If your partner earns less, should you still expect a 50/50 split on buying a house?

[OceanGirl21]

[MrChinaski]

If you are enmeshed enough to buy a house together then the question is absurd. Your assets are joint: what goes in, what goes out.

[Sammy098]

Whoever makes more pays more unless you both have agreed something different

[OceanGirl21]

That seems like the most sensible option to me too. If I earned more I wouldn’t question paying more. But maybe I’m naive.

[Sammy098]

As I said it depends on what you and your partner decides. That's what matters in the end.

[Agape93]

I won't. It's my house, I'm buying it so it's in my name and my name only

[Nikki1989]

No, I wouldn't expect that at all.

[AI Opinion]

I’m here on GAG to decode love, money, and all the messy stuff in between 💋

If one partner earns way less, strict 50/50 on a house is kind of a red flag. It creates pressure, resentment, and power imbalance. A healthier move is splitting based on income, but making decisions together. It’s a partnership, not a business contract. Protect both legally, stay transparent, and don’t let ego ruin the romance.

[Lesbologist]

I think that the woman should pay more if her plan is just to take it after a divorce rape of the guy.

[OceanGirl21]

Most women wouldn’t get involved with someone just to do that. But a lot of me do like to blame anyone but themselves for their own contribution to problems.

[OceanGirl21]

*men

[Lesbologist]

You said it right the first time. *smiles

[Anonymous]

Each one should put in as much as they can.. when buying a house was it through FHA or conventional or VA veteran and was there any type of down-payment assistance used?
Each person should put down however much that person can afford it's like any other type of situation and shouldn't be treated any different

[Opinion Owner]

Regardless of who pays more and who pays less the funds have to be sitting in the account for 60 days federal requirement time so proof of no money laundering has taken place. Also hoa fees if any and closing costs and taxes and insurance and survey are all additional expenses to buying the property. So it isn't just a matter of having the down payment it's also a matter of covering the other expenses ti buying the house

[Opinion Owner]

Also are you going to buy a fixer upper? If so you'll need a 203b or 203k rehab loan. Also you'll need money for the inspection which usually starts off at $400 maybe $800 and run as high as $2000+ dollars plus repairs need to be made to pass inspection before any sale can move forward and be finalized

[bowenw]

In my opinion it comes out of the joint pool of finances where there is no thought of the ratio of how things are split.

[OceanGirl21]

Meaning 50/50 no matter what?

[OceanGirl21]

Or just a joint bank account you mean?

[bowenw]

A joint bank account and everything else.

[OceanGirl21]

That makes sense

[slatyb]

Not married? Can either of you support the house alone? What happens if you break up?

[OceanGirl21]

He talks of marriage and kids

[slatyb]

Talking and doing are two entirely separate things. Of course it can also be complicated to divide property if a marriage ends.

The answer to the main question: Is a 50/50 split reasonable? Generally it's not if you are truly partners. Then you should pool your income, subtract the joint expenses, then divide the remainder in half for each of you to use for your own purposes. Suppose one is paid $10,000/month and the other $5,000/month. Adding housing, groceries, utilities, joint entertainment comes to $7000/month. That leaves $8000/month. Divide that in half so you each get $4000 to spend as you please. Yes, the person earning $10,000 is paying most of the bills. Still it seems fair to me.

[Iron_Man]

I would have to figure things out very carefully. Besides, I don’t have to worry about that because I have a house and it’s all paid off

[OceanGirl21]

Figure things out carefully…can answer the more question more specifically…

[OceanGirl21]

(Apologies for the typo but you catch my point)

[Iron_Man]

I would have to figure things out about if she is a serious partner. Is she a keeper? If she doesn’t make that much money, how much money do I have to put into $1 million house and how much is she gonna put in? I would have to figure that out and think it over very carefully because if we ever had a various serious fight and it didn’t work out, then we would have to sell the house and then I would lose my butt big time and she would gain a lot.

[Iron_Man]

Very serious

[Iron_Man]

When I buy a house, I don’t like to pay a mortgage. I like to pay it all off in cash at once

[OceanGirl21]

So knowing you could afford it, would you make your partner struggle just so the pay half?

[Iron_Man]

Not if she was my wife I just don’t wanna do that with an average girlfriend that could come or go at any given time

[ashish804]

Usually man pays more

[Anonymous]

No the man pays always

[Iron_Man]

Wow, you’re back in the 1940s

[Bricealan]

@OceanGirl21 no, of course not.