✅ 5 Key Benefits of Putting Your Home in a Trust
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Avoids Probate
Your heirs can receive the home quicker and without the delays and costs of probate court. -
Maintains Privacy
Unlike wills, trusts aren’t public record—keeping your property and plans confidential. -
Provides Clear Instructions
A trust can lay out exactly how and when the home should be transferred, reducing family disputes. -
Can Protect in Incapacity
If you become mentally or physically unable to manage your affairs, your successor trustee can take over without court involvement. -
Possible Tax and Legal Protections
In some cases, trusts can help reduce estate taxes or protect the home from certain creditors (though not always).
⚠️ 5 Disadvantages of Putting Your Home in a Trust
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Initial Cost and Setup
Creating a trust usually requires a lawyer and can cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. -
Ongoing Maintenance
You’ll need to keep your trust updated as your circumstances change—and that takes time and attention. -
Refinancing Can Be Complicated
Some lenders may require you to remove the home from the trust before refinancing, then re-title it back afterward. -
Doesn’t Guarantee Asset Protection
A revocable living trust (the most common kind) doesn’t shield your home from nursing homes, lawsuits, or creditors. -
Must Properly Fund the Trust
Simply creating the trust isn’t enough—you have to legally transfer the home’s title into it, or it won’t work as intended.