Stephen Micham NMLS # 140175

09/03/2026

Emotions drive many housing decisions in divorce, but numbers tell the truth.

Partnering with a Certified Divorce Lending Professional (CDLP®) helps family law professionals protect clients from financial missteps tied to the marital home. Discover how to turn emotions into factual math and secure better outcomes: http://bit.ly/47nxro0

09/02/2026

09/01/2026

A client tells you she just needs to keep the house. It usually arrives before the intake is even finished, and it sounds like a clear instruction rather than a question.

The Divorce Lending Association's September briefing argues that it is the wrong question, and I think the argument is right.

Not because keeping the home is a bad outcome. Because "how do I keep the house" has a binary answer, and a yes gets recorded as a win. The briefing's point is that yes is not one answer. It is at least three:

Yes, you qualify. That is not the same as yes, you can carry it. Yes, you can keep it. Here is what keeping it costs. Yes, and here is what the same dollars would have done instead.

In my experience only the first one gets tested before signing. The other two show up in year two.

The better question the piece proposes is forward-facing: how does this house fit into the life I am about to live? That one does not resolve to a yes or a no. It resolves to a design, and it opens four inquiries that determine whether a settlement holds.

Worth reading if you have housing questions open on a current file. It also covers how to raise the reframe in the room without it sounding like a refusal.

https://divorcebriefings.com/4yedAmL

If you have a file where the housing question is still open, I would rather look at it now than after the decree is entered.

08/29/2026

The risk in divorce isn’t the house. It’s the assumption.

Assuming someone can refinance.
Assuming income will qualify.
Assuming debt on paper translates to debt in underwriting.

These assumptions are where breakdowns happen.

Because mortgage guidelines don’t interpret intent—they evaluate structure.

When housing decisions are made without validating:
• Income continuance and usability
• Debt-to-income impact
• Title and liability exposure
• Timing of ex*****on

The result is often a settlement that cannot be implemented as written.

This is the gap Divorce Mortgage Planning is designed to solve.

It ensures that real property decisions are not only negotiated—but actually executable within lending guidelines.

For professionals, this is about protecting the integrity of the agreement.
For clients, it’s about protecting their financial future.

If you’re involved in a divorce case with real estate, the question isn’t what was agreed to—
it’s whether it will work.

Let’s connect.

08/27/2026

If you've hesitated to bring a CDLP® into a case because you weren't sure it was big enough to warrant it, this is for you.

There is no minimum. A case can be one question about whether your client can qualify on their own income. It can also be months of analysis ending in testimony. Same credential, same standard of care, entirely different work.

You are not expected to scope the engagement before you refer. Scoping it is what I do first.

What I'd rather avoid is the version where the question goes unasked because the case didn't seem to justify a call.

08/25/2026

Great news for USDA buyers! USDA income limits have increased for 2026, which means more buyers may now qualify.

Wondering if USDA is an option for you? Let’s review your numbers and explore what’s possible!

08/20/2026

Many divorce settlements fail after the decree. Not because the agreement was unfair, but because it was never aligned with lending reality.

One of the most overlooked risks in divorce cases is assuming that housing decisions negotiated in settlement will automatically translate into mortgage approval.

They don’t.

Mortgage underwriting follows strict guidelines around income history, debt allocation, credit, and documentation. If those factors aren’t evaluated during settlement negotiations, clients may later discover that the refinance, buyout, or new home purchase written into the decree simply isn’t achievable.

This is why integrating Divorce Mortgage Planning early in the case matters.

As a Certified Divorce Lending Professional (CDLP®), my role on the divorce team is to help align:

• Settlement terms
• Mortgage qualification requirements
• Real property decisions
• Long-term housing sustainability

When legal intent and lending guidelines are evaluated together, settlements become not only legally enforceable but financially executable.

For attorneys, mediators, and financial professionals, this integration can reduce post-decree surprises, protect your client’s housing outcome, and strengthen the durability of the agreement.

If you work with cases involving real property, this article is worth a read. https://bit.ly/4rCkLSb

How are you currently integrating mortgage feasibility into your settlement strategy?

08/18/2026

An engagement with me can take twenty minutes. It can also run for months and end with expert testimony.

Same credential. Same standard of care. Entirely different work.

The work is built in layers: from a few answers early, before assumptions harden, all the way to testimony on the stand. Which layer a case calls for is set by the circumstances of the divorce, not by the credential.

What damages clients isn't starting small. It's the mismatch: a quick answer standing in where the case needed full mortgage capacity analysis, or a trial fought over housing feasibility with no qualified expert in the record.

You don't have to figure out which layer your client's case needs before you call me. That's my job.

Send me the case at whatever layer it's in.

Read the full article: https://divorcebriefings.com/Layers

08/13/2026

Divorce is stressful enough without unexpected financial surprises. Many people don’t realize their credit report may be hiding details that can affect housing options and long-term financial stability.

▪️Joint accounts can still impact your score after divorce
▪️Missed payments affect both parties, even if the court says otherwise
▪️Hidden liabilities can stand in the way of mortgage approval

As a Certified Divorce Lending Professional (CDLP®), I help uncover these risks early and create a plan that protects your credit and your ability to secure housing after divorce.

Read more in this article from the Divorce Lending Association: http://bit.ly/3ISFPUf

You deserve clarity and stability as you move forward. Don’t let hidden credit issues stand in the way of your fresh start.