The New Reality: Divorced Yet Living Together for Financial Reasons
In an era of soaring mortgage rates and housing costs, some divorced couples are pioneering an unconventional living arrangement: sharing property after their marriage has legally ended. This emerging trend, while challenging emotionally, offers financial relief during a time when the housing market feels increasingly inaccessible. The stories of these former couples illustrate how economic pressures are reshaping traditional post-divorce dynamics, forcing people to prioritize financial stability over complete separation.
Ryan Hambry and Morgan Dickson exemplify this new reality. Though their divorce was finalized in April, they continue to share their Cape Canaveral, Florida property – not out of lingering affection, but because of their enviable 2% mortgage rate. Neither wants to forfeit this financial advantage by selling and entering today’s punishing housing market with substantially higher interest rates. Their solution is creative yet complicated: Hambry resides in the main beach bungalow while Dickson lives in an Airstream trailer parked in the yard. Their children split time between both living spaces, creating what the family playfully calls a nightly “camp out” as the kids move between the house and trailer. Despite the practicality of their arrangement, emotional boundaries remain challenging. As Hambry noted, “The finances can work. The boundaries are harder.” He sometimes feels as though they’re still married because of Dickson’s proximity, yet the absence of intimacy and other marital elements makes their separation unmistakable.
Even more complex is the arrangement between Megan Meyer, her current husband Michael Flores, and her ex-husband Tyler, who all live together under one roof in South Carolina. This blended household arrangement serves both their financial interests and what they believe are the best interests of their children – Megan and Tyler’s 3-year-old daughter, Ryann, and the 18-month-old son Megan shares with Michael. For this 25-year-old mother, the unconventional living situation simply “makes sense” from a practical standpoint. It brings her daughter’s biological parents together in one household while allowing them to share housing costs in an increasingly expensive market. Their relationship has evolved into a platonic arrangement focused on co-parenting and financial prudence rather than lingering romantic attachments or typical post-divorce animosity.
However, relationship experts caution that such arrangements require exceptional emotional maturity and aren’t suitable for most divorced couples. According to Kerrie Mohr, a New York City relationship therapist with 25 years of experience, both former spouses “must have enough emotional maturity to live with their ex, as well as his or her new partner.” The arrangement can only benefit children if all adults have properly healed from their relationship wounds before attempting to establish a new co-living dynamic. Without proper emotional resolution, such living situations risk exposing children to ongoing tension or conflict, potentially causing more harm than the financial benefits might justify. The arrangement requires adults to prioritize the children’s well-being above any lingering resentments or discomforts they might feel about their unusual living circumstances.
Success in these post-divorce cohabitation arrangements depends on establishing clear boundaries and communication strategies. Mohr emphasizes that participants must maintain a strong focus on their “Why?” – the core reason they’ve chosen to set aside personal issues to share living space with an ex-spouse and potentially their new partner. This motivating purpose serves as a “North Star” when inevitable tensions arise. For most couples attempting this arrangement, that guiding purpose combines financial necessity with a commitment to providing stability for their children. The financial realities driving these decisions are stark: today’s mortgage rates, which have climbed significantly in recent years, make refinancing or purchasing new homes prohibitively expensive for many recently divorced individuals.
These arrangements reflect a broader societal shift where economic pressures are forcing people to reconsider conventional relationship and living norms. What was once unthinkable – continuing to live with an ex-spouse after divorce – has become a practical solution for some families facing the harsh realities of today’s housing market. While certainly not appropriate for all situations, especially those involving past abuse or high conflict, these unorthodox arrangements demonstrate how some families are adapting to economic constraints with creativity and pragmatism. As housing costs continue to challenge traditional living arrangements, more divorced couples may find themselves weighing the emotional complexities of shared living against the financial benefits it provides. For those who can navigate the emotional terrain successfully, these arrangements offer a way to maintain financial stability during a life transition that traditionally depletes resources and security for all involved.
