Selling First And Buying After

You might consider selling your house and using the proceeds to purchase a new one. You can avoid many problems that sellers often face when trying to buy and sell simultaneously by selling your house first.

Selling before you buy requires a lot of preparation, patience, and flexibility. These are the essential ingredients to success.

Selling Your House To Purchase Another Home Has Many Benefits

There are many benefits to selling your house before buying again.

• For The Best Sales Price, Retain Your Negotiating Power

  You will be responsible for the purchase of two homes if you are the first to buy. Due to this added financial pressure, you might be tempted to take the first offer to move things along. However, if you decide to sell first, you will be able to negotiate with potential buyers until you get a deal you are happy with.

• Less Pressure

  If your sale isn't tied to another purchase, you won't be under the same pressure. You don't want the listing to become stale. However, you can take your time with repairs and staging, testing market conditions, and considering selling strategies.

• Not Taking Out Two Mortgages

  While you hope that your home will sell quickly, you might not be able to do so if you have already bought a home and the property you are selling has been on the market for a minimum of two, three, or four months. You won't have to pay two mortgages at the same time by selling before you buy.

• Redeem All Equity For Future Purchases

  The first sale frees up equity, the profit after closing costs, and paying off your mortgage. This equity can be used to make a down payment for your new home. It may also help lower-priced homes become more affordable.

• Avoid Sale Contingency

  Sellers trying to sell and buy simultaneously often make contingent offers. They offer to purchase a home in exchange for selling their existing home. A contingent offer can work in certain markets, but it is less attractive if you are trying to buy in a seller's market. Selling first will allow you to make stronger offers and increase your chances of getting the house you want.

• Possibility To Pay Cash

  You can avoid taking out a costly mortgage if you make enough money from your home sales to pay for your new home. Sellers may also find your all-cash offer very attractive.

Do You Think It Is Best To Sell Your House First And Then Buy A New One Later?

Selling first is generally a good strategy if you are in a seller's market or if your equity in your existing home is not enough to purchase your new home. This is how you can determine if selling first is right for you.

Find Out More About The Market In Your Area

First, determine whether you are in a buyer's or seller's market. While most people sell and buy in the same place, it is important to research the markets you are selling and those you plan to buy. An experienced real estate agent is a good choice if you are buying in a new area. The ideal is to sell in a sellers' market and purchase in a buyers' market. However, it's more common for people to move closer to their homes than long-distance moves where market trends can vary greatly.

Conditions For Sellers:

A seller's market is when there are more buyers than homes available. This gives sellers the upper hand. These are the key indicators that a seller's market is:

• For a shorter period, homes are available for sale

• Price cuts are less common

• Homes often sell for close to or even higher than their asking price

• Selling your home in a seller's market: 

  A seller's market is a market where you are likely to sell your house quickly, which is a great situation for sellers.

• Buying in the seller's market: 

  Be prepared for some competition when buying in the seller's market.

Conditions For Buyers:

Buyers have an advantage in a buyers market when there is a surplus of homes available for sale. Buyers have the advantage of being able to negotiate lower prices, repairs, and credit. These are key indicators to consider:

• Longer homes stay on the market

• Homes with at least one price reduction are more common

• Comparatively to their asking price, homes sell for less

Selling In The Buyers Market: 

Expect it to take longer than usual to sell your house. If you don't know the timeframe for selling your home, it might make more sense to sell first. This will limit the time you have two mortgages.

Buying In The Buyers Market:

An ideal situation. When you buy in the buyer's market, you will have more time to decide and more bargaining power regarding price.

How To Calculate Your Equity In Your House

Based on the sale price of your house, you can calculate your purchasing power. Your agent can help you determine the best listing price for your home and guide you through the costs of selling so that you know what you will end up spending.

This simplified example will help you to calculate your eventual gains.

Let's suppose you have decided on an asking price of $220,000 for your home. You can expect to spend between 5% and 6% on agent commissions (13,200). On the high end, you can expect to pay an additional 2%-4% on seller fees. These include title insurance, escrow, and real estate attorney services (8,800).

This leaves you with $198,000. This will leave you with $198,000. Let's suppose you owe $100,000. The balance of your mortgage will need to be paid off, and you'll have $98,000 left to spend on your new home.

Tips To Sell Or Buy A House

Timing is important when selling a home to purchase another one. These are some strategies to speed up your selling process.

• All-Cash Deals Should Be Taken Seriously

  Cash offers are a popular choice for sellers. This is because cash buyers are less likely to lose the offer for financial reasons and close offers faster.

• You Might Consider A Lease-Back

  A lease-back is when you sell your home to the buyer, but the owner agrees that it will be leased back to you for a specific period. This can help you avoid paying temporary housing costs. The buyer must be open to your requests, and this arrangement must be part of the offer process. It's more likely that you'll find a buyer willing to accept a seller's market offer. Buyers must be more flexible to obtain the house they desire.

How To Sell Your House, Then Buy A New Home

There are still a few hurdles to overcome after you have decided to sell your house and buy a new one. These are the steps to help you navigate the logistics.

• Get Started Early With Your Search

  While you wait for your sale, it's okay to look at potential new homes. You can use the under-contract time for research, school ratings, checking out homes within your price range, and narrowing your search criteria. Once your home is sold, you will be ready to go.

  You can take your time when you are selling in a buyers' market. If you are selling in a sellers' market, however, your home might sell quickly. Therefore, you can start researching as early as possible to ensure you are prepared.

• Temporary Housing

  You should plan to stay for three months in temporary housing. This will allow you to search for the perfect home and close within six weeks. It may take longer if you are buying in a sellers' market. You might need to adjust your timeline accordingly.

  It can be difficult to find short-term leases. It's temporary, so it doesn't have to be perfect. You can save money by renting a cheaper rental. You won't be staying in temporary housing for very long, so you might consider renting a smaller apartment and putting your most valuable belongings in storage.

  Renting in the same neighborhood is a good idea if you think of buying in a new area. This will give you an idea of what it would be like to live there.

  Short-term and month-to-month rentals are often more expensive than long-term leases. In addition, they'll need to fill the vacancy again within a few months. However, you can find temporary housing by looking for a sublet or vacation property or renting a condo with friends or family.

• Calculate Storage And Moving Costs

  You will be moving twice, from your old house to temporary housing and then from temporary housing to your new place. Budget accordingly. You don't need to bring all your possessions if you are moving into a smaller space for your temporary move. You might consider renting a portable storage unit. Many companies will deliver a container to your house empty. Once you have filled it, the company will store it on-site and return it to you when it's full. This can be a cost-efficient way to reduce the amount of stuff you have to move.