Buying Your Next North Texas Home With a Sale Contingency (…or a Bridge Loan): What to Know in 2025 🏡🔁

This guide breaks down what a contingency is, how it works in Texas, how long homes are taking to sell locally (and how staging, repairs, and curb appeal can speed things up), plus whether a bridge loan might be smarter for you.

What is a “sale-of-home contingency”? 🤔

A sale-of-home contingency says your offer to buy the new house is conditional on you selling your current property. If your home doesn’t sell within an agreed timeframe, you can usually cancel without penalty, and the seller can move on to another buyer. In Texas, agents commonly use an Addendum for Sale of Other Property by Buyer; in MLS, these are often shown as Active Kick Out (KO) when the seller reserves the right to keep marketing the property. MetroTex+1

How a sale contingency works in North Texas (the quick version) 📝

1. Offer + Addendum: You submit your offer with the contingency and a deadline to sell your home.
2. Status = Active KO: Many sellers keep showing the property and may accept back-ups. MetroTex
3. Kick-Out window: If another qualified offer arrives, the seller can trigger a kick-out clause, giving you 24–72 hours to remove your contingency (by proving financing without selling) or step aside. Rocket Mortgage+1

What’s a kick-out clause?
It’s the seller’s protection: they can keep showing the home and, if a better-positioned buyer appears, they give you a short window to waive your contingency or be “kicked out.” Texas listings with this setup often display Active Kick Out. HAR.com+1

How long does it take to sell a home right now? (Collin County + DFW) ⏱️

• Collin County (Aug 2025): 58 median days on market (DOM), up from ~50 in July. FRED
• Realtor.com snapshot (Aug 2025): ~60 median DOM for Collin County. Realtor
• DFW Metro (Jul 2025): ~53 median DOM. FRED
• Redfin (Jul 2025): Collin County homes sold in ~55 days on average. Redfin

How repairs, upgrades, staging, and curb appeal change the timeline 🧰✨🌿

• Home staging: National Association of REALTORS® reports 30% of listing agents saw a slight decrease and 19% saw a significant reduction in time on market when homes were staged. Translation: staging frequently shortens DOM. National Association of REALTORS®+2National Association of REALTORS®+2
• Curb appeal: Studies summarized by REALTOR® sources show strong exterior appeal can add ~7% to value and make buyers act faster (clean landscaping, paint, lighting). While value increases ≠ days guaranteed, higher perceived value often correlates with quicker offers. REMAX News+1

Action plan to sell faster:
• Declutter + stage key rooms (living, kitchen, primary).
• High-impact fixes: paint, lighting, hardware, caulk/grout, minor bath refresh.
• Exterior: mow/edge, mulch, trim trees/shrubs, pressure wash, new house numbers + front-door hardware.
• Price to the market with data (not wishful thinking).
• Pro photos + video + floor plan to broaden reach.

Do you lose leverage with a contingent offer? ⚖️

Sometimes, yes. Sellers may prefer non-contingent offers because there’s more risk (your sale must happen on time). That can affect:

• Negotiating power (price and repairs)
• Seller’s willingness to choose your offer over similar non-contingent bids
• Kick-out exposure—you could be displaced if another buyer appears and you can’t remove the contingency in time. Rocket Mortgage+1

How to offset that: stronger earnest money, flexible closing, short contingency timelines, pre-market your current home, and provide proof your listing is show-ready with pricing strategy and marketing in place.

Should you consider alternative financing (like a bridge loan) instead? 🧗‍♀️💼

A bridge loan is a short-term loan that taps your current home’s equity so you can buy before you sell, often eliminating the need for a sale contingency. Pros: you can write a cleaner offer and move once. Cons: higher rates/fees, two loans temporarily, and strict equity/qualification requirements. Bankrate+2Chase+2

Bridge-loan quick hits:

• Typical term: a few months up to ~12 months; repaid when your old home sells.
• Often secured by your current home; proceeds can fund down payment + closing costs on the new home. Bankrate+1

Pros & Cons of buying with a sale contingency ✅/❌

Pros

• Reduces risk of owning two homes at once
• Lets you use proceeds from your sale for the new purchase
• Keeps you from draining reserves or costly interim financing

Cons

• Less leverage vs. non-contingent buyers
• Higher chance of kick-out if another buyer appears
• More moving parts (your buyer’s financing, inspections, appraisals all impact your purchase) Rocket Mortgage+1

North Collin County growth snapshot: why demand stays resilient 📈🏗️

• Collin County is among America’s fastest-growing counties; the region added ~234,000 people year-over-year, with Collin up ~76,000 alone. RDC Maps+1
• Frisco: After a dip in lot availability, single-family permits have been rising again; 2024 was a record year for jobs/investment. Community Impact+1
• McKinney: Rapid expansion (airport terminal underway; significant population growth since 2020) and national “top market/safest suburb” accolades. Chron+2CultureMap Dallas+2
• Plano: Only ~4% of land remains undeveloped, so the city is adding housing via mixed-use/creative redevelopment (Collin Creek, Haggard Farms). Community Impact
• Allen: Ongoing mixed-use + new-home community activity (e.g., The Farm; Twin Creeks/Watters infill). The Farm+1

What it means: Even with DOM lengthening, population + jobs + infrastructure keep buyer pipelines healthy across Frisco/McKinney/Allen/Plano—good news for both contingent and non-contingent buyers.

Should you go contingent or bridge? My rule of thumb 🧭

• Choose contingent if: your equity is tied up, your home should reasonably sell within local DOM, and you’re comfortable with some leverage trade-off.
• Consider a bridge loan if: you must compete (new listing hotspots, multiple-offer scenarios), need clean terms, or your current home requires time for repairs/staging to fetch top dollar. Bankrate

Ready to map your path? Let’s talk. 📲

Cindy Coggins Realty Group helps North Texas buyers structure smart offers—contingent or not—and prep listings to sell faster with the right pricing, staging, and curb appeal plan.

👉 Call/Text: 469-499-7452 to get tailored guidance on contingencies vs. bridge loans, a data-driven pricing strategy for your current home, and a winning plan for your next purchase in Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Plano, and northern Collin County.