Spousal buyout mortgages.
Keep the home, settle the split, and untangle the debts — financed up to 95% of value on qualifying files, across BC and Alberta.
A separation forces a brutal question onto the family home: sell it into a market you didn't choose, or find a way for one of you to keep it. The financing exists for the second answer — a buyout structured as a purchase can reach 95% of the home's value, far beyond a normal refinance — but it lives on paperwork: the agreement, the appraisal, the support math, and one income where two used to qualify. We handle these files with the discretion they deserve, alongside your lawyer, on your timeline.
Both sides of the split, financed properly.
One spouse keeps the home and finances the other's share out — the core file, structured as a purchase where possible for stronger leverage.
Equalization payments and settlement obligations funded through the home's equity.
Shared cards and loans paid out in the same transaction, so the split is actually clean.
The spouse who leaves buys their next home — with support income and the settlement counted properly.
The household qualified together; now one income has to carry it — placed with lenders who read support and new reality fairly.
Short-term equity funding when the settlement can't wait for the agreement to finalize.
Missed payments during the separation handled on the Alternative side, with the route back to prime mapped.
The same structure works for siblings, friends, and former partners untangling a shared title.
Three ways to fund a buyout.
The right lane depends on the agreement, the equity, and whose income carries the file. We size all three before recommending one.
The buyout is treated like a purchase rather than a refinance — which is exactly why leverage can reach 95% instead of the usual 80% refinance ceiling. The separation agreement and an appraisal drive the file.
The workhorse when the buyout doesn't fit the insured program — or when separation-era credit needs a season on the Alternative side before prime pricing returns.
Court dates and closing dates don't wait for underwriting. A bridge funds the buyout on time; the permanent mortgage replaces it once the paperwork catches up.
Rates, ratios, and leverage are typical ranges for illustration — last reviewed July 2026 — and depend on the file. Working with family-law counsel? Our family & divorce lawyer page explains how we coordinate.
Files like yours.
Common separation-financing questions.
How does a spousal buyout mortgage work?+
The spouse keeping the home takes a new mortgage large enough to pay out the existing one plus the departing spouse's share of the equity. Structured under a buyout program, the transaction is treated like a purchase — which is why financing can reach 95% of the home's value on qualifying files instead of the usual 80% refinance limit.
Can I really finance up to 95% of the home to buy out my ex?+
On qualifying files, yes — that's the defining feature of the spousal buyout program. You'll need a signed separation agreement, an appraisal, and income that carries the new mortgage under the stress test. Above insured price limits or on non-owner-occupied property, the ceiling drops to conventional levels.
Do child support and spousal support count as income?+
Receiving support can count toward qualifying, with lenders differing on seasoning and documentation; paying support is treated as a liability that reduces what you qualify for. Both sides of that ledger are placement decisions — the same numbers survive at one lender and fail at another.
Can the buyout also clear our joint debts?+
Usually, yes — and it's often the difference between a clean break and years of tangled statements. Joint cards, lines, and loans can be paid out within the buyout transaction so each spouse leaves with only their own name on their own debts.
What if I can't qualify alone yet?+
There are lanes: Alternative lenders read one income more flexibly for a season, a co-signer can bridge the qualifying gap, or a private bridge holds the home while support begins flowing and the dust settles. 'Not at a bank today' is not the same as 'sell the house.'
Do we need the separation agreement finalized first?+
For the insured buyout program, a signed agreement is required at funding — but the file can be built, appraised, and approved in parallel with the lawyers finishing it. When a deadline can't wait, a private bridge funds first and the permanent mortgage follows the paperwork.
What happens to the mortgage we already have together?+
It's paid out and replaced by the new mortgage in the keeping spouse's name — which also releases the departing spouse from the covenant, something a simple 'name removal' often can't do. That release is usually the departing spouse's single biggest financial reason to want the buyout done properly.
Working through a buyout? Have these ready.
The agreement and the appraisal anchor everything — the rest can be gathered while the lawyers finish.
- Separation agreement — signed, or the current draft (buyout files can start on a draft)
- Current mortgage statement and property tax bill
- An appraisal or a realistic sense of the home's value — we can order
- Proof of income for the keeping spouse — plus support paperwork if support is part of qualifying
- T1s and Notices of Assessment, last 2 years
- List of joint debts to be paid out in the transaction
- The agreed buyout figure — or the equalization math from your lawyers
- Photo ID and void cheque
Keeping the home is often possible. Find out quietly.
Tell us the home's value, the mortgage balance, and the buyout figure — confidentially — and we'll tell you whether one income can carry it, before positions harden at the negotiating table.