If you’re thinking about beginning divorce proceedings, chances are you’ve began thinking about what your financial situation will be after a divorce? Will you be able to afford to keep the home the kids were raised in? Can we afford to support two households? How will the changes in income affect our children?
When it comes to assets, often the family home is a big part of the financial picture and figuring out all of your options might feel overwhelming. So, let’s take a look at what you should be considering when it comes to your real estate investment as part of a divorce..
When we look at the real estate a couple jointly owns or acquired during the marriage, we’re including not only the residence, but also any rentals, timeshares, and land. Depending on the type of real estate, how it is titled, and whose name is on the mortgage, proper disposition of real estate is tricky due to tax traps and financing obstacles.
We also know it is important to do a complete forward-looking cash flow analysis; this helps the client see the future financial picture of home ownership and we help them determine how much they can afford, how much should be used as a down payment vs. be financed.
Sometimes, especially in the current Colorado real estate market, a marital residence must be sold in order to secure another residence, or a residence may need to be purchased as an investment property while still married just to make sure the family has a place to live.
Because this transaction and its timing is so complex, it is of utmost importance that all angles are analyzed, and the impact clearly known; this includes the moving and market readiness costs that are involved and how the marital residence is titled along with other potential issues with lenders. We work closely with Certified Divorce Lending Professionals (CDLP), to help navigate the complex maze of mortgage lending.
Bottom line, yes a home can be sold/bought in conjunction with a divorce, however it must be done with an abundance of caution!
