What to Do if the Spouse Refuses to Sell During a Divorce

But I Don't Want to Move

If you are living in your home and facing a divorce, dreading the move is normal. Especially when you add the emotions and stress.

If you own a home and are getting a divorce, dealing with the decision of what happens is often one of the sticking points between both parties. There are many reasons this happens. Sometimes it is financial or emotional. 

Dragging out the sale rarely helps either party however it can be hard to remember that when you are dealing with the hurt. 

The ideal situation is to work it out however as a last resort a judge might need to compel the sale. Speak with your attorney about dealing with issues such as how list price will be established and how the real estate agent...

4 Reasons Why You May Not be able to Keep Your Pre-marital Real Estate Assets

If you owned a home before you were married, you may feel like it still is your home after the divorce. The thing is, "it depends".

What would it depend on?

The first question is, did you have a pre-nuptial agreement? Was the property addressed in your agreement? In most cases, if you owned it before marriage, it would be yours after the divorce unless any of the factors apply:

• The name of the other spouse was added to the deed
• The other spouse has been involved with the property
• The value has increased due to the other spouse's efforts
• The property was your homestead property while you were married

This is a great question to discuss...

7 tips to ensure your home sells

Selling a home is quite hard. Most especially if you’ve owned it for quite some time. For sure there are lots of souvenirs on your cabinets or coffee tables which cause your home to appear cluttered. Or perhaps, you haven't been able to maintain the exterior of your home very well. All these things can hugely impact your home's salability. Here are some tips to get your home sold in no time!

Top Reasons to Hire a Professional

Matt Weaver from CrossCountry Mortgage talks about a sensitive and emotional topic. Divorce.

Your Trusted Team

Anytime you can have a trusted team on your side it makes it easier to make a challenging situation more manageable. Divorce is one of those times when you have the right experts it brings the results you want. Equally as important as hiring a good lawyer, having a trusted mortgage professional and trusted real estate agent is also imperative, particularly when there's real estate involved. When you hire a real estate agent, having someone that .can remain neutral and focus on your...

Storage and Staging Tips for a Small Closet

If you are preparing to sell your home, you already know about the concept of staging. While most people think about pretty flowers in the front yard and the perfectly set table in the dining room, the fact is that staging is much more than nice lifestyle elements. Staging is something that should be considered throughout the home; it’s creating a scene in which your buyers can envision themselves living a beautiful life.

One of the most overlooked aspects of staging is the closet. All buyers will open drawers and closets, and when they do, you want them to see a spacious place for their belongings. Here are a few tips for staging your closet to attract buyers....

Home Appraisals Defined

If you are getting financing to buy a home, an appraisal will be required by the lender. The appraiser is there to give an independent opinion of the home's value.  When a buyer and seller agree on a sales price, it can be frustrating to hear that the appraisal came in with a value too low. It’s not enough for the principals to agree to the price, the appraisal is the lender’s way to ensure they are not loaning money over the actual market value of the property.

How is the value reached?

Appraisals are not 100% science. There is a human involved so the condition of the home and upgrades are adjusted and that can vary depending on perspective...

What Happens to my Mortgage?

Divorce and Your Mortgage

If you have a mortgage and you are facing a divorce you might wonder what your options are to deal with the situation. There are several ways to resolve the debt on the home and it is important to consider what is best for your situation.

Options to Deal with the Obligation

1. The most obvious is to sell the home which will allow the mortgage to be paid off. It is one of the easiest way to get a fresh start. Depending on your divorce settlement, the equity will be split.

2.  If one of the parties is retaining the home, the home can be refinanced by the person keeping the home. This will allow a fresh break for both parties as the prior mortgage will be paid off and the obligaton to pay will be over too. This can...

What to Tell the Kids about Selling

What do You Tell the Children?

If you are selling your home, you might be wondering what to tell the children. This is one of the most challenging steps when you decide to sell. It can be scary if this is the first time they are experiencing a move or love their home and neighborhood. How you handle the conversation depends on what is causing the sale of the home. 

Is it a relocation, divorce or are you buying your dream home? The reason for the move will likely have a big impact on how it is received. 

Tips to help make the move easier:

1. Get the children involved early with the decision to move. Let them know the plan and the steps along the way. If you don't communicate with them, the story in their head might be scarier or worse...