Dear Mr. Premack: With regards to Medicaid, how many acres are allowed in a Homestead? Can there be a country road that runs through the property for the Homestead claim? KF Texas Medicaid regulations do not restrict the number of acres that can be counted as homestead. If there is a country road that runs through the property, the road is not considered to interrupt the homestead. Law does require that the homestead property be “contiguous” – that is, you cannot claim as hom

This column first appeared in the San Antonio Express News on December 9, 2016. Dear Mr. Premack: My mom owned a house prior to marring her second husband. She was disabled and deferred property taxes on her homestead. She recently passed away. I understand her husband has a life-estate in my mom's non-community property home, since both lived in it. My question is about the deferred taxes. Since her husband is over age 55, I hope he can maintain the deferral, even though he

This column first appeared in the San Antonio Express News on November 28, 2016. Would a Revocable Living Trust be a better option? Can he protect his house so it passes to the person named in his Will? – SM There are five fundamental requirements in order to qualify for Medicaid’s assistance with paying for a nursing home. The applicant must: 1) be 65 or older, blind or disabled; 2) be a US Citizen or legal resident alien; 3) be certified by a doctor as needing intermediate