The idea of buying a house and leaving your spouse off the deed is becoming more and more common. The spouses live in the home together but only one name is on the title. This is especially common with people entering their second or third marriage later in life.
The reasons of buying a home without your spouse begin with using money you earned or inherited before the marriage. This way the property is clearly in your name and can be sold at your sole discretion.
Another reason to buy a home by yourself is you could get a better deal from a lender. This is the case if you have better credit history and a higher credit score than your spouse. Just because they made mistakes in the past doesn’t mean you have to pay for them now.
Speaking of bad credit, if your spouse is being pursued for past debts, keeping their name off the deed means their creditors can’t go after your property. It’s a way to protect yourself from any mistakes your spouse has made in the past or future mistakes for that matter.
The downsides of being the sole owner of the home mean all communications with the homeowner’s association have to be through you. Your spouse will have no legal claim to speak on your behalf for anything.
This also means that the home won’t help you and your spouse build wealth together. If you are buying the house just yourself then the debt and equity if yours alone. In most cases buying a home without the other spouse means the couple will keep all finances separate.
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