Learn the benefits , risk , and factors to deliberate before adjudicate to take on a double mortgage .
Stacy Goldberg
If you ’re looking to buy a menage but already live on in one , luck are you ’re navigate the tricky situation of give two mortgages at the same time . Many buyers and sellers struggle with this balancing act , but there are ways you may manage and use it to your advantage .

Credit:Stacy Goldberg
A double mortgage is often temporary for traditional homeowners , but that does n’t think it comes without risks . These expert volunteer advice on how to organise for this sentence to ensure success .
“ It ’s all about the numbers , ” saysMelissa Cohn , regional frailty president at William Raveis Mortgage . “ If you could qualify to carry both habitation , then bank have no problem with the double carry . "
“ Ultimately , it is very important to attempt to foresee all the financial ramifications and to factor in in any possible delays that will add to financial costs , ” saysSvetlana Choi , a broker with Coldwell Banker Warburg .
Buying a New Home Before You Sell
If you ’re a current householder see to buy your next abode , you have intercourse timing is everything . In some cases , you mightfind your dreaming homebefore your current home sells , or you might decide to buy your 2d home before even listing your current one .
In these scenarios , there are a few thing to keep in mind .
Consider Your Finances
“ The risk and challenge is that it may cause some financial restraint , peculiarly if it takes you a piece longer than you were financially capable to hold when carrying both mortgage , ” enunciate agentAlana Lindsayof Coldwell Banker Warburg .
Estimate a Timeline
Play out all of the scenarios and timelines that could take place if you choose to buy before sell .
“ soul should consider how long it will take for a sale to occur . What is the precondition of your current home?Does it need restoration ? Does it face a construction web site ? Are a fate of the great unwashed doing spate in the surface area ? And so on , ” Lindsay says .
Take into account the current market for purchaser as well . How long will it take to search for a new home , and how naturalistic is your wishing list , devote your budget ?
The Risks
If you dispose to convey two mortgage , you are n’t yet out of the woods . If you grease one’s palms a 2d domicile , you involve to pore on sell your exist home base quick to avoid carrying the double mortgage for long .
“ The risk of give a double mortgage is that the star sign does not sell as fast as you expect , and you are making more payment than anticipated , ” saysJessica Duncan , a realtor with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Main Street Properties .
JESSICA DUNCAN
The challenge are ascertain you qualify for both mortgage and planning for your down defrayal before selling your house . Some loanword programs , such as FHA , will only allow you to have one FHA mortgage at a time .
Pending delay or knottiness with your sale , you could also find that your next purchase is impact .
“ That behave cost is factor into your debt - to - income ratio , which the cant will use to see how much of a mortgage you would be able to get a loan for , ” Lindsay explain . “ So , that first mortgage will limit the amount of a loan you may stipulate for on the second go - round . ”
Buying a homecan be a challenge , even if selling is easy . “ Many customers do n’t need to move unless they find out the staring star sign to fit their needs , ” Duncan say . “ The ability to regain the ripe menage for you while not under a timeline or pressure could be a great ground to think moving forward with a double mortgage . ”
The Benefits
“ The potential welfare is a bland sale of your current home base because it can be very hard to successfully show a unit over and over again when the marketer hold out there ; it restrain showing availableness , ” articulate Lindsay . Having your first home empty for prospective buyers could mean it trade faster .
“ The second benefit is the ability to stage the plate in good order . Instead of personal items and photos , the stage manager has a blank ticket to show off the home ’s benefit , where a emptor can think the home as their own and not palpate like they are inside someone else ’s household , ” Duncan says .
Buying before you sell is great if your raw home command renovation . Living in a construction zona is n’t fun , and buying before you betray let you to finish update and repairs before be active in .
“ Some fiscal asylum offer up mortgages that also cover renovation costs , so that is something to study , ” Choi says .
Of course , renovation projects often obtain delays , she warn . “ With adept planning , the advantage of hold on to both property gives the owner metre to appraise their pauperism go onwards and can be aless stressful transition , ” Choi adds .
How to Decide if a Second Mortgage is Right for You
If you ’re wondering about this option , do your preparation .
Get a Pre-Approval From a Lender
“ Getting pre - approval from a lender is a good first step , ” saysMerav Bloch , vice president and general manager of Opendoor Exclusives . “ I also encourage aspiring buyers to shop around for different financing option , rather than defaulting to their current lender — doing your enquiry will help you make the well potential rate and study about options to reduce your monthly payment , like pace buydowns . ”
Take a Look at Your Budget
“ A good scheme would emphatically be to ensure that you factor in how long you’re able to deport both [ mortgages ] with your current job and or earnings , ” Lindsay suggests . “ Is it 6 months ? Is it 12 month ? Your banks may also have fiscal products for you to brush up that may help , but that interrogative sentence is best asked of a mortgage loan officer or mortgage agent . ”
Research the Current Housing Market
While many real estate experts say that the right prison term to bribe or trade a abode is when you ’re quick and not when the market place says you should , there are some realities to contend with when stock two mortgages .
“ The current real landed estate market affect have a bun in the oven two mortgages based on inventory and the mortgage surround . When it ’s a good time to trade , it is not necessarily a adept sentence to purchase , ” Lindsay say . “ When it is a good fourth dimension to buy , it is not necessarily a good time to sell . They will have to contend with that . They also have to contend with the mortgage environment , which impacts the veridical estate marketplace , and the pursuit rate they are going to get on their loanword . ”
Prepare for a Worst Case Scenario
“ Just be prepared to pay dual for farseeing than gestate , ” Cohn allege . “ verify that you have the extra hard cash or hard cash flowing to support the two loans . ”
There is help for some homeowners in these scenario . “ Some loaner will offer bridge loanword programs to facilitate a buyer use some of the fairness in their current home for the down defrayment and closing cost to purchase a new home , ” Duncan says .
Consider Long-Term Benefits vs. Short-Term Risk
“ With all of that enjoin , moving is always a major living decision , as well as a financial one , typically trigger by milestones like go for a newfangled chore , have a new baby , or retire and moving closer to the grandchild , ” Bloch says . “ If your need to move is marginal , it might not make sense to take on the load of a two-fold mortgage . On the other hand , avoid being centime - wise , pound - foolish . If , for lesson , you ’re move for a major promotion that will unlock new opportunities for your family , then the short - terminus stretch may be well worth it . ”