Buying a Home with a Partner or Friend? Here’s What Unmarried Buyers Need to Know

Buying real estate with someone you’re not married to—whether it’s a romantic partner, friend, sibling, or business partner—is increasingly common. But without proper planning, these co-buying arrangements can lead to serious legal and financial disputes. Here’s what every unmarried buyer in Connecticut or New York needs to know before signing on the dotted line.

1. Choose the Right Form of Ownership

Unmarried buyers typically choose between:

• Joint Tenancy with Right of Survivorship (JTWROS): If one owner passes away, the other automatically inherits their share.
• Tenancy in Common (TIC): Each owner holds a defined share, which can be passed to heirs or sold independently.

Choosing the wrong form of ownership could impact inheritance rights, taxation, and control over the property.

2. Draft a Co-Ownership Agreement

A real estate attorney can draft a co-ownership agreement to outline:

• How the purchase price and expenses are split
• Who handles maintenance and taxes
• What happens if one party wants to sell, move out, or passes away
• Dispute resolution terms

Think of it as a “business plan” for your property—critical for avoiding misunderstandings later.

3. Understand the Risks Without Legal Protections

If you’re not legally married, you won’t have the same rights as spouses under property or family law. For example:

• You may not automatically inherit your partner’s share
• If you break up, there’s no divorce process to divide assets fairly
• Credit issues or bankruptcy of one party could affect the whole property

Legal planning now prevents costly litigation later.

4. Hire a Real Estate Lawyer Early

From title issues to contract terms, a real estate attorney ensures you’re protected throughout the purchase process. They’ll also help draft a custom co-ownership agreement tailored to your financial and relationship dynamics.

Buying a home together can be an exciting step—but it also comes with legal risks. At Glouzgal Law, we help unmarried co-buyers in CT and NY protect their investments and their relationships.

Contact us today for a consultation on how to co-own real estate the smart way – 203-885-0500

The post Co‑Purchasing a Home? Legal Tips for Unmarried Buyers appeared first on Glouzgal Law PLLC.

Title insurance is not required by law but is usually required by lenders; and is always a good idea for homeowners. Even when a title search is conducted, title insurance is necessary in case there are defects in title that arise in the future that were not or could not have been identified at the time of closing.

You can shop around find your own title insurance company or you can ask your real estate attorney who they prefer to work with.

What is the price of title insurance?

Title Insurance rates are regulated by the Superintendent of Insurance; so rates should be extremely similar between companies. The price of title insurance will vary based on the type of property, the purchase price and loan amount.

One of the companies we work with, CATIC Title, has a calculator on their website which will give live quotes for title insurance policies. You will need the following information to get your title insurance quote:

• Purchase Price, if it’s a purchase
• Loan Amount
• The type of property it is
• Whether you are doing a purchase or a refinance
• the town the property is in

Please visit the link below to access the CATIC Title New York Policy Premium Rate Calculator

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