Maryland

How Is a House Valued in a Maryland Divorce?

Get one number both spouses accept. Three ways work: a licensed appraiser, two independent valuations, or a written price opinion from an agent. Agree in writing on the method and a tiebreak rule before anyone orders anything. Maryland Family Law Article section 8-205 has the court determine value first. Ask your attorney which date and method apply.

By Marc Cormier

Licenses: Maryland #620443 | Virginia #0225175181 | DC #SP98365998 | Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

27+ years in real estate. 800+ closed transactions.

Certified as a Certified Divorce Real Estate Expert (CDRE) in 2014.

Last updated: October 2, 2026

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What does Maryland law say about the value of the house?

The statute makes value a required step. Maryland Family Law Article section 8-205(a)(1) says that after the court determines marital property and its value, it is allowed to transfer an interest in property, grant a monetary award, or both.

Section 8-205(b)(2) adds that the value of all property interests of each spouse is a factor the court considers. The statute does not say how to reach the value. This page states no rule on that. Ask your attorney which date and method apply to your case.

Spouses who agree do not wait for a court. You settle on one number, put it in writing, and build the split on it. For the equity math, read What Is Your Share of the Home Equity in a Maryland Divorce?

What are the three ways to get one number?

Pick one of three ways. Each gives you a different kind of document. No cost figures appear here because fees differ. Ask each provider for the fee in writing.

Way	What it gives you	Who orders it	Agree on this beforehand
Licensed appraiser	One written opinion of value from a licensed appraiser	Both spouses choose the appraiser together, or one spouse orders it and the other approves the choice in writing	Who picks the appraiser, the date of value, who sees the report first, and who pays
Two independent valuations	Two separate numbers from two valuers, one picked by each spouse or both picked jointly	Each spouse orders one, or both spouses order both together	The tiebreak rule, the date of value, and that both numbers are shared with both spouses
Written price opinion from an agent	One written opinion of price with the comparable sales behind it	Both spouses ask one agent that both accept	Which agent, the date of value, and what happens if the opinion differs from another number

An agent is not an appraiser. A written price opinion is one way to get a number. I am a REALTOR®. A price opinion from me is not an appraisal.

If a lender funds a buyout, ask the lender whether it accepts your number or orders its own. Read Do You Need an Appraisal to Buy Out Your Spouse?

What do you agree on before anyone orders anything?

Agree in writing on the method and a tiebreak rule before anyone orders a valuation. Once a number is on the table, each spouse defends the number that helps them.

Put these five items on one page and both spouses sign it.

The method: appraiser, two valuations, or a price opinion.
The provider, and who orders it.
The date of value. Your attorney tells you which date applies.
The tiebreak rule if two numbers differ.
Who pays and who receives the report.

Here are three tiebreak rules. Average the two numbers. A valuation of $740,000 and one of $700,000 average to $720,000. Order a third valuation and use the middle number. Or use the lower number or the higher number, if both spouses accept that in advance. Ask your attorney to review the rule.

Which date and method apply to your case?

Ask your attorney. This page states no rule on how a Maryland court picks a valuation date or a valuation method. The question matters because the value on one date differs from the value on another.

Send your attorney this question in writing: Which date and which method apply to my case? Get the answer before you order a valuation. Then write that date into the request you send to every valuer.

What do you hand the appraiser?

Hand the appraiser a clear package. This is practical advice, not a rule. A valuer works from what you give and what the valuer sees.

A list of every improvement, with the year and the cost
The receipts and contracts for that work
A list of known repairs and what each needs
The deed or title information and the square footage you have on record
Any earlier appraisal or inspection report

Give every valuer the same package. Send your spouse a copy of what you sent. If one spouse hands over more paper than the other, the numbers drift and the fight starts again.

What does a wrong number cost?

A $10,000 error in value moves an even split by $5,000. Made-up numbers, with a $300,000 loan.

Home value	Equity	Half of the equity
$720,000	$420,000	$210,000
$750,000	$450,000	$225,000
$780,000	$480,000	$240,000

Check the math: $720,000 minus $300,000 is $420,000. $750,000 minus $300,000 is $450,000. $780,000 minus $300,000 is $480,000. Halves are $210,000, $225,000, and $240,000. A $10,000 error divided by 2 is $5,000. A $30,000 gap between the low and the high value moves each half by $15,000.

The even split here is an example. Maryland Family Law Article section 8-205 contains no 50/50 rule. Your agreement or the court sets the share.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOUR HOUSE

You need one number that both spouses accept.
Three ways to get it: licensed appraiser, two independent valuations, or a written price opinion from an agent.
An agent is not an appraiser.
Agree in writing on the method and a tiebreak rule first.
Ask your attorney which date and method apply to your case.
Ask your tax professional before you sign anything.

Where this goes wrong

I have seen this mistake before. One spouse orders a valuation alone and shares the result only when it helps. The other spouse orders a second number. Each spouse now defends a different figure, and nothing moves while the carrying costs keep running.

Ordering a valuation before you agree on the tiebreak rule.
Using an online estimate as if it were a valuation.
Treating an agent's price opinion as an appraisal.
Giving one valuer more paper than the other.
Skipping the date question. Your attorney tells you which date applies.
Splitting the difference in your head and signing without a written number.

This is where people usually get hurt. They fight over a number that no neutral person produced.

Each spouse needs their own attorney. I am a REALTOR®. I do not give legal or tax advice, and I do not recommend one attorney over another.

Local note for Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Circuit Court runs a Family Law Self-Help Center. It is a free walk-in clinic staffed by attorneys, in the South Tower, First Floor, Room 1500. It gives general legal information or limited legal advice on divorce, custody, and related matters. You still pay case fees and costs. Source: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/circuit-court/services/family-law-self-help-center

Questions about valuing a house in a Maryland divorce

Q1. How is a house valued in a Maryland divorce?

Agree on a method in writing. Choose among a licensed appraiser, two independent valuations, and a written price opinion from an agent. Section 8-205(a)(1) treats value as a required step. The court determines marital property and its value before it transfers an interest or grants a monetary award. Your attorney names the date and method that fit your case.

Q2. Do we need an appraisal for a buyout?

Order an appraisal or two independent valuations. Either gives both spouses a number they accept. Sign the tiebreak rule first. A lender that funds the buyout decides whether your report counts, so ask it before you pay. The stakes are plain. A $10,000 value error shifts each half of the equity by $5,000.

Q3. What if we disagree on price?

Start with two independent valuations. Sign a tiebreak rule before the results come in. Averaging is one choice, and $740,000 with $700,000 averages to $720,000. Another is a third valuation, using the middle number. With the rule on paper, the price argument ends early. Your attorney reviews the wording.

Q4. Which date is used to value the house?

Your attorney answers this one. I state no rule on how a Maryland court picks a valuation date. The date matters because the home's value on one day differs from its value on another. Choose a date with your spouse, name it in every valuation request, and have your attorney review it before anyone orders.

Q5. Is an agent's price opinion the same as an appraisal?

Different documents. A price opinion from an agent lists the comparable sales behind one number. An appraisal comes from a licensed appraiser. Both spouses must agree to rely on the opinion. Ask the agent for the comparable sales, and write down which number controls if the two disagree.

Q6. What should I give the appraiser?

Hand over a full package. Include the improvements with year and cost, the receipts and contracts, and the known repairs with what each needs. Send every valuer the identical package and give your spouse a copy, so both of you see the same paper. Ask your attorney whether anything else belongs in it.

Q7. What does a wrong home value cost me?

Take the made-up example. A $750,000 value less a $300,000 loan leaves $450,000 of equity, so each spouse holds $225,000. At $720,000 each half falls to $210,000. At $780,000 each half rises to $240,000. A $30,000 error moves each half by $15,000, and a $10,000 error moves it by $5,000. Agree on one number before you split.

Do you need a divorce attorney?

You should have your own. I am a real estate agent. I do not give legal advice, and I do not work for one spouse against the other.

I am not affiliated with any law firm. I do not recommend one attorney over another. Your spouse needs their own attorney, not yours.

If you need to find one, start with these bar association resources:

Maryland State Bar Association, For the Public (points you to your county bar association)
Bar Association of Montgomery County, Maryland, Lawyer Referral Service

Links open in a new tab.

What an attorney handles	What I handle
Who gets the house and the money	The value of the house
The marital settlement agreement	The net sheet
Court orders that affect the sale	Listing, showings, offers, and closing
Custody, support, and everything outside real estate	A written record of every showing and decision

General information only. Not legal, tax, or financial advice. The referral services are independent of me. I do not guarantee any attorney's work or results.

About the Author

Marc Cormier

Licenses: Maryland #620443 | Virginia #0225175181 | DC #SP98365998 | Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Co-author of "Cracking the Real Estate Code," a best seller in four Amazon categories on release day, September 2013.

PRWeb, September 13, 2013.