How do you move from one house to another?

[Chris]

Come this Summer my wife and I are planning to sell our house. We just put 50k into remodeling it, and I don't think we should have any issue selling it at all. It's a very, very nice house, and pretty much the entire thing has been updated. It's a damn fine looking house!

We decided once and for all we are going to be moving to the East Valley area of Phoenix, Arizona. I lived there for a period of my life, and moving away from there is what I always felt to be the biggest mistake of my life.

I'm a bit stumped though, so I'm hoping some of you who have moved before can offer some advice on this matter.

How do we go about doing this? Do we put our house up for sale without another house in mind, then sell it and live in a rental until we find a new house? Or do we find another house, put in an offer contingent upon us selling our house, then sell our house, then move?

I'm just a bit perplexed as to how to go about this. With the new house, I'll have about 300k in cash to put down, and I'll likely end up having to take out a home loan for another 50-75k (since most of the house we are finding are around 350-375k), so if I put in an offer on another house before we sold ours, it would have to be contingent upon us selling our house, and then also contingent upon me getting approved for a home loan for 50-75k (which I have to imagine wouldn't be hard given that I'd have about 300k cash to put down on it).

Just looking for input from others who have done this and what the best way to go about it would be (if there is a "best" way).

Thanks!

 

[qslim]

Here's some advice from someone who has never stayed in the same place for more than a few years and now drags a wife and 2 small kids around with them: it depends on your strategy for your home in Arizona... You sound like you don't move around a lot, so I'm assuming you're planning on making Arizona your actual home again?

Do you know exactly where you want to live in East Valley? If not then I would recommend getting rid of your Oregon home first while you rent for a bit. This will give you a chance to spend time there in East Valley and take your time while you search for your new home. In my personal experience selling a home and buying one at the same time almost always ends up in having to make a concession because of the timing constraints. I've had to either 1) settle on a new house that wouldn't have been my first choice because my other house sold and I needed a place to live, or 2) accept an offer on my old house instead of holding out for a better one because I needed to get rid of it to buy something else.

I also think that buying a new house contingent upon the sale of your old home takes a lot of luck for everything to line up.

My personal opinion, I would consider renting something so you can focus on one thing at a time. That'll give you your best chance of getting the most for your Oregon house and then finding the best place for your family in AZ. This'll also open up the opportunity for new construction if that's something you're looking at. The additional rental period will essentially mean moving twice, but if you're looking at AZ as your real new home I'd personally think it'd be worth it. I'd search the rental market down there and see what you're options are... You might be able to find something furnished and leave most of your belongings boxed up in long-term storage.

Congrats on the commitment!

 

[Chris]

so I'm assuming you're planning on making Arizona your actual home again?

Yes, this will be our house for the next 18 or so years at least, and only the second house we will have ever owned. We don't plan to move.

Do you know exactly where you want to live in East Valley?

It will either be Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, or potentially Tempe / Scottsdale. There's a wide selection, so it will ultimately come down to the best location and the nicest house. I used to live in the East Valley for years, so I am intimately familiar with it.

In my personal experience selling a home and buying one at the same time almost always ends up in having to make a concession because of the timing constraints. I've had to either 1) settle on a new house that wouldn't have been my first choice because my other house sold and I needed a place to live, or 2) accept an offer on my old house instead of holding out for a better one because I needed to get rid of it to buy something else.

This makes sense. I'm certainly not oppose to renting out an AirBnB or someones house for 6-12 months if need be. It's something I had already considered.

I also think that buying a new house contingent upon the sale of your old home takes a lot of luck for everything to line up.

My thoughts exactly. It seems like everything would have to go off without a hitch to make it work, and I suspect that's very rare.

My personal opinion, I would consider renting something so you can focus on one thing at a time. That'll give you your best chance of getting the most for your Oregon house and then finding the best place for your family in AZ. This'll also open up the opportunity for new construction if that's something you're looking at. The additional rental period will essentially mean moving twice, but if you're looking at AZ as your real new home I'd personally think it'd be worth it. I'd search the rental market down there and see what you're options are... You might be able to find something furnished and leave most of your belongings boxed up in long-term storage.

Congrats on the commitment!

Yep, I've already been looking at the rental market and there is no shortage. In my mind this would allow me to look at houses in person, find one I know we like, and then it would be a lot easier since we'd already be in the area.

I guess I sort of answered my own question (and you did as well)

 

[Bofa-Deez]

Or if the buyer could work with you and allow you to rent your newly sold home from them for 6 months or so, that would help. My mom and dad did that while they built their home. Of course if you are buying and not building, that could only be about 3 months or so. It would save you a move to the rental place.

Can't hurt to ask. Maybe you could adjust the asking price of your current home to cover your rent there for 3 months.

 

[qslim]

Yes, this will be our house for the next 18 or so years at least, and only the second house we will have ever owned. We don't plan to move.



It will either be Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, or potentially Tempe / Scottsdale. There's a wide selection, so it will ultimately come down to the best location and the nicest house. I used to live in the East Valley for years, so I am intimately familiar with it.



This makes sense. I'm certainly not oppose to renting out an AirBnB or someones house for 6-12 months if need be. It's something I had already considered.



My thoughts exactly. It seems like everything would have to go off without a hitch to make it work, and I suspect that's very rare.



Yep, I've already been looking at the rental market and there is no shortage. In my mind this would allow me to look at houses in person, find one I know we like, and then it would be a lot easier since we'd already be in the area.

I guess I sort of answered my own question (and you did as well)

I think you're on the right track Chris. The odds of everything lining up perfectly so you can get the most for your old house and find the perfect new house are incredibly low, so renting for a period might be your best bet so you can find the perfect house on the surface of the fucking sun in AZ!

Who are you going to give admin rights to when you're moving??? Gonna have an essay contest or something?

 

[Tscott]

In Texas, a seller won't look favorably on a contigency contract in a hot market. The market is red hot here so it may be different in AZ. Good luck. I hope it works out for you.

 

[qslim]

In Texas, a seller won't look favorably on a contigency contract in a hot market. The market is red hot here so it may be different in AZ. Good luck. I hope it works out for you.

I've found the same thing in several states... I recently sold a house in FL where I had so many offers that I wouldn't look at a contingency offer because it's just another variable to undo the deal. Depends on the market.

 

[InOmaha]

If you rent, you could look harder for a house with a trail head in the back yard.

I had family down in the desert southwest because my uncle had allergies before effective medication came about. So he moved to an area with no plants. I'd have to move to someplace more like Flagstaff if I was going to AZ.

 

[tworley]

Ive heard of contingencies here in the Denver area, but they seem to be very rare. As a seller I would look to someone who is ready to move in immediately. A buddy of mine sold their house and they moved into a rental and put most of their belongings in storage while they had their house built. Seems like the best approach, though not the easiest; dealing with storage, lease agreements/time frames.

 

[Web98]

One option is when you sell to possibly have a rent back clause (i think that's what it's called) where you rent the house from the people you sold too. Buyers are sometimes willing to do this because it gives them time to sell their current property and also they can make some income charging you more than the mortgage. Easier for you too if you dont have a new house yet because you only have to move once instead of dealing with renting.

Another option is to sell and then rent in the area you are looking to buy. Would be nice to further learn the area too while you are looking.

 

[strumble8]

One word of advice I will give. Dont move all your furniture. Sell it all in a clearance sale when you put the house on the market. The money you make selling old furniture plus the the money you save vs. hiring a moving company(many of which have very shady business practices) will buy you some nice stuff. I would only move family heirloom's, clothes, pictures etc.

 

[JMT]

@Chris,

@qslim is on the right track. I think what he says is pretty much dead accurate. Coupling that with what someone else mentioned about seeing if you could rent your house from the buyer for a few months is also something worth trying.

As you know, we just moved from TX to WA, 2,000 miles with 5 kids. My wife did not want to move twice. It is a lot with kids (as you know). Renting was also very expensive compared to the mortgage we would have since we were putting down a large down payment on a home like you. To make this happen do all your pre-mortgage stuff ASAP. That way, when your house sells you are pre-approved and can immediately book a flight to AZ and start looking at homes you qualify for (easy in your case, as in ours, but makes things much easier). You will want to see if you can get the closing 60 days out or so (we got 45 but could have had more, and it worked, but 60 minimum would be safer). You or your wife will want to already know what the market is like and what homes you may be interested in what areas (doing the best you can to figure out what is nearby so you have a good idea of two or three areas you may want to live, things could change when you get there and see first hand; use Zillow and Realtor). Also, be touching base with realtors and try to find someone you like. Interview them. It is worth it. When we sold our home everything happened very fast. We flew up here and had 20 houses lined up to look at with our realtor. Several sold the week we were here right out from under us. Fortunately, we found one. Be prepared to make a good offer so you don't lose it (if you want to go the 1 move route). It is dicey and it usually doesn't work, as @qslim mentioned, and you may have to let go of your home for a little less than you hoped if you are insistent on this working, but the bonus is just one move. It is hard to do, but worth it IMHO if you can pull it off. We have been here since August 5 and we are totally moved in with almost all new furniture and the only thing I have left to do is build one more bookcase for my work.

As far as furniture, I agree with @strumble8, sell as much furniture as you can. It is expensive to move and the more you move the more expensive. I sold a lot to fellow church members and on craigslist because I didn't want to have a garage sell and deal with penny anny stuff. I got about $6,000. I gave or threw a bunch of other stuff away. Keep only what is newer stuff and your family heirloom's, clothes, etc...you get the picture.

It cost us $13,900 to move, that's a final figure. We bought boxes from UHaul and packed everything ourselves (that way we could go through it and throw stuff out). We had some movers load a 26' truck. We had Dominion drive the truck. We had to have an extra 12' UHaul that we packed and I drove. My wife pulled our 5x11' trailer with some travel stuff and bikes. We made it no issue.

Hope this helps some. Best of luck to you. I hope you really enjoy AZ!

 

[Chris]

@Chris,

@qslim is on the right track. I think what he says is pretty much dead accurate. Coupling that with what someone else mentioned about seeing if you could rent your house from the buyer for a few months is also something worth trying.

As you know, we just moved from TX to WA, 2,000 miles with 5 kids. My wife did not want to move twice. It is a lot with kids (as you know). Renting was also very expensive compared to the mortgage we would have since we were putting down a large down payment on a home like you. To make this happen do all your pre-mortgage stuff ASAP. That way, when your house sells you are pre-approved and can immediately book a flight to AZ and start looking at homes you qualify for (easy in your case, as in ours, but makes things much easier). You will want to see if you can get the closing 60 days out or so (we got 45 but could have had more, and it worked, but 60 minimum would be safer). You or your wife will want to already know what the market is like and what homes you may be interested in what areas (doing the best you can to figure out what is nearby so you have a good idea of two or three areas you may want to live, things could change when you get there and see first hand; use Zillow and Realtor). Also, be touching base with realtors and try to find someone you like. Interview them. It is worth it. When we sold our home everything happened very fast. We flew up here and had 20 houses lined up to look at with our realtor. Several sold the week we were here right out from under us. Fortunately, we found one. Be prepared to make a good offer so you don't lose it (if you want to go the 1 move route). It is dicey and it usually doesn't work, as @qslim mentioned, and you may have to let go of your home for a little less than you hoped if you are insistent on this working, but the bonus is just one move. It is hard to do, but worth it IMHO if you can pull it off. We have been here since August 5 and we are totally moved in with almost all new furniture and the only thing I have left to do is build one more bookcase for my work.

As far as furniture, I agree with @strumble8, sell as much furniture as you can. It is expensive to move and the more you move the more expensive. I sold a lot to fellow church members and on craigslist because I didn't want to have a garage sell and deal with penny anny stuff. I got about $6,000. I gave or threw a bunch of other stuff away. Keep only what is newer stuff and your family heirloom's, clothes, etc...you get the picture.

It cost us $13,900 to move, that's a final figure. We bought boxes from UHaul and packed everything ourselves (that way we could go through it and throw stuff out). We had some movers load a 26' truck. We had Dominion drive the truck. We had to have an extra 12' UHaul that we packed and I drove. My wife pulled our 5x11' trailer with some travel stuff and bikes. We made it no issue.

Hope this helps some. Best of luck to you. I hope you really enjoy AZ!

This makes a lot of sense. I was planning to sell most of the furniture, and then box up all the other stuff we want to keep, purchasing one of those storage POD units, and having it sent to our new location once we move. The furniture would go, as nothing we have is insanely expensive, and selling it would be cheaper than moving it, since we could simply buy new furniture when we get there. I'd anticipated spending about 15k in moving costs, so it sounds like I'm on the right track with my thought process.

I didn't think I could do the pre-mortgage stuff this early. Do you think it would be too early do to it now since we aren't planning on selling our house and moving until Summer?

 

[Chris]

One word of advice I will give. Dont move all your furniture. Sell it all in a clearance sale when you put the house on the market. The money you make selling old furniture plus the the money you save vs. hiring a moving company(many of which have very shady business practices) will buy you some nice stuff. I would only move family heirloom's, clothes, pictures etc.

I'm with you 100%. Talked to my wife about this weeks ago and she agreed. We will sell all the furniture and buy new stuff when we get there.

 

[Boinked]

Come this Summer my wife and I are planning to sell our house. We just put 50k into remodeling it, and I don't think we should have any issue selling it at all. It's a very, very nice house, and pretty much the entire thing has been updated. It's a damn fine looking house!

We decided once and for all we are going to be moving to the East Valley area of Phoenix, Arizona. I lived there for a period of my life, and moving away from there is what I always felt to be the biggest mistake of my life.

I'm a bit stumped though, so I'm hoping some of you who have moved before can offer some advice on this matter.

How do we go about doing this? Do we put our house up for sale without another house in mind, then sell it and live in a rental until we find a new house? Or do we find another house, put in an offer contingent upon us selling our house, then sell our house, then move?

I'm just a bit perplexed as to how to go about this. With the new house, I'll have about 300k in cash to put down, and I'll likely end up having to take out a home loan for another 50-75k (since most of the house we are finding are around 350-375k), so if I put in an offer on another house before we sold ours, it would have to be contingent upon us selling our house, and then also contingent upon me getting approved for a home loan for 50-75k (which I have to imagine wouldn't be hard given that I'd have about 300k cash to put down on it).

Just looking for input from others who have done this and what the best way to go about it would be (if there is a "best" way).

Thanks!

Im sorry but Phoenix is closed....... try California.

In all seriousness. When you get settled we will have to meet up with the Phoenix/Tucson guys and grab a beer.

 

[EJD]

X2 to the pack light concept. We've moved a ton from all corners of the country and in-between as i'm sure you've seen. We always pack light, meaning we get rid of just about everything big/bulky/heavy and have always trailered the stuff we have taken. This was the first time we've actually purchased a home so I cannot speak on whats best for selling your current home and buying the new one or vice versa. We did do the extended AirBnb thing though after moving out of our rental and before closing on the new home here on the coast, so that was a good experience.

We do need to run a trail before you leave though!

 

[Chris]

Im sorry but Phoenix is closed....... try California.

In all seriousness. When you get settled we will have to meet up with the Phoenix/Tucson guys and grab a beer.

Haha! At least I'm not bringing the California mentality with me

In all seriousness though, it will be so nice to be back in Arizona. I missed that place ever since we left. I wasn't going to consider it due to the increase in prices, but since we have so much equity in our house now, I decided I wouldn't mind taking on 50-75k extra in a house, since I'd make out pretty good on this house if it sells for anything close to what I'm thinking it will.

 

[Chris]

We do need to run a trail before you leave though!

I need to find another TJ first

 

[reddvltj]

Another option you might consider, if you know what area you want to live in, is do a search for property that you can have a home built on. In many instances you can have a home built to your specifications much cheaper than buying someone else's vision. With the amount you have to put down a new construction loan might actually be easier, if you even need a loan. You'd buy the land outright and pay portions of the cost as the house is being built.

 

[Chris]

Another option you might consider, if you know what area you want to live in, is do a search for property that you can have a home built on. In many instances you can have a home built to your specifications much cheaper than buying someone else's vision. With the amount you have to put down a new construction loan might actually be easier, if you even need a loan. You'd buy the land outright and pay portions of the cost as the house is being built.

Interesting, I hadn't considered that.

I'm not even sure who you contact about building a new house, just a general contractor?