How Cody and Marci Bought in Forest Grove Before Selling Their Gresham Home

Can you buy your next home before selling your current one? For Cody and Marci, their financial situation allowed them to purchase without waiting for their Gresham home to sell. That gave them the flexibility to move into their next home, then prepare their previous home for sale.

Here’s how their November 2023 move from Gresham to Forest Grove came together.

A New Job and a Reason to Move

A job change left Marci wanting a shorter commute. Cody and Marci also wanted to be closer to family, so they had a general idea of where they wanted to go.

But their current home wasn’t listed, and they hadn’t found their next one yet. They needed help bringing both parts of the move together.

They had questions about money and timing. Would they sell their home for less than they were comfortable with? Would their next home cost more than they wanted to spend? Would they need to negotiate a rent-back if they couldn’t find a home in time?

We started by working through their situation and what they needed from the move.

Buying First Gave Them Flexibility

Cody and Marci initially wanted the sale and purchase close together so they could move directly from one home into the other. They also needed a home that was ready to move into, without projects delaying their move.

Their financial situation gave them another option: they could buy without making the purchase dependent on selling their current home.

That mattered because they needed to move out before selling. Buying first allowed them to secure their next home and get their belongings out before preparing the Gresham home for the market.

Their timeline was driven largely by wanting to improve the commute, rather than a deadline tied to the sale.

Working Through the Numbers and Decisions

For Marci, one of the hardest parts was understanding the paperwork, loan decisions, payments, and escrow process.

Josh, their lender, helped them work through financing options and understand where the funds would come from. Marci recalled that their planned loan approach may have changed along the way, and Josh helped explain the options.

I helped with questions throughout the purchase and sale, answering what I could and finding answers when needed. The goal was to help them understand each decision and keep moving forward.

As Marci shared in the questionnaire:

“He was excellent in helping us with every step.”

Preparing Their Gresham Home for Sale

Getting their belongings out was one of the biggest challenges. Once they could prepare the home, cleaning and staging became important parts of getting it ready for buyers.

I helped with staging, advertising, and open houses so Cody and Marci had support through the selling process, too.

Their Gresham home sold quickly. Marci described both escrow periods as short and the overall process as smooth, with no major hiccups on the sale.

The Result: A Home They Were Excited About

Cody and Marci completed their move to Forest Grove and were happy with their new home and how the timing worked.

Their experience shows why the order of a sale and purchase should fit your situation. Being able to buy first gave them room to move out and prepare their previous home without making their purchase wait on a buyer.

Marci’s advice to others was practical: find an agent early, spend time exploring the area you’re considering, start sorting through your belongings, and understand what you can comfortably afford.