Guides

I own a home

Not selling, not buying - just decisions that come with owning property in California. Property tax, ADUs, and what happens when a home passes to family.

  1. Proposition 19: Moving Your Tax Base, and Inheriting a Home

    Carry your tax base to a new home up to three times, anywhere in California - and what changed for inherited property, which catches most families by surprise.

    Homeowners 55+, and anyone inheriting a home · reviewed, sources cited

  2. Capital Gains When You Sell Your Home

    Most people selling a primary residence owe far less than they fear - and the ones who get caught out usually miss the same three things.

    Sellers · reviewed, sources cited

  3. ADUs and What They Do to Your Property

    A permitted ADU and an unpermitted conversion look similar and are worth very different amounts. What changes for appraisal, financing and disclosure.

    Owners considering an ADU, and buyers of homes that have one

  4. Mello-Roos Explained

    Why two houses a few blocks apart carry very different monthly costs, and how to find the real number before you are committed.

    Buyers & sellers - Inland Empire · reviewed, sources cited

  5. Preparing to Sell - What Returns and What Doesn't

    Most pre-listing spending does not return itself. The things that reliably do are unglamorous, and the best-value item is not a renovation at all.

    Sellers

  6. Selling an Inherited Property

    What has to happen before an inherited home can be sold, why the tax basis usually works in your favor, and the decision families find hardest.

    Heirs, executors and trustees · reviewed, sources cited

Not your situation? Buying · Selling · In escrow · Investing

General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Every property and transaction differs, and tax rules change - verify the current position for your own situation.

Weighing a move, or an inheritance?

The families who do well are the ones who asked before the transfer, not after.

Talk it through with us