Hi there,
When I was visiting my best friend Lauren in Half Moon Bay, California, this past June, we stopped by an open house just around the corner from where she lives.
The moment I stepped inside, I stopped being a casual observer. I chatted with the real estate agent. I asked to see the backyard shed, the one where I’d be recording my podcast. And, I scoped out the fence to see what changes I’d need to make to keep all 3 of our dogs on the right side of it.
We’re not moving. For many reasons, it’s not an option right now. But situations change. And I’m a big believer in gathering information before you need it, so that when an opportunity does arise, you can make an informed decision instead of a reactive one.
Where you live isn’t just an emotional decision. It’s also a legal one. And in estate planning, geography matters far more than most people realize. That question—where does it make sense to live?—is what sparked today’s Tuesday Triage episode.
A listener named Roberta, who owns property in multiple states — Washington, DC, Maine, Georgia, Kentucky— wrote in because she wanted to know where she should be domiciled from an estate tax perspective.
Today’s episode tackles state estate taxes as one piece of a much larger decision-making puzzle.
