Should I Co-Sign On A House With My Girlfriend's Mom?

Summary

The Ramsey Show Highlights

Episode: Should I Co-Sign On A House With My Girlfriend's Mom?
Date: November 20, 2025
Host: Ramsey Network
Featured Experts: [Names not given, but George and another host (possibly Dave Ramsey) are referenced]

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Main Theme

This episode centers around a listener, Jeremy, who seeks advice about moving out after college, navigating financial independence, and specifically whether he should co-sign on a house with his girlfriend's mom as a means of homeownership. The hosts provide a spirited, frank, and sometimes humorous analysis of his situation, strongly cautioning against his proposed plan, and offer broader guidance for young adults transitioning to financial independence.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. College Grads and Financial Success Today

• Jeremy's Situation:
  • Graduating with no student debt.
  • Saved $50,000.
  • Job offer out-of-state, $65,000 salary, $10,000 moving stipend, free vehicle.
  • Nervous about moving out and personal finances.
• Hosts' Response:
  • Affirm that college grads today have similar chances for success as prior generations.
  • Advantage: Jeremy has no student loan debt, a major head start.
  • “You do have the same chance. … College students have the same exact chances of being successful.” (Host A, 00:58)

2. Fear of Renting vs. Rush to Homeownership

• Jeremy’s Concern:
  • Prefers a mortgage to renting, influenced by his father’s advice that "renting is a waste of money."
• Host Guidance:
  • Challenge the rush to buy, especially in an unfamiliar city right out of college.
  • Warn against making big decisions based solely on parental mantras.
  • “Why would you jump into a mortgage right out of college in a city you have never lived in? What’s the rush?” (Host C, 02:42)
  • Hosts observe Jeremy feels pressured to buy to meet his dad’s expectations of pride and success.

3. Co-Signing with Girlfriend’s Mom: A Bad Idea

• Jeremy's Plan:
  • Considers co-signing/mortgaging a house with his girlfriend’s mother in Tennessee.
• Host Reaction:
  • Both hosts react with disbelief and concern over the risk and complexity.
  • “You just threw the ultimate curveball. You’re considering buying a house with your girlfriend’s mom?” (Host A, 03:26)
  • Concerns:
    • Relational complications if the relationship sours.
    • Legal financial entanglements in the event of breakups.
    • The arrangement is risky even if Jeremy's and his girlfriend's families “trust each other.”
  • “You are going to call us in a year and here’s going to be the call: ‘I sunk all of my money into buying a house with my girlfriend’s mom and we just broke up. What do I do?’ ... It’s going to get messy real quick.” (Host C, 04:34)

4. Advice to Slow Down and Take Smart Steps

• Recommended Approach:
  • Rent for a year or two to acclimate, avoid hasty decisions.
  • Continue saving for down payment.
  • Refrain from co-signing or buying property with anyone except a spouse.
  • “If I waved a magic wand, you would move out, take this job offer, rent… and just learn to live on your own for a little while.” (Host C, 05:04)
  • Emphasize that at age 22, Jeremy is already ahead of most – the average homebuyer is 38.

5. Encouragement and Closing Thoughts

• Hosts' Perspective:
  • Acknowledge and commend Jeremy’s strong start.
  • Strongly urge him to “slow down” and trust the process.
  • “Just slow... slow down. You’ve done such a good job, and now all of a sudden you want to go 90 miles an hour and you’re gonna get in a wreck…” (Host C, 07:36)
  • Jeremy is in an excellent position to be a homeowner early—just not in the risky, roundabout way he proposed.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Co-Signing Risks:
  • “This is absolutely ridiculous that your parents haven’t freaked out over this.” (Host A, 04:15)
  • “Are you trolling us? …Is this a fake call?” (Host C and Host A, 04:23)
• On Doing Things the Right Way:
  • “Don’t do it with anyone else unless you’re married to them. That’s the key, man.” (Host C, 08:00)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:09: Jeremy describes his situation—about to graduate, no debt, job offer, $50k saved.
• 02:42: Jeremy expresses desire for a mortgage, influenced by his father.
• 03:26: Jeremy reveals the plan to buy with girlfriend’s mom, hosts react.
• 04:34: Host C details the nightmare scenario that could result from co-signing.
• 05:04: Hosts lay out the wiser alternative—renting, saving, and waiting.
• 07:36-08:00: Hosts summarize, urge caution, and frame Jeremy’s situation in a positive, motivating way.

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Summary Table

| Time | Segment | Key Point | |-----------|------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:09 | Listener's backstory | Jeremy details his unique, debt-free, job-secured post-grad start. | | 02:42 | Fears around renting | Reveals family-influenced bias toward owning, not renting. | | 03:26 | Co-signing curveball | Considers buying house with girlfriend’s mom; hosts “jaw drop.” | | 04:34 | Host scenario analysis | Warns of likely pitfalls and drama of such arrangements. | | 05:04 | Sound advice | Recommends renting, saving, taking slow, smart steps. | | 07:36 | Big-picture encouragement | Applauds Jeremy, advises patience, and highlights his advantage. |

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Tone & Takeaway

The episode is direct, animated, and underscored by the earnest desire of the hosts to keep Jeremy from making a potentially life-altering mistake. Their tone wavers between stunned, humorous disbelief and fatherly tough love. The episode serves as a practical guide for recent grads on why it’s OK—even smart—to take your time building an independent life, and why avoiding complex financial entanglements (especially with non-spouses) is crucial to long-term success.

Bottom line:
Don’t co-sign or buy a house with your girlfriend’s mom. Rent, save, build experience, and reconsider homeownership when you have roots—and the right partner—for that commitment.

Transcript

[A]

If your private student loans are in default, you're not out of options. Go to yrefi.com Ramsey do you guys.

[B]

Think college students nowadays have a better chance of being just as or more successful than our parents in today's world? And I ask this because as a college student myself that's about to graduate with no student debt, I have $50,000 saved and I have a job lined up. Fortunately, unfortunately, inside of the state I live in and away from family, I'm nervous to move out. And I know a lot of people my age in this situation feel the same way. But I know a lot of people are nervous and don't know if they can move out financially. But do you think people in today's world have the same chance that our parents did? And also people might situation. What can you give to them that don't know if they can move out financially?

[A]

Well, you do have the same chance, I don't think. You know, you get into a crazy game if you start going, well, what are the chances back in the 60s and you know, and that probably seems like ancient history to you, but no, I, I think, I think college students have the same exact chances of being successful. I think they have some things that are going in their favor. I think that a of lot older generations, you might be able to say, well, maybe they had a couple advantages because of this. But the one that sticks out to me, George, is the student loan issue that just was not a handicap to people that are older. But in your case, Jeremy, you're the asterisk. You don't have any debt. So I think the second question is the one that we can tackle, and that is, how do you overcome this barrier to entry, this thought process that, oh, I can't live on my own or I can't move away. George, you want to tackle that one first? I've got thoughts.

[C]

Oh, yeah. So what's your job situation right now?

[B]

Well, I'm from Dallas, but I have a job offer in a separate state away from family. I would get a stipend to take the position and move out. I'd also get a free vehicle and an entry salary is 65,000 before.

[C]

65,000 with a car.

[A]

And what's the stipend?

[B]

10,000.

[A]

I mean, bro, I don't.

[C]

And what, what is your actual fear here? Because there's not a math problem. Are you wondering, can I afford rent?

[B]

I would prefer not to rent, but more of a mortgage.

[C]

Why would you jump into a mortgage right out of college in a city you have never lived in. What's the rush?

[B]

I guess it's just because my dad, he has always told me not to rent. And I guess that stuck with me.

[C]

So dad said renting is a waste of money. Son, you should become a homeowner.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And that's in the back of your mind? Dad is not going to be proud of me if I rent.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And he's going to be telling me how much I need to get into a house every time I talk to him.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Is he covering your down payment?

[B]

No. My girlfriend's mom. If she would be willing to go with me. But if that's not the case, not like moving.

[A]

Okay, Jeremy, this entire call, you have sounded like somebody who's way ahead of the game and on top of it. And then you just threw the ultimate curveball. You're considering buying a house with your girlfriend's mom?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Does that sound in any way risky to you? True. I'm just trying to be serious. Do you think that sounds smart?

[B]

No, not necessarily.

[A]

Have you told your mom and dad that you're considering this?

[B]

I have.

[A]

And what'd they say?

[B]

They trust her a lot. And they like the family. And if she's willing to do that, they were fine with it.

[A]

Okay, I'm gonna bring George in because George loves to tell horror stories. George, let's fast forward.

[C]

Let me crawl into the desk, get my jaw off the floor real quick.

[A]

I gotta tell you, Jeremy, this is absolutely ridiculous that your parents haven't freaked out over this. Your parents are good people.

[C]

Are you trolling us?

[A]

Jeremy, are you trolling us? Oh, is this a fake call?

[B]

No, I'm not.

[A]

All right, George, where's this go? Let's say the girlfriend take us down. The all the things that could go wrong.

[C]

Play this out. You're going to call us in a year and here's going to be the call. I sunk all of my money into buying a house with my girlfriend's mom and we just broke up. What do I do? She wants to keep the house or I want to keep the house. Do you see where this is going? It's going to get messy real quick.

[A]

You and her, you're not even the girlfriend, which we would tell you is stupid. This is the girlfriend's mom, which is next level stupid.

[C]

Already planning to live with your future mother in law is just a bad plan relationally. So here, Jeremy, here's what I would do if I gave it funny.

[A]

I gotta tell you, I don't think anything about this is funny.

[C]

If I waved A magic wand. You would move out, take this job offer, rent, maybe even get a roommate or two to help you stomach the finances and just learn to live on your own for a little while. Rent for a year or two, keep stacking up that down payment with this new salary you have, and then a year or two from now you have $100,000 saved. And that's actually a decent down payment, you know, on the cost of a home these days. And so once you get into that do 15 year fixed rate mortgage where the payments no more than a quarter of your take home pay, that's going to allow you to pay off that home really early and then you're going to be financially free at a very young age. But if you shortcut it, that scares me because you're going to fall flat on your face and you are off.

[A]

To a great start. Here's what I don't understand. I thought you said you were moving away from where you live.

[B]

Yeah, I would be.

[A]

So where does the girlfriend's mom come into the equation?

[B]

They live in Tennessee.

[C]

That's where you would be moving.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

Oh, you're moving to be in the same place as your girlfriend.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. And the job offer is there. So I kind of thought of it in this way as more of like a way around things so that I wouldn't have to.

[A]

There's not. No, no. You think this is a way around something to whatever, not pay rent, be smarter with your money. This is a way into a massive, massive pond of scum and disgustingness and danger and all kinds of stuff. You don't even know if this girl's the one for you, do you?

[B]

You're absolutely right.

[A]

Well then what are you thinking? We don't even know if we want to marry her. I tell you what, if you were, you're my younger brother, I'd reach through the phone and cuff you right upside the head because this is crazy talk. You are too smart for this. You've got a great job, no debt, a stipend, a free car. Just go date this girl and let's see if she is the one, right? And then let's kind of check these boxes off. I mean, this is craziness to me. You know? Like it's. And by the way, I'm. I'm being fun. James the producer looks like, like he's gonna swallow a frog. I. I wouldn't violently hit you. I'm just saying, like, I'm trying to go snap out of this. Like this is. Somebody needs to kind of grab you and shake you and go. This could be a horrible, horrible mistake.

[C]

All right, here's the tldr. Just slow.

[A]

Slow down.

[C]

You've done such a good job, and now all of a sudden you want to go 90 miles an hour and you're gonna get in a wreck if you live your life this way. So just rent for a year or two or three. How old?

[B]

22.

[C]

Let's play this out, boy. At 25, you own a home. You know the average age of a homeowner in today's world?

[B]

No.

[C]

It's like 38 years old. So you're already so far ahead of the curve, you're already so more successful, so much more successful than most Americans who are retired, who are broke. So if you just keep this up, live your life debt free, rent on your own, get a house when it makes sense, and don't do it with anyone else unless you're married to them. That's the key, man. Good luck.

[A]

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