How to Buy a House While Selling

Doing both at once is the most common stressful situation in real estate, and there are four financing paths through it.

Make a contingent offer

Your offer on the new home is contingent on your current home selling by an agreed date. It removes risk and lets you shop before you've sold. Sellers like contingent offers less, so it works best when your home is prepped, priced, and close to under contract.

Bridge loan

Short-term financing that bridges the gap between closing on the new home and selling the old one. You buy without coordinating closing dates, and the loan is repaid when your home sells.

Home equity line of credit

A HELOC uses the equity in your current home as collateral for a revolving line of credit. You draw from it for the down payment on the new home, then repay it when your current home sells.

Rent-back agreement

Some buyers will let you rent your home back after closing for a set period, which buys you time to find the next one. These typically can't extend beyond 90 days.

What we do about it

We plan this before either home hits the market: timelines, backup plans, and what happens if one side slips, in writing, so nobody's guessing in week three. Most of our clients end up closing both within the same week, with two escrow teams coordinating.