Your bridge loan strategy in Marin County
A bridge loan strategy in Marin County lets you buy your next home before your current one sells. Michael lines up the financing, the timing and both closings, so you move once. Trade a Terra Linda ranch for a Mill Valley hillside without a rental in between.
Two closings, one plan.
Buying and selling at once means two contracts, two lenders and one moving truck. You get one broker who runs both sides on a single calendar. You always know which date drives the other.
One Broker, Both Deals
Your sale and your purchase share one timeline, not two agendas. Michael sets close dates that line up to the day. A delay on one side never blindsides the other.
A Mortgage-Lending Background
Michael knows the lending side of the table. He reads a bridge term sheet line by line and points you to lenders who actually write bridge loans. You compare written costs, not guesses.
Offers That Stand Alone
Marin sellers rarely wait for your house to sell. With financing in place, you make an offer with no sale contingency. Michael's CNE® negotiation training shapes the terms around it.
Prep That Shortens the Bridge
Every week the bridge stays open costs you money. Michael's contractor and painter get your home ready for photos fast, so the carry period stays short.
Prop 19 Timing Built In
If you are 55 or older, the order of your closings can change your tax bill. As an SRES®, Michael plans the sequence around your Prop 19 window from day one.
Marin Since 2005
Michael has sold homes here since 2005 and held his broker's license since 2007. A Sun Valley listing and a San Marin listing move on different clocks. He times your sale to match.
The market behind the timing.
Redfin figures cover the three months ending August 2026; months of supply is single-family data for August 2026; bridge terms are typical national ranges and vary by lender. Figures change — ask Michael for a current CMA.
From two homes to one set of keys.
Map your equity
Michael prices your current home with a fresh CMA and maps the equity you can tap. You see whether buying first or selling first fits your numbers and your nerves. Nothing is signed yet.
Line up the bridge
You compare a bridge loan, a HELOC opened before listing, or a sale with a rent-back. Each option comes with written lender terms before you shop. You see the full cost of the gap, in dollars.
Buy with a firm budget
You shop knowing your exact ceiling and your close date. Whether the target is a Larkspur cottage or a Corte Madera ranch, your offer arrives ready to close.
Sell and repay
Your home lists prepped, staged and priced for its first weekend. Michael handles showings while you settle into the new place. At closing, the sale proceeds repay the bridge, and you hold one home.
What Michael's clients say.
“As we [navigated] through the stressful time of purchasing our new home in conjunction with the sale of our old home, he was always calm and reassuring. Even after we got our keys, he followed up to see how we were doing … He is a great agent to work with, and we recommend him wholeheartedly.”
Frequently asked questions.
Should I buy first or sell first in Marin right now?
In a tight market, buying first usually wins. Marin homes sold in about 36 days over the three months ending August 2026, and 40.7% sold above list in August1. Single-family supply sat at 2.3 months in August2. Sellers with choices rarely accept an offer that hinges on your sale.
Selling first still makes sense if you need the proceeds to qualify, or can't carry two payments. In San Rafael and Novato, a rent-back often covers the gap. Michael runs both versions with your real numbers.
How does a bridge loan work, and what if my house doesn't sell in time?
A bridge loan borrows against your current home to fund the next down payment. Terms typically run six months to a year3. Lenders commonly want at least 20% equity and lend up to 80% of both homes' combined value. Most also look for a 700+ credit score and a debt-to-income ratio below 50%.
The real risk is the calendar. If the old home hasn't sold when the loan matures, you may owe the full bridge balance on top of the new mortgage3. Expect appraisal and closing costs too. That's why Michael preps and prices your home before you shop, not after.
Can I qualify for a new mortgage while I still own my current home?
Often, yes, but timing matters. Under Fannie Mae's guide, your lender can leave the current home's payment out of your ratios once you have an executed sales contract and its financing contingencies are cleared5. Before that point, the old payment usually counts.
With a HELOC, lenders stack three payments: the old mortgage, the HELOC and the new loan. Conventional caps run roughly 36% to 45% of income, sometimes near 50% with strong compensating factors4. Michael brings your lender in before you write an offer.
Can I use a HELOC instead of a bridge loan?
Yes, and many owners do. The catch is timing. Some lenders require a home to be off the market for six months before approving a HELOC4. Open the line before you list, not after.
At closing, your sale proceeds pay off the first mortgage, then the HELOC, and the rest comes to you. The line cannot move to the new property4. Michael sequences the HELOC, the listing date and the purchase so nothing collides.
If I sell first, can I stay in my home after closing?
Usually, through a rent-back. California agents use the C.A.R. Seller in Possession form for stays under 30 days and a Residential Lease After Sale for 30 days or more7. Most rent-backs run 60 days or less. A longer stay can lead the buyer's lender to treat the home as non-owner-occupied.
Negotiate the rent-back with the sale, not after it. Michael writes it into your contract. You move once, straight into your next home.
I'm over 55. Does the order of my sale and purchase affect Prop 19?
It can. Prop 19 lets owners 55 and older move their taxable value to a replacement home anywhere in California, up to three times6. The replacement must be bought within two years of the sale.
Order sets the value test. Buy before you sell, and the new home must be of equal or lesser value. Buy within a year after, and it can reach 105%; in the second year, 110%. For long-time owners in Kentfield or Greenbrae, that gap can be large. Michael times the closings with your tax advisor.
Plan the gap before you list.
One planning session maps your equity, your order and your costs. From Gerstle Park to Black Point, Michael meets you at your kitchen table. There is no cost and no obligation.
Michael Wayne Jackson · (415) 483-6009 · michael.jackson@cbrealty.com
Sources & references
- 1. Redfin — Marin County Housing Market (three months ending August 2026) — redfin.com
- 2. Thomas Henthorne — Marin County Real Estate Market Report, September 2026 (August 2026 single-family data) — thomashenthorne.com
- 3. NerdWallet — What Is a Bridge Loan and How Does It Work? (updated August 2026) — nerdwallet.com
- 4. The Mortgage Reports — HELOC as Bridge Loan: Buy Your Next Home First (June 2026) — themortgagereports.com
- 5. Fannie Mae Selling Guide — B3-6-06, Qualifying Impact of Other Real Estate Owned (September 2026) — selling-guide.fanniemae.com
- 6. California State Board of Equalization — Proposition 19 — boe.ca.gov
- 7. Mary Pope-Handy — Seller Rent Back After Close of Escrow (2023) — sanjoserealestatelosgatoshomes.com