MARK KOHLERMain Street Professionals, Main Street Professionals, Main Street Professionals, Main Street Professionals, Main Street Professionals, LLC · Owner at Main Street Professionals, LLC

The Trap of Leaving Your House to Your Kids 🏠

19 Jun 2026 · 0 min

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In this segment, Mark Kohler warns that many parents mistakenly think that simply deeding their home to their children will simplify inheritance. He outlines the broader consequences of such transfers, emphasizing that leaving a house to kids involves complex issues beyond ownership, including probate processes, capital gains tax exposure, the mechanics of a stepped‑up basis, potential family conflict, exposure to creditors, risks in the event of a divorce, and the possibility that the children may not receive the property in the way the parent intended. The overall message is a cautionary call to consider comprehensive estate‑planning strategies rather than relying on a straightforward deed change.

A lot of parents will do some transfers with their home title and do some deeding because they think it's going to make things easier. But here's the reality. Leaving your house to your kids is not just about getting them the property. It's about probate, capital gains taxes, stepped-up basis, family conflict, creditors, divorce, and whether your kids actually received the home the way you intended.