Stabilize
Follow orders; preserve safety, insurance and essential payments.
ONE HOUSE · FOUR PATHS · TRACEABLE TERMS
Separate the facts.Protect the decision.
A private, neutral workspace for separating owners comparing a sale, either person's buyout or a time-limited hold—without entering names, addresses or case details.
No names or address requestedNothing stored or sentOfficial sources reviewed Sep. 2026
This is neutral education and arithmetic—not legal, tax, lending, appraisal, title or safety advice. It does not determine property rights or communicate with the other person.
Start privatelyTHE HOUSE-DECISION METHOD
Authority → facts → options → executable documents.
Inventory
Collect title, debt, value, condition and carrying facts.
Compare
Run sale, both buyouts and a bounded hold.
Specify
Write authority, deadlines, cooperation and failure terms.
Close
Match decree, deed, lender release and closing record.
ROOM 01 · PROPOSED EQUITY MATH
Make every subtraction visible.
This models one proposed sale scenario. It does not classify property, decide reimbursement claims, calculate a court award or establish either spouse's legal share.
- Property value assumption
- $350,000
- Mortgage payoff
- − $215,000
- Other liens
- − $5,000
- Sale / closing allowance
- − $28,000
- Condition allowance
- − $10,000
ILLUSTRATIVE NET POOL$92,000
Before using the number: replace estimates with a lender payoff, title/lien information, a supported value, written transaction costs, repair scope, tax/insurance adjustments and the exact allocation directed by agreement or court order.
ROOM 02 · FOUR-PATH TABLE
Compare complete paths—not preferred outcomes.
Each option needs authority, money, dates, documents and a failure plan.
ROOM 03 · BUYOUT FEASIBILITY
A deed transfer and a loan release are different events.
Model the funding gap before anyone promises to keep the house.
ROOM 04 · HOUSE DECISION FILE
Turn assumptions into traceable documents.
Mark each control unknown, collected or reviewed with the appropriate professional. Nothing is saved.
Authority + current orders
Petition, standing/temporary orders, agreements and restrictions affecting sale, occupancy, debt or property.
Deed + legal description
Current recorded deed, vesting, complete legal description, survey and any marital-property agreement.
Debt + lien file
Current mortgage, HELOC, tax, HOA, judgment and other payoff or lien information.
Value evidence
Agreed valuation date/method, appraisal or market evidence, and condition facts.
True housing cost
Principal, interest, taxes, insurance, HOA, utilities, maintenance, repairs and vacancy/occupancy effects.
Sale protocol
Broker/cash comparison, list price, reductions, repairs, showings, offer rules, possession and closing selection.
Keep-path underwriting
Lender qualification, buyout source, deed/security documents, deadline and failed-refinance consequence.
Decree detail
Exact property/legal description, award, debt, deadlines, cooperation duties, proceeds, taxes and enforcement terms.
Post-order closeout
Signed/recorded deed, lender release/refinance, insurance/tax/HOA updates, keys, utilities and closing records.
ROOM 05 · LOW-CONFLICT PROTOCOL
Design the decision system before the next decision.
Use only when direct coordination is safe and permitted. Court orders and counsel control.
STOP AND ESCALATE
Property pressure can hide legal, credit and safety risk.
Unilateral transfer
A deed, listing, new lien, cash-out or major repair is proposed without verified authority.
Loan myth
Someone treats a decree, quitclaim or payment promise as a creditor release.
Missing money
Balances, liens, withdrawals, rental income, insurance proceeds or material defects are undisclosed.
Deadline without fallback
A keep path has no qualification date, proof requirement or mandatory sale trigger.
Unsafe contact
Threats, stalking, coercion, financial control or fear make direct coordination inappropriate.
OFFICIAL + PUBLIC-INTEREST DESK
Verify the current rule, form and record.
Use the current court order and case-specific professional advice before acting.
TexasLawHelp: divorce and real estate
Detailed Texas explanation of classification, sale, house awards, deeds, mortgage liability and refinance.
TexasLawHelp: community property
Plain-language overview of community/separate property, reimbursement and just-and-right division.
TexasLawHelp: deed basics
Why an order and a deed serve different functions, plus deed-of-trust-to-secure-assumption context.
Texas Family Code
Current statutory text. Chapters 3, 6 and 7 contain key marital-property and divorce provisions.
Bexar County District Clerk forms
Current standing order, inventory/appraisement, income/expense and mediation documents.
Bexar County Clerk land records
Official starting point for recorded real-property documents and recording information.
Bexar County Family Justice Center
Centralized local domestic-violence services, civil legal support and protective-order resources.
State Bar lawyer referral
Official Texas lawyer-search and referral starting point.
HOUSE QUESTIONS
Clear distinctions before irreversible signatures.
Is the equity automatically split 50/50?+
No. Texas courts divide the community estate in a manner deemed just and right, not automatically equal. Classification, reimbursement, offsets, agreements, children and other case facts can matter. The worksheet models only a proposed percentage.
If only one name is on the deed, is the house automatically separate property?+
No. Title alone does not settle Texas marital-property classification. Acquisition date, source of funds, gifts, inheritance, agreements and tracing can matter. Separate-property claims generally require clear and convincing proof.
Does moving out surrender ownership?+
Moving out does not by itself transfer title, but occupancy, temporary orders, expenses, access, safety and case strategy need legal guidance. Do not change locks, remove property or stop required payments based only on a web page.
Can the divorce decree remove someone from the mortgage?+
A court can allocate responsibility between spouses, but it cannot rewrite the lender's contract or force loan approval. A borrower commonly remains exposed until the creditor provides an effective release, refinance, assumption or payoff.
Does the decree transfer title?+
The decree can award the property, but a correctly prepared and recorded deed is generally needed to update the chain of title. The legal description and supporting security documents must be correct; use a qualified lawyer/title professional.
How should we value the house?+
Define the valuation date, purpose and source. An appraisal, comparative market analysis, current offers and as-is quotes answer different questions. Disclose known condition and keep the same fact set across options.
What belongs in a sale agreement or order?+
Consider authority to list, broker/price selection, reductions, repairs, access/showings, occupancy, offer acceptance, signatures, possession, liens, expenses, taxes, closing selection, proceeds, deadlines and a remedy when cooperation fails.
What belongs in a keep-house path?+
Value, award/credit, debt responsibility, buyout funding, qualification deadline, deed and security documents, taxes/insurance/HOA, indemnity, proof of payment and a mandatory fallback if financing or transfer fails.
Is temporary co-ownership a harmless delay?+
No. It can preserve flexibility but also extends joint credit exposure, maintenance disputes, occupancy issues and market risk. Use written payment, access, repair, reporting and hard-exit terms.
What if direct coordination is unsafe?+
Do not use joint planning as a substitute for safety. In an emergency call 911. The Bexar County Family Justice Center provides centralized domestic-violence and civil legal resources at 210-631-0100; consult counsel about protective and temporary orders.
ONE OPTIONAL MARKET FACT
Compare a written as-is offer without treating it as the answer.
A documented as-is option can be compared with listing, refinancing and holding. Both owners, counsel and any controlling order determine whether a sale can proceed.