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What If I Have to Sell a House Before I Can Buy?

If you must sell your house before you can buy the next one then, by all means, list your home with a Realtor.  It will save you trouble and even possible embarrassment if your home isn’t even on the market while you keep making offers on other houses.  

Often, sellers won't wait until your home sells in order to sell theirs. Think about their position. You make an offer on their house, write up a sales contract, with a contingency not to close until your house sells, and now you can't sell your house for as much as you expected to.  Or maybe you're having trouble selling it altogether.

That means you can't afford to buy the house for as much as you expected to and the contract you made with the seller could be void.  The seller resents that they have wasted time, when they could have accepted offers from ready buyers.

So, put your home on the market, and price it right.  When you receive an offer, intensify your search.  With money practically in your hands, you should be able to quickly find a home. You'll know exactly how much you can afford to spend on your next house and you'll have the assurance that your house has already sold.