Secured debts
If you promised to give your home to the lender if you do not pay your loan, your loan is “secured."
Mortgages are a type of secured loan. If you do not pay your mortgage, homestead protection cannot stop the bank from foreclosing on your home.
Priority debts
Examples of priority debts are government taxes, criminal fines, child support, or support for a former spouse.
Liens
A “lien” is a legal claim that gives a creditor the right to take your property if you do not repay a debt.
A lien can be placed on your home before and after you file a declaration of homestead, but no one can collect on the lien(s) that were placed on your home after you filed a declaration of homestead.
Losing your home in some situations
A Declaration of Homestead cannot protect you from losing your home if you sell it to someone who is not in your family, or if you abandon the property.