The Rate Shop · Kansas & Missouri

Buy Before You Sell Calculator

Estimate the cash gap for your next purchase, then compare how a HELOC or bridge-style option might use your current equity while you wait for the home to sell.

Your current home

Estimated home value ($) Current mortgage balance ($)Use the approximate payoff balance. Estimated selling costs (%)Editable planning estimate. Months until the home sells

Your next purchase

Next home price ($) Planned down payment (%) Estimated closing costs (%)Separate from the down payment. Cash already available ($)

Compare two possible paths

HELOC combined limit (%)Current mortgage plus HELOC. Illustrative HELOC rate (%) Bridge combined limit (%) Illustrative bridge rate (%) Estimated HELOC fees ($) Estimated bridge fee (%)

Estimated cash needed before selling

$40,000

Down payment and estimated closing costs, minus the cash you already have.

Estimated proceeds after selling$122,000Home value minus mortgage balance and entered selling costs.

Possible path 1

HELOC

Could cover the gap

Estimated credit available: $90,000
Amount used in this example: $40,000
Estimated monthly interest: $283
Interest + fees for entered timeline: $1,883

Possible path 2

Bridge-style financing

Could cover the gap

Estimated amount available: $70,000
Amount used in this example: $40,000
Estimated monthly interest: $350
Interest + fee for entered timeline: $2,000

Calculate My Real Buy-Before-Sell Options →

Mike can replace these editable assumptions with the actual programs, payments and qualification requirements available to you.

What the estimate tells you

Three numbers create the starting point.

Your cash gap

The down payment and estimated closing costs on the next home, minus cash you already plan to use.

Your available equity

The estimated amount a program might let you access before the current home sells—not all of your total equity.

Your short-term cost

An interest-and-fee estimate for the number of months you entered, so the timing decision is easier to understand.

How these estimates work

The HELOC and bridge estimates use the combined borrowing limits, rates and fees you entered. Monthly interest is shown as a simple interest-only planning estimate. Actual programs may calculate payments differently and will review credit, income, both housing payments, the property and your sale plan. Selling proceeds are not the same as cash available before a sale.

By Mike Baker, Mortgage Loan Originator · The Rate Shop · Kansas & Missouri

Could your current home help you buy the next one?

Use this calculator to explore the money you need before your current home sells. It compares your planned down payment and closing costs with the cash you already have, then shows how a HELOC or bridge-style loan might help fill the gap.

A simple buy-before-you-sell example

For a $500,000 next home, a 10% down payment is $50,000. Add $10,000 in estimated closing costs and subtract $20,000 of available cash: your estimated gap is $40,000. If your current home sells for $400,000, with a $250,000 mortgage payoff and 7% selling costs, estimated sale proceeds are $122,000.

Those are two different numbers: the $40,000 is money needed before selling; the $122,000 arrives after the sale. Change the assumptions above to explore your own timing and costs.

How do I choose between a HELOC and a bridge loan?

Start with how much you need, how long you expect to need it, and the payments you are comfortable carrying while both homes overlap. Mike can help compare the available programs with your Realtor's sale plan. Read the bridge loan vs. HELOC guide for a plain-English walkthrough.

What should I check before making an offer?

Build the full payment on the next home with the mortgage payment calculator, including taxes and insurance. Then talk with Mike about qualifying before your current home sells. We can map the down payment, overlapping payments, and sale proceeds together.

Can I lower my new payment after my old home sells?

A mortgage recast may let you apply sale proceeds to the new loan balance and have its monthly principal-and-interest payment recalculated. Ask Mike which loan options support that plan before closing. Explore how a recast can fit a buy-before-you-sell move.

More mortgage FAQs · Have Mike compare your Loan Estimates · Plan my next move with Mike