Is it better to 'will' my house to my son after I die, or put him down as beneficiary?

Emmajane, it sounds like you are doing really well, and that is great. Before disposing of an asset as large as your fully-paid off home, please stop and plan for your future. It is critical that you make sure your legal and financial matters are all in order. There are a lot of ways for you to do that but none of them involve getting information on the fly. There are guide books with good lists of what you need to do and leads on how to do those things. There are people like me who act as consultants, helping people by assuring that they have an up to date and realistic financial plan in place, all the relevant legal documents are current and reflect your desires with respect to disposition of assets and advance directives such as living wills and health care proxies and powers of attorney etc. The advantage of using a consultant or third party is that most people find it very difficult to navigate all that needs to be done by themselves. A trusted child can be a godsend in sorting through everything but if you can afford it, an experienced professional or consultant could be a godsend.

Whatever you do, please get professional advice regarding the disposition of your home. And also be be mindful that any advice you get must be geared to the state in which you reside as laws vary from state to state.

All the best!

emmajane, the one thing that none of us can predict or control is our future health. How old are you? What is your health like now? What other assets and income do you have? If you have a large estate this might not be a factor, but for many people it is useful to set things up in such a way to facilitate Medicaid application if that ever becomes necessary.

People here can give you the benefit of their own experiences, but before you make a final decision I suggest that you consult an Elder Law attorney.

Please tell us more. Are there other children? Is there a reason you want the house to go to him alone? If you tell us more, someone may be able to advise you. Your will should reflect where you want your things to go.