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Title options, ownership agreements and mortgage basics for couples who want the paperwork to match the plan.
Title is the legal answer to the question, who owns this house? Married couples, registered partners and unmarried partners can have different default rules depending on the state, so the form of ownership deserves a conversation before the offer, not after.
Common options include joint tenancy with survivorship rights, tenancy in common with defined shares, and holding the home in a trust. Each handles inheritance and sale differently.
If one partner contributes more to the down payment or earns more, say so in an agreement. It does not mean you trust each other less. It means that a future version of both of you has a document to point to instead of a memory.
Both applicants are evaluated, and the lower credit score often drives the rate. If one partner's credit is in recovery, ask a loan officer whether applying with one income, or waiting a few months, saves money overall.
A house is one piece of a plan. Wills, powers of attorney, health care directives and beneficiary designations work alongside the deed. An attorney can review the whole picture in one visit, and your agent can introduce someone who does this every week.
Yes. Lenders evaluate each borrower's income, credit and debts. Marital status is not required to apply together.
Most attorneys recommend it, particularly when contributions are unequal or when friends or family buy together.