Acquire Real Estate on a Confidential Basis with the Title Holding Trust
Wealthy individuals have many reasons to be concerned about having their investment portfolio made public. The same concern extends to acquiring and holding real estate and having their ownership show up on the public records. Real estate ownership records are easily available through the country recorders', assessors', or tax collectors' offices. The public disclosure exposes wealthy individuals to all types of potential problems and unwanted public attention, including and especially liability issues such as increased litigation.
Acquire Real Estate Privately
Wealthy individuals often set-up a variety of legal entities and strategies for acquiring and holding real estate so that their ownership does not appear on the public record. This can be an exceptionally smart thing to do. It keeps their name out of the public records making it more difficult for those snooping around to find them.
The Title Holding Trust
One such method is the Title Holding Trust. The Title Holding Trust provides a simple, quick and confidential means for individuals to acquire and hold title to real estate or personal property. The real estate or personal property is held by and in the name of the Trustee. The beneficiary or owner of the Title Holding Trust does not appear on public records.
Estate Planning Benefits
TheTitle Holding Trust is a fully revocable grantor trust. The trust can be revoked at anytime. The beneficiary can be assigned at anytime. The successor beneficiaries can easily be changed at anytime. And, since it is a grantor trust, it provides all of the estate planning benefits of a standard living trust.
Sunday, September 14, 2008 at 08:47AM 
Reader Comments (1)
So what's a person to do???
In case you hadn't noticed lately, there is just a "wee bit" of upheaval happening in the financial landscape. A "perfect storm" of economic factors, including sub-prime mortgage problems, inflation, the credit crunch and greed has come together with profound and dramatic effects to now crash upon our financial shoreline.
Commentators far more intelligent than I will help us understand the implications and repercussions of Merrill Lynch being acquired by Bank of America, Lehman Brothers declaring bankruptcy, AIG being embroiled in a cash crisis that drove its stock down 61% in one day, and leaving analysts wondering if $75B in potential loan guaranties is enough to keep them afloat.
These events, coupled with investor uncertainty, have caused the the markets down - at least for now. The economy is suffering from “sins of the past”, as one friend put it. And, it is clear that the United States has probably been in a recession for some time. So where does this leave us?
Despite these significant blows to our economy, a number of economic experts are expecting that the economy is heading toward a “soft landing,” probably in the fourth quarter of 2008 or the first quarter of 2009. During the fourth quarter of 2008, the equity market will likely stabilize and possibly begin to move up. Going forward in 2009, there is strong evidence that the process of recovery will begin regardless of who is elected. No doubt it will most likely be slow and somewhat labored, but it will happen and we will benefit.
In the meantime ... don't panic! The greatest lessons I have learned over my 31 years during times of financial crisis is to "ride out the storm". The people I have seen suffer the greatest loss have been those who sold off rather than waiting patiently for markets to stabilize. This is NOT the time to stuff money in a mattress, but instead to have a diversified portfolio of real estate, stocks, bonds, cash, and alternative investments that help to stabilize the "ups and downs" of these economic storms. As my Montana mother used to quote, whose family experienced many ups and downs raising wheat and cattle, "it is indeed an ill wind that blows no man good". There are still opportunities for wealth building out there despite how things might appear in the papers and on the news.
We have weathered far worse - and prospered. Don't panic - stay prudent - get good counsel - watch for opportunities - and then take action.