If you own a house, you may be eligible for Medicaid, but a lien may be imposed on the property if it is in your immediate personal possession at the time of your death. To avoid this, you might give the house to loved ones, but you must move quickly to avoid violating the five-year look back restriction. Otherwise, you may lose your eligibility. Eligibility depends on how long you've been receiving Medicaid and whether you're still living in the house. If you become ineligible, you may still be required to pay premiums or risk having your coverage cancelled. However, any debt that comes due during this period will not be paid by Medicaid. People who are currently homeless and looking for housing can also be eligible for Medicaid. Their income is usually very low, so most people don't know about this option. The only requirement is that they have no other place to go. If they do, then they cannot be placed here. Finally, if you are already receiving Social Security benefits and own a home, these payments may be subject to Medicare taxes. For example, if you earned $60,000 in Social Security last year and owned a home that cost $100,000, you would need to pay $1230 in taxes. This is only a brief overview of the issues involved with owning a home. There are many more things to consider before becoming enmeshed in this kind of investment.