If you’re a physician, contractor, small business owner, or even a parent with young drivers, you have what I call target risk. That means your primary residence could easily become a target for lawsuits.

But protecting your home isn’t the same as protecting a rental or business entity. When you live in the property, you must consider liability, privacy, and lender rules simultaneously.

Here’s the framework I use with clients:

1. Liability – Can someone attach a judgment to your real property?
   
2. Lender compliance – Will transferring ownership violate the mortgage or interest rate terms?
   
3. Privacy – Can people find your address through public title records?

That’s why I teach every homeowner to start with their state laws on homestead protection—then decide whether an LLC or trust provides better protection and tax benefits.

Watch and subscribe to my YouTube channel for a comprehensive explanation and additional information on protecting your personal assets.

What Should You Know About Your Homestead Protection?

Your first step is to understand your state’s homestead exemption. Some states, such as Florida and Texas, offer unlimited protection for your personal residence from creditor claims.

If your state offers that, you might already have a built-in shield. But if you live in a state with limited homestead protection, your equity could be at risk.

In such cases, you may need to utilize a business entity, such as an LLC, or establish a type of trust that enhances your privacy and liability protection.

Pro Tip: Always verify your state laws before transferring ownership of your real property. Some states treat an LLC vs. trust for real estate differently for property taxes, income taxes, and homestead benefits.

When Does It Make Sense To Use a Wyoming LLC for Your Home?

If you own your home free and clear, a Wyoming LLC can be a smart way to protect your privacy and equity. Wyoming offers some of the strongest real estate privacy laws in the United States.

Key Benefits of a Wyoming LLC:

• Privacy: Your name doesn’t appear in public records.
  
• Asset Protection: Judgments against you personally won’t attach to a home owned by an LLC.
  
• Separation: Keeps your home apart from other business or rental activities.

However, be aware of these limitations:

• Due-on-Sale Clause: If you have a mortgage, moving your home into an LLC could trigger this clause and accelerate your loan.
  
• Insurance Requirements: Always add the LLC as a named insured to your homeowner’s policy.
  
• Tax Year Considerations: Since an LLC is a pass-through entity, it typically won’t create new income tax obligations—but you should confirm with your CPA.

Best For: Homeowners with no mortgage, low homestead protection, and a need for maximum personal residence protection and privacy.

How Can a Home or Residence Trust Protect You?

If you still have a mortgage, you’ll want to use a home trust (sometimes called a residence trust) instead of an LLC. This structure avoids lender issues while keeping your name off the public record.

Key Benefits of a Home Trust:

• Lender Friendly: Because it’s a grantor trust, it doesn’t trigger the due-on-sale clause.
  
• Real Estate Privacy: Keeps your name off the title while preserving your homestead exemption.
  
• Estate Planning Advantage: Works seamlessly with your estate planning attorney to pass property to your surviving spouse or family members.
  
• Tax Simplicity: You don’t create a new tax year or need a separate filing; you continue filing your taxes as usual.

Unlike a revocable living trust, a residence trust is designed specifically for asset protection for personal residence and privacy. It’s one of the most effective tools for protecting assets without upsetting your lender or insurer.

What Is a Nominee Trustee and Why Does It Matter?

A nominee trustee is a short-term trustee who takes title on behalf of your trust. This step is what makes the strategy work.

Here’s how it looks in practice:

1. You create a home trust with yourself and your spouse as beneficiaries.
   
2. You appoint a nominee trustee—someone else—temporarily.
   
3. The property deed is transferred to: “[Nominee Name], Trustee of the [Home Trust Name].”
   
4. The nominee resigns immediately, making you and your spouse the true trustees—privately.

This structure ensures that your name never appears in the public record while maintaining your control of the property. As successor trustees, you retain full authority to refinance, sell, or manage the home—without alerting creditors or searchers that you’re the real owners.

The result: a clean privacy layer that keeps your personal residence out of sight, prevents judgments from attaching to it, and aligns perfectly with most estate planning and real property ownership goals.

What Insurance Steps Should You Take After Transferring Title?

When you move your property into an LLC or trust, a few key administrative steps protect your coverage and tax benefits:

• Homeowner’s Insurance: Add the LLC or trust as an insured party. If the titled owner isn’t listed on your policy, you could lose coverage.
  
• Umbrella Policy: Add an umbrella liability policy—cheap coverage that can save you from devastating lawsuits.
  
• Notify Your Lender: Send a written notice clarifying that your transfer was into a grantor trust for estate and privacy purposes.
  
• Income Taxes: Because the trust is a grantor entity, it doesn’t file its own return. You still report property taxes, mortgage interest, and other deductions under your individual return for the same tax year.

Are Tenancy by the Entirety & Living Trusts Enough?

Some married couples rely on tenancy by the entirety (TBE), which protects a home from the separate creditors of one spouse. While this helps, it doesn’t provide real estate privacy—your names still appear publicly.

A revocable living trust avoids probate but doesn’t hide ownership, because your name appears as trustee on the recorded deed. A living trust is suitable for estate transfers, but less effective for asset protection.

Bottom line: Both are useful tools, but if your goal is to protect assets, privacy, and lender compliance, a home trust or Wyoming LLC is usually the superior option.

What Are the Biggest Myths About Using an LLC or Trust for Your Home?

Let’s clear up the misinformation floating around online:

• Myth 1: “An LLC automatically protects your home.”
  → False. If you have a mortgage, it can trigger a due-on-sale clause.
  
• Myth 2: “A living trust makes you anonymous.”
  → False. A revocable living trust lists you as the trustee, so your name remains public.
  
• Myth 3: “Insurance doesn’t care who owns the home.”
  → False. If the titled owner and insured party differ, claims can be denied.
  
• Myth 4: “Homestead protection is all you need.”
  → False. Homestead helps shield equity, but doesn’t solve the privacy or lawsuit deterrence issues.

How Do You Decide Between an LLC and a Trust?

Here’s a simple way to decide what fits your personal situation:

1. Check State Laws: High homestead and a mortgage? → Use a home trust.
   
2. No Mortgage: A Wyoming LLC may offer stronger privacy protection.
   
3. Married Couple: If your state recognizes TBE, consider combining it with a home trust for added protection.
   
4. Work with an Estate Planning Attorney: Ensure your trust documents are properly drafted.
   
5. Insurance & Taxes: Always coordinate title changes with your insurance carrier and tax professional to ensure seamless processing.

Each choice affects tax benefits, interest rates, and your estate plan, so never rely on internet templates.

Bottom Line: Protect your assets before a lawsuit ever happens. Whether it’s through an LLC or a trust, the goal is the same—protection of personal residence, privacy, and peace of mind.

What Should You Do Next?

Ready to create a protection plan tailored to your unique situation?

Then schedule a free 45-minute Strategy Session with an Anderson Senior Advisor. We’ll review your home’s equity, mortgage, and estate planning goals to design a structure that maximizes protection while minimizing tax exposure.