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.
Contingent offer, Louisiana
How a home sale contingency works when you buy and sell a house at the same time
A contingent offer says, in the purchase contract, that your purchase depends on selling your current home. In Louisiana it is a checkbox and a set of negotiated terms in the standard purchase agreement, not a separate form.
What you negotiate
- Whether the purchase is contingent on the sale of your current home at all
- How long you have to get your home under contract and to closing
- What happens if your home doesn't sell by that date
- Whether the seller can keep marketing their home and accept a backup offer
- How the closing date on your purchase lines up with the closing date on your sale
How sellers see it
- A contingent offer carries more risk for the seller than an offer with no home sale contingency
- With competing offers, a seller may pick a non-contingent offer even at a slightly lower sale price
- Your offer is stronger if your home is already listed, priced from recent sales and showing well
- A lender pre-approval that addresses your current mortgage payment helps the seller trust the timeline
If your home doesn't sell in time
That depends on the contingency terms you and the seller agreed to in writing. With a contingency, you may be able to cancel under those terms. Without one, you are generally still bound to buy, which can mean carrying two mortgages, using a bridge loan if your lender offers one, or lowering your price to sell. Read the contingency terms with your agent before you sign, and talk to a Louisiana real estate attorney about anything you are unsure of.
Bridge loans and temporary housing
If you buy first, a bridge loan can fund the new purchase before your current home sells, but you must qualify to carry both homes and the bridge loan. If you sell first, plan for temporary housing, such as a short-term rental, staying with family or a written rent-back with your buyer. Each choice moves the risk in a real estate transaction to a different place; none removes it.
Sources: Louisiana Real Estate Commission, 2026 mandatory forms; Fannie Mae Selling Guide B3-4.3-14.
Home equity
Using your home equity to buy your next house
If your down payment is tied up in the house you are selling, these are the usual ways to reach it before the sale closes. Each one uses your home as collateral.
| Option | How it works | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Home equity line of credit (HELOC) | An open-end line of credit you can borrow against repeatedly, secured by your home | The lender can freeze or reduce the line if your home’s value falls or your finances change |
| Home equity loan | A lump sum borrowed against your equity; with a mortgage already in place it is a second mortgage | A second payment on top of your first mortgage |
| Cash-out refinance | Replace your mortgage with a bigger one and take the difference in cash | You often pay closing costs |
| Bridge loan | A short-term loan whose funds can be used to close on the new home before the current one sells | The lender must document you can carry the new home, the current home and the bridge loan |
| Sell first | Close on your sale, then buy with the proceeds | You may need temporary housing or a rent-back |
If you fall behind on a HELOC or home equity loan, you could lose your home. On taxes: if you owned and lived in the home at least 2 of the last 5 years, you may exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 on a joint return. See do I pay taxes when I sell.
Sources: CFPB, HELOC; CFPB, HELOC brochure; CFPB, home equity loan; CFPB, HEL vs. HELOC; CFPB, cash-out refinance; Fannie Mae B3-6-05; IRS Topic 701.
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
What happens if my home doesn't sell before I close on the new one?
It depends on the contingency terms in your purchase contract. With a home sale contingency, you may be able to cancel under the terms you negotiated. Without one, you are generally still bound to buy, which can mean carrying two mortgages or using a bridge loan if your lender approves one. Review the terms with your agent and, if needed, a Louisiana real estate attorney.
LREC Residential Agreement to Buy or Sell, rev. 01/2026
Can I use my home equity to buy another house?
Yes. Common ways are a home equity line of credit, a home equity loan, a cash-out refinance or a bridge loan. Each uses your current home as collateral, and if you fall behind you could lose your home. Your lender will usually count both house payments when you qualify unless the current home is under a signed contract with financing contingencies cleared.
Sources: CFPB; Fannie Mae Selling Guide B3-6-05 and B3-6-06.
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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.