Mortgage Timing
Tracy Head • December 21, 2024
Navigating Bridge Financing When Selling and Buying a Home
When clients are selling one home to buy another, realtors strive to align the sale date of the current home with the purchase date of the new one. However, when clients need a few days or even months to transition between homes, bridge financing may be a viable option.
What is Bridge Financing?
Bridge financing allows clients to buy a new home before selling their current one. Depending on the lender, arranging bridge financing can be straightforward, but not all lenders offer this service. In such cases, private bridge financing might be necessary.
Key Considerations Before You Begin
Before agreeing on dates with your realtor, it’s crucial to explore your options:
- Traditional Banks & Monoline Lenders: Bridge financing is usually simple to organize, with an administrative fee (around $250) and daily interest on the borrowed funds.
- Strategic Timing: In some instances, bridge financing might not be an option, requiring careful coordination of sale and purchase dates.
When Bridge Financing Might Not Work
- Your lender doesn’t offer bridge financing.
- The cost of bridge financing seems excessive.
- Your current home is on First Nations land (terms of lease agreements often preclude bridge loans).
- Private bridge financing costs far outweigh the benefits.
Alternative Solutions
If bridge financing isn’t feasible, there are alternatives:
- Shipping Containers: Companies like Securite or Big Steel Box can provide a container for temporary storage. It’s delivered to your home before the sale, stored securely, and then transported to your new home on possession day. This approach might involve a hotel stay or staying with friends or family.
For example, a recent cost-benefit analysis showed clients saving approximately $4,500 by opting for a shipping container over private bridge financing—even after accounting for hotel stays and dining out.
When Bridge Financing Works
For those able to use bridge financing through a monoline lender, the process is simple and cost-effective. One client paid a $250 fee and approximately $650 in interest for a week, giving them the flexibility to clean both homes and move at a relaxed pace.
Plan Ahead
If you’re planning to have sale and completion dates on different days, consult your mortgage professional before finalizing contract dates.
Thank You for a Wonderful Year
As we head into the new year, I want to express my gratitude for your trust and support. Wishing you and your family warmth and happiness in the year ahead!
I know this is a dumb question but …. I should probably know this already …. I’m sorry to ask so many questions but …. So many times clients start out with one of these statements. They feel like they should have a better understanding of the mortgage process or terminology. The truth is that buying a home is not a simple journey. Applying for a mortgage is not a cake walk. And even if you’ve been through the process in the past the goal posts seem to move faster than you can keep up. One of the reasons I love (most days) my work is that I am able to spend as much time as I need with my clients helping them understand their financing. When I worked for one of the chartered banks in a previous life I was so tightly scheduled that when our time was up that was it. Someone else had an appointment that I needed to be on time for. Clients have different learning and communication styles. Some come well-versed and understand the mortgage process; others have not done any research and need a lot of hand-holding. My goal is to make sure that by the time they are signing their legal paperwork in front of their lawyer my clients understand the decisions they have made and the rationale behind them. Whether it is the first time you are buying a home or you are looking to refinance your current mortgage it is important that you find a professional to work with that is patient and non-judgmental. In a beautiful world you connect with someone that has bought and sold a few of their own homes and has been working in the mortgage world for a while. It can feel very intimidating to bare your soul to a complete stranger. We often don’t share details of our finances with anyone except our banker / spouse and in some cases I find clients may feel embarrassed about the state of their finances. We see via social media others living lavish lifestyles and somehow feel we should be doing the same. The bottom line is that whether this is your first plunge into the homeownership pool or you are a veteran in the market, it is so important to connect with someone that takes the time to understand your situation and your goals. Knowing your long-term plan and how you handle your finances can help your mortgage professional set you up for success. Please please please make sure you ask all of the questions, even if you think you should know that answers. Guessing that you understand something or bluffing without listening to your mortgage professional’s advice can cause unnecessary grief down the road.
When I work with clients that say they are writing an offer on a private sale I always talk about the benefits of working with a realtor. Realtors do so much legwork that happens behind the scenes that clients aren’t even aware of. Most times it is challenging on my end when clients try to tackle the process of writing an offer on a private sale themselves. I joke and say I am going to charge them an extra fee because of the additional work it creates on our end. I don’t actually charge a fee to be clear but I am only half kidding. When you start down the road of buying a home there are many new and unfamiliar terms you may hear. Whether you are working with a realtor or not, arguably some of the most important things you need to learn about are the “subject to” conditions to include in your offer to purchase. When you write an offer to purchase a home, your realtor will offer guidance as to the conditions you include. Common conditions you will see are: Subject to arranging suitable financing Subject to a satisfactory home inspection Subject to arranging home insurance Subject to review of strata documents Subject to the sale of your current home If you are purchasing a rural property or are in a unique situation you may also see: Subject to a water potability test Subject to an inspection of the septic system Subject to the seller finding a suitable home to purchase These lists are not all-encompassing by any means. The purpose of adding conditions to your offer is to protect you in case there are any issues with the home you are looking to purchase. In previous columns I’ve written about the potential dangers of writing a subject-free offer. The high- level, quick position is that if you write a subject-free offer you’d better have cash on hand to buy the home. I have worked with several clients over the last few months that have written private offers. We do absolutely everything ahead of time to try to ensure they will be successful with their financing. These files stress clients more than you can imagine. They have to either find templates to fill out or pay a lawyer or notary to prepare the documents for them. Either way they need to quickly learn about the conditions I listed above and understand key dates involved in the buying process. The clients need to deal directly with the sellers on any issues that may arise. When you are working with a realtor they handle these issues on your behalf. A knowledgeable realtor also helps avoid issues by taking any of the personal contact and emotions out of any potential areas of conflict. Make sure you do your due diligence and have your ducks in a row as you move forward with an offer to purchase whether writing an offer with a realtor or on your own. Now that the sun has come out and the election is over I’ve seen my clients more actively shopping which is encouraging. As always, my advice is to work with a realtor that you are comfortable with and who knows your area well.
