Compensation when one keeps the house

[Brent]

My fiancé and I bought a house 3.5 yrs ago (both on title/loan) and are now splitting up. She wants to keep the house and pay me something to buy me out. My question is how is this "something" normally calculated or the fair way to go about it? Is it calculated on the basis as if we sold the home and take the profit minus what is owed and she pays me half that amount? Or since she is keeping the house (she will be assuming the loan) and benefits from my investment (i.e. including payments on interest) would it be wrong of me to seek some additional compensation to get closer to the total amount I have paid out over the last 3.5 yrs? The difference is substantial to the amount of about 15K+. I would appreciate your input and please just ask for any clarification or more info.

Thanks.

 

[seniorjudge]

Your share (and hers as well) is

[fair market value] - [liens] = [equity]/2

 

[Brent]

I completely agree with that if we were selling the home but if she is to keep the home by assuming the loan isn't she gaining a large benefit due to the interest paid on the loan? This is a fairly large amount that is already paid and puts her ahead than if she would be buying a house on her own. Is it really not fair of me to ask her for a little of that back? I guess I am having a hard time swallowing that I put about 40K into the house and based on just the division of profit from a would be sale of the home I would see just 13K. Meanwhile, she gets to keep the home and the above mentioned benefits. I am not against her keeping the house and we are trying to stay on good terms with each other. I just want for us to be able to walk away and feel each of us got a fair shake.