What Do You Do When You Can’t Find a New Home?

Being in-between homes is more common than you think — and we have a plan if it happens to you.

At first, it sounds like a problem any seller would love: Your home sold after only days on the market. After all, the fear of a property lingering on the market, enduring possible price cuts or low ball offers is what keeps many from selling in the first place. While a quick sale is a reason to celebrate, the challenge comes when it happens before you can find a new home. 

This is an increasingly common situation in our current market, which remains hot due to the continued limited inventory that started in April 2020. Though inventory may increase in the upcoming spring selling season, there’s a conundrum. For every home listed, another home has to be bought. Until inventory outpaces demand, securing your next home might take a little longer than anticipated.

Still, the upsides of a speedy home sale outweigh the inconvenience of possibly being in-between homes: Less drama, achieving your asking price (or more), and being able to consider multiple offers to find the best buyer for your house. We can help you plan ahead by following these strategies before you list.

Ask about a contingency clause.

A home sale contingency is a clause in your contract that essentially states that you won’t finalize your home's sale until you find a new home. Ordinarily, buyers find such clauses to be off-putting because it creates a lot of uncertainty in their own timelines. However, when demand is very strong like it is now, there may be a buyer out there who has a more flexible timeline for their move. (For instance, a family in the market for a home but doesn’t need to be settled until the new school year starts). We'll discuss it together to see if a clause would make sense for you.

Look for a “vacation” rental or corporate housing.

 While the seasonal vacation rental market is projected to pick up as travel rebounds following all that 2020 brought, these rentals haven't been going as quickly as annual rentals. In other words, there are more options to be found, often at lower than normal prices. Another option is corporate housing, since they typically offer more flexibility as you settle into your new area. Both vacation rentals and corporate housing tend to be furnished, so if your furniture is in storage until you're able to buy your new home, you'll be comfortable the whole time. 

Add rentals to your home search.

Yes, you should look at the complexes in your area to get a sense of their availability and price, just in case. We have great insight about our local market and connections for both sales and rentals. Additionally, some of our clients may be on the fence about listing their home. If the right buyer is brought to their doorstep, they may consider renting, or even to sell without the hassle of the normal listing process. Which brings us to…

Hire an agent with connections.

When it comes to securing a new home in a limited inventory market, sometimes it comes down to having an agent who knows how to leverage their connections. Our team is prepared to tap into our database of potential sellers in the areas that you're considering buying. We also pride ourselves on our networking relationships with other top agents in our market, and will reach out to see what listings they may have coming up soon. We promise to not only help you sell your home, but ensure that you can buy a home as well.

When you’re putting your home up for sale, it’s easy to let anxiety take the wheel. The fear of selling your home before lining up your next home is one of those worries that commonly come up when the market is hot. However, it’s also one with a multiple solutions — and depending on your unique situation, we may have even more creative ideas to suggest. You never know if such a scenario may be a blessing in disguise, too. The home of your dreams may be just around the corner.