Buying and Selling a Home at the Same Time in Davie: How It Actually Works

Most people who call me about buying in Davie already own a home. They are not first time buyers. They are families in a three bedroom who need a four bedroom, empty nesters moving from a two story to a ranch, or owners in the western acreage communities who want to move closer to central Davie. Every one of them runs into the same wall. You cannot use the equity in your current home until you sell it, and you cannot comfortably sell it until you know where you are going.

That is the real problem. It is not finding a house. It is sequencing two transactions so you are never homeless and never carrying two mortgages you did not plan for. Here is how it actually works in Davie in 2026.

The two ways to sequence it

There are only two real options, and each one trades a different risk.

Sell first, then buy. You list your current home, accept an offer, and shop for your next one with cash in hand and a clean offer no seller can refuse. The risk is timing. If your home sells faster than you find the next one, you need somewhere to live for a few weeks. We solve that with a post closing occupancy agreement, which I cover below.

Buy first, then sell. You secure your next home before listing your current one, so you never scramble for housing. The risk is money. Until your current home sells, you are responsible for two mortgages, and your lender counts both when they qualify you. This path needs a financing bridge.

The right choice depends on your equity, your income, and how tight your target neighborhood is. There is no universal answer, which is exactly why this is a conversation worth having before you do anything. You can see the full buyer process on my guide to buying a home in Davie, and the proceeds side on the Davie seller net sheet.

The home sale contingency: the tool most Davie buyers should know

A home sale contingency is a clause in your purchase offer that says your obligation to close depends on you closing the sale of your existing home first. In Florida, this runs through the Sale of Buyer’s Property Rider, part of the standard contract package published by Florida Realtors and the Florida Bar. You can read more about the form family at Florida Realtors. The rider sets the deadline for your home to go under contract and close, and it spells out what happens if it does not.

The fear I hear most is that no seller will accept a contingent offer. In a tight market, that is often true. In Davie right now, it is frequently not. Davie single family inventory has loosened into balanced territory in 2026, which means many sellers are not sitting on three competing offers from buyers who do not need to sell first. A clean, well structured contingent offer from a serious buyer is competitive here in a way it would not be in a market with two weeks of supply. That local reality is the whole point. You can see the current numbers on the Davie real estate market page.

What a kick out clause does

When a seller accepts your contingent offer, they usually protect themselves with what is commonly called a kick out clause. It lets the seller keep marketing the home while you work to sell yours. If another buyer comes along with a stronger offer, the seller gives you a short written notice window to either remove your contingency or step aside. That window is negotiated, not fixed by law. Seventy two hours is common, but the exact period belongs in the rider and is something I negotiate on your behalf.

A kick out clause is not a trap. It is the trade that makes a seller willing to accept your contingency at all. Understanding it ahead of time is what keeps it from surprising you later.

Bridge financing: when you buy first

If you choose to buy before you sell, you need to cover the down payment and possibly carry two mortgages for a short stretch. Two tools do this.

A bridge loan is a short term loan secured against the equity in your current home. It funds your next purchase and gets repaid when your current home sells. Bridge loans generally require strong credit and meaningful existing equity, and they carry rates above a standard first mortgage. Not every lender offers them, so this is a conversation to start early.

A HELOC, a home equity line of credit, is a revolving line against your current home’s equity. The single most important rule about a HELOC is timing. Most lenders will not open one on a home that is already listed for sale. If a HELOC is part of your plan, it has to be set up before your current home goes on the market. Owners who skip this step lose the option entirely. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has a plain explanation of how home equity lines work and how lenders evaluate them.

Both tools add carrying cost and qualification scrutiny. Freddie Mac publishes useful consumer guidance on financing a move that is worth reading before you commit to either one.

Can you close both on the same day

Often, yes. A concurrent close schedules your sale and your purchase within hours or a day of each other, so the proceeds from your sale fund the purchase and you never carry two loans. It is the cleanest version of buying and selling at once, and in Davie it is very doable when both parties are organized and the title company coordinates the timeline. The risk is that any delay on the sale side ripples into the purchase. We build a small buffer into the dates so a one day slip does not collapse the whole chain.

If the sale closes a few days before the purchase, a post closing occupancy agreement, sometimes called a rent back, lets you stay in your sold home for a defined period under a written agreement. The terms and any rent are negotiated and put in writing. It is the bridge that covers the gap when the calendars do not line up perfectly.

The Davie specific reality

Move up sellers in Davie come from every part of the map, from Long Lake Ranches (33330) in the western acreage corridor to the central Davie communities around 33324. What they share is equity and a need to time two deals. The good news in 2026 is that Davie’s single family market gives you more room to make a contingent offer work than the tighter Broward market overall. The work is in the structure, not the luck. Get the rider right, line up your financing before you list, and coordinate the closings, and a move that feels impossible becomes a schedule. For the cost side of both transactions, the Davie closing costs guide breaks down what you pay on each end.

Frequently asked questions

Will a Davie seller accept an offer with a home sale contingency?

Many will in the current market. Davie single family inventory loosened into balanced territory in 2026, so sellers face fewer competing offers from buyers who do not need to sell first. A clean contingent offer from a serious buyer is competitive here. The structure of the offer matters more than the contingency itself.

What is the difference between a bridge loan and a HELOC?

A bridge loan is a short term loan against your current home’s equity that you repay when the home sells. A HELOC is a revolving line of credit against that equity. The key timing rule is that a HELOC usually has to be opened before you list your home, while a bridge loan is built for the transition itself.

How long does a home sale contingency last?

The deadline is negotiated and written into the Sale of Buyer’s Property Rider. It sets how long you have to get your current home under contract and closed. The period depends on your situation and the seller’s willingness, which is part of what I negotiate for you.

Can I buy a new home in Davie before selling my current one?

Yes, with a financing bridge. You either qualify carrying both mortgages, use a bridge loan, or draw on a HELOC opened before you listed. Your lender counts the existing mortgage in your debt to income ratio unless the sale is already closed, so plan the financing first.

What happens if my home does not sell in time?

The Sale of Buyer’s Property Rider defines the outcome. Depending on how it is written, you may get an extension, you may be released from the purchase with your deposit returned, or the seller may exercise a kick out clause. This is exactly why the rider language is negotiated carefully at the start.

Talk to a Davie Real Estate Expert

Buying and selling at the same time in Davie is a sequencing problem, and sequencing problems are solved before they start, not during. If you own a home in Davie and you are planning your next move, the time to map the order, the financing, and the closing dates is now, before you list or make an offer. Schedule a free 15-minute strategy call and we will build the plan around your equity, your timeline, and your target neighborhood. Call Anthony Spitaleri at (954) 235-5783 or book your call at https://bit.ly/daviestrategycall.

Living in Davie Florida

Anthony Spitaleri, Broker Associate

Coldwell Banker, Weston office

2690 Weston Road, Suite 101, Weston, FL 33326

Phone: (954) 235-5783

Web: https://livingindavieflorida.com

About the author

Anthony Spitaleri is a Broker Associate with Coldwell Banker, one of the most established residential real estate brands, with more than 2,700 offices globally and a track record dating to 1906. A Davie native who returned home in 2025 after 13 years in Miami Beach, Anthony specializes in luxury homes and estates above $1 million, acreage and equestrian properties with no HOA, and relocation buyers moving to Davie from out of state. He created livingindavieflorida.com, the most comprehensive independent Davie real estate resource available, with in-depth coverage of Davie’s gated communities, acreage and equestrian properties, and luxury estates, plus original weekly market data, interactive tools, Town Council recaps, and a 24/7 AI concierge. Anthony has been licensed in real estate since 2013 (BK3281907), is a Certified Strategic Coach through Coaching Services International (CSI), an active member of the Davie Cooper City Chamber of Commerce, and a weekly volunteer at Bit by Bit Therapeutic Riding Center in Davie.