Jackie Waters, a client and friend, recently went through the probate process after her mother-in-law passed away, and quickly realized she and her husband hadn’t done enough to plan for the future.

Sure, we have a retirement plan and a will, but I realized I wasn’t clear on whether our home would be passed on to our children if something were to happen to us. I also wondered when my husband and I should think about selling our home. We love it, but it will be hard for us to manage as we age. So, I did tons of research, and the more I learned, the better I felt.

We invited her to share some of her insight after wading the rough waters of the probate process and life planning. We hope you enjoy!

Do you work in an industry that crosses over with real estate?
Have you had an experience that made you “learn the hard way”?
Do you have a knack for the written word? (Even if you don’t, we have an editor on our team!)

We’re looking for more guest bloggers! Email us at holly.finn@cbws.com to find out more!

Guest Post By: Jackie Waters

It’s never too early to begin developing a comprehensive life plan that takes into account the safety (both financial and physical) of you and your family from the present to the future. Here are a few essential items that must be in any good life plan.

Financial considerations for your children

“Providing sufficient financial resources for your children’s care is your responsibility. And, as a responsible parent, you must take steps to protect what your children will receive … whether it’s through life insurance, savings or some other means,” says one CPA.

It’s vital to establish savings for the unfortunate event of your death and to make sure that your property is included in any sort of transfer. This can be done through trusts, regular savings or investment accounts, or through specific types of accounts like a 529 plan for college savings.

Disaster Preparations

Any good life plan won’t just think about financials, but will also cover some of the great curve balls life throws at you. One such curve ball some neglect to include in their life plan is the threat of a disaster, and how you must prepare your home for that unlikely (but often not too unlikely) event.

“Emergency preparedness is not only for Californians, Midwesterners and Gulf Coast residents. Most communities may be impacted by several types of hazards during a lifetime,” notes Ready.gov.

You should research your geographic area and make preparations based on what sort of disaster is the most likely to affect you. Fire, of course, is a threat to anyone with a home. Check here for great tips of home fire preparedness. When it comes to natural disasters, you may need to devote more planning toward storms and tornadoes, as opposed to hurricanes, if you live in one particular area and vice versa for another location. If you or a member of your family suffers from a disability like a visual impairment, special preparations may need to be made.

Smart investments

It’s hard – often downright impossible – to build a nest egg for retirement without making smart, sound investments. Investing in a Roth IRA, taking advantage of your employer’s 401(k) matching program, and putting some savings in a conservative investment fund are ways to be smart about letting your funds make money for you in the future.

Investing in real estate is another smart way to build your nest egg, but be careful. Many think that investing in real estate is easier than playing the stock market, and often find themselves in for a rude awakening. Click here for more information on real estate investment opportunities in your area. (Editor Note: Make sure you have a good real estate agent to walk you through this  sometimes difficult process!)

“Real estate investing really can be as conceptually simple as playing monopoly when you understand the basic factors of the investment, economics, and risk … However, keep in mind that ‘simple’ doesn’t mean ‘easy’. If you make a mistake, consequences can range from minor inconveniences to major disasters,” notes The Balance.

If you’re looking to get into real estate, first you need to understand the more than half a dozen different types of real estate investment strategies. For more information on residential real estate, commercial real estate, real estate investment trusts, and more, check here. (Editor Note: Or ask us.)

Your comprehensive life plan will need to include more than investments, nest eggs, college funds, and disaster prep, but any respectable life plan will put a heavy focus on these. Before beginning any life plan, first take some time to really think about what you want in life – 5, 10, 20, and 50 years down the road. Without a clear idea of your dreams and desires, your life plan will be too generic.

Photo Credit: Pixabay.com

This Saturday, August 26th, from 11am until 9pm, Tender Mercies is continuing its newest tradition, with the 5th Annual Taste of OTR, featuring tastings every 60  minutes, along with local brews and local bands! The event will benefit over 150 adults with mental illness, who are recovering from the trauma of homelessness.

The Taste of OTR features restaurants, food trucks and retailers, all of whom contribute to making OTR the rich cultural center of the Queen City. The event will also include a variety of local breweries, including MadTree, Fifty West, Braxton, Moerlein, Rhinegeist, Taft’s Ale House and more.

In conjunction with the Taste of OTR, Coldwell Banker West Shell’s Metro Office, along with the Finn Team, will host Taste of OTR Living from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the day of the event. With over 30 units open to tour, visitors will get a fresh insight into the newest “City Living” homes on the market in the neighborhood.

Along this tour, just a block down from the Coldwell Banker offices, you’ll find Rick Finn and the Finn Team, providing tours of Vivian Lofts, some of OTR’s most interesting condos for sale. With local touches, and vintage pieces, with all the luxury you’ve come to expect, Vivian Lofts can provide anything from a downtown way-of-life, a weekend home or side income as a rental or Air BnB. Tourgoers are encouraged to stop by 1420 Elm Street and visit Rick at Vivian Lofts. Also, make sure you stop by the Coldwell Banker Metro Office at 1400 Elm (across from Washington Park) to receive a map of all homes on the tour.

For more information on the 5th Annual Taste of OTR:

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For more information on the Taste of OTR Living Tour, CLICK HERE.

For more information on Vivian Lofts, CLICK HERE.

For more information on the Finn Team, CLICK HERE.

Monthly home checklists are updated every year

Andrew Howard Interior Design

Things to Check Off Your List in an Hour or Less

1. Clean and store summer gear. Once the last beach day is behind you, take the time to clean out the buckets, shovels and boogie boards so they’re fresh and clean for next year. Toss out cracked or broken toys, and shop end-of-season sales to replace items if needed.

2. Set up a shared family calendar. Whether you choose a big paper wall calendar or a digital version, having one calendar to rule them all will be a big help come fall, when schedules get busier. Set up your preferred method now, and record important back-to-school dates and recurring events. Is Grandma or Grandpa a big part of your life too? If so, be sure to share your calendar with them so everyone is in the loop.

Public/Private

3. Clear the way for easy weeknight dinners. A too-packed kitchen (and fridge and pantry) can make meal prep harder than it needs to be. Clear away clutter to create a clean workspace on the counter and remove expired, stale and unwanted food from the pantry, fridge and freezer. Donate unwanted and unexpired foods in their original packaging to a local food pantry.

Lore Patterson

4. Share your backyard harvest. Have a glut of tomatoes, squash or other summer produce? Pack up a basket to share with your neighbors, or check the directory at Ample Harvest to locate a food pantry in your area that accepts surplus garden produce.

Andrew Howard Interior Design

Tackle These Tasks Over a Weekend

5. Organize family photos. Have a bunch of new photos from your summer adventures? Take this opportunity to sort and organize them — back up digital photos with cloud-based storage, and make an album or a book of recent photos. If you would like to display some of your photos but are finding it difficult to choose, put them in a big collage instead (like the heart shown here) or hang them from clothespins or bulldog clips on a wire.Great Home Project: How to Organize Your Digital Photos6. Clean carpets and floors. Sand and garden dirt tracked in over the summer can really take a toll on floors. Vacuum and mop floors, and have area rugs and carpeting professionally cleaned if needed.

7. Get organized for back to school (and work). Consider what would make this fall run more smoothly for your family: a few extra hooks in the entryway to handle coats and bags, perhaps? Or if papers are a constant problem, take the time now to set up a simple filing system and an inbox for each family member.

8. Check emergency kits. Emergency supplies don’t last forever. Open up your kit and check expiration dates on food and any medications; replace as needed. Don’t have an emergency kit yet? Make this the month you create one.

Get Organized: First Aid, Emergency and Medical Supply Checklist

Neat Method San Diego

9. Organize closets before fall shopping. Before making any new purchases, spend some time assessing what you already have in the closet: Try on clothing, fold and hang up any clothes on the floor, get rid of items you don’t wear and make a list of what you need. Doing this before shopping can help save money and prevent cluttering up your closet.

How to Finally Tackle Your Closet’s Critical Mess

Schoolhouse Electric

10. Schedule some do-nothing time. It can be surprisingly hard to relax and simply do nothing, even when you do have a pocket of free time. I find that the key is not calling it “free time” at all: By planning to donothing, you are actually giving yourself permission to fully relax. So what do you do during do-nothing time? Sipping from a mug of tea or tall glass of iced tea on the porch with a good book tops my list.

PEG Properties & Design

Maintenance and Extras to Budget for This Month

11. Clean and organize the garage. If you haven’t cleaned out your garage in a while, it’s likely this project will take an entire weekend (or more), so plan accordingly. It helps to think ahead and find out where you can take items (donations, hazardous waste, things to sell) before starting, and get a dumpster if you think you will need it. And if you need help, consider hiring someone to assist you with part or all of the process. Wait until you’ve cleared away the clutter before purchasing new shelving or wall-mounted organizers. You’ll have a better idea of what you need once the decluttering is complete.7-Day Plan: Get a Spotless, Beautifully Organized Garage

Siberian Floors

12. Finish up outdoor projects. Make use of the long August days to finish up any outdoor projects you started (or intended to start) over the summer, from cleaning the gutters to adding a new deck.

13. Check your home for signs of pests. It’s not a pleasant subject, but being proactive when it comes to pests in and around your home is much better than trying to solve a pest problem that has gotten out of hand. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends taking preventive measures such as removing sources of food, water and shelter, and closing off places where pests can enter and hide. If you do need to use pesticides, choose the lowest-risk product first, and use according to the directions. If you hire a pest control pro, ask him or her to use bait, and crack and crevice control when possible; fogging should be a last resort.

Originally posted by Laura Gaskill on houzz.com.

1254 Herschel Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45208
4 Beds | 3 Full Baths | 2-Car Garage
$659,900

What does a professionally landscaped yard, which includes a fish pond and a fountain, an in-ground pool, a highly desirable neighborhood, vegetable gardens, and a home theater all have in common? 1254 Herschel Avenue!

This brick ranch has been meticulously maintained and upgraded to offer an easy lifestyle right in the heart of Mount Lookout. Imagine having 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths, finished lower level, two-car garage, plus a pool that offers your very own private retreat! Over 3,000 square feet of space, which includes a desirable open concept kitchen and family room area with vaulted ceilings and an impressive stone fireplace. Bright, white kitchen with stainless appliances, island, glass front cabinets, large pantry, bev/wine frig, double oven, granite counters, tile back-splash, recessed and pendant lighting. All bedrooms have nice sized closets, crown molding, and hardwood floors.  Finished lower level offers space for home theater, rec room, exercise room, pool table, guest suite…all with large windows, recessed lighting, and cork flooring.  Professionally landscaped including fish pond and fountain!  Pella doors and windows showcase the natural stone patio, Trex deck, wooded view, and beautiful pool.  Short walk to Ault Park, Mount Lookout AND Hyde Park Squares, Kilgour Elementary School, and more. Great opportunity to have all of these amenities in a prime location!