Most people in this situation want two things: a number both sides can accept as fair, and a date. A listing gives you neither for months. A direct sale gives you one figure to react to and a closing date you choose together, which tends to reduce the number of things left to argue about.
Everyone On The Deed Has To Agree
This is the first thing I will ask about, and it is not optional. If both names are on the deed, both signatures are required to convey the property. One party cannot sell it alone.
That is true regardless of who is living there, who is paying the mortgage, or how the divorce itself is progressing. If there is a court order that addresses the house, tell me, because it governs.
I am not going to take sides, chase the other party, or get involved in anything beyond buying the house. If the two of you are not aligned yet, get aligned first and the rest is straightforward.
Why A Fixed Number Tends To Help
A listing produces a moving target. An asking price, then feedback, then a reduction, then an offer with conditions, then an inspection request. Every one of those is a new thing for two people who are already in disagreement to disagree about.
One number, taken or declined, removes most of that. It is not always the highest figure available, and I will say so plainly, but it is a figure you can both look at once and decide on.
Nothing here is legal advice and your attorneys should see any agreement. This is simply the practical shape of it.
In most of these one person has already moved out, which means the house is empty and still costing both of you. That side of it is covered under a Memphis house that has been sitting empty.
If The House Is Somewhere Else
If the property sits outside the city line, that changes nothing here. The full picture of what I buy right across Shelby County is on the county page.
What Listing Actually Nets You
Listing usually produces a higher gross price than a direct sale. Whether it produces a higher number in your account is a different question, and it is the one worth answering before you decide anything. Put your own figures in.
Commission is figured at 6 percent and seller closing costs at 2 percent, which are common but not universal. Carrying cost means taxes, insurance, utilities and upkeep. This is an illustration using your numbers, not an offer or an appraisal, and it deliberately assumes the listing sells at the price you entered.
The Numbers Behind That
| Line | Typical |
|---|---|
| Months on market | While you both still own it |
| Mortgage and taxes meanwhile | Somebody keeps paying |
| Showings and access | Coordinated between two households |
| Repairs requested after inspection | Another negotiation |
| Price reductions | Another negotiation |
| Agent commission at 6% | Out of the proceeds you split |
The financial cost is real, but the cost people actually mention afterwards is the length of time the house kept them tied to each other.
Who you are dealing with
Hi, I am Torian. I buy residential property with my own capital in Memphis and across Shelby County, through TOPSICO LLC, a Tennessee limited liability company.
I am not an agent and not a broker. Nothing here is a listing and I am not representing you in a sale. If you want your house exposed to the open market, an agent will usually get you a higher price, and I will tell you that rather than talk you out of it.