Unexpected Habits That Can Sink a Marriage

The housing market crashes, and so does your marriage—but often only if you rent your home. If you own it, you’re likelier to stick it out. This surprising connection between the home ownership and the divorce rate comes from a group of economists led by Purvi Sevak at Hunter College (CUNY). Why? In a housing downturn, owners tend to stay in their marriages because it’s harder to sell their property and they don’t want to lose money. They wait for the market to recover, and—as time passes—often reconcile. For better or for worse, your decision not to own joint property removes the wait-and-see lock-in—making it easier to walk out the door.