How much is my divorce buyout?
Type the home’s value, what is still owed on it, and the leaving spouse’s share of the equity. The divorce buyout calculator shows the equity, the buyout amount, and the new mortgage and monthly payment if the spouse who keeps the home refinances to pay it.
- Buyout amount
- $100,000.00
The buyout is $100,000.00; the new mortgage of $350,000.00 costs $2,212.24 a month.
- Equity
- $200,000.00
- Selling costs deducted
- $0.00
- Equity you keep
- $100,000.00
- Mortgage paid off
- $250,000.00
- New mortgage
- $350,000.00
- Loan-to-value
- 77.78%
- New monthly payment
- $2,212.24
- Interest on the new mortgage
- $446,405.71
Buyout amount: $100,000.00. The buyout is $100,000.00; the new mortgage of $350,000.00 costs $2,212.24 a month.
How is the home value split?
The results are estimates for information only. They are not financial, tax, or legal advice. Check the numbers with your lender or a qualified professional before you decide. Terms of use
How to calculate
Works out the equity in a shared home, the buyout owed to the spouse who leaves, and the new mortgage and monthly payment for the spouse who keeps the home.
Example with the default inputs (Home value $450,000.00, Mortgage balance $250,000.00, Leaving spouse’s share of the equity 50%, Selling costs to deduct 0%, New mortgage rate 6.5%, New mortgage term (years) 30, Closing costs $0.00, Pay the closing costs In cash): The buyout is $100,000.00; the new mortgage of $350,000.00 costs $2,212.24 a month.
Method: equity = value − mortgage balance − value × selling costs %; buyout = equity × share %; new mortgage = balance + buyout (+ closing costs if added); payment = L × r ÷ (1 − (1 + r)^−n), r = rate ÷ 1200, n = years × 12.
- The equity is split by the share you type; your agreement or court order decides the real split.
- The spouse who stays refinances once to pay off the mortgage and pay the buyout in cash.
- Closing costs are paid in cash unless added to the loan. Taxes, insurance and mortgage insurance are not included.
- Property transferred between spouses incident to divorce is generally not taxed (IRS Publication 504); the calculator counts no taxes.
Worked examples
Each example is checked against the calculator on every build.
- Home value $450,000.00, Mortgage balance $250,000.00, Leaving spouse’s share of the equity 50%, Selling costs to deduct 0%, New mortgage rate 6.5%, New mortgage term (years) 30, Closing costs $0.00, Pay the closing costs In cash gives Equity $200,000.00, Buyout amount $100,000.00, New mortgage $350,000.00, New monthly payment $2,212.24, Interest on the new mortgage $446,405.71.Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, What is a home equity loan? (equity is the amount the property is worth minus any existing mortgage), https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-a-home-equity-loan-en-106/ (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Home value $500,000.00, Mortgage balance $300,000.00, Leaving spouse’s share of the equity 50%, Selling costs to deduct 6%, New mortgage rate 6%, New mortgage term (years) 30, Closing costs $8,000.00, Pay the closing costs Add to the loan gives Selling costs deducted $30,000.00, Equity $170,000.00, Buyout amount $85,000.00, New mortgage $393,000.00, Loan-to-value 78.6%, New monthly payment $2,356.23.Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, What is a home equity loan? (equity is the amount the property is worth minus any existing mortgage), https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-a-home-equity-loan-en-106/ (retrieved 2026-10-05); Internal Revenue Service, Publication 504, Divorced or Separated Individuals: Property Settlements, Transfer Between Spouses (property transferred incident to divorce is generally not subject to gain or loss), https://www.irs.gov/publications/p504 (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Home value $300,000.00, Mortgage balance $0.00, Leaving spouse’s share of the equity 40%, Selling costs to deduct 0%, New mortgage rate 0%, New mortgage term (years) 10, Closing costs $0.00, Pay the closing costs In cash gives Equity $300,000.00, Buyout amount $120,000.00, New mortgage $120,000.00, New monthly payment $1,000.00, Loan-to-value 40%.
How it works
With the home value V, the mortgage balance M, selling costs s% and the leaving spouse’s share p%, all in exact decimals:
- Selling costs deducted = V × s ÷ 100.
- Equity E = V − M − selling costs. With no equity (E ≤ 0) there is nothing to buy out, and the calculator says so.
- Buyout amount = E × p ÷ 100. Equity you keep = E − buyout.
- New mortgage L = M + buyout, plus the closing costs when they are added to the loan.
- Loan-to-value = L ÷ V × 100.
- New monthly payment = L × r ÷ (1 − (1 + r)^−n), r = rate ÷ 1200, n = years × 12 (L ÷ n at 0%). Interest on the new mortgage = payment × n − L.
Rules
- Home value $1,000 to $1,000,000,000; share 0% to 100%; selling costs 0% to 20%; rate 0% to 30%; 1 to 40 years.
- Taxes, homeowners insurance and mortgage insurance are not in the payment.
Worked examples by hand
The default: $450,000 home, $250,000 owed, 50% share, 6.5% over 30 years. E = 450,000 − 250,000 = $200,000; buyout $100,000. New mortgage 250,000 + 100,000 = $350,000 (77.78% of the value). Payment = $2,212.24 a month; interest $446,405.71.
$500,000 home, $300,000 owed, 6% selling costs, 50% share, $8,000 closing costs added, 6% over 30 years. Selling costs = $30,000; E = 500,000 − 300,000 − 30,000 = $170,000; buyout $85,000. New mortgage 300,000 + 85,000 + 8,000 = $393,000 (78.6%). Payment = $2,356.23.
A $300,000 home owned outright, 40% share, 0% over 10 years. Buyout = $120,000; payment 120,000 ÷ 120 = $1,000; loan-to-value 40%.
Other questions people ask
How is a divorce buyout calculated?
Find the equity, the home value minus what is owed on it, then multiply by the leaving spouse’s share. A $450,000 home with $250,000 owed has $200,000 of equity; a 50% share is a $100,000 buyout.
Should selling costs come off the value first?
Some agreements deduct the costs a sale would have had, such as agent fees, because the leaving spouse is spared them; others do not. Type the percent your agreement uses, or 0.
How do I pay a buyout?
Often by refinancing: a new mortgage pays off the old one and pays the buyout in cash. The calculator shows that new loan, its loan-to-value, and the monthly principal and interest.
What loan-to-value can I refinance at?
Each lender and loan program sets a maximum loan-to-value for a refinance that takes cash out, and you must keep the rest of the value as equity. Ask your lender for its limit and compare it with the loan-to-value shown here.
Is a divorce buyout taxed?
Property transferred between spouses incident to a divorce is generally not subject to gain or loss (IRS Publication 504). A later sale can be taxed; ask a tax professional.
Is the equity always split 50/50?
No. The split depends on your agreement, state law and the court. Type the share that applies to you.