You're moving, and the house can't come with you

Relocation is the one situation where the deadline is completely outside your control. The new job starts when it starts. If the house hasn't sold by then, you're either paying two housing costs at once or managing a listing, a lockbox, and a lawn from several states away.

What the double-carry actually costs

Mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities you have to keep on for showings, and lawn care so it doesn't look vacant. On a typical house that's a meaningful amount every month, and the average listing takes 60 to 90 days to close. Sellers tend to compare our offer to the list price and forget to subtract the carry, the commission, and the repairs — the honest comparison is against your net, months from now, not against the sticker.

How we work with a moving date

• Tell us your must-be-out date and we'll close on or before it
• If you need to close before you leave but stay a few extra days, say so — that's usually arrangeable
• Leave anything you don't want to pay a mover to transport
• Everything can be handled remotely — we can view the property virtually and you can sign with a notary wherever you are

If you have time, you may have better options

If your move is six months out and the house shows well, listing it will probably net you more, and we'll say so. Where we're genuinely useful is when the date is tight, the house needs work, or you're already gone.