{"id":35110,"date":"2023-03-23T14:31:27","date_gmt":"2023-03-23T21:31:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=35110"},"modified":"2025-01-17T09:30:00","modified_gmt":"2025-01-17T17:30:00","slug":"questions-before-selling-a-house-in-divorce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/questions-before-selling-a-house-in-divorce\/","title":{"rendered":"18 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Selling a House in a Divorce"},"content":{"rendered":"

Deciding whether to sell a house before or after a divorce is one of the more pressing financial questions couples face when a marriage doesn\u2019t work out.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, your individual circumstances will determine whether it\u2019s best to sell your home before or after the divorce<\/a> is final. But no matter the timing, experts agree that it\u2019s important to identify some essential cooperative actions that can lead to a successful sale.<\/p>\n

Dawn Bremer<\/a>, a top agent in McHenry, Illinois, specializes in helping divorcing or divorced clients. She is passionate about giving her clients the benefit of both her inexperience \u2014 when she was a homeowner whose divorce led to the short sale of her home \u2014 and her current experience as a knowledgeable real estate professional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

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\n \"homelight\n <\/div>\n \n

Unsure What to Do With the House? <\/h3>\n

Start with a free home value estimate from HomeLight. Input your address and answer a few questions about your home, and we’ll provide a preliminary estimate of home value in under two minutes.<\/p>\n \n

\n Get Estimate<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

To help you figure out the best path forward, Bremer shares 18 questions to ask yourself before selling a house in a divorce.<\/p>\n

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Identifying your family\u2019s priorities<\/h2>\n
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  1. How can both spouses best work together to meet the common goal of selling\/getting the most for the home?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    1. Are there children who need to stay in their current school or change schools for the next semester?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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      1. What requirements for other cohabiting individuals in the home (elderly parents, adult children, grandchildren, pets, etc.,) need to be met (i.e., ADA-compliant housing, proximity to public transportation, school district, backyard)?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
          \n
        1. How long will it take to find those accommodations?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
          <\/div>\n

          Dividing up responsibilities for a successful sale<\/h2>\n
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          1. Who is responsible for updating the other party on the status of the sale?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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            1. Who\u2019s responsible for choosing the real estate\/closing attorney?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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              1. Who\u2019s responsible for choosing the real estate agent?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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                1. Who will pay the mortgage, property tax, and insurance?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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                  1. Who will pay for and transfer utility bills (water, gas, electric, trash, sewer)?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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                    1. Who will be responsible for maintaining the property?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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                      1. When will the house be available for showings?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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                        1. Who will coordinate showing requests?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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                          1. Who will pay for any buyer-requested or inspection-required repairs?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                            Note:<\/i><\/b> Top-notch Realtors\u00ae such as Bremer often offer concierge service and will take care of many of these responsibilities for a fee that can be collected at closing.<\/i><\/p>\n

                            <\/div>\n

                            Planning for your move<\/h2>\n
                              \n
                            1. Where will you live after the home is sold?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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                              1. Who\u2019s going to pay for moving expenses, a downpayment on a new home, or a rental?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                <\/div>\n

                                Understanding the application of your equity\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n
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                                1. Who\u2019s getting the proceeds from the sale?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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                                  1. Who has access to those assets?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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                                    1. Will the proceeds go to paying attorney\u2019s fees?<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                      <\/div>\n

                                      Agree on common ground, ground rules, and communicate<\/h2>\n

                                      Bremer says the best way to sell the house in a divorce is when the couple agrees to:<\/p>\n