Sell a House During Divorce
A house is often the largest shared asset in a divorce, and agreeing on a buyer can be simpler than agreeing on almost anything else. A quick, neutral cash sale takes the property off the table so both parties can move forward.
Quick Facts
- •California is a community property state, meaning most property acquired during the marriage is generally split 50/50.
- •Selling before a divorce is final versus after can affect timing, taxes, and who has to sign off on the sale.
- •Both spouses on title generally have to agree to and sign for a sale, even if only one is living in the house.
- •A married couple selling a primary residence may each be able to exclude up to $250,000 of capital gains, subject to the usual ownership and use rules.
- •A direct buyout (one spouse pays the other for their share) is a different path than an outright sale to a third party, and either can work depending on the situation.
How It Works
Tell us about your property and situation, including anything specific to sell a house during divorce.
We walk through your specific situation and what a cash offer would look like.
We handle whatever paperwork or coordination the situation calls for.
We open escrow with a local title company and you get paid on your timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I sell the house before the divorce is finalized?
- Sometimes, if both spouses agree and are willing to sign. Otherwise it usually has to wait until the settlement addresses the property.
- Does a cash sale affect how the proceeds get split?
- No. A faster sale just converts the asset to cash sooner, how it's split is still determined by your settlement or the court.
House Junkies is vertically integrated: we buy, renovate with our own licensed crew (CA LIC#1077593), and can resell through our own brokerage (DRE #02165291), so there's no middleman shopping your deal to a stranger.