be asked to move by the Administrator?
This is one of the most common struggles that we see our administrators and executor clients face. There are options to trying to remove someone from the house, but we always try to start with peaceful solutions. Have to considered cash for keys? I have a video on this method here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/jISn1q2PcqnMkrA.html I suggest speaking with your attorney to draft a legal agreement for this process. Good luck!
I am on a will. Of a relative. Who passed away.my oldest sister and myself.my oldest sister passed away,her daughter. Has the information, and is being secretive. Deceased lived in Texas, my sister daughter lives in AZ. And I live in LA.
This a legal matter, you should speak with an attorney to get more information on this. Good luck to you.
I'm going to make my own will, with my children as exicture, has the will to go to probate.
This depends on several factor the first of which being what laws and regulations exist in your city/state/country pertaining to succession laws. Speak with an attorney to get more information on this.
Given the grammar and punctuation errors in your question and lack of knowledge about the subject, you most definitely should consult a qualified estate planning attorney.
@@JT_70 it's the so called highest educated that has this country all fu..k.d up, honest people who never took a penny or hand outs are being trampled on, people like you probably haven't your funeral money. I have my will made, and stops and starts wont matter, money counts, common sense is not in any book, or college . You have a lot to learn.
Hi Kathleen and JT, we're all entitled to our own opinions and thoughts, but the limitations of law are what they are. Each state has their own regulations and guidelines for a will, and I recommend researching thoroughly to ensure that your heirs are receiving their fair share after your passing. Know that even with a will you heirs can fight what you've requested and can preventing your assets from distributing as you would like. If you want a more secure solution you can build a trust using online services such as NOLO press for minimum cost (I believe about $100). A trust is legally more binding and can stop one heir from securing all the asset for themselves, not to mention preventing fees that would come from the probate process. Good luck to you.