Your June 2026 Update
Hey there neighbor!
June always feels like the month where people start seriously thinking about what the next chapter looks like. School’s wrapped up, summer schedules are kicking in, and for a lot of families, the idea of making a move starts feeling more real. Along with this transitional period come big life changes: some families start thinking about what school systems they want their kids to be in for the fall. Others may become empty nesters as the kids go off to college. Some retirees start embracing the warm weather while it lasts, but begin to think about making a move in preparation for the cold weather to come.
One of the biggest conversations I’ve been having lately is with people trying to figure out how to buy and sell a home at the same time. Most people immediately picture the worst-case scenario. “What if my house sells and I have nowhere to go?” or “What if I buy something and then my house doesn’t sell?” The good news is there are actually a lot more options and strategies than people realize.
Sometimes it looks like negotiating a settlement date that lines up with both transactions. Sometimes it’s negotiating a rent-back so sellers can stay in their current home for a few extra days or weeks after closing. Sometimes it’s using a home sale contingency, bridge loan, or even just properly timing when the house hits the market. Every situation is different, but there are ways to make the transition feel a lot less chaotic than people expect.
One thing I always tell people is that buying and selling at the same time works best when you approach it as one full strategy instead of two separate transactions. Your buying power affects your selling timeline, your selling timeline affects your negotiating leverage, and all of it works together. That’s why planning early matters so much, even if you aren’t looking to move tomorrow.
Keeping It Real - In May, 3 of the 4 families I helped make a move needed to sell their home in order to buy another home. My favorite selling and buying success was with A&N. A&N bought a 2 bedroom home with me a year and a half ago, but with a new baby on the way, they quickly realized they would need more space. We were able to strategize to get them multiple offers on the home they needed to sell (resulting in selling over the list price with no inspections) and I included a 5 day rent back to allow them the time to pack and move into their new home. I also negotiated to get them over $18,000 off the sales price of their purchase, a $31,000 new roof, home warranties, inspection repairs, and more. It was a complicated puzzle to make it all work out, but there couldn’t have been a better solution for this amazing family.
A little life update over here…
Father’s Day is coming up on June 21st, and while I won’t be able to celebrate it with my dad down in Texas, I’m excited to spoil him, my father in law, and my husband with some new tools and gadgets. Maybe I’m cliche, but I’m not going to reinvent the wheel when they like new toys! We’ve passed the halfway point of my pregnancy with baby Henry, and I spent several days painting his nursery and putting together all the baby furniture. Luna just celebrated her 7th birthday with us in May, and Toby will be turning 9 this month! We’re finally getting to the end of the pool installation, but what a mess that has been with issues with the contractors.
Speaking of contractors - I’m working on updating my vendor recommendations list and would love to hear from all of you. Do you own a local service providing business or have you worked with a company you’ve loved recently? Please let me know who you’ve had great experiences with so I can send my clients their way!
If you ever want to talk through what buying and selling at the same time could realistically look like for you, what your home might be worth, or what options you may have in today’s market, I’m always happy to chat and help you put together a plan. Please feel free to contact me any time via my cell at 717-345-1101 or email me at Emma@nestwithemma.com
Emma Davis, Realtor with Samson Properties
