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When homebuying, some folks look for fixer-uppers. They may appreciate the unique charm of a house that needs some TLC or enjoy the process of renovating. They may simply appreciate the lower sales price. Regardless of the reason, purchasing time-worn properties requires a little bit of extra planning—especially if the home is abandoned. An abandoned property is a home or lot of land that is vacant, neglected, or not actively maintained by the owner. A property can be abandoned for many reasons: the owner may pass away, face foreclosure, or simply choose to walk away from the home. Keep in mind that an abandoned home is different from a vacant home or a condemned home. A condemned home has been deemed unsafe for habitation by a local authority, while a vacant home is often legally owned and maintained. Purchasing an abandoned property will follow a very similar process to purchasing a regular property, but with a bit more research, legal complexity, and planning. Securing ownership of an abandoned property can be unpredictable. The more you know about the process, the better you will be at navigating the road bumps. Here is an NJ real estate attorney’s guide to purchasing an abandoned property: 1. Find An Abandoned Property You can find an abandoned house through a lot of the same ways you would find any house. As with any home search, your first step should be finding an experienced New Jersey real estate agent who understands the local market. Because abandoned homes are not typically advertised for sale, a real estate agent can help point you in the right direction. They can help you check foreclosure and abandoned property auction listings, public notices, and use their local expertise to locate homes that appear unmaintained. Once you find a home you are interested in, they can also help you verify the status of the property. 2. Contact the Owner This part can be tricky if the home is truly abandoned or the owner is deceased. Ownership may not be immediately clear through a simple search. To get in contact with the owners, you may try: Tax Records: Property tax records are a valuable resource for identifying the owner of an abandoned property. Many NJ counties and municipalities offer online access to tax records through the tax collector’s website. You can typically search by the property’s address. Even if online records are unavailable, you can request the information in person. Tax records will show the owner’s name, the assessed value of the property, tax payment history, and delinquency status. This valuable information can help inform your next steps. Title Search: A title search can help you discover what kind of liens, unpaid utilities, or municipal fines are associated with the property. Since these debts attach to the property, not the owner, it is important to understand your responsibility for the home purchase. A title search may also help you determine the owner's status or location. Write a Letter: You may be able to use the public tax records to find a mailing address for the owner. In this case, you could send a letter stating your interest in the property. Attend an Auction: If the home is scheduled to go to tax auction soon, you could attend the auction and make a bid. Keep in mind you will need to cover the costs of a bid, including the upfront payment required to secure the property. If you can contact the owner and they agree to sell you the home, you can finally begin the typical process of purchasing a house, with some special considerations. 3. Financing Abandoned properties, or any properties sold at auction, are typically cash-preferred. Because homebuyers often need to finance the purchase by proving the home's value to the lender, it can be difficult to secure traditional financing for an abandoned property. Renovation loans like the FHA 203(k) may be an option for those short on cash. You will often need to prove the home is habitable to secure this kind of financing. 4. Get an Inspection Home inspections are a critical part of the homebuying process for all real estate transactions—but especially for abandoned homes. After all, you do not really know what kind of maintenance, if any, has been done to the home while it has been sitting unoccupied. You need to know how much work the property needs to make the home livable and whether the repairs and renovations are within your budget. Some auctions do not allow you to inspect the home before purchase. This is one of the bigger risks with purchasing abandoned homes. If the bank or county is now allowing inspections, you still have the option of bringing an inspector with you to the auction to see what they think of the property from the outside and give you their feedback. Keep in mind that if you use a renovation loan to purchase your home, you may have to complete all necessary repairs to make the home habitable before closing. 5. Purchase the Property Once you determine whether you are purchasing the property with cash or financing, you can proceed to closing. Work with your real estate agent to ensure you are following the terms of your contract, fulfilling your loan obligations, and following all local homebuying requirements. You may need to wait longer to reach your closing date, as additional legal processes may be required to purchase the abandoned property. Should I buy an abandoned house?  Purchasing an abandoned property makes sense for some, but it can be a nightmare for others. If you are flexible, patient, skilled in-home repairs, and willing to wait through a longer purchasing timeline, this may be the right path for you. And while you can save money in the long run by purchasing an abandoned home, these kinds of purchases often require more money up front than traditional purchases. You will need cash on hand for the auction, repairs, settling open liens, and other unexpected costs. The cost of rehabilitating an abandoned home can be massive if you do not have a plan for repairs and renovations from the beginning. It is crucial to understand exactly how much you can expect to spend to make the home livable and address code violations. Otherwise, you could end up spending way more on repairs than the home is actually worth. Abandoned properties can pose a significant risk to homebuyers, but sometimes that risk is worth the result. If you do your research, work with experienced real estate professionals, and understand the cost of repairs, you can turn an abandoned property into a worthwhile investment. Whether you are looking for a primary residence or an investment property, Veitengruber Law can help. We are an experienced real estate attorney and law firm in New Jersey. We work with buyers to make their real estate dreams a reality.

Determining which inheritances are taxed in New Jersey is a complex financial topic. Spouses, children, parents, and grandchildren are considered Class A beneficiaries and are exempt from paying inheritance tax on inherited property. However, if the property being inherited is physical real estate, there may be an additional financial aspect you haven’t planned for: capital gains tax. Capital gains tax on inherited property works slightly differently from other assets. If you inherit a home and sell it, your entire profit will not be taxed. Instead, you and any co-beneficiaries will be taxed on the difference between the property’s sales price and its value on the market on the date of the owner’s death. Before making any decisions about selling inherited property, beneficiaries should become familiar with both state and federal tax obligations. Each situation can be unique, depending on the type of property, the relationship to the deceased, and the estate's structure. Understanding how capital gains tax applies to your inherited property is the key to making the most of your inheritance. Here, we will explore how to calculate the capital gains tax you will owe, solutions for reducing your tax burden, and how you should report the sale on your yearly tax return. Do I owe capital gains tax on my inherited property? It is important to clarify under what circumstances you owe capital gains tax. Capital gains tax will apply to your inherited property if you’ve made a capital gain—or in simpler terms, a profit— from the sale of the home. This happens when the sale price of the home exceeds its market value. The market value is assessed for the date the property passed into your ownership. How is capital gains tax calculated for inherited properties? You can determine your capital gains tax liability with a simple formula. First, you need to determine the “tax basis” or “cost basis” of the inherited property. This number is the original purchase price of the property, including any known improvements. The good news is that when you take ownership of the property when you inherit, this amount is “stepped up.” This just means that instead of basing your capital gains liability on what the home was originally purchased for, you can base it on what the property is worth at the time of inheritance. Here is an example: Chris inherits his dad’s home after he passes away. His father purchased the home in 1980 for $150,000. Since then, his dad has invested about $50,000 in improvements to the property. This would give the property a tax basis of $200,000. However, because Chris has inherited the property, he is allowed to “step up” the tax basis to the home’s fair market value. To get this number, Chris has the property appraised, and it appraises for $350,000. If Chris sells the property for equal to or less than the fair market value of the home ($350,000), he will owe no capital gains tax. If Chris decides to make improvements to the property to increase its sale price and sells the home for more, he will owe capital gains tax. Let’s say Chris sells the property for $390,000. He will have a capital gain of $40,000, which will be the taxable portion. How can I avoid paying capital gains tax on my inherited property? If you have inherited a property and are considering selling, you should consider the consequences of capital gains taxes. There are some ways you can avoid the capital gains tax or at least reduce your tax liability. Here are some options: 1. The Section 121 Exclusion Section 121 of the NJ tax code allows a taxpayer to exclude up to $250,000 for single filers or $500,000 for joint filers of capital gain from real estate sales. The caveat to this exemption is that you must have lived in the home as a primary residence for at least 2 of the 5 years prior to the sale of the home. To put it plainly, you must have the home as your primary residence for two years before you can use this exemption. 2. Deduct Selling Expenses from Capital Gains You can also minimize your capital gains tax liability by subtracting any expenses you incurred fixing up the property for sale, including closing costs. So, if the fair market value of the home is $350,000 and you sell for $380,000, your capital gain is $30,000. However, if you spent $20,000 for closing and repairs, you can subtract this from the $30,000 to get your true capital gains of $10,000. This is the portion that will be taxed. 3. Wait One Year Before Selling If you wait just one year to sell your inherited property, you will have access to more favorable tax rates. Owning the property for a year without selling it makes it a “long-term” capital gain under IRS rules. The idea is that during this year of ownership, you have incurred expenses for owning and maintaining the property. Because you have invested more in the property, you will owe less in capital gains taxes. However, if you sell the house within a year of inheritance, you can expect to pay more in capital gains tax. How do capital gains need to be reported on my yearly tax return? The year you sell the home is the year you will report your capital gains on your tax return. So, if you inherited the home in October 2023 but sold the home in April 2026, you will report the income on your 2026 tax returns. To report the income on your tax return, follow these steps: Determine your capital gain (or loss) by subtracting your tax basis (the fair market value of the home) from the sales price. Report the sale with IRS Form Schedule D, which documents capital gains or losses. Copy your gain or loss on your Form 1040 (the primary document to file your annual income tax return). Make sure you attach the Schedule D form to your return at the time of submission to the IRS. How can an estate planning attorney help me reduce my capital gains tax liability? The complexities of capital gains tax, inheritance tax, and estate planning can be confusing, especially when navigating them for the first time. An estate planning attorney’s role is to provide clarity, guide you through the various strategies available, and help you make decisions that preserve your family’s assets. An estate attorney can help you and your loved ones plan ahead to reduce or even eliminate your capital gains tax. There are specific trust structures, like an irrevocable trust, that can remove assets from your taxable estate and preserve tax benefits for beneficiaries. An estate attorney can also work with you to determine which assets may benefit from strategic gifting (low appreciation assets) and which assets should pass via inheritance (high appreciation assets) to minimize the overall tax burden of heirs. In 2026, we expect some major changes to tax law, including potential reductions in exemptions. An estate planning lawyer can guide you as you navigate these changes and plan ahead to ensure that you are setting up your estate to maximize tax savings for your beneficiaries. When you need an experienced estate planning and real estate attorney in New Jersey, Veitengruber Law is the right choice. We understand that estate planning can be overwhelming—but you do not have to do it alone. We can help you set up your family and loved ones for a smooth inheritance process. A thorough, professionally prepared estate plan is the best way to ensure your affairs are handled according to your wishes. We offer proven techniques to reduce or eliminate capital gains tax for your heirs.

Being an executor of an estate is a huge responsibility. Executors protect the assets of an estate, ensure outstanding debts and taxes are settled, and distribute property to beneficiaries according to the wishes of the deceased. Most people nominate an executor in their will. This is typically a child, spouse, sibling, close friend, or even a personal attorney. If an executor is not assigned in the will, the duty will pass to a court-appointed administrator. An executor is responsible for taking an inventory of the decedent’s assets. This inventory will include a full accounting of any real estate owned by the estate, including the primary residence, secondary properties or vacation homes, and investment properties. Processing real estate through probate can be complex and time-consuming. Understanding the probate process and the responsibilities of the executor can help you be a more effective executor. Here are five responsibilities executors have for real estate in probate: 1. Secure and Maintain the Property Once the owner of the property has died, it is the executor’s responsibility to secure the home. This can involve changing the locks if needed, ensuring insurance coverage is maintained, paying property taxes, and performing regular maintenance to keep the property's value. Utilities, mortgage payments, and other homeowner expenses will also be managed by the executor.' 2. Identify Ownership It is crucial to identify the type of ownership of each property owned by the estate being settled. The type of ownership (sole ownership, joint tenancy, tenancy in common, etc.) will determine whether the property must pass through probate. If the deceased was the sole owner of the real estate and did not have a trust or some other estate planning tools in place, the executor will need to proceed with probate. 3. Get an Appraisal Once you confirm that the property must pass through the NJ probate process, you can move forward in the probate process by getting the property appraised. Because real estate values are always fluctuating, an appraisal will likely be necessary to determine the home's fair market value for sale and tax purposes. The appraisal must be conducted by a professional assessor who can determine the property's value as of the date of death. 4. Settle Liens and Debts If the estate lacks the funds to cover all debts, the executor will need to sell the property to settle them. Selling the home at its appraised fair market value will help the executor pay debts, mortgages, taxes, or any liens against the property. Whatever is left after all debts are settled can be distributed to the estate's designated heirs. 5. Sell or Transfer Property The executor will follow the decree of the will to either sell the property or transfer ownership to the listed heir of the property. If the will dictates a sale, the executor will be responsible for listing the property, working with a real estate attorney, and going through the closing process for the home. It is possible the executor will need to obtain court approval to sell the property. To do this, the executor will petition the court for permission to sell the property. The court will ask the executor to explain why the sale is in the best interests of the estate and its beneficiaries. It is also in the best interest of the executor to work with real estate professionals who understand the probate process. If the property is intended to pass to heirs, the executor will need to ensure a new deed is prepared and recorded. In the event the property is passed to an heir, the executor will also be responsible for determining if state or federal taxes will be owed for the transfer of the property. The executor will work with the heirs to determine the next best steps for the property, including selling the property to divide the proceeds evenly amongst the heirs, transferring ownership (and determining the best type of ownership), or establishing a trust to manage the property on behalf of the beneficiaries. Is there a way to bypass the probate process in New Jersey? Yes! Working with an experienced NJ estate planning attorney can help you set up your estate in a way that avoids the probate process as much as possible. Different estate planning solutions can help you ensure that your wishes are carried out after you are gone. This can also help the executor of your estate settle your affairs quickly and painlessly.  Veitengruber Law is a real estate and estate planning attorney and law firm with in-depth knowledge of the NJ probate process. We can help you find effective solutions to avoid your assets going to probate. We also work with executors as they navigate the probate process.

Deciding how to pass down real estate to your heirs is one of the biggest estate planning choices you are likely to make. As far as personal property goes, your real estate assets are likely your biggest investments and worth the most to your beneficiaries. But more than holding financial value, this property is likely to hold sentimental value for your loved ones as well. Determining the best strategy for passing property down to your family will depend heavily on your and your heirs' specific goals. Here, we will look at three estate planning solutions for property transfer. 1. Sell The Property This is an especially great choice if you are looking to downsize or move to a different area later in life. Selling your home to your heir while you are still living gives you the assurance that the property will transfer to the person you intend to transfer it to. You can also use the proceeds from the home sale to help fund your move. You would need to sell the property at fair market value—otherwise, the difference between the sale price and the property's fair market value will be considered a gift. Gifts like this are subject to a “gift tax.” While NJ does not have a state gift tax, the federal gift tax allows you to gift up to $19,000 per person per year without filing a federal gift tax return. Anything above this will require you to pay taxes. Another option is to sell the home to your heirs while continuing to live in it. You would need to pay your heir market rent, or the IRS could undo the sale. You are also allowed to loan your heir the money to purchase the property, but you would need to charge interest on the loan. Any interest earned would also be taxed as income on your tax returns. 2. Gift The Property Real estate is an asset that appreciates over time. Gifting your real estate during your lifetime allows the property to appreciate outside your estate, lowering your heirs' tax liability upon inheritance. Gifting property typically involves placing the property into an irrevocable trust. An irrevocable trust is when you permanently transfer ownership of your property to a trust. In this scenario, you would lose all control over the asset and the ability to change the trust's terms. Property in a trust is protected from creditors. A Qualified Personal Residence Trust (QPRT) allows you to transfer a primary or secondary residence to beneficiaries while reducing your federal and state tax liabilities. This trust will freeze the property's value as of the date it enters the trust. You can even continue to reside at the home until a predetermined date. 3. Bequeathing After Death You can also include the property as part of your will. This is the property transfer method most people recognize. After you die, the property will transfer to the heirs designated in your will. You can determine what heirs receive which portions of your property. However, in NJ, your will may need to go through probate. The probate process can be time-consuming, stressful, and delay the settlement of your estate. These are just a few of the options you have to limit the tax burden of you and your heirs while ensuring your property goes to the loved ones you intended. Veitengruber Law is an experienced real estate and estate planning law firm and attorney in NJ. We can help you plan for the future, protect your assets, and ensure your loved ones are cared for in the future. 

New Jersey has a lot to offer homeowners. NJ is known for proximity to major metro areas like Philadelphia and New York City, as well as coastal towns and cultural landmarks. Moving to the Garden State can be rewarding, but as with any real estate transaction, the process can seem overwhelming. But help is available for first-time NJ homeowners. Whether you are moving to NJ for the first time or are a first-time homebuyer but longtime resident, Veitengruber Law can help.