Selling a Home and Buying at the Same Time in Sacramento

I stopped by yesterday to visit with a nice couple who are thinking about selling and buying at the same time. They want to sell their pool home in Citrus Heights and buy another home. Their challenge is similar to other sellers in Sacramento. Because it’s a seller market, undoubtedly their home will immediately sell. The problem is buying a new home. There are more home buyers in Sacramento than homes for sale right now. So while you can easily sell, it might be a bit of struggle to buy. For some, selling a home and buying at the same time isn’t gonna happen.

To give you an example, just 5 short years ago, we had more than 10,000 homes for sale in the entire county of Sacramento. Today, we have fewer than 1,800 homes for sale. The numbers work out to about an 82% percent drop in inventory. That’s an astounding number. Not only that, but with interest rates below 4%, buying a home means a buyer will most likely pay less than it would cost to rent a home. Since investors can now receive positive cash flow, those guys have thrown their hats in the ring, too, and it’s like a war zone out there.

I tell you this, if you’re in escrow right now, stay there. Don’t get fancy schmancy ideas about asking a seller to fix a leaky sink or think about trying to renegotiate a sales price. If you’re lucky enough to have a home to buy, count your lucky stars. Kiss the ground you’re walking on. And thank your Sacramento REALTOR, who probably had something to do with it.

One of my Sacramento home sellers found a home to buy over the weekend. She was in an excellent position because her buyer had removed contingencies. So, it was a contingent offer without much of a contingency. Sometimes, agents get a little testy when we ask for a Contingency Release but it’s extremely important. It means the buyer is committed. We ask for a Contingency Release for every transaction, whether the seller has equity or it is a short sale, it makes no difference. The buyer must release contingencies or the seller just might cancel the buyer.

This seller had no trouble selling a home and buying at the same time. She was able to sell her home in Sacramento and buy another home in the Pocket. Plus, she was up against multiple offers. Her offer won because she was represented by the Elizabeth Weintraub Team. I sold her home, and my team helped her to buy a new home. Was it easy? For her family, it was. But that must be why we make the big bucks.