To determine how much you must pay to buy out the house, add your ex's equity to the amount you still owe on your mortgage. Using the same example, you'd need to pay $300,000 ($200,000 remaining mortgage balance + $100,000 ex-spouse equity) to buy out your ex's equity and take ownership of the house.
Ideally, spouses either agree to sell their home or refinance their mortgage so that only one person's name is on it. That former spouse is then responsible for making the mortgage payments each month.
In any real estate transaction, it is vital to determine whose name is on the property documents from the get-go. If only one person's name appears that person can sell the house – without the other spouse's approval.
In most cases, a buyout goes hand in hand with a refinancing of the mortgage loan on the house. Usually, the buying spouse applies for a new mortgage loan in that spouse's name alone. The buying spouse takes out a big enough loan to pay off the previous loan and pay the selling spouse what's owed for the buyout.
Whether or not you contributed equally to the purchase of your house or not, or one or both of your names are on the deeds, you are both entitled to stay in your home until you make an agreement between yourselves or the court comes to a decision.
5 Mistakes To Avoid During Your SeparationKeep it private. The second you announce you're getting a divorce, everyone will have an opinion. ... Don't leave the house. ... Don't pay more than your share. ... Don't jump into a rebound relationship. ... Don't put off the inevitable.
If both your name and your spouse's name are on the homeownership papers, your partner does not have any legal right to force you to sell the family house.
You may have no other choice but to go to court to force a sale. The proceeds of the house sale may go toward paying your mortgage off and you can walk away. However, if you transfer ownership in another way, you'll need to ensure that the remaining co-owners are willing and are able to refinance the loan without you.
In many cases, the simplest way to keep the house in a divorce if it still has a mortgage is to refinance. The best-case scenario is for you to refinance and remove the mortgage from your ex's name altogether. You'll need to qualify for the mortgage on your own, so make sure to have all your financial ducks in a row.
You Can Damage Your Child Custody Claim One of the most significant ways moving out can influence your divorce is when it comes to child custody. If you move out, it means you don't spend as much time with your kids. Not only can this harm your relationship, but it can also damage your custody claim.
How is home equity divided in a divorce?Sell the house and split the proceeds.One ex-spouse keeps the home and refinances the mortgage to remove the other from the loan.Both former spouses keep the house temporarily.
The easiest way to divide the equity is in half—you get 50% and your spouse gets 50%. In community property states, an equal division might be required. However, you might not want to divide it evenly in certain situations. For example, you both might not have made equal contributions to the home.