If you are planning a move, you have likely run into the ultimate real estate catch-22: Do I buy my next home first, or sell my current one first?

Lately, we are seeing a massive surge of local buyers trying to bridge this exact gap by writing offers using a Buyer’s Contingent Right to Purchase Addendum. This tells the seller, "I want your house, but I legally can't cross the finish line until someone buys mine first."

It sounds like a perfect insurance policy, but it comes with distinct strings attached. Let’s look at the reality for both sides of the transaction.

For Buyers

• The Safety: You won't ever find yourself stuck owning two homes and juggling two mortgages at once. If your current home fails to sell within the agreed-upon timeline, you walk away with your earnest money deposit intact.

• The Catch: You have weakened negotiating power. In a competitive setting, a contingent offer is almost always beat out by a non-contingent offer. Plus, you are subject to the Bump Clause. The seller keeps their home on the market; if they get a clean offer, they can "bump" you—giving you a strict deadline (usually 2 business days) to either remove your contingency or step aside.

For Sellers

• The Premium: Contingent buyers often offer full price (or very close to it) to convince you to take your home off the active market.

• The Risk: You are suddenly tethered to a completely separate transaction. You have no control over their buyer, their home's appraisal, or their timeline. If their deal collapses, your listing goes back on the market with added days on market, making it look stale to fresh shoppers.

The Market Condition Variable

How you approach a sales contingency depends entirely on the leverage landscape:

• In a Hot Market: Sellers rarely accept contingent offers because clean, non-contingent bids are readily available. If you are a buyer in this environment, you generally need to sell your current property first to stand a real chance.

• In a Shifting/Balanced Market: Sellers become much more willing to entertain a sales contingency to capture a great price. However, under standard Oregon contract rules, a buyer cannot simply "waive" the contingency at the last minute to save the deal unless they provide verified written proof from their lender that they can fully qualify for the new loan without selling the first home.

The Takeaway: If you need to sell to buy, a contingent offer is an invaluable tool—but your current home must be priced aggressively and staged perfectly to show a seller that your timeline is a sure bet.

Curious how the bump clause timeline works under current guidelines? Let’s map out a strategy that protects your equity.