Philadelphia Weekly

REAL ESTATE

8 scenarios that hurt mortgage qualification

What you should know if you're divorced or have student loan debt

By Inman News Feed

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Jun. 11, 2012

As a divorced spouse who remains liable on an existing mortgage, can I qualify for a new mortgage?

Yes, if your income is large enough to afford the payment on two mortgages. If you can afford a new mortgage but not two mortgages, you must induce your ex-spouse to refinance the mortgage in her own name. Such a provision should have been part of a separation agreement.

The only other possibility is to convince the new lender that the ex-spouse remaining in the house is sufficiently creditworthy that there is negligible risk of your having to meet two payments. That will require documentation that your ex has been making the payments on her own for at least a year.

The writer is professor of finance emeritus at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Comments and questions can be left at www.mtgprofessor.com.