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Should I sell my home before buying the next one?

The order you do this in decides how much cash reaches the closing table, and that decides your loan. Buy first and only your savings are available, because your equity is still locked in the unsold home. Sell first and the proceeds come too — a smaller loan and a lower payment, but you pay for somewhere to live in between.

The home you're selling

CURRENT
$
$
%

Agent commission, transfer taxes and the usual concessions — commonly 6–9%.

The home you're buying

NEXT
$
$

Cash on hand, not counting anything tied up in the current home. Buying first, this is all you have.

%
yrs
$/mo
mo

Only selling first is charged this — a rent-back, a short let or storage while you find the next place. Enter 0 if you would stay with family.

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Enter your current home's value, the price of the next one, and your rate to compare the two payments.

Save or send these numbersEmail

All four happen in your browser. Your figures are not sent anywhere — the email opens in your own mail app, already filled in.

What each order actually exposes you toA written guide to the rules behind this calculator →
For educational purposes only. PMI bands are typical figures rather than a quote, recasting is not offered on every loan, and a sale that falls through changes everything. Talk to an agent and a lender about what is realistic where you are buying.