Aspen Leaf Divorce Mortgage Planning

11/03/2026

"Just offset the house with retirement" sounds clean at the settlement table.

The Divorce Lending Association's November issue of Divorce Mortgage Insights takes a closer look. In its illustrative example, the spouse keeping the house gives up $100,000 of their share of a retirement account to keep a 3 percent mortgage. Left to grow at 6 percent for 20 years, that $100,000 could be about $320,000.

The article makes a second point that often gets missed: a dollar in a pre-tax retirement account is not the same as a dollar of home equity. How much they differ is a question for the case's tax professional, but it belongs in the conversation before the offset is agreed.

That's not an argument against the offset. Selling and refinancing carry their own costs, and the article compares all three side by side. The point is that each path should be priced before one is chosen.

As a Certified Divorce Lending Professional (CDLP®), I work alongside attorneys, mediators, and financial professionals on exactly this kind of comparison.

Read the full article here: https://divorcebriefings.com/4BFYwB7

10/31/2026

Most mortgage professionals don't see a divorce file until the decree is signed, the agreement is locked in, and the damage is done. They get called in to execute.

I work the other way around.

As a Certified Divorce Lending Professional (CDLP®), I'm on the divorce team from the first client meeting — alongside the attorney, the mediator, the financial neutral. Not at closing. At intake.

Because the marital home isn't a line item. It's where the settlement either holds together or quietly falls apart 18 months later.

Here's what I bring to the team:

→ Settlement-ready strategy that aligns legal intent with what the mortgage will actually allow
→ Mortgage Capacity Mapping™ — refinance, buy-out, and assumption scenarios in real numbers
→ Risk and fraud prevention on title, credit, and disclosure
→ Tax and equity clarity coordinated with the financial team
→ A post-decree housing plan that survives the first 24 months

Emotions drive divorce. Math protects the outcome.

If you have a divorce case with a home on the asset list, let's talk before the settlement language gets written — not after.

Message me directly or call/email to set up a quick consult. I'm happy to walk through how I work alongside your team.

10/30/2026

As October comes to a close, so does Domestic Violence Awareness Month but the need for awareness and understanding continues.

I recently completed the Coercive Control Professionals Certification Training, designed specifically for family law professionals and expert witnesses.

This training goes beyond my required education as a CDLP®.

For me, it’s personal.

I know how deeply abuse can affect someone’s confidence, financial security, and ability to move forward. Continuing to build the knowledge and skills to better understand and serve my clients is a priority.

Financial abuse can leave lasting consequences, especially when someone is trying to untangle finances, protect their housing, and rebuild their life during divorce.

Hotline if you need help. 800-799-SAFE

10/29/2026

Approvable, sustainable, and affordable are three different questions — and a settlement that only answers the first one often produces a client back in court 18 months later.

This piece explains how one structured report evaluates all three before the decree, and how it's designed to be used by the attorney, the mediator, and the financial neutral on the same case.

If you've ever watched a housing term unravel post-decree, this will resonate: https://bit.ly/49cE665

10/27/2026

The house is on the table in almost every divorce. Who keeps it, how the buyout is structured, and whether the loan can be refinanced. Attorneys, mediators, and financial neutrals each bring something essential to those decisions.

Is your divorce team complete?

As a Certified Divorce Lending Professional (CDLP®), I practice Divorce Mortgage Planning as an integral member of the professional divorce team. My role is to help test whether the housing plan being negotiated is one the parties can actually carry out.

I’m not there to replace anyone at the table. I’m there to work alongside you, so the decisions about the house are built on a clear understanding of what is financially feasible.

If you work with divorcing clients, I’d welcome a conversation about how we can work together.

10/23/2026

As an Ambassador for the Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce I enjoy attending ribbon cuttings to support and promote our local businesses here in Castle Rock.
Every once in awhile there is one that is extra special.
Yesterday's ribbon cutting for Equity Title of Colorado, Inc. with Wendi Milinkov and Elizabeth White was one of those.
I was honored to hold the ribbon as they cut it and officially opened their Castle Rock office.

Equity Title of Colorado has officially kicked off our Castle Rock location with a little Oktoberfest food themed ribbon cutting party today! We’re excited to be a part of the Castle Rock community! Thanks to everyone who came by our new office—it was great to see you. 😊

10/23/2026

Depending on the time of year, I have different places in my house where I like to drink my morning coffee.

When the mornings get chilly, I move to my front window.

Something about the view reminds me of my Grandma’s house in Easton, PA.

The Aspen tree and fall colors ground my soul as I start the day.

10/22/2026

If you're thinking about divorce — or already in one — here's a question most people don't think to ask early enough:

*Can I actually afford to keep the house on my own?*

Not "do I want to keep it." Not "can we negotiate that I get it." But, when the dust settles and I'm the only name on the mortgage — will the math actually work?

There's no shame in not knowing the answer. Most people don't, because mortgage qualification after divorce involves things you've never had to think about:

How long you've been receiving support payments. How a buyout affects your equity position. What debts get reassigned to you. What your income looks like *on paper* to a lender after the marriage ends.

A Certified Divorce Lending Professional (CDLP®) is specifically trained to walk you through all of it — in four phases, starting with a Discovery conversation that costs you nothing but might save you a lot of heartache later.

If you want clarity before you sign anything, reach out. It's what I'm here for.

10/20/2026

"Is this loan assumable?"

It's one of the most common questions I hear in divorce cases, and it often gets an accurate answer to the wrong question.

When someone calls the servicer and asks, the answer usually comes from the note, which covers selling the house to a buyer. But a transfer between spouses under a divorce decree follows a different set of rules. A correct "no" can still close a door the case never looked behind.

And even when the answer is yes, "assume the mortgage" can mean three very different outcomes. Only one of them actually releases the spouse who is leaving.

This article walks through the four questions that matter before a settlement agreement is signed.

Read it here: https://www.divorcelendingassociation.com/blog/is-the-mortgage-assumable-in-a-divorce-ask-this-instead.cfm

If you have a case where the house and the mortgage are part of the settlement, let's talk while the agreement is still a draft. As a Certified Divorce Lending Professional (CDLP®), this is exactly the work I do.