Buying and Selling Simultaneously is Trickier if Moving Across Country

If you have a home to sell, buying and selling at the same time involves a few more steps than those first-time home buyers face, but it can also be riddled with complications if you're relocating.

My move from Minneapolis to Sacramento was a nail biter. It involved scheduling a moving truck to arrive in town the day after my new home closed escrow, and making sure the funds from the sale in Minneapolis were wired to the right place. I recall standing in front of the Corn Palace in South Dakota, screaming into my cell phone that escrow better redraw the grant deed or I would explode on the spot.

I had asked escrow to draw the deed with my name first, as in wife and husband, not husband and wife, but they messed it up. I ran through my checklist over and over, covering all the fine points of closing; it was stressful. But on the day of closing, as I unwound at a Reno spa, everything went as smooth as silk . . . read more about Buying and Selling at the Same Time.

More Articles by Elizabeth Weintraub:

• When is the Best Time to Buy?
  
• Don't Rule Out Overpriced Homes
  
• Profitable Repairs to Make Before Selling

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