Courtney's realtyreport®

The Perfect Pairing

In this season of valentine bliss, many couples find themselves having that all-important heart-to-heart conversation about what they envision for their future together. If that future includes a view as to what your perfect love nest would look like, now's the time to be honest about what each of your ideas, and ideals, are for your shared home.

Put a pot of coffee on, pull up a chair, and get the discussion started.

• You might as well start with the tough stuff, and that means laying out your financial status, warts and all. This is the time for each of you to disclose your income, savings and credit score, and come clean on all your debts and financial obligations. You'll also have to discuss how you intend to approach the purchase of the home and the costs to run it, whether that's splitting all financial obligations down the middle or making some other arrangement.


• Here's another potentially tough discussion — deciding whose name will go on the deed. "Sole ownership" means just one person is shown as the legal owner of the property, "Joint Tenancy (with Right of Survivorship)" means that each of the two owners have a 50 percent stake in the property, and should one owner die, the other inherits sole ownership, and "Tenants in Common" means that each owner can own a different percentage of the home, and specify who they would like to leave their share of the home to should they pass away. Be sure to consult a real estate attorney for details before making your decision.


• From there, it's time to connect with a qualified real estate representative who will work to find the perfect home that fits your wants, needs and budget!