Buying Before You Sell in Today’s Market

By Doug Cary

Doug Cary has been selling real estate in Davis County since 2005. He is a 2nd generation top producing Real Estate Agent.

Selling your current home before buying a new one is the conventional way to move. However, depending on your situation, there will be times when buying before you sell is the better option. Whatever your reason, you should know that buying first comes with additional risks, such as paying two mortgages, if your current home takes a long time to sell.

If you’re in a situation where you must buy first before selling, don’t worry. It’s not completely impossible, but it takes some strategic planning to make it happen. Here are three things you can do to help you buy before you sell:

1. Make an offer with a home-sale contingency. By including a home-sale contingency in your offer, you can purchase the new house once your existing one sells successfully. If your current home doesn’t sell within a certain time frame, you can cancel the purchase contract without any penalties. To sweeten the deal, your agent can explain to the seller that your house will likely sell fast in the current market.

2. Finance with a bridge loan. A bridge loan is a short-term, high-interest loan. When you buy with a bridge loan, you can use your existing home as collateral to get a loan for your new house. To close your bridge loan faster, try to align the closing dates of your buying and selling transactions.

3. Use a service like Knock or Homeward to make a cash offer. Knock and Homeward are revolutionizing the way people buy and sell homes. These two companies offer game-changing home loan products that let you make competitive cash offers on your dream home before the sale of your current one and help you avoid paying two mortgages simultaneously.

Buying a new home before selling your existing one has its unique challenges, but if you can leverage the three options above and utilize the guidance of an experienced agent, you can come up with the best solutions for your situation. If you want more details about this topic or have any real estate concerns, don’t hesitate to call or email me. I’ll be happy to help.