Learn

What cost basis is, what counts toward it, and what to keep — written for homeowners rather than accountants, with the gray areas named instead of glossed over.

1. 1Home tax basis, explainedWhat cost basis is, why adjusted basis matters when you sell, and why most of the work is recordkeeping rather than arithmetic.6 min read
2. 2Capital improvement or repair?The distinction that decides whether work may add to your basis — with the gray areas named rather than glossed over.7 min read
3. 3Which home-purchase costs may affect basis?Your settlement statement is a mix of costs that may go to basis and costs that never do. Which is which, and why the day you close is the cheapest time to sort it.6 min read
4. 4What records should homeowners keep?What to keep, how long to keep it, and what makes a receipt actually useful years later — plus the documents people throw away and regret.6 min read
5. 5How adjusted basis can affect a home saleWhat actually happens to your basis at the closing table, where the exclusion fits, and why many sellers owe nothing — with the cases where it still matters.7 min read

HomeBasisLedger provides recordkeeping tools, not tax advice.