Seller tool · Planning
How to buy and sell a home at the same time
You have four main paths: sell first, buy first, make your purchase contingent on selling, or stay in your home after closing under a written rent-back. Some buyers also use bridge financing. The right one depends on your equity, what a lender will approve and how much risk you can carry. Talk to a lender before you choose.
Reviewed by the Nicole Spellman Group team
Updated September 27, 2026
Compare
Your options, side by side
No option is free of tradeoffs. Each one moves the risk to a different place.
| Option | How it works | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sell first | Close on your current home, then buy | You know your exact proceeds. One mortgage at a time. Your purchase offer is not tied to a sale | You may need temporary housing and a second move |
| Buy first | Close on the new home, then list or close the old one | One move. Time to prepare the old home for market | You may carry two housing payments. The lender may count both payments when you qualify |
| Sale contingency | Your purchase offer depends on selling your current home | Limits the risk of owning two homes | Sellers may see it as a weaker offer, especially with competing offers |
| Rent-back after closing | You sell, then stay in the home for an agreed time under a written agreement with your buyer | Proceeds in hand before you buy. One move | Depends on the buyer agreeing. Needs clear terms on time, cost, deposit, insurance and condition |
| Bridge financing | A short-term loan secured by your current home helps fund the new purchase | Can let you buy before you sell without a sale contingency | Added loan cost. You must qualify to carry both homes and the bridge loan. Not every lender offers it |
Sources: Fannie Mae Selling Guide B3-4.3-14, Bridge/Swing Loans; Fannie Mae Selling Guide B3-6-06. Lender rules vary by loan program. We do not offer or promise any loan product.
Louisiana contract
What the Louisiana purchase agreement allows
The Louisiana Residential Agreement to Buy or Sell (rev. 01/2026) has built-in places for two of these options.
Sale of other property
- The buyer checks whether the sale is or is not contingent on the sale of other property
- The terms of any contingency are negotiated
- As a seller, you decide whether to accept a buyer's contingency
Possession
- Occupancy and keys pass at the Act of Sale unless the parties agree otherwise in writing
- A rent-back is that written agreement
- Have a Louisiana real estate attorney or your title company review occupancy terms
Source: Louisiana Real Estate Commission, 2026 mandatory forms; Louisiana Residential Agreement to Buy or Sell, rev. 01/2026, lines 47–53.
Before you choose
Questions to ask your lender
Your lender, not your agent, decides what you qualify for. Get these answers in writing.
Ask
- Will you count my current mortgage payment when I qualify?
- What do you need to exclude it, such as a signed sale contract?
- Do you offer bridge financing, and what does it cost?
- Can I use my sale proceeds for the down payment, and what proof do you need?
Know this
- Under Fannie Mae rules, a pending-sale home's payment is counted unless the lender has the signed sale contract and proof financing contingencies are cleared
- For a bridge loan, the lender must document that you can carry the new home, the current home and the bridge loan
- Other loan programs have their own rules
Sources: Fannie Mae B3-6-06; Fannie Mae B3-4.3-14.
Planner
A simple order of operations
Use this as a checklist. Timing will shift with your market and your lender.
Plan it in this order
- 1. Know your net
- Run a net sheet
- 2. Talk to a lender
- One payment or two?
- 3. Pick your path
- Sell first, buy first, contingency, rent-back or bridge
- 4. Prepare to list
- Repairs, disclosure, photos
- 5. Line up both closings
- Same day or back to back
- 6. Put terms in writing
- Possession, rent-back, deposits
- Goal
- One move, no gap
Straight answers
Buying and selling questions
Should I sell my house before buying a new one?
Selling first gives you certainty about your proceeds and avoids two payments, but you may need temporary housing. Buying first means one move but can mean carrying two homes. Your lender's answer on qualifying usually decides it.
Can I make an offer contingent on selling my house in Louisiana?
Yes. The Louisiana purchase agreement has a checkbox for whether the sale is contingent on the sale of other property. The seller can accept or reject that term.
LREC Residential Agreement to Buy or Sell, rev. 01/2026
Can I stay in my house after closing?
Only if your buyer agrees in writing. Possession passes at the Act of Sale unless the parties agree otherwise. Have an attorney or your title company review the terms.
LREC Residential Agreement to Buy or Sell, rev. 01/2026
What is a bridge loan?
A short-term loan, secured by your current home, used toward buying the next one. Under Fannie Mae rules, the lender must document that you can carry both homes and the bridge loan.
Fannie Mae Selling Guide B3-4.3-14
Will my lender count both mortgage payments?
Often, yes, until your current home is under contract. Fannie Mae lets lenders leave out the old payment with a signed sale contract and proof the buyer's financing contingencies are cleared. Ask your lender about your loan program.
Fannie Mae Selling Guide B3-6-06
Keep going
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Next step
Planning both moves?
We will map out the timing of both sides with you and your lender. No obligation.
General information, current as of September 27, 2026. Not legal, tax, lending or insurance advice. Nicole Spellman Group agents are licensed Louisiana real estate salespersons, not attorneys, tax advisors, lenders or insurance agents. Loan approval, terms and costs come only from your lender. For contract terms such as a rent-back, talk to a Louisiana real estate attorney or your title company.