Blog

You know Airbnb as the company that revolutionized travel around the world by making home-sharing easy. You have probably also heard about the big waves the $38 billion company has caused in the hotel industry, sparking legislation and regulation throughout the US. But have you heard about Airbnb’s latest project? There could be big things coming in 2019. Airbnb: Home-Sharing AND Home-Building? In November, Airbnb’s co-founder Joe Gebbia announced a new project called Backyard, “an endeavor to design and prototype… Read More

If you are a first-time homebuyer, you probably have noticed that there is a whole language that you have to learn as a homeowner. We promise, it gets easier, but it can be a huge help to get some background information on the lingo you’ve been hearing. To that end, Brian M. Douglas & Associates wants to help get you started on the right foot with a little Homeowner 101. Today’s lesson: what is an escrow account? Escrow, Defined The… Read More

Selling your home can be a stressful time. The pressure is on and it feels like any small hitch could derail the whole process. In fact, it often can. Twenty-five percent of all home sales are delayed during closing due to an unexpected obstacle. Your real estate agent may have seen it all before, but they don’t necessarily have the legal expertise to resolve some of the tougher issues. If you are in the process of selling your home, likely… Read More

As we near the end of the year, we draw closer to another tax season. If you are a homeowner in the State of Georgia, you are likely very familiar with the season of property assessments and taxation. However, you may not know as much about your homestead exemption. In the State of Georgia, there are special benefits conferred to properties that qualify as homesteads. We have written extensively about the Georgia Homestead Exemption here, but we wanted to provide… Read More

Where You’ve Heard It Before If you are interested in wholesaling real estate, you have likely seen advertising for real estate wealth building seminars pretty much everywhere. If you are already in the business, you may have even attended one. While some seminars are giving out good, accurate, and transparent information, others are peddling dishonest or incomplete information shared to make real estate investing seem much simpler and much less costly than it really is. At Brian M. Douglas &… Read More

Throughout the country, the real estate industry is booming. As the industry continues to grow, more homeowners are investing in rental properties. These investment properties can generate stable, long-term income for the property owner and generate a number of other financial benefits. Renting out your property is a business transaction, and as with any business deal, it is important that you protect yourself and your investment. If you are interested in investing in a rental property, or if you already… Read More

Depending on how you look at the year, we are either one-third of the way through the tax year (four months since you last filed taxes in April 2018), or we are in the last third of the calendar year (only four months until 2019!). No matter how you count it, the end of the summer is a great time to take a look at your taxes. In 2018, this is especially important because of the sweeping tax reform that… Read More

In the State of Georgia, there are special benefits conferred to properties that qualify as homesteads. Only homeowners can receive the benefits of a homestead property, and these benefits are only available if the home is the owner’s legal residence as of January 1 of the taxable year. There is an exception to the primary residence rule if the homeowner was away from home during the year due to health reasons. What is the Georgia Property Tax Homestead Exemption? If… Read More

 When you are closing on a sale to buy real estate, the title company or law firm handling the transfer may ask you how you want to take title to the property. If you are not prepared for this question or do not have a lawyer reviewing the documents, this can be a stressful moment that has long-lasting implications. Are There Any Encumbrances on The Land? Before you choose how you want to take title to your new property, you… Read More

In December 2017, President Trump signed a new tax bill, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, into law. At the time, the changes in individual tax brackets and cuts to corporate taxes dominated the news cycles. However, there was a lot more in the law than the provisions that got top billing. For instance, there were a number of incentives included in the law designed to boost investment in distressed communities throughout the country, including the Qualified Opportunity Zones provision.… Read More