Buy your next home before you sell this one.
Buy Before You Sell gives you a guaranteed backup offer on your current home — so you can make a strong, non-contingent offer on the home you want, move on your own timeline, and still sell for full market value.
Trade-In Mortgage Program
Buy the home you want, without racing to sell first
Buy Before You Sell works through the Southeast Mortgage team you're already working with — no new lender, no new process to learn.
A guaranteed backup offer
You get a binding offer on your current home before you even list it — a real safety net, not a promise.
Easier to qualify
Your current mortgage payment can be left out of your debt-to-income, so it's easier to qualify for your next home loan.
Move only once
Close on your new home and move in on your schedule, then list your old home empty — no double moves, no temporary housing.
Keep your own agent
Your real estate agent still handles both the purchase and the sale — our partner works behind the scenes, not in front of it.
Move with confidence, even when timing is tight
- ✓Make a stronger offer with no home sale contingency.
- ✓Secure your next home before your current one even hits the market.
- ✓Reduce risk with a guaranteed backup offer in writing.
- ✓Move on your schedule instead of juggling two closings at once.
- ✓Get more for your home by staging and listing it empty.
- ✓Save money with a more cost-effective way to buy before you sell.
Five steps, fully supported at every stage
You're never navigating this alone — your Southeast Mortgage team handles the details with you every step of the way.
Tell us about your move
Your loan officer completes a short questionnaire on our end to get things moving. A program specialist calls within 1–2 business days to learn about your current home.
We evaluate your home
Our partner schedules a virtual walk-through, orders title, and makes you a binding backup offer within 1–6 business days, depending on the program.
We arrange your financing
Your loan officer at Southeast Mortgage sets up financing on your new home (and a second lien on your current home, if needed). You sign the Guaranteed Backup Agreement about a week before closing.
Close, move, and list
You close on your new home and move in, and your agent starts marketing your previous home — now empty and easier to show.
Sell on your terms
Once your previous home sells on the open market, all loans are paid off in full and our partner collects its fee from the proceeds.
Choose the option that fits what you need
Both remove the home-sale and financing contingencies from your offer — they differ in how much equity gets unlocked, and how fast.
Trade-In Mortgage Program
If you want to use the equity in your current home to make a bigger down payment on the next one, this works through Southeast Mortgage's bridge loan partnership with Figure.
- ✓ Security of a higher backup offer
- ✓ Ability to tap into home equity
Contingency Buster Program
If you already have your down payment set aside and just need the home-sale and financing contingencies gone, this gets it done fast and at the lowest possible cost.
- ✓ Faster turnaround time
- ✓ Lower backup offer means lower fees
See your estimated offer and fees in real time
Enter your current home's value and mortgage balance to preview what each program could look like for you. Fees are paid out of your closing proceeds — never out of pocket.
Trade-In Mortgage offers are typically estimated at 70% of home value. Actual Guaranteed Backup Offers vary based on multiple factors — this is a planning estimate, not a quote.
If your current home hasn't sold on the open market within 180 days, our partner buys it for the Guaranteed Backup Agreement price — full stop.
This backup agreement is a real guarantee, not a marketing term
If our partner ends up buying your home and later resells it for more than it paid, you get the net profit back — after commissions, interest, taxes, title, and other expenses.
Eligibility guidelines at a glance
This list isn't exhaustive and is subject to change — talk to your Southeast Mortgage loan officer to confirm your home qualifies.
Eligible
- ✓Conventional purchase on the next home
- ✓Owner-occupied primary residences
- ✓Single family residences
- ✓Up to $1.5 million Guaranteed Backup Offer
- ✓Duplexes, modular homes, condos (with restrictions)
- ✓Properties on 5 acres or less
Ineligible
- ✕Investment, rental, or second homes
- ✕Multi-tenant properties
- ✕Manufactured or mobile homes
- ✕Short sales or foreclosures
- ✕On market for over 100 days, or in active renovation
- ✕Properties in high-risk flood zones
What homeowners and loan officers are saying
Finding a short-term rental with 7 kids was horrible on our first two moves. Our loan officer introduced us to this program so we wouldn't have to. It worked great — everybody stayed in contact, and something that's usually stressful was too easy.
It's a fantastic program for getting buyers into the market, offering them a safety net, and giving your realtor partners a competitive edge. It also opens doors to attract new business. The support team is knowledgeable, professional, and helpful.
Ready to buy before you sell?
Reach out to your Southeast Mortgage loan officer to walk through what this could look like for you.