Co-buy

What It Means

Co-buying is the act of two or more people who are not married to one another purchasing a residential property together. A co-buying group can include a married couple alongside additional friends, relatives, or partners — what distinguishes it from a conventional purchase is the presence of at least two parties who are not married to each other.

​

Co-buying is the first macro stage of the Co-ownership Lifecycle. It encompasses everything from early planning and alignment through financing, property search, and the purchase transaction itself. Once the transaction closes, the group transitions from co-buyers to Co-owners.

What Co-buying Involves

Co-buying is more than a joint purchase — it requires structured decision-making across financial, legal, and interpersonal dimensions before any commitment is made. Key activities during the co-buying phase include defining group composition and Participation roles, assessing financial Eligibility at the group level, building alignment on ownership structure and Exit Strategy, determining how Capital Contributions translate to Ownership Shares, evaluating how Title will be held, and coordinating with lenders, agents, and attorneys.

​

Groups that skip structured planning during the co-buying phase often encounter friction during financing, inspection, offer negotiation, or closing — and carry unresolved ambiguity into Co-ownership, where it compounds over time.

Why It Matters

Co-buying introduces complexity that conventional single-buyer transactions do not anticipate. Multi-party financing, shared liability under Joint and Several Liability, occupancy classification, and contribution tracking all require explicit decisions before closing. The co-buying phase is where these decisions should be made — not after the group is already on title together.

​

A well-structured co-buy establishes the foundation for durable co-ownership. A poorly structured co-buy creates the conditions for disputes, financial exposure, and legal action.

Key Points

• The act of two or more people who are not married to one another purchasing a residential property together
• Can include a married couple alongside additional friends, relatives, or partners
• The first macro stage of the Co-ownership Lifecycle, preceding Co-ownership and Exit
• Encompasses planning, alignment, financing, property search, and the purchase transaction
• Requires structured decision-making across financial, legal, and interpersonal dimensions before closing