011: What’s Up With Real Estate in the San Francisco Bay Area?
Release Date: 07/03/2018
180: Divorce in Progress: Safeguarding Your Estate Plan Before It's Final (Part 2)
Absolute Trust Talk
In this episode of Absolute Trust Talk, host Kirsten Howe and associate attorney Jessica Colbert continue their discussion on estate planning during divorce proceedings with practical solutions. Following their previous episode on the potential problems that can arise if someone becomes incapacitated or dies during divorce, they now focus on preventative measures. The attorneys explain how to ensure your soon-to-be ex-spouse doesn't maintain control over your healthcare decisions or inherit your assets contrary to your wishes. They discuss the creation of new healthcare directives, powers of...
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179: Divorce in Progress: Safeguarding Your Estate Plan Before It's Final
Absolute Trust Talk
In this episode of Absolute Trust Talk, host Kirsten Howe and associate attorney Jessica Colbert discuss critical estate planning considerations during divorce proceedings. They explore what happens if someone becomes incapacitated or dies while their divorce is still pending, revealing potentially unwelcome consequences if proper planning isn't in place. The discussion highlights how existing estate plans typically name a spouse as the primary decision-maker and beneficiary—a designation most divorcing individuals would want to change immediately. Without written estate plans, the...
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178: 3 Critical Estate Planning Lessons from Richard Simmons' Legacy Battles
Absolute Trust Talk
In this episode of Absolute Trust Talk, host Kirsten Howe examines the estate complications following Richard Simmons' death in July 2023. She details the ongoing legal dispute between Simmons' brother Leonard (named trustee) and Teresa, his housekeeper of 30 years who briefly served as co-trustee before a contested resignation. The conflict centers around approximately $1 million in personal property—primarily jewelry—that Teresa allegedly took when evicted from Simmons' home. While Teresa claims Simmons gifted her the jewelry in 2014, Leonard argues documentation proves otherwise....
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177: Inside the Heated Padres Inheritance Feud: What It Teaches Us About Sound Estate Planning
Absolute Trust Talk
In this all-new episode of Absolute Trust Talk, Kirsten Howe and her associates, Jessica Colbert and Ariana Flynn, delve into the complex estate battle surrounding the late San Diego Padres owner, Peter Seidler. The MLB team finds itself at the center of a legal dispute as Seidler's wife, Sheel, contends with his brothers over control of the franchise. With allegations of breached trust, fraud, and self-dealing, the case highlights the intricacies of estate planning for high-net-worth individuals and the potential pitfalls of ambiguous or informal documentation. While largely speculation,...
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176: Behind the Headlines: Gene Hackman's Estate Plan and What We Can Learn
Absolute Trust Talk
In this episode of Absolute Trust Talk, Kirsten Howe, managing attorney at Absolute Trust Counsel, and associate attorney Jessica Colbert examine the estate of beloved actor Gene Hackman. They meticulously analyze the available court records from Santa Fe County, New Mexico, and contrast them with California's probate procedures. The attorneys skillfully debunk sensationalized headlines about Hackman's will, explaining the mechanics of pour-over wills and why media claims about his children being "cut out" are potentially misleading. While much of the discussion is speculation, they provide...
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175: The Valuation Puzzle: What Your Assets Are Really Worth: Part 2
Absolute Trust Talk
In this episode of Absolute Trust Talk, host Kirsten Howe continues her valuation discussion with expert Alex Spaete from Bridge Forensic CPAs, exploring the intricacies of asset valuation. The discussion focuses on how privately held assets are valued, particularly examining discount factors applied to LLC interests based on control limitations and marketability constraints. Alex explains how family dynamics influence valuations, especially when implicit control exists despite limited ownership percentages. The conversation covers valuation approaches for unusual assets like promissory...
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174: Part 1: The Valuation Puzzle: What Your Assets Are Really Worth
Absolute Trust Talk
In this insightful episode of Absolute Trust Talk, host Kirsten Howe welcomes Alex Spaete, a valuation expert and partner with Bridge Forensic CPAs. In part one of their discussion, Kirsten and Alex explore the complex world of asset valuation, particularly focusing on closely held businesses and real estate holding partnerships. Alex explains why valuing private entities requires specialized expertise beyond what's needed for bank accounts or publicly traded securities. The discussion clarifies the critical distinction between owning a percentage of a business entity versus owning the...
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173: Stop Family Feuds: Expert Tips for Probate Real Estate Sales
Absolute Trust Talk
In this episode of Absolute Trust Talk, host Kirsten Howe welcomes real estate expert Nathan Jines from Jines Real Estate Group, Keller Williams, to discuss the complexities of selling real estate in a probate or trust administration. When a homeowner passes away, managing the sale of their property presents unique challenges, from family dynamics to market positioning. Nathan shares firsthand insights on navigating these transactions while ensuring a smooth process for grieving heirs. Key takeaways include the importance of professional guidance, how family relationships impact...
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171: IRS Audits Uncovered: What Triggers Them and How to Prepare
Absolute Trust Talk
Few things are as nerve-wracking as receiving an IRS audit notice—but how do audits really work, and what can you do to protect yourself? In this episode of Absolute Trust Talk, Kirsten Howe sits down with Anthony Kim, a former IRS Chief Counsel Attorney with 26+ years of experience, to reveal the truth behind IRS audits. Tony, who has litigated complex tax cases for the U.S. Treasury Department and represented Fortune 500 companies and high-net-worth individuals at Ernst & Young, shares insider knowledge on what triggers audits, the IRS selection process, and how to avoid common red...
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172: IRS Audits Uncovered Part 2: Protests and Appeals Explained
Absolute Trust Talk
Intro Summary] In this follow-up episode of Absolute Trust Talk, host Kirsten Howe welcomes back tax law expert Tony Kim to continue their deep dive into IRS audits and appeals. With 26 years of experience working for the IRS, Tony provides invaluable insights into what happens after an audit determination is made. He explains the role of a protest letter, how appeals officers function as mediators, and why IRS litigation can be risky for taxpayers. Throughout the episode, Tony emphasizes the importance of organization, professionalism, and strategic decision-making when dealing with the...
info_outlineIn episode eleven of Absolute Trust Talk, Kirsten welcomes award-winning Remax Accord Real Estate Broker Mark Shaw into the studio. Mark has been serving Contra Costa and Alameda Counties for more than 19 years and, even though he spent some time as a teacher, you could say his career started back in the 60’s & 70’s when he was helping his father pass out flyers and set up open house signs.
Mark is well-versed in the San Francisco Bay Area real estate market, and Kirsten wastes no time digging in. During this podcast, Mark and Kirsten discuss why buying and selling in the Bay Area is so unusual right now and how the cash purchase of a home is influencing the marketplace.
Later, Mark weighs in on some surprising statistics and trends that are influencing aspects of the local market, and also, shares some advice to sellers on some essential tasks that need to be done before putting your home on the market. Download this resource here!
Big Three From Episode #011:
What the clients are thinking:
- Can I trust you?
- Are you good at what you do?
- Do you care about my needs and me?
Time-stamped Show Notes:
2:00 – What is making the San Francisco Bay Area real estate market so high? Can a seller name their price?
3:12 – The average buyer spends this much time searching for homes before they contact a realtor.
3:40 – Does the amount of cash buyers have to spend on housing distort the market?
6:15 – Why the number of years people are staying in their homes (not moving) is increasing.
8:30 – What are the main reasons people move?
11:40 – How is the buyer’s market trending?
16:42 – This is a huge determining factor in real estate sales.
22:11 – In the current market. what do sellers have to do to get their house sold?
26:14 – It might seem all dollars and cents, but home buying has much more to do with this.
Episode #011 Freebie: 13 Top Tips for Home Maintenance and Safety
Taking care of a property can be a lot of work, and some maintenance issues will obviously take priority over others. However, when it comes to your home’s safety, there are easy, low-cost, DIY projects we neglect because they are either not at the top of the list or not top of mind. Absolute Trust Talk guest Mark Shaw has generously offered to share his resource “13 Top Tips for Home Maintenance and Safety” to ATT’s audience. Shaw created this resource to be a tool to simplify target issues and help you focus on simple, common-sense tasks to keep your home safe. He has broken these projects down so they are easy to commit to doing one or two per month to maintain a safe home environment.