Author Archives: Jay Butchko
The Estate Plan Backup Plan
Wishes are an effective way to start a long-term project. Watch any episode of Shark Tank or any documentary about a successful artist or innovator, and you will hear stories of how someone wished to follow the example of a particular extraordinary person or wished to invent something that did not yet exist but… Read More »
How Much Does It Cost to Retire in Maryland?
A lot of things lose their mystique as you age. When you were a child, and you saw a pint of ice cream in the supermarket, having enough money to buy the pint of ice cream and no one to stop you from eating it in one sitting seemed like the coolest thing in… Read More »
The Trouble With Unoccupied Real Estate Properties
If you own a rental property, nothing stresses you out more than the times when the property is sitting vacant. As annoying as it is when tenants complain about the property you are renting to them, as expensive at it is to repair the properties in a timely fashion, and as exhausting as it… Read More »
Collecting Outstanding Debts During Probate
The only thing more annoying than debt is all the picky rules that relate to seeking payment of debts. Debt collectors can contact you on social media, but only if the messages are not visible to others in your contacts and only if the debt collectors are transparent about their purposes; by this logic,… Read More »
Seniors Need a Plan for Dealing With the Maryland Winter
Early career professionals, as well as older folks in truly high-powered jobs, tend to come and go from the Washington, D.C. area with every change of presidential administration, but those of us who have lived here since our college days, or even longer, consider it home. The idea of retiring somewhere that is more… Read More »
What’s With Banks Unexpectedly Closing Down Small Business Accounts?
Small business owners learn early on to roll with the punches. Your shipment of crab meat didn’t come in today? Sell lobster rolls and call it a house special. Your French fry cook didn’t show up today? Put on your hair net and your apron and get to frying? The cash register doesn’t have… Read More »
Estate Planning With an Abundance Mindset
The estate planning advice that is most visible to Google is geared toward people who are much wealthier than you will ever be. The amount of money you would have to give away before maxing out your annual gift tax exclusion eligibility, and the amount of money that would still have to be in… Read More »
HVAC Disputes and Commercial Leases
Most people cannot afford to buy the apartments, houses, and commercial units where they live and work, but renting is not a perfect situation. Everything is fine when all of the appliances and utilities in the rented space are functioning well, but when something malfunctions, the disagreements begin. Tenants do not always have the… Read More »
Life in an Alzheimer’s Disease Hot Zone
Retiring to Florida is not for everyone. No matter the season, it is obvious that Maryland is home. The beach isn’t far away, but neither is the Kennedy Center. A hurricane or tropical storm comes our way approximately once per decade, whereas in Florida, people are boarding up their windows and evacuating from multiple… Read More »
Administering an Insolvent Estate During Probate
Estate planning lawyers often advise clients not to outlive their savings, but short of assembling a daredevil bucket list and going through it in ascending order of danger, it is often difficult to predict the relative longevity of your body and your cash flow. Unexpected illnesses and injuries can happen to anyone, but financial… Read More »
