No two marriage dissolutions are alike. But in all divorces one basic fact is a constant: one of the parties has to move out of the family home. In many cases one spouse will continue to live in the home. But in many others, it makes more economic sense to put it on the market. Now some real estate agents have developed a specialized niche in selling properties after a divorce.
There are a few aspects of a post-divorce real estate sale that make it more challenging. Perhaps most importantly, realtors who work in this area are careful to keep the reason for the sale quiet. For many buyers and their agents, news that a house is on the market due to a divorce suggests the sellers may be desperate and willing to accept any offer.
Another issue faced by realtors is dealing with the acrimony between the two sellers. Using a sales team made up of one man and one woman is a strategy one realty company has found helpful in this regard.
In Colorado, if the home was purchased during the marriage it will generally be considered marital property to be split equitably between the parties. If one spouse owned the home before the marriage, but it was re-titled to put the other spouse’s name on it, it will also generally be considered marital property.
If the house has to be sold, it is important for the spouses to cooperate as much as possible in getting it ready for sale and in working with a realtor to get the sale done, especially if the house is marital property. If feuding between the spouses delays the sale or results in a sale below full value, both spouses will be hurt financially.
Source: New York Times, “After the Breakup, They Help Sell the House,” Elizabeth A. Harris, April 1, 2013