Senior Transition
Should I sell my home before or after finding a new one?
By Steve Lockhart
The short answer
For most downsizing clients, selling first is the safer path. It locks in your proceeds, removes the pressure of a forced sale later, and turns you into a cash buyer, which is the strongest position in this market.
Full answer
For most downsizing clients, selling first is the safer path. It locks in your proceeds, removes the pressure of a forced sale later, and turns you into a cash buyer, which is the strongest position in this market. The perceived problem with selling first is where you live between closings. Las Vegas solves that with rent-back agreements, where you sell your home and legally rent it back from the new buyer for weeks or months while you buy the next one.
The buy-first path works in specific situations: no mortgage on the current home or a small one, healthy cash reserves, and the ability to carry both homes for a short period without stress. It avoids a temporary move and lets you take your time on the search. The tradeoff is that your purchase is not fully informed by what your sale actually nets, and carrying two homes can quietly drain savings if escrow runs long.
There is also a middle path. Some sellers and buyers coordinate the two closings on the same day or within days of each other, with a small overlap in a rental or with family. It takes the tightest coordination, and that is where an experienced team earns its keep: one agent, one escrow calendar, one moving plan.
The right order is a numbers decision, not a personality preference. I run your equity, your reserves, and the market conditions through the comparison and recommend the sequence that protects your cash and your calm. Then we build the calendar around it.
Go a little deeper
Frequently asked
Questions people often follow up on
What is a rent-back agreement?
A rent-back lets you sell your home and continue living in it as a tenant for an agreed period, usually 30 to 90 days, while you close on your next home. It is common in Las Vegas and is written into the purchase contract with terms for rent, utilities, and move-out timing.
What if my offer to buy comes with a sell-home contingency?
A contingency says your purchase depends on your current home selling first. Sellers in a competitive market often prefer offers without it. The alternative is selling first, using a rent-back, or arranging bridge financing, and the choice depends on how much heat the market has at your price point.
The Lockhart Method
The Lockhart Method
Your Home | My Strategy | Proven Results
My strategy: choose the order that protects your equity and your sanity. We compare sell-first with a rent-back, buy-first, and a coordinated double closing using your actual numbers, so you pick the sequence with the least risk and the fewest moves.
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