Winter May Be Over, But It Can Affect Your Home Well Into Spring
Spring is finally here, and winter weather and cooler temperatures are moving out for the season. However, the damaging effects of snow, ice, and wind can linger well into summer. As a homeowner, it’s in your best interest to tackle these issues now. Failure to make minor repairs as they are needed can result in a big repair bill down the road. Keep reading for information on parts of your home that you might want to inspect now that things are thawing out.
The Foundation
While your home’s foundation is required to be buried under what’s known as the frost line, things like erosion and poor planting of shrubs and trees can compromise this protective layer of soil. Heavy rains followed by days or weeks of subzero temperatures, snow, sleet, and other precipitation can leach into your home’s foundation, causing a cycle of freezing and thawing. This can lead to damage that can put your family's safety — not to mention your financial investment — at risk. This is not a do-it-yourself job, and you should leave the foundation service to trusted experts, which you can find via the Better Business Bureau.
A quick note here: If your home requires extensive repairs, you can make the process easier by moving large pieces of furniture and unnecessary belongings out. This is especially important if you have a basement since your repair professionals will need unrestricted access. In this case, look for a storage unit, which should cost you around $81 per month in the Ann Arbor area.
The Roof and Gutters
Just as ice can damage your foundation, so too can freezing temperatures take a toll on your roof. Likewise, clogged gutters can be ripped from your home when they are weighed down by heavy ice dams. If you have a ladder, you can visually inspect your roof for damage. Use house Logic’s checklist, which includes scanning for rust spots and cracked caulk, buckled and missing shingles, and worn rubber boots around ventilation pipes. You’ll also want to look out for moss and algae growing on the shingles. If you have a chimney, give it a glance as well to ensure there are no cracks in the crown, which can allow water to pour into your fireplace.
Similar to foundation repairs, major roof damage may require you to remove items from the home. And if you have a water leak, it’s also wise to have a mold and water mitigation company give you an estimate on repairs. The long-term consequences of living in a home with mold, according to EnviroMed, include frequent sinus infections, wheezing, watery eyes, and potentially serious neurological symptoms, including vertigo and migraines.
The Brick and Siding
Whether your home is brick or siding, its side- and front-facing exterior may have also sustained damage. Fortunately, brick repair is typically an easy fix and requires that you replace old mortar. This Old House notes that just $22, two days, and a few common tools can help you rectify cracked or crumbling joints. Siding may need to be sanded and repainted. While you are inspecting your brick or siding, also pay attention to the windows. If the caulk has dry-rotted or been otherwise compromised over the long winter, plan to scrape it away and replace it once the weather is consistently between 40 degrees and 80 degrees. If the thermometer stays on the low side, some silicone caulk may be applied in much cooler conditions.
Your home is your most substantial investment, and the time and money you spend fixing winter damage will help to ensure its value. Remember, everything you let slide now will only get worse when winter returns. And repairs will only get more expensive with each passing month.
How Can we Help You and your Real Estate Needs? Tom Stachler has been a state of Michigan Licensed Broker for over 30 years. Check out the Links on this website and let us know if we can help you in the Ann Arbor, Dexter, Saline, Ypsilanti, Chelsea or their surrounding communities for home purchase, listings, property marketing or general realty advice.
Tom Stachler is a licensed real estate broker working in the Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter and Ypsilanti Home and commercial real estate sales market. Check out the other related Links on this website or contact us for further information.
Congress' $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package is the rare legislative agreement that will have an immediate — and lasting — impact on ordinary citizens across the country.
Why it matters: The 883-page bill, titled the "CARES Act," includes thousands of dollars in direct payments to most Americans, and huge loan packages designed to help keep small businesses and corporations afloat.
Here's what's in the bill:
Direct payments: Americans will receive a one-time direct deposit of up to $1,200, and married couples will get $2,400, plus an additional $500 per child. The payments will be available for incomes up to $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for married couples. This is true even for those who have no income, as well as those whose income comes entirely from non-taxable, means-tested benefit programs, such as Social Security.
Use of retirement funds: The bill waives the 10% early withdrawal penalty for distributions up to $100,000 for coronavirus-related purposes, retroactive to Jan. 1.
Small businesses: $350 billion is being dedicated to prevent layoffs and business closures while workers have to stay Home during the outbreak. Companies with 500 employees or fewer that maintain their payroll during coronavirus can receive up to 8 weeks of cash-flow assistance. If employers maintain payroll, the portion of the loans used for covered payroll costs, interest on mortgage obligations, Rent, and utilities would be forgiven.
The unemployed: The program's $250 billion extended unemployment insurance program — "unemployment on steroids," as Sen. Chuck Schumer calls it — expands eligibility and offers workers an additional $600 per week for four months, on top of what state programs pay. It also extends UI benefits through Dec. 31 for eligible workers. The deal applies to the self-employed, independent contractors and gig economy workers.
Hospitals and health care: The deal provides over $140 billion in appropriations to support the U.S. health system, $100 billion of which will be injected directly into hospitals. The rest will be dedicated to providing personal and protective equipment for health care workers, testing supplies, increased workforce and training, accelerated Medicare payments, and supporting the CDC, among other health investments.
Coronavirus testing: All testing and potential vaccines for COVID-19 will be covered at no cost to patients.
Large corporations: $500 billion will be allotted to provide loans, loan guarantees, and other investments, overseen by a Treasury Department inspector general. These loans will not exceed five years and cannot be forgiven.
Airlines will receive $50 billion (of the $500 billion) for passenger air carriers, and $8 billion for cargo air carriers.
Payroll taxes: The measure allows individuals to delay the payment of their 2020 payroll taxes until 2021 and 2022.
States and local governments will get $150 billion, with $8 billion set aside for tribal governments.
Agriculture: The deal would increase the amount the Agriculture Department can spend on its bailout program from $30 billion to $50 billion, according to a press release issued by Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.)
The timing: The Senate passed the bill late Wednesday night.
house Majority Leader Steny Hoyer says the House plans to vote on the package via a voice vote on Friday. This gives members who wish to debate the bill in person the option to do so, while also enabling those unable to return to Washington during coronavirus an option to stay in their home districts.
Tom Stachler is a licensed builder and real estate broker working in the Ann Arbor, Saline, Ypsilanti, Dexter, Chelsea and surrounding areas. Contact us today about more area information, properties for sale in Michigan or other realty related information and questions or services.
COMING SOON / 3 BED - 2 BATH RANCH STYLE Home ON LARGE ACRE + LOT
This Ranch has several features you will welcome like a New Kitchen looking out over a spacious screened in patio the exits to a huge acre plus yard. This home has been updates with solar panels to take away your electric bills and well situated on a cul du sac, across the street from a park for the kids to never run out of places to play.
This home is coming soon so stop back for an updated walk through video and more photos. Contact us for more info or discuss when you can view this property which also features award winning Saline Schools, a 2.5 car attached garage and much more.
Hit the Four Arrows bottom Right Corner of Video for larger video image
Tom Stachler is a broker, realtor selling homes and condos in the Saline, Ann Arbor, Dexter, Chelsea, Ypsilanti Michigan markets. Call 734-996-0000 for more information today.
Coronavirus is exposing all of the weaknesses in the US health system
High health care costs and low medical capacity made the US uniquely vulnerable to the coronavirus.
Nurses bag a swab at a drive-through testing center at the University of Washington Medical campus on March 13, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. John Moore/Getty Images
The international response to the novel coronavirus has laid this bare: America was less prepared for a pandemic than countries with universal health systems.
There is a real concern that Americans, with a high uninsured rate and high out-of-pocket costs compared to the rest of the world, won’t seek care because of the costs. Before the crisis even began, the United States had fewer doctors and fewer hospital beds per capita than most other developed countries. The rollout of Covid-19 testing has been patchy, reliant on a mix of government and private labs to scale up the capacity to perform the tens of thousands of tests that will be necessary.
“Everyone working in this space would agree that no matter how you measure it, the US is far behind on this,” says Jen Kates, director of global health and HIV policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation.
People need to go to the doctor and get checked if they have Covid-19 symptoms, yet Americans may avoid medical care, even for serious conditions, because of the costs. Hospitals will need rooms for the people who require close monitoring in a clinical setting, and ICU beds and ventilators for patients who take a turn for the worse and require mechanical support to keep their bodies functioning.
Kaiser Permanente medical workers take swabs from people for the coronavirus at a drive-through testing facility in San Francisco, California on March 12, 2020.Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images
But none of those units are sitting empty right now — they already have non-coronavirus patients who need them and will continue to need them through the crisis. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday that nearly 80 percent of New York City’s intensive care units were already filled, even with the Covid-19 outbreak still expanding.
By any of these metrics on pandemic preparedness, America trails most of the rest of the developed world.
“The U.S. performs worse than average among similarly large and wealthy countries across nearly all measures of preparedness for a pandemic,” Cynthia Cox, director of the Peterson-Kaiser Health System Tracker, told me. “The coronavirus outbreak is already exposing inefficiencies and inequities in our health system, and it is likely to put much more strain on the system in the coming weeks.”
And the slow start to testing in the US is only going to exacerbate those problems.
Testing is important not only because it gets people diagnosed and on an appropriate treatment if they do have an infection. It also establishes how widespread a virus actually is. Experts know the size of the problem, they know the rate at which people are being hospitalized or dying, and they can follow its movements. That leads to a more informed response.
But the United States has faltered in rolling out coronavirus tests, putting us far behind our economic peers in tracing the outbreak. A manufacturing problem with the test kits that were initially sent out in the field, and a delay in approving commercial tests, set the nation back in stopping or slowing down Covid-19.
“The testing failure is putting additional strain on our already challenged health system,” Cox said. “The combination of all of these factors will make the U.S. worse off than similar countries.”
Universal health care is not a perfect treatment for emergencies like this. Italy has a universal health care system, a federalized national health insurance program similar to Canada’s, but an uncontained outbreak has still forced the country to lock itself down as cases and deaths continue to pile up.
Nevertheless, other countries are still generally better prepared for a pandemic than the US is, and we are seeing right now the consequences of that gap.
For the time being, US politicians are proposing to make American health care more like these other nations: making care free or cheap at the point of service, either by having the government cover more of the cost or by mandating private insurers cover services related to the outbreak.
They are, however, only a temporary patch on these structural problems.
Why America is less prepared for a pandemic than other countries
On many measures, the United States has one of the worst health systems among developed economies. A bigger share of the population lacks health insurance. We carry more medical debt. We die more often from preventable causes. The weaknesses in this system, which already puts the US behind its peers on many health outcomes, are exposed in an outbreak.
And the biggest single problem, the one most unique to the American system, is costs.
Americans face higher out-of-pocket costs for their medical care than citizens of almost any other country, and research shows people forgo care they need, including for serious conditions, because of the cost barriers. Patients here are much more likely than those in most other countries to say they had a cost-related barrier to getting medical care: 33 percent in America vs. between 7 percent (Germany) and 22 percent (Switzerland) in other developed economies. Americans are more likely to say they struggled to afford or couldn’t afford medical bills and that their insurance plan had refused to cover some of their medical claims.
Peterson-Kaiser Health System Tracker
We know Americans delay care as a result of these cost barriers: in 2019, 33 percent of Americans said they put off treatment for a medical condition because of the cost; 25 percent said they postponed care for a serious condition. A 2018 study found that even women with breast cancer — a life-threatening diagnosis — would delay care because of the high deductibles on their insurance plan, even for basic services like imaging.
Those cost barriers hit patients at several points in a pandemic situation. First, they might be wary about going to the doctor at all because they are afraid they can’t afford the check-up or any testing. But then if they do get a Covid-19 diagnosis and require hospitalization, they have the bills from the hospital, the doctors they see, and any treatment they receive to worry about.
In America, and only in America among developed countries, do patients risk thousands of dollars in medical bills by seeking help in a crisis. Some Americans have already been billed nearly $4,000 over a government-imposed quarantine, as the New York Times reported.
Making matters worse is our system’s health care infrastructure, built on top of this fractured payer system. There are capacity shortages that put us at further disadvantage in a time of pandemic, when they are most needed.
Hospital beds, for example, will be necessary for Covid-19 patients with more serious symptoms. America has fewer hospital beds per capita than most other countries in the developed world.
Peterson-Kaiser Health System Tracker
A potential shortage of hospital beds is compounded by the fact that the US has higher rates of hospitalizations for chronic conditions that, with proper management, shouldn’t require the patient to go to the hospital. Those conditions include congestive heart failure, diabetes, and asthma. Researchers think a lack of access to primary care, and the high costs of seeking even this routine care compared to other countries, drive potentially preventable hospitalizations in the US.
That means our hospitals are already taking in patients they wouldn’t have to if the system functioned better, and now they will have to accommodate an influx of Covid-19 patients.
We have fewer doctors per capita too: 2.6 per 1,000 people, well below the comparable country average of 3.5 and lower than every country tracked by Peterson-Kaiser except for Japan. Experts blame the high cost of a medical education in the US, inextricably linked to America’s world-leading health care prices, for much of that shortfall.
And, likely as a result, Americans struggle more than people in most other places to get a same-day or next-day appointment with their doctor.
Peterson-Kaiser Health System Tracker
Take these structural problems together with America’s slow start to testing for coronavirus, and we are far behind where we should be.
“A failure to widely test and slow the spread means that we could have large spikes in the number of people who need medical care all at once, putting exceptional strain on our health system,” Cox told me. “By not acting quickly enough to prevent spread, our health system will be under greater, more concentrated strain.”
Many countries with universal health care are doing better than the US, but some have problems too
Countries with universal health care are testing more people and seem to be faring better with Covid-19 death rates than the United States. More centralized planning is an asset in a crisis.
Taiwan has seen a remarkably low level of coronavirus cases despite high traffic with the Chinese mainland. As Vox’s Kelsey Piper reported:
As of March 10, Taiwan has just 45 coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases, and only one death.Health experts do not expect that Taiwan is overlooking many cases, either. That’s many fewer than its neighbors like Japan and South Korea and one of the best containment track records in the world so far. The Netherlands, with a comparable population, has five times as many cases despite having much less frequent direct travel with China.
In Taiwan, with its single-payer health program, every citizen has their digital medical records loaded into the same system. In the coronavirus outbreak, the country has added travel records to that online medical file, so every doctor can check whether their patients have visited an area affected by the outbreak.
And by getting jumpstarted on their response, those countries are able to lower the burden on their health systems. The primary goal with the coronavirus outbreak at this point is to slow the spread so health care providers aren’t overrun: to flatten the curve in this chart so patient needs don’t exceed the system’s capacity.
Christina Animashaun/Vox
So even though, as you may have noticed above, countries like Canada and United Kingdom have about the same number of hospital beds as the United States does, they should be better positioned to mitigate the outbreak. They are already testing a lot more people. More testing allows them to take smarter protective measures, because they have a better idea of the scope of the pandemic, which helps to reduce the burden on their health system during the worst peak of the outbreak.
But even universal health care cannot fully prepare a country for the unpredictable movements of a pandemic virus. Italy, with a national health service that provides care to each of its citizens, has seen its coronavirus situation spin quickly out of control. On Monday, the country decided to close its borders in a desperate attempt to stem the crisis.
As Vox’s Julia Belluz reported, there are competing theories for the problem. Perhaps the aggressive testing had just made the scale of the problem clear earlier than in other places. It’s hard to say for sure. Or:
Another is that intense spread of the virus in the hospital system, before doctors realized there was a problem, may have amplified the outbreak. Some 10 percent of medical workers in Lombardy have been infected, according to a March 3 Washington Post report, and health workers account for 5 percent of those infected in the country. (Bolstering this explanation: The WHO-ECDC joint mission report suggests Italy should work on its infection prevention and control measures in hospitals.)
There’s also speculation about whether Italy’s burden is particularly severe because of the country’s aging population. Covid-19 is known to hit the elderly particularly hard. That, along with the fast rise in confirmed cases, has tested the limits of the health system.
And yet, Italy still has more hospital beds per capita and doctors per capita than the United States, according to OECD and World Bank estimates. As experts worry whether Italy shows a glimpse of what’s to come in America, it’s worth remembering their health system still had a bigger capacity to handle a surge in patients than the US system currently does.
But the point is, pandemics are unpredictable. Their spread and containment depends a lot on human factors that even the most well-designed health system, or pandemic response plan, can’t fully anticipate.
And if the pandemic does overcome a country’s best preparedness efforts, some other countries could conceivably be at a deeper disadvantage than the US.
Patients who develop pneumonia because of Covid-19 may require mechanical ventilators. The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security reported in 2018 that Canada, Australia, and New Zealand (each with their own version of national health insurance) had fewer ICU beds with mechanical ventilation capability per capita than America does, though we too are not equipped to handle a crisis on the scale of the Spanish flu.
Nevertheless, “these numbers suggest that the capacity of other countries to provide ventilation therapy might be significantly lower than our own,” the Johns Hopkins experts wrote.
For now, US officials want to temporarily make our health care more like other places
America’s fractured health system has made it more vulnerable to coronavirus. And in response, members of Congress and state governors keep proposing to make our health care more like other countries’ systems — at least during this emergency.
Some states are doing what they can to lower those burdens. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced last week he would require insurers and Medicaid in New York to cover treatment and testing cost-free with an emergency declaration. States have some discretion with what their Medicaid programs cover, and more states are taking their own actions: California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a similar order in the last few days.
Members of the National Guard attend the opening of a drive-through coronavirus mobile testing center in New Rochelle, New York, on March 13, 2020.Spencer Platt/Getty Images
States are limited in what they can do, though ERISA, the federal law regulating the large employer health insurance plans that cover about 100 million Americans, is a barrier to state officials who want to do more. Cuomo’s order, for example, noted it applied to private health plans regulated by the state — the plans available to small businesses or individuals — but not the self-funded employer plans covered by ERISA. It’s another way a more decentralized health system complicates the response to an outbreak.
Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) announced last week he would introduce a bill that would make Medicaid cover testing for and treatment of Covid-19 for every American, no matter how they get their insurance. This would be an important change to US health care: The federal government would assume responsibility for medical care for every American under these particular circumstances.
And the Trump administration appears to see a need to do something drastic, too, even if experts don’t think some of their proposed actions will have a significant effect.
Vice President Mike Pence, for example, said Covid-19 testing and treatment would be treated as an “essential health benefit” (a standard established by the Affordable Care Act) to cover everyone’s care. But that change would actually not apply to the self-funded plans, nor to Medicare, as Nicholas Bagley, a law professor at the University of Michigan, wrote for The Incidental Economist:
Even if they did, insurers can (and do!) impose cost-sharing for EHBs, and could do so for a COVID-19 test. It’s a completely meaningless statement.
Though that may be, Pence’s statement still reflected a real need to put at least a temporary patch on our health system. Everybody seems to agree on that.
But these problems don’t go away when the coronavirus disappears. They are still there, if treated less urgently than in a crisis, affecting the lives of millions of Americans every day.
Tom Stachler is a licensed realtor, broker working and selling real estate or homes in the Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Ypsilanti Michigan and surrounding areas.
Bored Yet? So take a break from Binge watching on the streaming sources and check out these Links.
Going into a self-quarantine can have many complex issues and complications beyond having enough food and supplies for two weeks. In terms of entertainment, it also probably means you’re in for a lot of boredom, a lot of Netflix, and a lot of browsing the internet.
But there is a way to get a little culture and education while you’re confined to your Home. According to Fast Company, Google Arts & Culture teamed up with over 500 museums and galleries around the world to bring anyone and everyone virtual tours and online exhibits of some of the most famous museums around the world..
Now, you get “go to the museum” and never have to leave your couch.
Google Arts & Culture’s collection includes the British Museum in London, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Guggenheim in New York City, and literally hundreds of more places where you can gain knowledge about art, history, and science. This collection is especially good for students who are looking for ways to stay on top of their studies while schools are closed.
Take a look at just some of Google’s top museums that are offering online tours and exhibits.
British Museum, London
This iconic museum located in the heart of London allows virtual visitors to tour the Great Court and discover the ancient Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies. You can also find hundreds of artifacts on the museum’s virtual tour.
Guggenheim Museum, New York
Google’s Street View feature lets visitors tour the Guggenheim’s famous spiral staircase without ever leaving home. From there, you can discover incredible works of art from the Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary eras.
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
This famous American art museum features two online exhibits through Google. The first is an exhibit of American fashion from 1740 to 1895, including many renderings of clothes from the colonial and Revolutionary eras. The second is a collection of works from Dutch Baroque painter Johannes Vermeer.
Musée d’Orsay, Paris
You can virtually walk through this popular gallery that houses dozens of famous works from French artists who worked and lived between 1848 and 1914. Get a peek at artworks from Monet, Cézanne, and Gauguin, among others.
National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul
One of Korea’s popular museums can be accessed from anywhere around the world. Google’s virtual tour takes you through six floors of Contemporary art from Korea and all over the globe.
Pergamon Museum, Berlin
As one of Germany’s largest museums, Pergamon has a lot to offer – even if you can’t physically be there. This historical museum is home to plenty of ancient artifacts including the Ishtar Gate of Babylon and, of course, the Pergamon Altar.
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Explore the masterworks from the Dutch Golden Age, including works from Vermeer and Rembrandt. Google offers a Street View tour of this iconic museum, so you can feel as if you’re actually wandering its halls.
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
Anyone who is a fan of this tragic, ingenious painter can see his works up close (or, almost up close) by virtually visiting this museum – the largest collection of artworks by Vincent van Gogh, including over 200 paintings, 500 drawings, and over 750 personal letters.
The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
European artworks from as far back as the 8th Century can be found in this California art museum. Take a Street View tour to discover a huge collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, manuscripts, and photographs.
Uffizi Gallery, Florence
This less well-known gallery houses the art collection of one of Florence, Italy’s most famous families, the de'Medicis. The building was designed by Giorgio Vasari in 1560 specifically for Cosimo I de'Medici, but anyone can wander its halls from anywhere in the world.
MASP, São Paulo
The Museu de Arte de São Paulo is a non-profit and Brazil’s first modern museum. Artworks placed on clear perspex frames make it seem like the artwork is hovering in midair. Take a virtual tour to experience the wondrous display for yourself.
National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City
Built in 1964, this museum is dedicated to the archaeology and history of Mexico’s pre-Hispanic heritage. There are 23 exhibit rooms filled with ancient artifacts, including some from the Mayan civilization.
Sadly, not all popular art museums and galleries could be included on Google Arts & Culture’s collection, but some museums are taking it upon themselves to offer online visits. According to Fast Company, the Louvre also offers virtual tours on its website.
Tom Stachler is a local realtor and broker marketing homes, investment properties and condos in the Saline, Ann Arbor, Dexter, Ypsilanti and surrounding communities.
Advisory: Information Regarding Executive Order Prohibiting Large Gatherings
Local Police, Sheriff Support Executive Order Prohibiting Large Gatherings
The Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office and our law enforcement partners are asking residents to do their part in helping slow the spread of the Coronavirus by following the executive order recently announced by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The order prohibits gatherings of 250 people or more and recommends that you cancel events with more than 100 people in a shared space. It also recommends that you cancel gatherings of more than 10 people where individuals at higher risk of severe illness are involved. “For some, the threat of the virus may seem insignificant,” says Sheriff Jerry Clayton. “However, we’re asking for your help in slowing the spread. The sooner the virus is subdued, the sooner we can get back to our normal way of life. One way to do so is to keep your distance and follow the direction of our health experts.” We are not looking for social isolation, but we are asking for social distancing. Those who disregard the order could be subject to a misdemeanor that includes up to 90 days in jail and/or a fine of up to $200. More importantly, violation of the order puts us all at significant risk. If needed, the Washtenaw County Health Officer can issue additional, local orders prohibiting gatherings where necessary. “Now is the time for us to cooperate fully to protect everyone’s health,” says Jimena Loveluck, MSW, health officer with Washtenaw County Health Department. “Our individual and collective actions are incredibly important for slowing the potential spread of illness in our community. Keep washing, covering, and distancing. Together, we will get through this.” The large gatherings ban is one of several statewide efforts to help stop the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The ban went into effect at 5 p.m. on Friday, March 13 and remains in place until Sunday, April 5 at 5 p.m. The executive order applies to all gatherings of more than 250 people in a single shared space and includes both private businesses and public locations. A single shared space includes, but is not limited to, a room, hall, cafeteria, auditorium, theater, or gallery. People gathering for the purposes of industrial or manufacturing work; mass transit; or the purchase of groceries or consumer goods are currently exempt from the state ban. Health experts are still learning about how this new coronavirus spreads. The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person, between people who are in close contact (within about six feet) of an ill person, through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Therefore, keeping your distance is important. Prevention There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. Information from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is available in English,Chinese, and Spanish.
Clean your hands often. Scrub with soap for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitizer if you cannot wash.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay Home when you are sick, except to get medical care. Call ahead before going to your healthcare provider. Learn what to do if you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. Immediately wash your hands.
Clean and disinfect frequently-touched surfaces.
Older adults and people who have severe underlying chronic medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness. View additional prevention steps from CDC for people at higher risk. Consult with your health care provider for more steps you may be able to take to protect yourself.
Tom Stachler is a local real estate broker, realtor selling residential, income and investment property in the Ann Arbor, Saline, Milan, Ypsilanti, Dexter and surrounding areas and communities.
5 Types of Property Ownership – Which Is Best for You?
A lot of focus is placed on acquiring assets and security by advancing your career and making wise financial investments. However, what is often overlooked is how these assets are titled and the effect on your financial situation.
Unforeseen complications can arise when you have properties and assets titled in ways that create conflict within a family (who gets what or how much) or supersede provisions you make in your will. Also, significant tax benefits can be gained – or lost – depending on the characterization of your property.
In order to avoid complication, it’s prudent to be familiar with the different classifications of ownership.
Forms of Property Ownership
1. Sole Ownership
Sole ownership occurs when a single person owns a complete interest in a property or asset. Ownership is conveyed from one person to another through transfer documents, or by the laws of intestate succession. If the owner passes away, his or her interest in the property or the asset is included in the estate. Estate taxes and probate fees could diminish the value of that property if no other planning has taken place.
One positive is that the beneficiary of the property receives a full step-up in basis value. This means there will be no capital gain to worry about if the heir sells the asset because the heir receives the property at current market value.
For example, if a child inherits his or her parents’ Home when the current market value is $500,000, that child’s tax basis in the property will be $500,000, even if the parents’ basis was only $250,000 (meaning that the house was bought for $250,000). In this way, the child avoids capital gains of $250,000 if he or she sells. That said, the current market value of the home is included in the value of the deceased’s estate.
2. Joint Tenancy
Joint tenancy is when two or more persons share equal, undivided interests in property. Joint tenancy is not limited to spouses – anyone can share joint interests, but there is a tax benefit when this arrangement is shared only between husband and wife (qualified joint tenancy). When an asset is owned by spouses, the value of the deceased spouse’s property passes to the surviving spouse with no probate and no tax consequences. This is similar to the process of joint tenancy with rights of survivorship (JTWROS).
A joint property interest cannot be passed through traditional documents, such as a trust or a will. If one owner dies, then the ownership interest passes directly to the surviving owner.
However, when the owners are not married, the entire value of the property is included in the deceased’s estate. In addition, the property must go through the probate process. This can catch people off guard, and underscores why you need to learn about the different forms of ownership.
It is intuitive to think that only the deceased’s share of the assets would be included in the estate, but this is not the case if the asset is held in joint tenancy. As a result, other ownership forms must be utilized to minimize taxes and avoid probate. If you are not married to the person with whom you are planning to share joint ownership of an asset, then joint tenancy is likely not the best type of ownership for the assets.
3. Joint Tenancy With Rights of Survivorship (JTWROS)
Another form of co-ownership of property is joint tenancy with rights of survivorship. Joint tenants also have an undivided right to the enjoyment of the property. When a joint tenant dies, that person’s interest passes on to the remaining joint owners. However, while a joint tenant is alive, he or she can transfer interest to another person.
For example, a father leaves a vacation home to his three children, Tom, Sara, and David, with the house under a JTWROS ownership status between them. Tom dies first, and the home is now owned by Sara and David completely and equally. Tom’s interest does not pass to any heirs. When Sara dies, David owns the vacation home completely. The ownership interest passes without going through probate.
There a few different tax scenarios in JTWROS. Using the above example, as each person passes, other owners receive a step-up in value only on the deceased’s portion of the property. So if the owners sell the property, they will still have capital gains on their portion of the asset. This can have serious consequences in situations where the surviving owners decide to sell the asset.
4. Tenancy in Common
Tenants in common own an undivided interest in property between two or more people. However, unlike other forms of joint ownership, these interests can be owned in different percentages.
A tenant in common can pass his or her interest to others with traditional documents. However, the interest does not pass on to the other owners by law – meaning, if three people own a vacation home as tenants in common and one owner dies, that person’s ownership interest does not automatically pass on to the other owners. In addition, the deceased’s interests do go through probate, unlike JTWROS. This can cause problems if the other owners wish to put the property up for sale, as they will not be able to do so until the probate process is complete.
Once probate is finished, taxes are handled in the following manner: The deceased’s interest in the property goes to his or her heirs, and the heirs receive that interest at a stepped-up basis, or current market value. The value of the deceased’s interest is included in his or her estate. If the property is sold, then taxes will be based on the entire value of the property, which means that even though the owners can apportion their percentage of profit/loss on their tax returns, the IRS can come after everyone if just one owner does not pay his or her portion of taxes on the gain.
5. Community Property
Currently, 10 states have community property laws: Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin.
In a community property state, any assets or income obtained during a marriage are not owned solely by either spouse. It is considered part of the “community” of the marriage, and thus each spouse owns an equal share. Each spouse can choose to leave his or her share of the assets to one or more designated heirs upon death. There are no restrictions on how each spouse can give away his or her half of the community property (upon death), and there is no law requiring one person to leave his or her half to the surviving spouse.
For example, in his will, a remarried man could leave his part of the community property to his ex-wife, and there is nothing his current wife can do about it. However, if he wanted to convey ownership interest to his ex-wife or anyone else while he is still alive, he would need the consent of his current wife.
Or, if a man remarries in California, while he is alive he cannot transfer interest in his house or investments held jointly with his new spouse to his children mothered by his first wife. However, he can declare in his will to have his share transfer to his children when he dies. If his new wife does not want that to happen, she has little to no recourse to prevent it.
Moving to a new state that is not a community property state does not nullify the community property status, nor does separation. Legally, you are still married, and so the estranged spouse still has community property on any assets acquired. Divorce is the only thing that can sever any new assets from being included as community property.
Exceptions to the community property rules are property acquired prior to a new marriage (if in a community property state – this is separate property), property acquired as an individual prior to moving to a community property state, and property obtained via gift or inheritance during the marriage.
For estate purposes, the deceased’s share of community property is included in probate. If a stock portfolio is valued at $500,000, then $250,000 will be included in probate for the deceased spouse, though some states (such as California) have different rules.
The beneficiary of the property interest receives a stepped-up basis on that portion of the property. It is important to remember that the beneficiary can be chosen by the deceased – this is in contrast to joint tenancy (and JTWROS) under which the surviving joint tenant (or tenants) automatically inherit the interest of the deceased. As spouses, it is not necessary to write in a rights of survivorship clause.
Final Word
All too often, people do not understand the differences and ramifications of the various forms of ownership until it is too late to change them. For example, in an age where divorce rates are high and remarriage common, knowing that you are in a community property state is key. It’s also prudent to know which forms of property go through probate and which do not to avoid the complications and expense of probate. As you move down the road of life and build your assets, consult a professional to create a detailed, personalized plan that addresses your needs and eases the process of inheritance for your loved ones.
Do you own property? What type of ownership is it under?
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Tom Stachler is a licensed Michigan Real Estate Broker selling property in the Saline, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Dexter and surrounding communities. Please reach out to us today for additional real estate resources or properties both Residential, Income, Vacant or commercial realty types.
Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office Coronavirus Response Update
The Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office continues to work closely with local and state health officials as we monitor the ever changing Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. Residents can stay informed by visiting www.washtenaw.org/COVID19.
Residents can expect that the WCSO will maintain a consistent level of quality service with a few additional precautions. Should you contact dispatch or come into contact with a deputy they will be asking you three additional questions. These questions assist us in screening for potentially infected individuals.
1. Do you have a new cough or flu like symptoms?
2. Do you have a fever?
3. Have you been around or come into contact with someone that has tested positive for COVID-19?
Stigma will not fight Coronavirus, but sharing accurate information will. You can do your part to help keep our first responders safe and prevent the spread of Coronavirus by truthfully answering these three simple questions.
In an effort to help desiminate the most up-to-date and factual information we are including the most recent Coronavirus update from the Washtenaw County Health Department.
Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
March 11, 2020 at 11:30 am: No cases have been confirmed in a Washtenaw County individual, but two cases are now confirmed in Michigan – one each in Wayne and Oakland counties. Both cases are hospitalized. Testing is ongoing: 15 individuals have tested negative in Washtenaw, and 57 in Michigan as of today. As more information becomes available, updates will be provided at www.washtenaw.org/COVID19.
The Health Department continues to recommend prevention strategies. Handwashing is critically important to reduce the spread of illness, as is staying away from others when sick and maintaining “social distancing.” Whenever possible in community settings or meetings, practice maintaining extra distance between people, up to 6 feet. We are not yet recommending widespread closures or cancellations. To date, there is no confirmation of a local case or possible community exposures in Washtenaw County. When or if this changes, the Health Department will issue additional recommendations or orders.
The situation locally may change quickly. The Health Department and your local Washtenaw County Officials are relying on our community to work together to slow the potential spread of illness and refer to official sources of reliable information.
Response Actions
Washtenaw County Health Department is working with health care providers to test individuals as needed. Individuals with concerns or symptoms should call their health care provider first with questions. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, or difficulty breathing. Remember that these symptoms may also be caused by other viruses, such as flu. Additionally, an individual without symptoms is very unlikely to test positive, even with possible exposure.
The Health Department continues to coordinate with federal, state, and local officials, as well as institutions, schools, and community organizations, to be ready for additional actions and communications should we have local cases.
The Health Department has expanded its phone lines. Callers may dial 734-544-6700 to hear a recorded update and to have the option to speak to a staff member or leave a message. Current hours are weekdays 8:30 am-5:00 pm. Updates are also available at www.washtenaw.org/COVID19.
We know this possibility of local cases may cause concern, and we are working to share timely, accurate information without causing unnecessary alarm.
Prevention
There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to the virus. Information from Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is available in English, Chinese, and Spanish.
Clean your hands often
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay Home when you are sick, except to get medical care. Call ahead before going to your healthcare provider. Learn what to do if you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. Immediately wash your hands.
Clean and disinfect
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.
If surfaces are dirty, clean them. Use detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.
A list of disinfectants for use against SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease) is available from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This list includes many commonly used products.
Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask.
If you are sick: You should wear a facemask when you are around other people (e.g., sharing a room or vehicle) and before you enter a healthcare provider’s office. If you are not able to wear a facemask (for example, because it causes trouble breathing), then you should do your best to cover your coughs and sneezes, and people who are caring for you should wear a facemask if they enter your room. Learn what to do if you are sick.
If you are NOT sick: You do not need to wear a facemask unless you are caring for someone who is sick (and they are not able to wear a facemask). Facemasks may be in short supply and they should be saved for caregivers.
Older adults and people who have severe underlying chronic medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness. View additional prevention steps from CDC for people at higher risk. Consult with your health care provider for more steps you may be able to take to protect yourself.
REMEMBER: Discrimination harms public health. People of Asian descent, including Chinese Americans, are not more likely to get coronavirus than anyone else.
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