Estate Planning Insight: Protect Your Assets and Your Loved Ones

 

I hope your week’s going great! 

Before we jump into real estate updates, I want to share something important, something that directly impacts your home, your finances, and the people you care about most.
A while back, I came across an eye-opening article by Tayva Taylor from Alaska Law & Mediation that really stuck with me. It was a powerful reminder that estate planning isn’t just about legal paperwork, it’s about protecting the people you love.

Most people think estate planning means drafting a will or signing a trust. But the bigger issue is this: what actually happens to your family if something unexpected occurs?
Recent surveys show only about one-third of Americans have a will. That means the majority of families risk court involvement, delays, added expenses, and sometimes even family conflict during an already emotional time.

And here’s something I see often in real estate:
When there’s no clear plan, homes can get tied up in probate. Accounts get frozen. Bills go unpaid. Loved ones are left trying to figure out what someone “would have wanted.” That’s avoidable.

This isn’t about how much you own.

 If you have a home, assets, or people who depend on you, it matters.

The Hidden Risk: Outdated Plans
Another thing Tayva highlights is something many people overlook, thinking you’re covered when you’re not. Maybe you created documents years ago. Maybe you used an online template. But laws change. Assets change. Life changes. If your plan doesn’t reflect your current situation, it may not work when it’s needed most.

Estate planning isn’t a one-time event. 

It’s part of responsible ownership and long-term planning.

 

Tayva is hosting a FREE Estate Planning Seminar in Anchorage:

Location: Z.J. Loussac Library
Date: Saturday, March 28, 2026
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Seating is limited, registration required

Alternate Website: https://www.alaskalawandmediation.com

This is a great opportunity to learn about:
Wills & Trusts
Health Care Directives
Power of Attorney
Medicaid Planning
Protecting Minor Children
Avoiding Probate Issues

Sometimes the hardest part is just knowing where to start. 

A one-hour seminar can give you clarity and direction.

You can see full details and RSVP here:
https://www.alaskalawandmediation.com/upcoming-events

If you already have a plan, this might be your reminder to review it.


If you don’t have one yet, now’s a good time to start the conversation.
You can explore Tayva’s work here:


 https://alaskamediation.org
It’s worth a few minutes of your time.

And as always, if you want to talk through how your home and investments fit into your bigger picture, I’m here.

To protecting what matters most!

 

 

If you saw headlines that talked about how “home sales fell sharply in January,” it probably raised an eyebrow  especially if you’re thinking about selling your house. But context matters.

Yes, in January, home sales declined. But that has more to do with seasonality and the weather than it does with any big drop off in demand.

What’s Really Behind the Decline?
Reports coming out of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) say the pace of home sales fell roughly 8.4% last month compared to the month before. And that’s true. But it isn’t necessarily cause for alarm.

Data show it’s normal for sales to dip in January. In the last 4 years, that pattern has held true all but once. And sure, the decline we saw this year was a steeper drop off than the norm (the yellow bars on the right), but that can be explained too. More on that in a moment.

The really important part you’re not going to get from the headlines is this: typically speaking, the pace of home sales picks back up in February as the spring market starts to take off. That’s shown in the green bars below.

 

So even though the market slowed a bit momentarily, it should start to pick back up.

And just in case you’re wondering, why the bigger drop this year, especially with mortgage rates being lower than last year? Here’s your answer. As Realtor.com explains:

“Winter storm Fern, which dumped snow and ice across large swaths of the country, likely disrupted some closings, weighing on the data and making it difficult to pick out the housing market momentum trend from the weather noise.”
This January, 40 states were hit with widespread winter weather according to the National Weather Service. And in real estate, that slows down the momentum. Here’s why.

Existing home sales data tracks closed transactions, not new contracts. So, if inspections, appraisals, or final walk-throughs get delayed by storms, those deals often slide into the next month instead of falling apart especially when buyers and sellers are still trying to move forward.

Will Home Sales Pick Back Up?
January’s missing sales are more likely “postponed” than “lost.” They haven’t disappeared. They’re just taking a little longer to close.

The rest of the data still points to a market that has traction heading into spring.

Affordability has improved for the 7th month in a row, and buyers are regaining negotiating power in many markets throughout the nation. So, this one monthly report doesn’t mean buyers aren’t buying. It just means, as weather warms up, activity should too.

Bottom Line
Don’t confuse a weather-impacted month with a market losing steam. If anything, improving affordability is an indicator of more activity to come, not less.

If you have questions about what you’re hearing online or in the news, let’s chat. Because the truth is, a little context can give you back your peace of mind.