FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Absolutely! Specialization in divorce real estate only makes me a more well-rounded real estate professional.

When Lori worked in her first divorce transaction, she quickly realized that it was completely different than a typical listing. She knew, if she was going to represent clients navigating the great divide of divorce, she needed to be trained. So began her education in becoming a Certified Divorce Real Estate Expert™ (CDRE™). She found the best program offered to experienced agents, teaching her a tailored approach to the divorce listing process based on neutrality, communication, and empowering divorcing spouses to set themselves up for a faster road to recovery.

LPRE does not charge a premium or additional fees for our divorce services. In fact, our rates depend on the dynamics of the case, often no different from a traditional real estate sale.

Our team serves the greater Fredericksburg, Stafford, Spotsylvania, and surrounding areas.

We take every measure necessary to ensure that you and your ex spouse will not be together throughout the process and that restraining orders are not violated.

Yes. Good communication means efficiency and can keep fees under control. There are five points in time that we email the attorneys in the case so that they're aware of what's going on, including sharing a copy of the closing statement and ensuring that we have the most current court order. Our intent is to keep attorney involvement to a bare minimum; however, we do reach out when we need clarification on something, or if despite our best efforts, we reach an impasse.

That is up to you. Working with LPRE, we assume there is no communication between you and your ex, so it's not necessary. We communicate with each of you separately, ensuring you have the space to be transparent and heard, while keeping you both equally informed about the process, the status, and what to expect in the next step.

Yes. We have a commercial affiliate with whom we co-list vacant land and commercial properties.

It all begins with making your house look its best, and we do this through a market-specific analysis, project coordination, staging, professional photography, and pricing. We then launch a marketing campaign that includes social media, strategic syndication to consumer sites, agent-to-agent connections, open houses, and when appropriate, cash investors.

No minimums or maximums. Since we also serve those going through divorce, we are appointed to all types of cases that go through the court system. We have listed homes from "all walks of life". All require a unique approach, and our broad experience can accommodate any and all neighborhoods.

Yes — but what that it looks like depends on where you are in the process. If the home is vacant, I bring in staging so buyers can actually picture themselves living there instead of walking through empty rooms. If you're still living in the home, we don't need to bring in outside furniture — we work with what you already have. That usually means packing away what's not essential, decluttering, and arranging what's left so every room shows at its absolute best.

We do. There are some instances where time is of the essence and it makes sense to sell to an investor, especially if the house is in such disrepair that it will not qualify for financing or it is facing imminent foreclosure. We have long-standing relationships with very reputable investors if we need to call upon them.

The short answer is, yes. Lori partners with a local lender who holds a special designation, Certified Divorce Lending Professional (CDLP®), and they will assist you in making sure you are in a position to obtain a loan, and will explain all your options to you. Once you are ready, we will connect you with an agent, who will represent you in the purchase of your new home!

Yes. Lori has had special training in the voir dire process and has the ability to testify in front of judicial officers.

This is a conversation for your attorney or CPA, not your real estate agent.  Whether proceeds can be split before the divorce is final depends on your specific settlement terms, your state's laws, and what the attorneys have agreed to.  However, from the real estate side, once a sale closes, funds typically go into escrow and get held until there's clear direction on how they're supposed to be distributed.  If early distribution is something you want to explore, that's a conversation to have with your attorney before we ever get to closing, so the sale itself can move forward without a holdup once the house is under contract.