Can I buy a new place before the divorce is final?

First, anything bought before the decree can be presumed marital property in Minnesota — yes, potentially including the apartment-sized condo you bought to escape the marital house. Attorneys handle this with consent language or settlement terms that carve the new purchase out; skipping that step is how a fresh start grows a claim on it. Second, lenders: until obligations are final, they may count the old mortgage, estimated support, and the buyout against you, which can shrink what you qualify for. Third, paperwork: a title company may want your spouse's signature or a marital-interest waiver to close cleanly.

None of this means wait — sometimes buying now is right, especially when the settlement is nearly inked. It means sequence it: attorney first, lender second, house hunt third. I'm not a lawyer, and this isn't legal advice. When you're cleared to look, I'll make the looking easy.