Petaluma · Sonoma County · Marin
Two moves, one plan.
Sell first, buy first or close together. Luis lays out the dates and costs of each before you choose.
Which comes first.
If you sell first, you know your budget but may need a place to stay between homes. If you buy first, you may carry two payments for a time. Neither is wrong. The right order depends on your financing, your timing and how much uncertainty you can live with.
Luis lays out the options with the dates and costs of each, then works with both escrows to keep the two closings in step.
Three ways to order it.
Sell first
You know what you have to spend. If the buyer agrees, renting your home back for a few weeks can give you time to find the next one.
Buy first
You can move straight into the next home. Your lender has to approve you while you still own the current one.
Close together
Both sales close within days of each other. It takes firm dates and close coordination between the two escrows.
How Luis keeps the two in step.
- 01
Set the order
Decide which transaction leads, what happens if the other runs late and where you will live in between.
- 02
Line up the financing
Your lender confirms what you can carry and when. If you buy first, the approval has to work while you still own the current home.
- 03
Prepare and search at once
The sale is prepared while the search begins, so an offer on the next home can be made when the timing is right.
- 04
Coordinate the closings
Dates, deposits and contingencies are matched across the two contracts. Luis works with both escrows so that funds and keys move in the right order.
Client experiences
“This being the 4th time he really went out of his way, to close our loan in 20 days, so we wouldn't have to make 2 separates moves.”
Andres G. and Mari An F.Homebuyers · Rohnert Park · June 2015
Questions that come up.
Can I make an offer that depends on selling my home?
Yes. A contingent offer gives you time to sell before you must close. Sellers weigh it against other offers, so the terms and timing matter. Luis explains how to present it.
What is a rent-back?
An agreement that lets you stay in the home you sold for a short period after closing, for an amount agreed with the buyer. It can bridge the gap to your next home.
What if the two closings fall out of step?
Contracts can be written with dates that move together, and a short bridge such as a rent-back or temporary housing can cover a gap. Plan for it at the start rather than at the end.
Do I need to tell my lender I am selling?
Yes, early. Whether the sale must close before the purchase affects your approval and the dates in both contracts.
Let’s talk
Plan both moves.
Tell Luis what you own and what you are looking for. The order of the two moves is the first thing to work out.