Central Texas · Buy before you sell · Move once
The hardest problem in real estate isn't buying or selling. It's doing both at once. Move First gets you at your equity before you sell, so you can write a non-contingent offer on the next house, move on your own schedule, and sell the old place empty instead of living in it while strangers walk through.
You've got equity in your current house, and you need it for the down payment on the next one. But you can't get to it until you sell. So you're stuck choosing between two bad options:
Sell first and you're stuck in the gap — renting, storing furniture, moving twice, and shopping against a deadline that pushes you into settling for a house you don't love.
Buy first with a home-sale contingency and your offer sinks to the bottom of the pile. Given the choice, a seller takes the clean offer over yours almost every time, even when yours is higher.
Move First gets you out of that fork. You get the equity up front, your offer on the new house stands on its own, and you move once.
Step By Step
A partner evaluates you and your current home and produces an Equity Advance amount — how much of your equity you can access before selling.
One question decides everything: does the Equity Advance, minus your mortgage payoff, cover the down payment on the house you want? If it does, this works. If it doesn't, you'll hear that from me on day one instead of three weeks in.
You sign the program agreement — which includes a guaranteed-offer fallback on your old home — and get pre-approved on the new mortgage.
The fun part. We find your next house and write an offer that isn't contingent on selling yours, which is the whole reason it competes.
You close on the new house and move out of the old one. Once. That's the whole point.
Empty, cleaned up, and staged. An empty staged house nearly always shows better and sells faster than one somebody is still living in.
The sale window runs 90–180 days from your new-home closing. Proceeds pay off the Equity Advance and the rest is yours.
You either pay an extension fee to keep it listed, or trigger the guaranteed offer and the partner buys it. You're not left holding two houses. But understand this branch before you start, not after.
Typical ranges, not a quote — the Equity Advance percentage in particular varies quite a bit by partner. I work with Homelight, UpEquity, and Homeward, so I can compare. You'll have exact figures in writing before committing.
Before anything else, we run this:
Equity Advance − current mortgage payoff > down payment on the new home
If that's true, Move First works for you. If it isn't, this is the wrong product and I'll point you somewhere better instead of pushing it. Five-minute conversation, and worth having before you fall in love with a listing.
Your old home has to be vacant before we list it. That isn't a preference, it's how the program works. If you can't be fully moved out before the old house hits the market, this isn't your product — we should talk about cash offers or a traditional listing instead.
Is This Right For You?
Questions
This is the number one worry and it's the right question. How the old loan and the Equity Advance get handled during the overlap depends on the partner and the structure. It's the first thing I'll walk through with real numbers on your situation, because the answer changes what this costs you.
Good — the sale pays off the Equity Advance and the remaining proceeds are yours. You're not capped at the advance amount.
It's the safety net written into the program agreement. If your old home doesn't sell inside the window, the partner buys it, which turns the deal into something closer to a cash offer. You can't get stranded owning two houses. It will typically net you less than an open-market sale, which is why it's a fallback and not the plan.
The Equity Advance comes through the program partner. Your new mortgage is separate. I work closely with my brokerage's in-house mortgage team, but you can use whoever you want and we'll talk about what makes sense.
Often, yes. There's separate financing for move-related costs — renovation, paint, staging, movers — with no monthly payments during the period and repayment at sale. Ask and I'll tell you whether it's worth stacking in your case.
Not through me. This one needs me on the ground for prep, listing, and showings, so I keep it within about a two-hour drive of Georgetown. Anywhere else in Texas, Real Estate Essentials is what I can offer.
Client Reviews
“Davis was present from the initial signature all the way to the final signature. We finalized the deal in 28 days and the process was seamless. He took the time to plan all necessary inspections and has reliable connections in the Real Estate field. He treats clients like family.”
“After 20 plus years of military service I think respect, integrity, and hard work go a long way. Davis is by far highly recommended by me and trust me when I say, you will not regret using him in the next purchase or sell of your home.”
Get Started
Give me a rough home value, your mortgage payoff, and the price range you're shopping. I can usually tell you in one conversation whether this works for you.
Prefer to reach out directly?
Central Texas in person — roughly two hours from Georgetown. All of Texas remotely through Real Estate Essentials.