Share Husband Wife

In Florida, married couples can own a title in the form of a Tenancy by the Entirety, where each spouse is the owner of the entire property.

It's often easier to qualify for a joint mortgage, because both spouses can contribute income and assets to the application. However, if one spouse can qualify for a mortgage based on his own income and credit, the mortgage does not need to be in both spouses' names unless you live in a community property state.

Two of the most common ways to transfer property in a divorce are through an interspousal transfer deed or quitclaim deed. When spouses own property together, but then one spouse executes an interspousal transfer or a quitclaim deed, this is known as transmutation.

If you've recently married and already own a home or other real estate, you may want to add your new spouse to the deed for your property so the two of you own it jointly. To add a spouse to a deed, all you have to do is literally fill out, sign and record a new deed in your county recorder's office.

California married couples generally have three options to take title to their community (vs separate) property real estate: community property, joint tenancy or Community Property with Right of Survivorship. The latter coming into play in California July of 2001.

The names on the mortgage show who's responsible for paying back the loan, while the title shows who owns the property. You can put your spouse on the title without putting them on the mortgage; this would mean that they share ownership of the home but aren't legally responsible for making mortgage payments.

In California, all property bought during the marriage with income that was earned during the marriage is deemed "community property." The law implies that both spouses own this property equally, regardless of which name is on the title deed.

Adding someone to your house deed requires the filing of a legal form known as a quitclaim deed. When executed and notarized, the quitclaim deed legally overrides the current deed to your home. By filing the quitclaim deed, you can add someone to the title of your home, in effect transferring a share of ownership.

In cases where a couple shares a home but only one spouse's name is on it, the home will not automatically pass to the surviving pass, if his or her name is not on the title.