Free tool
Marital Home Buyout Calculator
One spouse keeps the house. The other gets paid for their share. This works out what that payment comes to, starting from the appraised value rather than a guess off a real estate site.
Your numbers
What the property is worth today. Use an appraised figure if you have one.
The payoff amount from your lender, not the original loan amount.
Home equity line, second mortgage, or any recorded lien. Leave at zero if none.
Some courts allow this even when nobody is selling. Many do not, because no commission is actually being paid. Off by default. Ask your attorney which applies.
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Often 50%, but not always. This is a legal question your attorney answers, not an appraisal question.
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Buyout worksheet
Updates as you type
$450,000
-$260,000
$190,000
$95,000
What the spouse keeping the home pays the spouse leaving it, for their interest in the property.
Read this before you rely on the number
This calculator gives an estimate for planning purposes. It is not an appraisal, not a settlement figure, and not legal or tax advice. The value you enter drives everything, so an accurate value matters more than any other input here. How property gets divided depends on your state, your circumstances, and your court. Talk to your attorney before you agree to any figure.
How the buyout number works
A buyout is one spouse paying the other for their interest in the house. The arithmetic is simple. Getting the inputs right is where it goes wrong.
Start with what the house is worth
Not what it sold for in 2019, and not what a website says it is worth today. Automated estimates run off public records and general market data. They cannot see the roof, the addition that was never permitted, or the kitchen that was gutted last spring. In a divorce, the value has to hold up if someone questions it, which means an appraiser inspecting the property and documenting how they got there.
Subtract what is owed against it
Use the payoff balance from the lender rather than the balance on last month’s statement. Add in any home equity line or second mortgage. What is left is the equity, the part there is actually something to divide.
Decide whether costs of sale come out
If the house sold, a chunk of the equity would go to commission and closing costs. So one spouse often argues those costs should come out before the split, even though no sale is happening. The other argues they should not, because nobody is paying them. Courts go both ways on this. It is worth asking your attorney early, because on a $400,000 house it moves the number by thousands.
Apply the share
Half is common, but it is not automatic. Community property states generally split marital property down the middle. Equitable distribution states divide it fairly, and fairly does not always mean evenly. Separate property contributions, a down payment from before the marriage, or an inheritance can shift the share. That determination belongs to your attorney and the court.
Then check the financing
One thing this calculator cannot tell you: whether the spouse keeping the house can actually qualify to refinance it on one income. A buyout that works on paper and fails at the lender is a common way settlements come apart. Run that question in parallel, not after.
Questions we get about buyouts
How is a marital home buyout calculated?
Start with the appraised value, subtract the mortgage payoff and any other loans against the property, and what remains is the equity. Multiply that equity by the share owed to the departing spouse and you have the buyout amount. The share itself is a legal determination, so confirm it with your attorney.
Is a marital home buyout always split 50/50?
No. Community property states generally divide marital property equally. Equitable distribution states divide it fairly, which is not always evenly. Courts also weigh separate property contributions and other factors. Ask your attorney what share applies in your case before relying on any number.
Should costs of sale be deducted from the equity?
It depends on the court and on whether a sale is actually happening. Some judges allow a deduction for commission and closing costs even when one spouse keeps the home. Others do not, because no sale is taking place and no costs are being paid. This calculator leaves that deduction off by default.
Can I use an online estimate instead of an appraisal?
Not for a buyout. Automated estimates are built from public records and general market data, so they cannot account for condition, updates, or damage. They also carry no signature and no methodology a court can review. An appraisal is a supportable opinion of value prepared to professional standards.
What date is the home valued as of?
That varies by state and by court order. Some jurisdictions use the date of separation, others the date of filing, others the date of trial. An appraiser can value a property as of a specific date, including one in the past, so confirm the correct date with your attorney before ordering.
Who should order the appraisal in a divorce?
Either spouse can order one, and both sides can agree to a joint appraisal. A joint engagement often costs less and gives everyone one number to work from. What matters most is that the appraiser is independent and has no stake in the outcome.
Get a value that holds up
The estimate above is only as good as the number you put at the top. PahRoo appraisers hold MAI, SRA, and LEED GA designations, and prepare appraisals built to be reviewed by attorneys and courts.
Request an appraisal
Or call 773-388-0003