"A mortgage dictates who's responsible for paying off a loan on a house. It does not determine who the legal owner of the house is. It's possible for the wife to be an owner of the house if her name is on the deed and not the mortgage, so that's something the poster may want to make arrangements for."
"Otherwise, the poster's best bet may be to place the home in a trust and designate the wife the beneficiary of that trust. The poster can also create a will and state in it that they want their wife to inherit the house. However, in that case, the house will generally have to go through a legal process called probate in which a will is validated. Probate can be both costly and time-consuming. It's something worth avoiding if possible, and a trust allows for that."
A mortgage defines who must repay the loan but does not determine legal ownership. Legal ownership depends on whose name is on the deed and on state property and intestacy laws. If a spouse is not on the deed, the surviving spouse may still inherit through a will, a trust, joint tenancy, or state intestacy rules, but requirements vary by jurisdiction. A will typically triggers probate to validate transfers, which can be slow and expensive. Placing the house in a trust or adding the spouse to the deed or holding title jointly can transfer ownership more smoothly and avoid probate-related delays and disputes.
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