“The starting point is what the title deeds say you each own, but if one of you paid more deposit, mortgage, or improvements, that can shift the split through equitable accounting. I would get two or three estate agent valuations, tot up the net equity after mortgage and sale costs, then offer your brother first refusal to buy you out at that figure.”

“I see this most often when heirs inherit a house as tenants in common: one sibling wants to keep it, the other wants cash. If your brother can buy out your share at fair market value, that is usually the cleanest split. Get a written agreement and an appraisal so neither side feels shorted later.”

“Get a professional appraisal and a CMA so you both agree on the house's real value before anyone talks about a buyout. If your brother keeps the home, he should refinance into his own name and pay you your equity share at closing, not promise it later.”

“Fair usually starts with a real market value, not a Zestimate or what your parents paid, and a clear plan for who pays the mortgage, taxes, and upkeep while one of you lives there. I watched too many siblings agree on a fair number that fell apart six months later because nobody wrote down the carrying costs.”

“In Ontario, the matrimonial home is usually divided equally, but if your brother wants to keep it and you want to sell, a buyout at fair market value is the cleanest path. Get an independent, court-defensible appraisal, not a guess, and make sure he can actually qualify to refinance the mortgage on his own before anyone commits.”

“I’ve watched this split a dozen ways, and the cleanest path is one appraisal, one buyout number, and a written agreement before anyone moves money. Your brother keeps the house at fair market value, pays you half the equity minus your share of the usual selling costs, and you both sleep at night.”

“I usually tell clients to start with the net equity, not the love of the house: fair market value minus mortgage, liens, and selling costs, then figure out whether your brother can actually refinance or buy you out. If he can't, co-owning with a written exit plan beats forcing a sale neither of you really wants.”

“My seven-year fight with my siblings cost $50,000 in legal fees over a house we could not agree on. Fair here means a current appraisal, a clear buyout price, and a written agreement before anyone moves in, because we’ll figure it out later is where families stop talking.”

“The fairest split usually starts with two numbers: the house's market value and what each of you has put into it, including mortgage payments, taxes, improvements, and upkeep. If your brother wants to keep it, he can buy out your share at that net value, or you can sell to a third party and divide the proceeds after costs.”