The Mortgage Mistake That Traps Divorcing Spouses | Jody Bruns

Most people going through divorce ask, "How do I keep the house?" But what if that's the wrong question entirely?

Katherine sits down with Jody Bruns, founder and president of the Divorce Lending Association and author of A House Divided: A Guide to Mortgage Financing and Divorce, to unpack the emotional and financial complexities of housing decisions during divorce.

Jody explains why treating the house as a purely financial asset misses the point, and why feasibility today doesn't guarantee sustainability tomorrow. She and Katherine dig into the hidden costs people overlook, from insurance and title risk to the tax trade-offs of holding onto a low mortgage rate, and why "can I qualify" is a very different question than "can I actually afford my life."

Get insights about separating the emotional pull of the family home from the numbers, and why real stability might mean letting go.

In this conversation, you'll learn:

Why the mortgage math is only part of the equation, and what "feasible, affordable, and sustainable" really means;The hidden risks in insurance and title that most divorcing homeowners never see coming;Why refinancing hesitancy over a low interest rate can cost you more than it saves; andHow reframing "how do I keep the house" as "how do I create a stable future" changes the decision entirely

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Jody Bruns

(00:58) Why the house is so hard to let go of

(03:16) Why the house sits at the intersection of finances and identity

(05:01) The Colorado mom and the baseball tournament story

(07:40) Why "treat it like a business deal" is bad advice