Not everyone is buying OR selling, some are doing both

By: Chris Brown

As if one real estate transaction is not hectic enough… many of us end up needing to sell one place in order to move up to the next… this is the “real estate catch 22”. Do we buy first?? Do we sell first?? If we are fortunate, these events occur at the same time, but that is not always the case. The problem is trying to determine if it is worse to end up “temporarily homeless” because you sold first, or financially strapped because you bought first. Conventional wisdom states that IF you can’t make them happen simultaneously, it is better to sell before you buy. The rationale? If you sell first, you don’t end up at a disadvantage at the negotiating table. This happens by feeling pressured to accept something lackluster for your current home due to your impending closing on the new home. There are several providers of short-term, furnished lease properties that can fill the gap while you find the new dream home if needed. The purpose for finding a furnished property is for the simplicity in moving. Few people I know want to pack and unpack twice and a few months storage is a small price to pay for the convenience. (For those that enjoy packing, there are support groups available.) And yes, if you were wondering… the two scenarios DO affect the financing angle as well. Having moved on from the first home does help in the debt-to-income ratios that lenders use to qualify you and in the funds that you have available towards the down payment of the new place… both help in the rates that will be available to you.