Selling a home during divorce or separation...

I just received a call today from a potential home seller...as I started to ask questions relating to the house itself to I can get a sense for its condition, I naturally asked the "why" question - as in "why are you thinking about selling?" The man on the other end of the call got silent for a second, took a deep breath and said "because we are getting a divorce." Ouch. As someone who has personally suffered through a divorce, I know how painful the experience can be. Mine was certainly a craptastic roller coaster and it all just couldn't be over soon enough. And when paired with the fact that a home or other assets must be divided or sold as a result of the separation, it's like being kicked while you are already down. It's an emotional time.

Whether you and your ex have mutually decided to sell your Sacramento-area home, or if the sale has been ordered by the court, it can be a delicate situation having to go through that process. As if the stress level isn't high enough when you sell under other non-divorce circumstances, the heat is turned up even higher under the compounded circumstances that accompany separation. Plus there are a few transactional nuances your agent must be familiar with to properly sell. I have lots of experience helping separating couples sell property. I realize that perhaps you don't want to even be in the same room as your ex, not to mention sitting at the table signing documents and such. I know I didn't want to.

Selling a home during separation is about untying the financial binds of your relationship, finding closure, and moving on. I know this will be a stressful process (as if the divorce itself isn't stressful enough!), however my goal when helping those during separation is to make the selling process as painless as possible.

I can accommodate special circumstances, including but not limited to:

-Meeting with you both separately to sign documents or arranging for mobile "digital" signatures;

-"Quit Claim" for one spouse, if he/she wants to sell but just doesn't want to be involved;

-Arranging for temporary storage of assets or clean-out/trash-out;

-Coordinating details with your attorneys, if they are involved in the transaction;

-Providing or facilitating property valuation analysis for the court, and/or appearing in court;

-Negotiating a short sale with your lender(s), if you do not have equity in your home;

It's not my job as your real estate agent to pass judgment or take sides. I'm your resource to get through this process as painlessly as possible. Fees for my services come directly from the sales proceeds of the house, so I don't require a "retainer" or advance payment as many divorce attorneys do. I welcome your call at 916-342-1372 or erin@dunniganrealtors.com. 

Buying a home during a divorce is an entirely different story; also a few transactional nuances. I'll perhaps cover that in another post later...