{"id":7705,"date":"2026-08-26T07:27:35","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T11:27:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/?p=7705"},"modified":"2026-08-26T07:27:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T11:27:36","slug":"buying-a-home-while-unmarried-the-struggle-is-real","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/buying-a-home-while-unmarried-the-struggle-is-real\/","title":{"rendered":"Buying a Home While Unmarried? The Struggle Is Real"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Some call it the single tax for homeownership. Not actually collected by a tax agency, but yes. The single buyer is strangely disadvantaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pause for a moment to consider that the median house price is well over $400K. Once prices rise to that level, paying close to $3,000 in monthly housing costs becomes normal in many places. How is a solo buyer on today\u2019s average income (which is under $70K) going to handle that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No wonder so many deed holders are married people. And no wonder Gen Z is being described as a co-buying generation.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a single home seeker\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s Just Plain Harder to Save in the First Place.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Married people accumulate much more wealth together than they would as the sum of their parts. Married couples can pool finances and serve as buffers for each other\u2019s rough periods. They can file taxes as one unit. They can inherit without having to deal with the time and costs of probate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then there\u2019s the fact that salaries haven\u2019t kept up with inflation for the current generation of home buyers. Can a full-time worker save enough to become a single deed holder?  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, single women do remarkably well in this real estate market. They\u2019re the majority of solo home hunters. We say that\u2019s remarkable because the gender pay gap is one more hurdle for a woman who needs a mortgage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some look off the beaten path for financing strategies. They do their research into state and federal down payment grants<\/a>. These programs can make a purchase happen for a solo buyer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In any case, rents are so high in most desirable areas that not<\/em> buying creates a strain on many singles as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if you are unmarried and do decide to buy, there\u2019s a difference between buying solo and buying with an unmarried partner. Let\u2019s take a look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buying a Home With an Unmarried Partner Has Particular Risks.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The divorce process helps ensure at least some semblance of fairness. One spouse may be able to keep the home, while the other receives a fair settlement for their time, efforts, and investments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But for unmarried co-owners who separate and can\u2019t agree, a court would typically have the deed holders sell the home. The only way for unmarried co-owners to reliably protect their equity interests is to have a written, signed cohabitation agreement in place before closing day. Here are the issues the agreement would address:<\/p>\n\n\n\n