Home Sale Contingency
Buying a new home while selling your current home sounds like it can be confusing, but it doesn’t have to be! Typically, folks in this situation put their home up for sale once they scope out the market and get their financial ducks in a row. Once their home is on the market, they begin to seriously look at new houses and (in a perfect world) they put an offer in on a home when they get an offer on theirs.
Of course, sometimes it’s not always this easy. Maybe you’re struggling to sell your house for the amount that you’d like, or maybe there aren’t any homes on the market that you’d like to purchase. A home sale contingency is one solution.
Here’s one common scenario: You just put your home up for sale, and your “dream home” pops up on the market. Its priced well, its move-in ready, and you just know that it’s not going to last on the market for very long. But you haven’t had any offers on your home yet. So what do you do? A home sale contingency is one option. When you submit an offer on a new home, you may elect a home sale contingency stating that you must have your home under contract before a specified date, otherwise the contract is null and void (and your deposit money remains intact). The catch? The sellers may have the right to continue to market their home, but you will have the right of first refusal should they receive any serious interest.
Some lucky ducks don’t need a home sale contingency, because they may be in a financial situation that permits them to secure a mortgage without having to sell their current home. Of course, nobody enjoys paying two mortgage payments…but it might allow you a little extra flexibility time-wise. As always, ask your lender or EveryHome agent for the most personalized advice.