Get Divorced!

Did you know that without a proper will, the state has more property rights to your home than your partner? If you want your home to transfer to your partner after death you must make provision for this in your will. Without this agreement "heirs at law" may become part owners of your property and may sue for partition forcing you to move or even sell your home. This situation is particularly relative for someone who has been married and had children in the past. Even with a will passing ownership to your partner, if you are not divorced your wife is entitled to half your estate or your surviving children one third of your estate when you kick the bucket.

Who Owns What?

Sharing a home is often more important to many couples than the financials but what if everything goes wrong? At the current time cohabitation contracts have uncertain status within Irish law however they may make splitting up a much easier process. Questions which should be considered are how much of the home does each person own? If it is not equal will the mortgage payments aim towards a more equal ownership? And what happens should you break up? Will one of you have the right to stay in the house or will it be a equal split in the sale of the house? Will one party get the chance to buy the other party out and if so how long will they be given to do so?

Pick a Good Estate Agent

Just because a real estate agents advertises in GCN doesn't mean that he or she is a competent one for a gay homebuyer. Listen carefully to an agent's previous experiences of dealing with gay ownerships already and always listen to good referrals from friends who have been in your own shoes. A plus side of any competent real estate agents is that they are likely to have good banking, legal and insurance contacts. And don't forget that the biggest real estate agent is not always going to be the one with the best legal advice for a gay couple looking to buy a home together.

Don't be the Only Gays in the Village

It is important to familiarize yourself with the community you are about to move into. Don't be afraid to ask questions and if possible meet with other same sex couples living in the area. A bad reaction from someone might tell you just as much about local attitudes as a positive one. Chat to Gardai or even people online living in an area that you are thinking of moving into.

How secure is your Mortgage?

Getting a mortgage in the Irish market today is based on the ability of partners to meet repayments however it is important to know that difficulties may arise where couples need to secure a mortgage protection policy and/or life assurance policies. When a male over the age of thirty applies for mortgage protection as a single person, he may be asked whether he has in the past needed advice of a HIV test or whether or not he may need to do so in the future. Where an applicant answers yes to this he may be asked to have a HIV test and may be placed in a high risk category with higher premiums or even worse, no access to mortgage protection at all.

Be a Bitch

Above all don't be afraid to demand what you need to know to help you make one of the biggest decisions of your life and don't be afraid to demand what you need to protect it. Property laws in Ireland are for the straights and gay and lesbian couples must go that extra mile to protect themselves when buying a home together. Don't forget to voice your support for those organisations such as GLEN (Gay and Lesbian Equality Network) who are working so hard for the equality of the LGBT community in Ireland.