If I were to give the key to the bank for my house in Florida (underwater) and buy a house in New York State, could the bank put a lien on the home in

Every state has different laws regarding homestead.  In Florida, a home is protected from creditors with the exception of mortgage liens, property tax liens, and mechanics liens (i.e. contractors who perform work on your home and improve it).  Therefore, if you had a creditor from another state attempt to foreclose upon your Florida homestead, that creditor would not be successful because the full value of your home is protected in Florida.  However, that may not be the case in other states.  You would need to check with an attorney in the state in which you would like to reside and determine what the homestead laws are and what rights creditors may have against your home in another state. Wendy Mara mara-maralaw.com This is general answer to a general question and does not establish an attorney client relationship.