S1:E36 – First Time Home Buyer After Divorce: Chris Henwood on Divorce Financial Planning, Mortgage Mistakes & Healing After Divorce

Divorce isn't just an emotional crisis. It's one of the most dangerous financial moments of your life — and the mortgage decisions you make during it can follow you for the next 10 years.

Becky Sampson sits down with Chris Henwood, Certified Divorce Lending Professional (CDLP) and mortgage banker at North Point Bank, to deliver the home and mortgage playbook every woman needs before she signs anything. With a career that spans 22 years as an energy futures trader on Wall Street, on-air financial expert at Reuters, practicing attorney in both securities and real estate law, and now a licensed mortgage banker in all 50 states and Washington DC — Chris brings a depth of financial and legal insight that no ordinary lender can match. His specialty: helping women in divorce slow down, ask better questions, and avoid the housing mistakes that quietly derail a fresh start before it even begins.

If you're wondering whether to keep the house, sell it, refinance it, or start over — this episode is the conversation you need to have before you make that call.

🎯 In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• The mortgage decisions that follow you for 10 years — why housing choices made during the emotional chaos of divorce create decade-long financial consequences, and how to stop the clock before you sign anything
• Keeping the house vs. selling it — the financial calculus Chris uses to help clients make clear-headed decisions when they are standing on what he calls "emotional quicksand," and why "I'm not leaving my house" can become the most expensive sentence you ever say
• Qualifying on paper vs. being comfortable with the payment — why your lender saying "you can afford it" is not the same as "you should keep it," and the conversation Chris has with every client before they commit
• Becky's own foreclosure story — how stubbornness about the marital home almost cost her everything, and what she wishes she had known about slowing down before digging in
• Buying out your spouse: when it works and when it doesn't — the numbers-first framework Chris walks every client through, and when the honest answer is "sell and start fresh"
• Why Chris regularly talks himself out of business — and why that's the single clearest sign that the professional advising you actually has your best interests at heart
• The emotional home trap — why the house you're fighting to keep in court can quietly become the financial anchor that drags your fresh start underwater
• What a Certified Divorce Lending Professional (CDLP) does that a regular mortgage banker can't — and why Chris argues every divorce team needs one, alongside your attorney, financial planner, and coach
• First time home buyer after divorce — what women who've never handled the mortgage, the finances, or the purchase process solo need to know before they sign a single document
• One step at a time — Chris's philosophy for navigating the biggest financial decision of your life during the most emotionally charged moment of your life, and why this approach is the difference between surviving divorce and rebuilding strong

💌 Download your FREE "100 Divorce Terms You Need to Know": https://onlysubpoenas.com/free

🎙️ About Chris Henwood:

Chris Henwood is a Certified Divorce Lending Professional (CDLP) and mortgage banker at North Point Bank, licensed in all 50 states and Washington DC. His career spans 22 years as an energy futures trader on Wall Street, a tenure as on-air financial expert at Reuters News Service, and a law degree earned at night while trading by day — leading him to practice securities and real estate law before making a deliberate pivot into mortgage banking. Chris works specifically with people navigating divorce who are being asked to make the biggest financial decisions of their lives during one of the most emotionally destabilizing seasons imaginable. His philosophy — listen first, explain clearly, never assume one-size-fits-all — has made him a trusted partner for family law attorneys, financial planners, and divorce coaches across the country who know their clients need a steady, honest voice in all the noise.

Connect with CHRIS HENWOOD

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_henwood_edge/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CJHenwoodMLO

X: https://x.com/HenwoodEDGE

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HenwoodEDGE

Website: https://www.northpointe.com/chris-henwood

About Divorcing Strong™ Podcast: 

Hosted by Becky Sampson, CEO of Only Subpoenas™, the Divorcing Strong™ Podcast is where real stories meet real strategies for surviving and thriving through divorce. Each episode brings expert insights from top divorce attorneys, family law specialists, financial planners, and healing coaches to help you protect your rights and step into YOU 2.0.

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👉 Learn more about working with Becky: https://beckysampson.com/

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BECKY SAMPSON

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🌺For information on working with Only Subpoenas™, visit our website at https://onlysubpoenas.com/ or contact us at this number: 650-910-6659 🌺

⚠️ DISCLAIMER: The content on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or mental health advice. Please consult a licensed attorney, financial advisor, or mental health professional for guidance specific to your situation. If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, please get in touch with the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.

#DivorcingStrong #FamilyLaw #DivorceFinance

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