Capital improvements increase your home’s value and appearance — while lowering the amount of taxes you owe when you decide to sell. What exactly is a capital improvement? According to the IRS, a capital improvement is any upgrade made to your property that does at least one of the following: Increase the property’s value Extends the life of the property Adapts the property for a new purpose How do capital improvements affect your taxes? When you make a capital improvement, t

This blog post will give a brief summary explaining what probate is and when it is needed in California. In its simplest terms, the probate process is a court-supervised administration of a decedent’s estate. The probate proceeding involves validating a will, if there is one, appointing an executor, determining the decedent’s assets that are subject to probate, paying outstanding debts, and disbursing funds to the beneficiaries. In California the threshold amount is $184,500,