Situations
Every divorce sale has a wrinkle.
12 situations I see in divorce sales, from selling before the judgment to a spouse who won’t sign. Each one: what changes, what I do, and what to ask your attorney.
Selling before the divorce is final
You don't have to wait for the judgment to sell. You do have to sell in a way that both of you, and the court's automatic order, can live with.
Selling after the judgment
The judgment is signed, and both of your names are still on the house. Now the paper tells us what to do, and my job is to follow it closely.
When one of you buys the other out
Sometimes the right sale is no sale. A buyout still needs a price you both trust and a loan that actually changes hands, and I can help with both.
When the house is underwater
Owing more than the house will sell for is one of the hardest spots to be in. It's also one where clear numbers, early, change what's possible.
When your spouse won't cooperate
I can't make your spouse agree to anything, and I won't try. What I can do is make the sale easy to say yes to, with the same facts for both of you.
When one of you still lives there
One of you is living with the listing every day. The other is paying attention from a distance. Both of those are hard, and the plan has to work for each of you.
When a court orders the sale
A court order takes some decisions out of your hands. It doesn't take away your right to clear numbers and an agent who treats both of you the same.
When you're both buying again
You're each planning a next home. The sale of this one sets up both of those, so the order you do things in matters more than usual.
Selling during a military divorce
Orders don't wait for a divorce to settle. I'm a Certified Military Relocation Specialist, and I plan the sale around the move as much as around the case.
Selling after a long marriage
When you've owned a house together for a long time, the sale carries more history and more paperwork. Both are manageable with a plan.
Selling acreage in a divorce
A house on land is more than a house. Wells, septic systems, barns and fences all need paperwork, and I spent over twenty years in banking that specialized in agricultural and rural lending.
Selling with kids at home
Kids notice the sign in the yard before you've found the words. I plan the sale so their routines bend as little as possible and they never carry messages.
Confidential consult
One conversation, no pressure.
Tell me where things stand. I’ll tell you what the sale could look like for your situation, and what to ask your attorney first.