For Divorce Attorneys & Mediators
Qualify Before You Commit.
Before a housing agreement becomes a financing deadline, find out whether the mortgage plan can work. Give your client clear numbers to support the next decision.
A settlement can establish what a client must do with the home. A mortgage review helps determine whether the financing needed to carry out that plan is achievable.
Jason Herbert · NMLS #633039 · Licensed in California & Texas · Referrals in other states to fellow Planet Home Lending loan officers
Before the Terms Are Final
Identify the Financing Questions While There Is Time to Address Them
Before setting a refinance deadline
Understand the qualification requirements, outstanding documentation, and timing dependencies before relying on a specific completion date.
Before agreeing to the equity buyout
Test the proposed amount against available financing and the resulting monthly payment.
Before relying on support income
Review whether the proposed support arrangement can be used for mortgage qualification and what documentation or receipt history may be needed.
Before planning the next purchase
Consider existing mortgage obligations, support paid or received, available cash, and the expected post-divorce financial position.
Compare the Options
One Housing Decision. Several Mortgage Paths.
Model the alternatives so your client can compare the financial consequences of each proposed arrangement.
01
Keeping the Home
Review independent qualification, the proposed payment, available assets, and the financing needed to retain the property.
02
Completing an Equity Buyout
Evaluate whether the proposed buyout can be financed and how the resulting mortgage affects the retaining spouse’s budget.
03
Selling and Buying Again
Compare replacement-home qualification with retaining the marital home, including expected proceeds and ongoing obligations.
04
Resolving Mortgage Liability
Identify which refinance, assumption, or release questions need to be answered by the lender or servicer before a timeline is set.
A Written Resource for the Discussion
The Mortgage Feasibility Summary
A branded, written summary that brings the mortgage analysis into a format you and your client can use when discussing housing options.
The purpose is to make the assumptions, obstacles, and next steps clear before the client commits to a financing obligation.
Request a Feasibility ReviewWhat the summary covers
- Housing scenarios and proposed terms reviewed
- Key income, debt, asset, and mortgage assumptions
- Estimated payments and financing needs, when enough information is available
- Qualification obstacles and documentation still needed
- Timing dependencies and questions for legal, title, or servicing professionals
- Next steps and items that could change the outcome
A feasibility summary is not a loan approval, appraisal, legal opinion, or guarantee of closing. Findings depend on the information available and remain subject to applicable loan requirements.
Working Together
Start With the Scenario. Build Toward a Workable Plan.
Step 1
Discuss the Housing Question
Share the proposed outcome and timing in a general conversation. Identify what must be confirmed before the client commits.
Step 2
Review the Client’s Mortgage Position
With the client’s participation, review the relevant financial information, compare scenarios, and identify missing documentation.
Step 3
Summarize and Coordinate
Provide the written findings and next steps. Agree on what can be shared with the professional team and revisit the analysis if the terms change.
Complex Scenarios
A Closer Look Before Ruling Out an Option
Support Income & Obligations
Evaluate the mortgage impact of support received or paid, including the documentation and timing questions that affect qualification.
Texas Owelty & Equity Buyouts
Evaluate financing based on the proposed property-division structure, coordinating with attorneys and title professionals who prepare and review the legal documents.
VA Loans During Divorce
Review the current VA mortgage and identify entitlement, assumption, release-of-liability, and refinance questions that need individual analysis.
California Housing Transitions
Compare retaining the home with selling and buying again, and coordinate financing timing with the legal and title requirements of the transaction.
Every scenario requires its own review. Your team directs the legal strategy; I focus on mortgage qualification and financing.
Education for Your Clients
Give Clients a Clear Starting Point
See the same consumer resources your clients receive: plain-English explanations of keeping the home, buying out a spouse, mortgage liability, and buying again.
The consumer page includes the free Divorce & the Mortgage guide, available through a short request form.
View the Client Page & GuideCommon Questions
For Attorneys & Mediators
Before the housing terms are finalized, especially when a client expects to refinance, finance an equity buyout, use support income, or purchase another home. Early review creates time to address financing obstacles.
A written overview of the scenarios reviewed, key assumptions, available mortgage paths, unresolved documentation or qualification issues, and recommended next steps. It is intended to support informed discussions with your client.
No. The summary reflects the information reviewed at that time. A loan approval depends on the applicable program, documentation, underwriting, property review, and other conditions. Changes to the proposed terms can change the analysis.
Yes. Start with a general discussion without identifying client information. We can identify the mortgage questions to investigate and decide what a client-specific review would require.
The review can consider the mortgage implications of keeping the home and selling or buying again. The scope of any individual borrower review, information sharing, and communication is agreed with the clients and their professional team.
No. Your legal team determines the settlement terms and legal structure. My role is to assess the mortgage implications, identify financing questions, and coordinate with the appropriate professionals.
Let’s Review the Mortgage Question
Request a Mortgage Feasibility Review
Tell me how to reach you and the general housing question you would like to discuss. We will determine the next step together.
Please use your professional contact details. Save client financial documents and identifying information for the appropriate intake process.