For most Virginia families the house is the largest thing they own, and it is the asset that most often decides whether an estate is simple or complicated. How a deed is titled controls what happens to the property at death, and it can override what a will says.
That makes titling a planning decision rather than paperwork. Joint ownership with survivorship, a life estate, a transfer on death deed, and a deed into a trust all move property differently, with different consequences for probate, for creditors, for Medicaid, and for the capital gains your children pay if they sell.
Real estate also drives the work after a death. Clearing title to inherited property, selling a house during administration, and handling property in more than one county all have specific Virginia procedures.
The articles below cover transfer on death deeds, life estates and remainder interests, how to clear title to inherited property, and the tax questions that come with each. For deed preparation and real estate work, see our real estate services.
