A story to make all the single renters feel better: It was back in August 2007, a happy time when the real estate boom was still chugging along, that the New York Times ran a Sunday Styles story on the couples who were waiting to divorce--and sell their home--based on housing prices. One New York woman, who eventually left her husband and moved to a California condo, wanted to wait till the market hit its peak before she sold their shared Manhattan condo. The real estate agent who rep'd the woman told the Times: "She felt that she couldn’t walk out on him until she had the money to move away and buy something on her own. The real estate market allowed her to buy her freedom.” Fast forward to these bleak times and couples are now forced to stay together, according to the Associated Press, which profiles the case of David Snyder and Nancy Partridge. "The Denver couple divorced after six years of marriage but have been forced to live together for months because they can't sell their place or afford to set up separate households in this slumping economy." Terrible. According to that Times story, big dips in wealth--either gains or losses--often precede a divorce, although research shows that those couple were already suffering problems, ie, the money was just the catalyst.
· Couples staying together because of poor economy [AP]
· Buy Low, Divorce High [NY Times]
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