Can I buy my next home in St. George before I sell this one?
Can you buy your next home in St. George, Utah before you sell the one you're living in? Yes, in a lot of cases you can, and for many families it's the smartest way to make one clean move instead of two messy ones. I'm Nate Shaw, a REALTOR® with Keller Williams Ascend in St. George, Utah, and I help families in Washington County buy their next home first, then sell the one they're leaving.
Here's the problem most people run into. You find the right house, but you can't make a strong offer until yours sells. Then yours sells, and now you're scrambling to find somewhere to go, maybe packing everything twice, maybe renting for a few months, maybe moving the kids or the dog into a relative's spare room. I hear it all the time: "Everything good sells before we can even see it." And "No agent can solve the timing problem."
Sometimes there is a way to solve it. Here's how it works, what it costs, and how to decide if it's right for you.
Why does buying first matter so much?
When you have to sell first, you're shopping with one hand tied behind your back. Sellers often pass on offers that depend on another house selling, because that adds risk and time to their sale. And if your house sells before you've found the next one, you're on a deadline.
Buying first flips that. You find the home you actually want, you move in on your schedule, and then your current home goes on the market empty, clean, and easier to show. You make one move.
That's worth a lot to the people I work with, especially two groups:
- Families who need more room. When you're "bursting at the seams," living through a sale with three kids and a dog is hard, and moving twice is worse.
- Downsizers. If you're leaving a bigger home after many years, being able to settle into the new place first, then deal with the old house at your own pace, takes a huge amount of pressure off.
How can I buy a new home before selling my current one?
There are several financing options that can let you buy your next home first, before you sell this one. Which one fits depends on your equity, your income, and the home you're buying. These are the main paths I walk people through:
- Using the equity in your current home. If you've owned your home for a while, you may have a lot of value built up in it. Some lenders offer ways to use part of that equity toward the next purchase before the current home sells.
- Qualifying for both payments for a short time. Some buyers can carry both homes for a few months while the first one sells. That depends on income and the lender's guidelines.
- Creative and seller financing. In the right situation, the way the purchase is structured can make buying first work when a standard loan alone wouldn't. I've used a mix of seller financing and other creative financing to get a family into a home when a standard loan wasn't an option, at terms that made the purchase work.
- An offer that depends on your home selling. This keeps you from owning two homes at once, but it's the weakest position when sellers have other offers, so it doesn't always win.
I'm not a lender, and I won't pretend to be one. What I do is look at your whole situation, bring in a lender who does this kind of financing regularly, and help you compare the options side by side before you commit to anything.
What does it cost to buy first?
Here's the trade-off. Sometimes you end up taking a little less on the sale of your home to make the quicker move work. That can come from carrying costs while you own two homes, from financing costs, or from pricing your current home to sell on your timeline instead of waiting for the perfect buyer.
For a lot of buyers and sellers, buying first and making one clean move is well worth giving up a little of the absolute top dollar. Many people see it as a big benefit and are happy to look at those options.
But it's not right for everyone. If the numbers are tight, or the cost of carrying two homes would keep you up at night, selling first might be the better move. I'll tell you which one I'd do in your shoes.
What about my low interest rate?
This comes up constantly: "We'll lose our low rate on the current house." It's a real concern. If you have a low rate, moving means your new loan will likely be at today's rates, and that changes your payment.
The way I look at it is this: the rate is one number, and your family's life is a lot of other numbers. How much space you need, how long you'll stay, whether the current house still works for you. Sometimes the rate wins and staying put is the right call. I'll tell you to keep your house if that's the right move. Other times the move is worth it, and we look for ways to structure the purchase so the payment works.
What does buying first look like, step by step?
- A conversation about your goals. Where you want to go, when, and what you can comfortably afford.
- A look at your current home's value. I'll walk you through what similar homes near you have actually sold for, so we know roughly how much equity you're working with. You can request a free home value to get started.
- A lender conversation. I'll connect you with a lender who handles buy-first financing, and we compare the options.
- Shopping with confidence. You make offers on homes you actually want, without the sale of your current home holding you back.
- Moving once. You settle into the new home on your schedule.
- Selling the old home. It goes on the market empty and ready to show, which usually makes it easier to present well.
What mistakes do people make when they try to buy first?
- Not knowing their equity. Guessing at your home's value can sink the whole plan. Start with real sold numbers.
- Skipping the lender conversation. Every option depends on what you actually qualify for. Talk to a lender before you fall in love with a house.
- Underestimating carrying costs. Two mortgages, two sets of utilities, insurance on an empty house. Add it up before you commit.
- Waiting too long to prep the old house. Once you've moved, get the old home cleaned up and listed. Every month it sits costs you money.
- Assuming it can't be done. A lot of families never ask. They sell first, rent, move twice, and find out later they had options.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy a house in St. George before selling my current home?
You can often buy a house in St. George before selling your current home, depending on your equity, your income, and the financing you qualify for. A lender can tell you which options fit, and I'll help you compare them.
Will sellers accept an offer that depends on my home selling?
Some sellers will accept an offer that depends on your home selling, but many prefer offers without that condition because it adds risk and time. Financing that lets you buy first usually makes your offer stronger.
Does buying first cost more?
Buying first can cost more, through carrying costs, financing costs, or taking a little less on the sale of your current home to move faster. For many families, making one clean move is worth that trade-off.
What if I have a low interest rate on my current home?
If you have a low interest rate on your current home, your next loan will likely be at today's rates, which changes your payment. Weigh that against how well your current home still fits your life, and sometimes staying put is the right call.
Do you only help sellers, or buyers too?
I help with both sides of the move, selling the home you're leaving and buying the one you're moving into, so the timing works together.
Where do I start?
Start with one conversation about where you are and where you want to go. I'll tell you whether buying first makes sense for you, what it would likely cost, and what I'd do if it were my family. If selling first is the better move, I'll tell you that too.
I'm Nate Shaw, a REALTOR® with Keller Williams Ascend in St. George, Utah, and I help families in Washington County buy their next home first, then sell the one they're leaving. Call or text me at 435-229-2365, or send me a message. I'm happy to help with whatever, just let me know what I can do for you.
If you're selling a parent's home from out of state, read how I handle that from start to finish.