So what happens to the family home? One positive thing about collaborative divorce is the couples have the opportunity to address not only their physical needs but their emotional issues as well.
Time to stay? Time to share? Time to sell? Many factors can go into this decision:
If children are involved
- What does a move mean for schools and proximity to their friends?
- What other suitable homes may be in the same school district?
- Is the divorce sufficiently collaborative for the couple to consider “nesting”?
- Is retaining the home financially feasible or desirable?
- What implications to a sale (or keeping the home) have for property settlement and taxes?
- Does the home have a history on one side of the family?
When the time comes to involve a realtor, couples need solutions to the potential problems specific to a divorce. The realtor needs to have experience in collaborative problem solving to meet the needs of all members of the family, including the children. The key attributes to look for is someone with patience, integrity and strong relationship skills to manage this kind of transaction.
I am in training to become a certified collaborative divorce expert in real estate and have experience in guiding people through this emotionally and financially complex situation. I also have the empathy of having lived through this situation myself.
Divorce is a tough road to travel on with pitfalls and uncharted territory around every corner. The collaborative method allows those who chose that route to take control of the steering wheel and make the best of a difficult situation. Buying or selling your home should not be overlooked in that process. Do your due diligence and find the few agents with the right experience to make this journey as smooth as possible. As they say, home is where the heart is, wherever that may be.
