As for assets, the only thing he has to work with would be our home, which is paid off, or his retirement accounts. He could give me the house for less years of alimony.
What do your retirement accounts look like? How do they compare to his? One caveat about keeping the house: real estate values right now are sky high in many places. Which means there's a risk to keeping the house. Picture this example: house has risen in value from $200,000 to $300,000 in the last two years. H has a $300,000 retirement account. You trade him his half of the house value for your half of his retirement account, keeping the house. Three years later you decide to sell the house because you're moving in with a new love, but the house value has dropped back to $200,000 in a housing market crash. You end up with $200,000 minus the cost of selling the house and fixing it up to sell so say $175,000. Meanwhile H still has $300,000 plus growth in his retirement account.
Now, since your house is paid off, you could weather a lot of storms. You might be able to live there nicely on a lower income. Does it need a lot of repairs? Is it an older home that could need a new furnace or plumbing repairs or the like? Calculate those expenses into your decision. Is it large enough to share with a roommate to provide more income? Is it too large for one and going to cost a lot in utilities and repairs to keep it going? Are you embedded in your community there or have you always dreamed of moving to another location when you retire?
Also - if you're not sure if you're going to keep it or not, is it worth more than $250,000 more than what you purchased it for? If so, consider the capital gains aspect. There's a $250,000 exclusion for a single person, but $500,000 for a married couple. Let's say your home is worth $500,000 more than the original purchase price. If you sell it as part of the divorce, neither of you owe any capital gains tax on the profit because it falls within the exclusion amount for married couples. But if YOU get the home in the divorce, and then decide to sell it a couple of years later at the same value as when you divorced (to move elsewhere or to move in a with a new love or to downsize) then you will owe capital gains on half of that profit, or on $250,000.
Now, if you love the house, if it is still suitable for you as a single person, you love your neighborhood and it's in good repair so it won't become a money pit, then keep it. But consider your options and the finances involved.
