Capital Title’s Chris Baca Speaks for TLTA Title Tips: Spousal Property After Death: Separate vs. Community in Texas

–November 1st, 2025–

Capital Title’s Chris Baca, Client Services Counsel, provided TLTA with his own Title Tip — TLTA’s monthly video series offering quick, complimentary education from title professionals across Texas. Chris breaks down a key question that often arises when a spouse has passed away: Who actually owns the home?

In this short, practical Title Tip, Chris walks through the essential factors to consider when determining ownership and preparing a clean file, including:

• A simple framework to verify ownership before you open or clear a file

• The three dates that drive your analysis — purchase, marriage, and death

• How to distinguish separate property from community property

• Why the “surviving spouse gets it all” assumption can cause problems

• How Texas intestacy rules come into play when there are children from outside the marriage

Capital Title of Texas, LLC.

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