Mortgage and Divorce: Navigating Financial Independence
If you look at the data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for 2016, you can easily see that nearly half of all married couples end up getting a divorce. According to this information, 6.9 people per 1000 total population got married, while 3.2 people per 1000 total population got divorced. If you are getting a divorce and have a shared mortgage, you certainly aren’t alone.
Happily ever after may seem harder to achieve these days, but it is possible with some planning and cooperation. Learning everything you can about your options when faced with legal separation, divorce, mortgage, and co-owned home alleviates the stress attached to this type of experience while also providing valuable strategies to preserve the peace. Just remember that you had choices before you tied the knot, and you still have legal choices now. Whether you have a current mortgage in Sacramento or Irvine, here’s a look at what you need to know.
What are your options if you are going through a divorce but have a co-owned home and mortgage?
Your options depend on several factors, including:
The title on the property.
Current financing on the home.
If anyone wishes to keep the home.
Each spouse’s ability to refinance the mortgage, which often involves credit scores and earning capacity.
Option 1: Removing spouse from mortgage by refinancing
Refinancing your mortgage is one of the easiest ways to settle the question of who gets the home. It places financial responsibility of owning the home squarely on the shoulders of the spouse who retains possession while allowing the remaining spouse to recoup the existing financial investment in the property. Several pros and cons are attached to this strategy, including:
Advantages
Changes the title into the name of one spouse only.
Only the spouse retaining possession is responsible for the monthly mortgage payments.
Allows one spouse to buy out the other spouse’s share in the property.
Both spouses can get on with their new lives because there’s no need to wait for a buyer.
The remainder of the divorce proceedings should be amicable now that both spouses are getting value from the marriage home.
The interest rate on the refinanced mortgage may be lower than the original percentage.
Alimony and/or spousal support qualify toward the income requirement for the loan as long as legal documentation validates the amounts and the length of time during which they are to be provided.
Disadvantages
Only your income is counted for your mortgage application. As a result, the refinance loan may not be approved.
You may not have built up enough equity in the home to refinance with a standard loan, making it more likely that you will need to obtain special financing.
Obtaining approval for a divorce loan to refinance the marital home is often contingent on the individual’s credit score, which may have fallen during the marriage. As a result, approval may not be given. You may not have enough time to raise your credit score, even with a rapid credit rescore.
The interest rate may be higher than the one on the existing mortgage.
The mortgage payment may be larger due to having to borrow additional funds to compensate the other spouse.
The mortgage term may be longer due to any number of reasons, including a higher loan amount or insufficient funds to take a shorter term.
You may need to ask a responsible adult, such as a parent or sibling, to co-sign your divorce loan in order to qualify. The co-signer becomes legally responsible for the mortgage if you default, making it more difficult for some divorced individuals to obtain a divorce loan.
The lender for the original mortgage must agree to your decision to refinance the loan in order to delete one of the spouse’s name. It is best to get this agreement in writing for your personal records. Your spouse must also agree to the new financial arrangement as well as to the change in the name on the title. Changing the title of the property to your name is a simple process that typically involves the use of a quitclaim deed. This type of deed is used when the property isn’t actually being sold, and it does successfully change the name on the title.
Before you jump in and apply for a mortgage, it’s important to explore your options using a mortgage calculator. Experiment with different terms to help guide you in making a choice in interest rates, term lengths, and mortgage points.