Estate Planning Made Simple: Name a Beneficiary for Your House

Estate Planning Made Simple: Name a Beneficiary for Your House

by | Mar 15, 2024

Estate planning can be a slog, but some shortcuts cut down on stress and expenses for beneficiaries. One way to streamline the transfer of property is to establish a Transfer on Death (TOD) Deed for Hoosier homes. Similar to a Lady Bird Deed, which is available in Michigan, Vermont, Texas, West Virginia, and Florida, a TOD Deed allows an Indiana property owner to designate a beneficiary to inherit the property after the owner’s death. Having a TOD Deed in place means that the property skips the probate process, which can delay the transfer of ownership. Meanwhile, the owner holds the rights to the property exclusively until death.  Allen County Recorder Nicole Keesling talked about TOD Deeds in a recent interview, starting with the process of registering a TOD Deed with Allen...

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Renting in Cool Blue Illinois: Protections, Freedoms, and Support

Renting in Cool Blue Illinois: Protections, Freedoms, and Support

by | Feb 1, 2024

What a difference a border makes! Illinois, known for its Democratic leanings in the heart of the more Republican Midwest, has set up some of its laws to protect both renters and landlords. However, with an increasing demand for affordable housing, Illinois’ housing market continues to be competitive and expensive. Illinois Rules and Laws Protections for landlords and tenants start with the laws that govern them. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office publishes the “Landlord and Tenant Rights and Laws” to help navigate these roles. According to the AG, some protections that Illinois renters have are: They can ask that necessary repairs be made, and use this as a viable defense against eviction if they withhold a portion of their rent when the landlord has not paid for the...

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Time for Change in Michigan, Legislature to Protect Renters Being Worked On 

Time for Change in Michigan, Legislature to Protect Renters Being Worked On 

by | Jan 22, 2024

Nearly 20% of Michigan renters will face the threat of eviction this year. In a state with over 1 million renters, this leaves about 200,000 citizens at risk of losing their homes. But there is legislation in the works to try to solve this.  Michigan RentersInfogram In 2022, Ann Arbor, a city where over half the households are renters, passed Section 8:531 of the housing code, the right to renew. This law requires Ann Arbor landlords make a “good faith” offer to renew a lease 180 days before a tenant’s lease is up.  Relocation is expensive and time consuming. Apartment hunting, packing, cleaning, along with security deposits and first- and last-month rent payments add up fast. If a tenant is offered an opportunity to renew, this can save them from being placed farther back...

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Housing Crisis: A Growing Problem in Central Ohio 

Housing Crisis: A Growing Problem in Central Ohio 

by | Jan 18, 2024

As housing costs continue to increase across the nation, so does the stress on lower income and middle-class families in Columbus, Ohio. The problem? Too many residents, not enough affordable places to live.  A recent report found over half of homeowners in Central Ohio are spending most of their income on housing costs. To be considered affordable, housing expenses should represent no more than 30% of a household’s income, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  Carlie Boos, executive director of the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio, says the area’s housing supply is struggling to keep pace with the population.  This very underbuilding of housing is one of the key drivers of housing costs. As of August 2023, Columbus home prices were...

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Indiana Cooperative Development Center How Cooperatives Work

by | Jan 4, 2024

https://youtu.be/yCoCn7qetJM Child care. Housing. Businesses. Agriculture. Energy. Food. These are some needs that can be met-and maximized-through the cooperative model. In this video, Deb Trocha of the Indiana Cooperative Development Center shares the costs and benefits of setting up businesses in the cooperative model. Cooperatives are owned by the people who use them and benefit from them, which excludes investors and third parties. The Fort Wayne Media Collaborative concentrates its reporting on housing, with a goal of empowering people to figure out their best solutions to the ongoing problem of housing affordability. Find out more about cooperatives and how to start a corporation for a new housing cooperative, or a co-op of any kind, at our website, fwmediacollaborative.com.

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KHEPRW Goals for Indianapolis Community Land Trust

by | Dec 6, 2023

https://youtu.be/6XO8zWrwZZM Kheprw is a nonprofit organization based in Indianapolis that’s taking an active role in creating affordable housing options for residents by starting a Community Land Trust there. Their strategy is to develop community leaders who can move their CLT project forward and help address some of the inequalities in wealth that have influenced who can afford housing and who cannot. With Indianapolis’ eviction rate soaring to #8 in the US according to the latest numbers out of evictionlab.org, this type of strategic thinking on the part of nonprofits is needed to help provide residents with affordable, long-term housing solutions. A conversation with Alvin Sangsuwangul and Gabi Lorino. For more information, visit kheprw.org For more information, visit...

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KHEPRW Creating a Community Land Trust

by | Dec 6, 2023

https://youtu.be/ZezpeGFx67A How can a community come together to create affordable housing? This video tells the story of different forces that came together in Indianapolis to help start a community land trust. Many factors need to be considered when setting up a nonprofit, finding funding, and developing places where affordable housing such as a CLT can go from idea to reality. A conversation with Alvin Sangsuwangul and journalist Gabi Lorino. For more information, visit kheprw.org For more information visit fwmediacollaborative.com Paid for by the Fort Wayne Media Collaborative.

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KHEPRW Community Land Trusts Benefits and History

by | Dec 6, 2023

https://youtu.be/G9IzjtXTzJw How did housing inequality come about, and what can be done to help people obtain affordable housing in the future? This discussion of Indianapolis’ community land trust and what it aims to create for residents there provides a look into the history of housing in the US as well as the benefits of Community Land Trusts. A conversation with Alvin Sangsuwangul and journalist Gabi Lorino. For more information visit kheprw.org For more information visit fwmediacollaborative.com Paid for by the Fort Wayne Media Collaborative.

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Foreclosures on the Rise in Indiana and Across the US

Foreclosures on the Rise in Indiana and Across the US

by | Nov 1, 2023

Rising interest rates, home prices at never-before-seen levels, and inflation all play into the recent jump in foreclosures. Foreclosures happen when a homeowner stops making payments toward a property, and the institution (such as a bank) that financed the property steps in through legal action to take over the property and then sell it to recover all or a portion of its investment.  Some foreclosures are known as Real Estate Owned (REO) properties. They have gone into foreclosure, didn’t sell at auction, and are now owned by the original banker or lender. Other foreclosures come from government agencies. HUD homes, which are owned by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), result from mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) that go into...

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The Collaborative Corner | Rachel Blakeman

The Collaborative Corner | Rachel Blakeman

Jul 12, 2024

https://youtu.be/0c9D5O_gZcs Our latest episode of "The Collaborative Corner" features an insightful conversation with Rachel Blakeman, Director of the Community Research Institute (CRI) at Purdue University Fort Wayne. Learn about CRI's efforts to broaden its...

Land Banks: How They Work, and Why Fort Wayne Needs One

Land Banks: How They Work, and Why Fort Wayne Needs One

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“We need land banks everywhere.” Nate Howard, the Executive Director of Muncie Land Bank, has seen what positive changes can come from rehabilitating abandoned and vacant properties in his area. An empowered land bank can reduce blight and save taxpayers money, plus...

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