Real estate planning trust vs will

[Matthew Fermino]

Hi I’m hoping someone here can help me with some advice about estate planning. Essentially my father has a multi family home with his wife (not my mother) and his cousin. My fathers parents lived in one unit and his cousins parents lived in the other before passing it down. it is not separate condos and my sisters and I are the inheritors, my fathers wife has no children. They also have a home in Cape Cod that we will inherit that they own outright.

My concern is his cousin is very unstable and her son who lives there as well is even more unstable and I am very concerned if Something Happens they will stop paying the mortgage and just cause problems, most likely defaulting on their responsibilities. I’m also convinced they will squat in the house so looking to understand if there’s a better way to structure their will.

My father said he spoke to a real estate attorney when he created his will who suggested at the time not to separate the multi family into condos and not to create a living trust but I’d have to think that is how we can protect the inheritance best. Any feedback or places to point me to would be great.