TriDistrict Community Education

First Time Home Buyers We will review the process of buying a home from A-Z and discuss unique funding that is only available to YOU - a first-time buyer. With one program, it is possible to buy a home for as little as $1000 of your own funds. You are generally a first-time buyer if you have not owned a home in the past 3 years. Instructor: John Mazzara

The concern: our family has a cabin, homestead, hunting land, farm or second home: How do we protect this family legacy and move its use and enjoyment into the future? The problem: various sources and forces threaten its very existence: The nursing home and Medicaid (MA), estate taxes, family divorces, creditor and bankruptcy issues, taxes and operating expenses, unequal resources of owners, the in-laws, and use and enjoyment equality. The answer: we will provide real-life solutions and explore four paths to resolution that will solve our problems without driving the family apart or sacrificing the family legacy asset. Instructor: Steve Ledin Law PLLC

The biggest fear for most baby boomers is how to pay for the nursing home and still leave an inheritance for the next generation. We will walk through the following questions and more including: How will I meet my nursing home goals? Is Long Term Care Insurance for me? What about home healthcare? Should I gift my money away? Would I qualify for Medicaid? What about my current Trust, does it protect my assets and avoid the nursing home? What is the 60-month claw back? What if my spouse goes into the nursing home and exhausts our money? Get the answers to these and other questions and learn how to create an effective plan to deal with these uncertainties. Instructor Steve Ledin

Ever considered becoming a landlord or investing in real estate but needed more information? Learn about opportunities in today's Twin Cities marketplace, how to analyze a property, tax considerations, and what to put in a lease. We will review all aspects of becoming a landlord from buying. selling, and renting. Instructor John Mazzara

Ever considered becoming a landlord or investing in real estate but needed more information? Learn about opportunities in today's Twin Cities marketplace, how to analyze a property, tax considerations, and what to put in a lease. We will review all aspects of becoming a landlord from buying. selling, and renting. Instructor John Mazzara

Medicare 101: Navigating Medicare can be confusing, but this class will help you understand Parts A, B, C, and D. Learn how a Medicare Supplement Plan or Part C (Advantage Plan/Medicare Savings Account) can assist with coverage. The session will include time for individual questions. This is an educational class only.

Get expert advice in this open-forum seminar with a seasoned Will & Trust attorney. Learn about avoiding Probate, the role of Wills and Trusts, asset protection, nursing home considerations, and more. Discover how to choose the right estate plan, manage separate assets, and deal with death taxes. Ensure a smooth legacy for your children and gain insights into managing retirement assets. Your questions, including Transfer-On-Death Deeds, will be answered in this relaxed and friendly session. Join us for essential estate planning insights! Instructor: Steve Ledin Law PLLC

Get expert advice in this open-forum seminar with a seasoned Will & Trust attorney. Learn about avoiding Probate, the role of Wills and Trusts, asset protection, nursing home considerations, and more. Discover how to choose the right estate plan, manage separate assets, and deal with death taxes. Ensure a smooth legacy for your children and gain insights into managing retirement assets. Your questions, including Transfer-On-Death Deeds, will be answered in this relaxed and friendly session. Join us for essential estate planning insights! Instructor: Steve Ledin Law PLLC

Get expert advice in this open-forum seminar with a seasoned Will & Trust attorney. Learn about avoiding Probate, the role of Wills and Trusts, asset protection, nursing home considerations, and more. Discover how to choose the right estate plan, manage separate assets, and deal with death taxes. Ensure a smooth legacy for your children and gain insights into managing retirement assets. Your questions, including Transfer-On-Death Deeds, will be answered in this relaxed and friendly session. Join us for essential estate planning insights! Instructor: Steve Ledin

Should I Stay or Should I Go? We will be discussing lifestyle options for senior living. Should I stay and age in place - making home modifications to reduce safety risk OR should I go - moving to a home option that may be handicapped accessible, single level living? We will take an assessment and give up the tools to make educated decisions. Instructor: Vaughn Kavlie

A vital part of every retirement or resettlement discussion involves the roadmap of issues that help us decide where we want to call home! Is it Taxes, the Political Landscape, the Weather, the location of Family assets, Debt or Income concerns in Retirement, Cost of Living, Health Concerns or . . . our friends are already there! Did you know many States do not tax Social Security, Pensions or other Qualified Retirement Income sources? Which are the worst states for Estate Taxes? How do we establish Domicile? How about the quality of medical resources and retirement facilities? Questions are encouraged.

The 10 Important People You Need for Your Estate Plan to Work In each Minnesotan’s life, there are ten people we should be prepared to count on as we age and move into the last stages of our lives. In this class we will learn the answers to: What are the roles and responsibilities of these people? How long do they serve and how much of a time commitment are we asking? How much guidance can we give them? Who makes an ideal selection for each of these vastly different roles? Who makes a bad selection for these roles? What pitfalls and problems should we be aware of? These jobs include: Attorney-In-Fact, Health Care Agent, Estate Executor, Trustee, Guardian and more. All are vastly different jobs that benefit you and they deserve careful thought. This class encourages questions. We will provide the answers. Instructor: Steve Ledin Law PLLC

The trust is a very popular component and tool to be used in our Estate Planning. However, there is a variety of vastly different Trust options to be used and the question arises: Am I using the right Trust for my needs and goals? Often used Trusts include: Living Trusts, Testamentary Trusts and Irrevocable Trusts, each serves a different purpose, each has a different result. One common problem that often needs addressing is the over-utilization of the Living Trust for goals or problems that it does not resolve. For example, “Does my Living Trust protect my assets against Medicaid and the nursing home?” The answer is probably not. The Irrevocable Trust and the Testamentary Trust each have their strengths and weaknesses as well. We will clearly define the strengths and weaknesses of these different types of Trusts and when to use them. Explore your goals and wishes to see where they fall in the realm of Trusts. Class encourages questions and we hope to provide answers that will set your mind at ease or assist you in the decision making in this area.

It's critical to have a solid understanding of the tax status of investments to make informed decisions and avoid paying more than the fair share. In this seminar, attendee learn: How future tax changes may create the potential for higher taxes. Ways to create tax-free retirement income. How social security is taxed. How to work efficiently within current tax brackets. Instructor: Kevin Schwartz

Writing Your Own Will Having a will is important for married couples, singles and divorced people. If you are without a will, the laws of Minnesota and a judge will make all the decisions regarding your estate. You can avoid that. Prior to class, information will be sent to you for review. During class, learn the background on estates and wills, then finish by preparing a legal will with instructions during class on a professionally prepared form. The will is then notarized with a witness at class. This class is appropriate for people who have an estate of less than $2,000,000, including life insurance, and do not own a business. Each participant must register separately, couples cannot legally share the form. Bring an appropriate ID for notary and a pen to class. Instructor: Kristin Davis