Do you get released equity in America? I don't know how it all works over there an my folks have always just bought the house outright so I never learned much about mortgages as we were in a fortunate position they could do thatFeels like I'm beating a dead horse with the paid off mortgage stuff so will list the info as I see it and drop it after this. Yes this is all from public records. I don't agree with Florida making this stuff so easy to search.
1. They bought current house with a mortgage
2. They sold old house
3. They refinanced current house at much lower amount most likely using profit from house sold in step 2.
4. They put current house into a trust and take it back out of that trust about a year later. Possibly to conceal their address who knows.
5. They refinance current house again in 2020.
6. November 2021 a release of mortgage shows house refi in step 5 is now paid off. The mortgage company name matches the one on their property tax bill.
Could there be some sort of clerical error or other trickery going on and they still owe money on it or refinanced again? Sure but that seems unlikely to me. The "smoking gun" I can think of is if their next tax bill goes straight to them instead of a bank or mortgage company that to me says no escrow and no mortgage involved.
The timing of this being just before they bring on a nanny could be coincidence or could be they wanted to free up monthly budget to pay for her. Not pay for her entirely just help make it easier to pay what I assume is $3k+ a month.
But I know alot here who have paid off mortgages have released equity, they give you so much money based on the value of the house I believe an it's yours, it's paid back when you die or end up in long term care an when the house is sold, so essentially your taking away money that would have been a inheritance to your child or children as whatever you get needs to be paid back