Buying a house after divorce started with losing everything twice. Once in the divorce. Once in the spending that followed because grief and recklessness often travel together and nobody warns you about that part. The matrimonial home sold in 2011. The cash disappeared fast. Debt replaced it. Then thirteen years of quiet, unsexy rebuilding that did not involve a nice car or a comfortable financial cushion.

The house that ended that thirteen-year stretch is 139 years old and sits in a village called Merrickville, Ontario, population a few thousand. The carpet came off today. What is underneath is already producing surprises. The dining room is currently the broadcast studio because renovations are underway and the show does not wait. Neither did the decision to buy.

The first-time homebuyer reset is real and most people who have been through divorce do not know it applies to them. Four years without owning restores the status. That means a smaller down payment and different insurance options. It is a rule worth knowing if the door feels closed right now.

Topics: buying a house after divorce Canada, first time homebuyer rules Canada, Merrickville Ontario, financial recovery after divorce, Good News Tuesday

Originally aired on2026-04-07