Divorce Buyout Calculator
Estimate what one spouse may need to pay the other to keep the house — from equity and ownership share through optional selling-cost assumptions, asset offsets, and refinance cash to close. Click any i for a plain-English explanation.
House & equity
Fair market value ($)
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Fair market value
The home value both sides will use for division — usually a recent appraisal, a realtor CMA, or an agreed number. Online estimates are a starting point, but appraisals carry more weight if values are disputed. |
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Mortgage balance ($)
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Mortgage balance
Use the lender’s payoff quote (what it would cost to pay off the loan today), not monthly payment × remaining months. Payoff can include a few days of interest. |
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Other liens / HELOC ($)
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Other liens / HELOC
Add second mortgages, home-equity lines, or other recorded liens. They reduce equity the same way the first mortgage does. |
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Your ownership share (%)
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Your ownership share
Enter the share of marital equity you expect to keep. Many cases start at 50/50, but separate down payments, gifts, inheritances, or a prenup can change the split. The other spouse’s share is whatever remains. |
Selling-cost allowance
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If you keep the house, you are not actually listing it — so no realtor commission is paid today. Some departing spouses still argue for a “phantom” 5–8% deduction as if the home sold; keeping spouses often reject that.
Toggle this on and off to see how large that single assumption is.
Selling costs (% of FMV)
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Selling cost percent
Only used when the checkbox above is on. Six percent is a common debate figure meant to stand in for commission plus typical sale closing costs — not an invoice you will receive in a keep-the-house deal. |
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Offsets
Other assets you keep that reduce their buyout ($)
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Offsets
Couples often equalize with more than cash. If you keep $20,000 more of a joint brokerage account, enter 20000 to lower the cash buyout owed for the house. Use a negative number if offsets run the other way and increase cash owed. |
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Refinance / cash to close
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The buyout is what you may owe your spouse. Removing them from the mortgage usually means refinancing into one name — and lenders can require closing costs, cash-to-close, or reserves on top of that buyout check.
Extra cash lender requires at refinance ($)
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Lender cash-in
Extra cash the bank wants so the new loan fits guidelines — for example bringing the loan-to-value down — beyond writing the buyout check itself. |
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Refi / deed closing costs ($)
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Closing costs
Title, origination, recording, appraisal, and related fees to refinance or retitle the home. Ask your lender for a loan estimate. |
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Contingency buffer ($)
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Contingency buffer
Optional padding for appraisal gaps, rate-lock extensions, or last-minute lender requirements so you are not short at the closing table. |
How to use this calculator
- Enter fair market value, mortgage payoff, any other liens, and your ownership percentage.
- Optional: toggle a selling-cost allowance if that is part of the negotiation.
- Optional: enter offsets from other assets that reduce (or increase) cash owed.
- Optional: estimate refinance cash on top of the buyout.
- Read the result panel, then click any i for field-level detail.
Results explained
The large number is the estimated buyout — cash the spouse keeping the house may owe the departing spouse for their share of net home equity after offsets.
- Gross equity — fair market value minus mortgage and other liens.
- Net equity — gross equity minus a selling-cost allowance if you turned that on.
- Their equity share — net equity times the other spouse’s ownership percentage.
- Buyout — their share minus offsets (never below $0 in this model).
- Total cash you may need — buyout plus refinance cash-in, closing costs, and buffer when that estimate is enabled.
The sensitivity band (~±8%) shows how a small disagreement on home value moves the buyout. It is not a court-ordered range.
How the estimate is built
First we subtract the mortgage and any other liens from the home’s fair market value. That leaves gross equity. If you turn on a selling-cost allowance, we reduce equity by that percentage of value to produce net equity.
The departing spouse’s share is their ownership percentage of net equity (or zero if equity is negative). From that share we subtract offsets — other assets you keep that reduce cash owed — to get the estimated buyout.
When refinance cash is enabled, we add any lender cash-in, closing costs, and a contingency buffer on top of the buyout so you can see total cash you may need at the table, not only what you owe your spouse.
Example scenario
A $450,000 house with a $280,000 mortgage and a 50/50 split, with no selling-cost deduction, has $170,000 of equity — so the buyout is $85,000. Turn on a 6% selling allowance and the buyout falls to about $71,500. Add $4,500 in closing costs and a $2,000 buffer and total cash to close is about $78,000, plus any extra cash the lender requires.
FAQ
Is the buyout the same as what I need in the bank?
Not always. The buyout is what you may owe your spouse. Refinance costs, reserves, and closing fees can raise the cash you actually need.
Should selling costs be deducted if nobody is selling?
That depends on local custom and leverage. Use the toggle to see how large that assumption is before you negotiate.
What if equity is negative?
There may be nothing to buy out. You may instead negotiate who keeps an underwater house or whether to sell. This worksheet shows a $0 buyout when net equity is zero or less.
Does this cover support, custody, or taxes?
No. It is property-equalization math for a house buyout only.