fire pit with girls drinking coca

Create Sparks with These 5 Fire Pit Options

  • September 29, 2023
  • devinlucas

With s’more season right around the corner, now is the perfect time to transform your outdoor space into a captivating oasis. Large or small, wood-burning or propane, a fire pit can make any gathering an enchanting evening soiree. To help you choose the best fire pit for your needs, here are five of today’s most … Continue Reading

photo of pumpkin soup

Irresistible Pumpkin Recipes for a Flavorful Fall

  • September 29, 2023
  • devinlucas

As temperatures drop, the kitchen spotlight turns to a humble and versatile ingredient – the pumpkin. Delve into the delicious world of pumpkin-infused dishes that celebrate both flavor and creativity with comforting classics and innovative creations. Most of these pumpkin recipes call for canned pumpkin, but if you feel like making your own puree, look for sugar or pie pumpkins at the store – leave the large jack-o’-lantern types for carving.

Fall table with fall colors and candles.

5 Tips for Adding Fall Accents to Your Home

  • September 29, 2023
  • devinlucas

As the days grow shorter, it’s time to bring fall’s warm and inviting hues into your home. Embrace the season’s vibrant colors to create a cozy atmosphere that celebrates autumn’s magic and reflects your tastes. But don’t be scared – adding an autumn look doesn’t mean completely overhauling your home’s interior design! Here are five simple and creative ways to incorporate fall decorations this year.

family around the holiday dinner table

You Could be in a New Home for the Holidays

  • September 29, 2023
  • devinlucas

Have you been dreaming of selling your home, buying a new one and moving in before the holidays? This scenario is actually fairly common and totally doable. A knowledgeable agent such as Devin Lucas or Courtney Lucas with the Lucas Real Estate Group in Newport Beach can guide you through the process, negotiate the best terms and get you into a new home – all in time to celebrate with family and friends. Here’s how you can get started.

brown ice cream cone

Common Leasing Mistakes Made By Leasing Agents

  • September 4, 2023
  • devinlucas

Even leasing professionals make mistakes. From the California Association of REALTORS® Broker Insights Newsletter – August 2023, there are quite a few common mistakes out there that warranted an advisory. Make sure you, or your REALTOR®, are compliant, especially when it comes to leasing in tenant-friendly California….

two computers and paperwork in between

Proposition 19 Interplay With Inheritance and Portability (55 and Older Transfer) – A Way to Make BOTH Aspects of Prop 19 Work For You

  • August 16, 2023
  • devinlucas

As we have written on extensively, Proposition 19, new for 2021 (replacing older propositions 58, 193, 60 and 90), has two main components, portability and inheritance. (Review our many articles on Prop 19 starting here, link to main prop 19 page.)

These two aspects can be combined in some regards, and not combined in others.

For example, if you inherit a property and qualify for Prop 19, and therefore keep that property’s low (prop 13) tax basis, you CAN then sell that property when you are 55 or older and transfer that same low (prop 13) tax basis to a new property. More details below.

Hourglass next to a calendar

What Happens If I Cannot Meet the One Year Deadline to Move In and File the Claim for Homeowners’ Exemption or Claim for Reassessment Exclusion Under Prop 19?

  • August 16, 2023
  • devinlucas

The answer to this critical question is in FLUX.  The official answer, detailed below, is that the one (1) year deadline is firm, with no exceptions.  HOWEVER, as of April 1, 2022, the BOE has used its “Emergency Powers” to enact a common sense answer to this question (allowing additional time to file a claim for Homeowners Exemption, with caveats).  

Image of a tax return and cup of coffee.

Step-Up In Basis Explained

  • August 16, 2023
  • devinlucas

When you inherit real estate and then subsequently sell that real estate, you will likely benefit dramatically from the step-up in basis, aka the step-up in basis or the stepped up basis.
The step-up in basis, what does this mean?  If a child or grandchild later sells a gifted or inherited home, they may have to pay capital gains taxes depending on a variety of factors.  If a property is inherited, there is a “step-up” in basis of the value of the property (to the value at the time of death) for purposes of calculating capital gains when the property is later sold.  The “step-up” essentially provides a higher value of the property when calculating any “gains” as compared to the sales price.  The “step-up” can have enormous tax benefits for the heirs that will be lost by gifting property during lifetime.