Selling A Home Because Of Divorce In Woodbridge VA
Divorce Is One Of The Prime Motives For Selling A House In Woodbridge VA
How To Sell A Home During Divorce
Over my 23 years selling real estate in northern Virginia, I can say that the four primary reasons why folks sell a house is marriage, move-up/move-down, job transfer, and divorce.
I get excited when I help a young person or a young couple buy their first home.
I get excited when I help folks move-up to a larger home to handle a growing family, or moving-down because the kids are grown and on their own.
I get a little sad when a client is divorcing because the couple is divorcing, especially when children are involved.
When folks divorce, there are three options that we commonly see:
- One spouse buys out the other spouse's portion of the house, and the purchaser stays in the house.
- One spouse moves out, and the other spouse stays in the house until a target date, such as when the youngest child graduates high school and goes to college.
- The couple sells the house, then splits the proceeds 50%/50%, or some other percentage agreed to by the couple.
All three scenarios above need to go down in a written separation agreement written by a competent divorce attorney.
We often get a "come list me" call from a couple who are divorcing. The first question we ask is, "Do you have a written separation agreement that has been approved by a judge?"
9 times out of 10, the answer is "No". Then we get the excuses why the parties THINK they don't need a separation agreement before selling their house:
- "We've agreed to a civilized divorce."
- "We're better friends now than we were as a couple. We'll be fine."
- "We're not ready yet to sit down with an attorney."
- "We're going to have an amicable divorce."
Yeah, right.
Both parties play nicey-nice until the proceeds of the sale hit the table. Without a Separation Agreement, the parties fight and squabble over money, claiming who gets what. All of that happy talk goes on until the money hits the table.
If you are divorcing, you NEED a Separation Agreement before you put your house on the market.
If you are divorcing, give me a call or send me a text at 703-677-1120 to find out what the value of your house is in today's market. The market is fast, home prices have been rising, so you may be surprised to find out that you have more equity than you expected.
You need a REALTOR who has helped hundreds of divorcing couples navigate the home sale process from start to finish, in the least amount of time, for the most money, and with the fewest hassles. You can text or call me at 703-677-1120, or you can send an email to me.
I've helped hundreds of divorcing couples sell their homes in northern Virginia over 23 years in the business.
You can count on my experience to help you follow the path to a fair sale for both parties.
Contact me now by text or phone call at 703-677-1120, or send an email to me.
Comments(2)