Habitat for Humanity helps homeowners protect generational wealth with free transfer on death deeds

OMAHA, Neb. — Habitat for Humanity of Omaha and volunteer attorneys are helping homeowners prepare Transfer on Death Deeds free of charge, offering families a way to pass down property without a lengthy probate process.

The legal document allows homeowners to name who will receive their property after they die. According to Habitat for Humanity, the organization has completed 1,022 Transfer on Death Deeds so far, helping preserve more than $202,987,229 in generational wealth.

Cameren Kelley, a homeowner who took part in the program, said she signed up to protect her home for her son.

"I thought it would be a good thing for my son, so that if something ever happens to me, he doesn't have to go through a fight, and he'll be able to just take over the house," Kelley said.

Lacey Studnicka, chief program officer at Habitat for Humanity of Omaha, said the deeds address a problem the organization sees often in the community.

"We see a lot of homes in our community that are lost or abandoned, and when we follow that title, a lot of times, it's simply because maybe Grandma died or someone died in that house, and it transferred to the next generation, and then it's lost," Studnicka said.

Kelley described the process as straightforward, saying it took five to 10 minutes and that the attorney answered all her questions and explained everything before signing.

For Kelley, completing the deed is about more than protecting property — it is about setting an example.

"I'm the first one in my generation and my family to purchase a house, and I feel like it taught my son something that he can take on with him, so it will help him when he moves forward in life, he has something that he can inherit it, and it teaches him the importance of having something of your own," Kelley said.

Habitat for Humanity encourages Nebraska homeowners to consider completing a Transfer on Death Deed as one way to help protect what may be their biggest asset.

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