{ “@context”: “https://schema.org”, “@type”: “BlogPosting”, “headline”: “The Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed): How to Pass Your Home to Heirs Without Probate”, “description”: “A strategic guide to Life Estate Deeds (Lady Bird Deeds). How to avoid probate, protect assets from Medicaid recovery, and preserve the Step-Up in Basis.”, “datePublished”: “2025-12-10”, “dateModified”: “2025-12-10”, “mainEntityOfPage”: { “@type”: “WebPage”, “@id”: “https://bestmoneytip.com/life-estate-deed-lady-bird-deed-strategy” }, “mainEntity”: { “@type”: “FAQPage”, “mainEntity”: [ { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “What is a Lady Bird Deed?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “It is an ‘Enhanced Life Estate Deed’ that transfers property upon death automatically while allowing you to retain full control (sell/mortgage) during your lifetime. Available in FL, TX, MI, VT, WV.” } }, { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “Does it protect against Medicaid Recovery?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Yes, in many states. Since the property bypasses probate, it is often shielded from Medicaid Estate Recovery programs that only target probate assets.” } }, { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “Do heirs still get a Step-Up in Basis?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Yes. Because you retained a ‘Life Interest,’ the property is included in your estate for tax purposes, granting heirs a full Step-Up in Basis to fair market value.” } } ] } } /* Base Layout */ .sbt-container { font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, “Segoe UI”, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.75; color: #333; max-width: 900px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 0 15px; box-sizing: border-box; } h1 { font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 2.4rem; font-weight: 700; color: #1a1a1a; margin-bottom: 1.5rem; letter-spacing: -0.5px; line-height: 1.2; text-align: center; } /* H2 Center Swoosh (Red) */ h2 { font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.6rem; color: #c0392b; margin-top: 3.5rem; padding-bottom: 0.5rem; position: relative; text-align: center; border-bottom: none !important; } h2::after { content: “”; position: absolute; bottom: 0; left: 50%; transform: translateX(-50%); width: 0%; height: 3px; background: #c0392b; transition: width 1.0s cubic-bezier(0.22, 0.61, 0.36, 1); } h2.is-visible::after { width: 100%; 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