Could we keep the house for a while and take turns living there with the children?
Answered by Chris Deutsch, Founder & Editor
Licensed Minnesota Realtor #20382264 ·
The short answer
It has a name — nesting — and yes, some Minnesota parents do it. The children stay in the house; the parents rotate in and out, usually sharing an apartment or staying with family on off weeks. The appeal is real. School stays stable, bedrooms stay theirs, and nobody packs a suitcase except the adults.
On stage The 60-second answer
Captions on · Transcript below
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Chris's video answer is on its way. Until then, the short answer above says the same thing.
The transcript posts with the video.
The longer answer
It works best as a bridge, not a destination. You're funding the house plus at least one other place, and you stay financially tied to each other — shared mortgage, shared repairs, shared decisions. The arrangements that end well tend to have an end written in: a date or a trigger for the sale, set in the decree. That's your attorney's drafting work; I'm not a lawyer, and this isn't legal advice.
When the nesting season ends, I'll handle the sale calmly. The house did its job. Just call.
The next department over
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From the editor's desk
“As Founder and Editor, I review, correct, and stand behind every answer.”
Is your situation more specific than the market? That's the one worth talking through.