What Is a Hubbard Clause in Connecticut? (And How to Avoid Needing One)

Short answer

A Hubbard clause is a home sale contingency with a kick-out: your offer depends on selling your current home, but the seller keeps marketing their house. If a better offer arrives, you get a short notice window, commonly 72 hours, to drop the contingency or walk away with your deposit.

On Greater Hartford REALTORS forms it is the "Sale of Buyer's Property Contingency (Hubbard)" rider
Listing agents often push back because the house stays on the market with an uncertain buyer
A bridge loan lets you remove the contingency before you write the offer

Reviewed by Gaetano Ciambriello, NMLS #1783508 · Updated September 2026

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How a Hubbard Clause Works in Connecticut

"Hubbard" is the name Connecticut agents and attorneys use for a sale-of-buyer's-property contingency with a kick-out. The standard REALTOR rider is short, and the mechanics are usually the same:

You write an offer with the Hubbard rider attached. It names your current home and a Contingency Date. If you have not sold (and cleared your buyer's contingencies) by that date, the contract terminates.
You list your home promptly. The standard rider has you agree to list with a broker, make diligent efforts to sell, and keep the seller informed.
The seller keeps showing the house. If they receive another written offer they would accept, they notify you in writing.
The kick-out clock starts. You get the number of days written into the rider to remove the contingency. Seventy-two hours is common in Connecticut practice.
You remove it, or you are out. Removal typically means showing a signed contract on your home with its contingencies satisfied, proof you can close without selling, or a mortgage commitment that does not depend on your sale. If you do not remove it in time, the contract ends and your deposit comes back.

Why listing agents dislike it

The seller's closing now depends on a house they do not control and a buyer they have never met.
Other buyers may pass on a home that already has an accepted offer, even a contingent one.
If a second offer arrives, the seller has to run the notice process, and if you remove the contingency, the new buyer can only be a back-up.
In a multiple-offer situation, a Hubbard offer usually ranks behind a non-contingent offer, even one at a lower price.

Sources: Greater Hartford Association of REALTORS®, Sale of Buyer's Property Contingencies: Hubbard Clause and Under Contract Riders (revised August 2025); CT REALTORS® Forms Library (form "Sale of Buyer's Property Contingency Hubbard"); Kane, Hartley & Kane (Glastonbury, CT attorneys). Rider terms are negotiated and vary by contract. Your attorney confirms what your contract says.

Hubbard Clause Pros and Cons

Compare	Pros	Cons
For the buyer	You can commit to a house before your current home sells. If the contract ends under the rider, your deposit is typically returned.	You can be kicked out on short notice. Your offer is weaker against non-contingent buyers. You sell on the seller's clock, not yours.
For the seller	A committed buyer while the house stays on the market. The option to accept a back-up offer.	Closing depends on a sale the seller does not control. Some buyers skip listings with an accepted offer. More deadlines and paperwork.

Hubbard Clause vs. a Bridge-Backed Offer

Compare	Offer with a Hubbard clause	Bridge-backed offer (no sale contingency)
What the seller sees	A buyer who still has to sell a house first	A buyer whose down payment is already funded from home equity
Kick-out risk	Yes. Notice can come any time before you remove it	None from your home sale
Multiple offers	Usually ranks behind non-contingent offers	Competes as a non-contingent offer
Who controls timing	The seller and the calendar in the rider	You. Close on the new home, then sell the old one empty
Lender cost	None	2.5% origination, 1% per month accruing (paid at payoff), $3,250 in fees
If your home sells slowly	The contract terminates at the Contingency Date	12-month term, no prepayment penalty, no monthly bridge payment

Your usual inspection and mortgage contingencies are separate. Keep the ones your attorney recommends.

What replacing the Hubbard clause costs

Here is the cost of a $200,000 bridge loan used for the down payment, paid off in month 4 when the old home sells. Interest accrues only for the months the loan is open.

Line item	Amount
Origination (2.5% of $200,000)	$5,000
Interest (1% per month x 4 months)	$8,000
Attorney, processing and wire fees	$3,250
Total cost, repaid in month 4	$16,250

For context, AFC's buy-before-you-sell bridges were paid off a median of 59 days after funding (middle half: 43 to 78 days). See the AFC Bridge Loan Report for the data, or model your own numbers with the bridge loan calculator.

Representative example: a $250,000 bridge loan held the full 12-month term has a 2.5% origination fee ($6,250), $3,250 in attorney, processing and wire fees, and $30,000 of interest at 1% per month, for a total cost of credit of $39,500 and an APR of about 16.4%. Paying off early costs less; there is no prepayment penalty and no minimum interest.

How to Replace a Hubbard Clause With a Bridge-Backed Offer

Get approved for both loans before you shop. The purchase mortgage and the bridge on your current home (up to 80% combined loan-to-value). Your pre-approval stays valid as long as your income, assets and credit don't change.
Have your agent write the offer without the sale-of-buyer's-property contingency. Keep the inspection and mortgage contingencies your attorney recommends.
Close the bridge. It can fund as soon as 7 business days after approval and covers your down payment and closing costs.
Close on the new home and move. Then list the old house empty, which makes it easier to show and stage.
Pay off the bridge from the sale. Interest accrues and is paid at payoff, so there is no monthly bridge payment while the house is listed.

Already signed a Hubbard clause?

The Greater Hartford REALTORS removal form lists proof that you can close without selling as one way to remove the contingency. A bridge approval is one way buyers typically show that. Because a bridge takes longer to fund than a typical 72-hour kick-out window, apply before notice arrives. Your attorney decides what documentation satisfies your contract.

Connecticut Details Worth Knowing

Hubbard clauses show up on REALTOR forms used around the state, including the Greater Hartford REALTORS riders. Once your own home is under contract, those forms let the Hubbard be replaced with an "Under Contract" rider if the seller agrees.
Real estate attorneys commonly review purchase contracts and handle closings in Connecticut. Ask yours about the notice period and the Contingency Date before you sign.
Rhode Island uses the term too; the Rhode Island REALTORS addendum describes a 72-hour notice period.
Most Connecticut bridge lenders you'll find are investor-only. AFC funds owner-occupied bridge loans from its own fund. Since 2024 we have funded 89 bridge loans totaling $38.2 million, and our buy-before-you-sell bridges have had 0 defaults and 0 extensions to date.

Hubbard Clause FAQ

What is a Hubbard clause?

A Hubbard clause is a home sale contingency with a kick-out. Your purchase depends on selling your current home, and the seller can keep marketing their house. If the seller receives another offer they would accept, they notify you in writing and you get a short window, commonly 72 hours, to remove the contingency or the contract ends and your deposit is returned.

Can a seller write a back-up offer in a Hubbard clause?

The seller does not write the back-up offer, but they can accept one. A Hubbard clause typically lets the seller keep showing the home. When a second acceptable offer arrives, the seller gives the first buyer written notice and the notice period starts. If the first buyer removes the contingency, the second offer can only stand as a back-up. If the first buyer does not, the first contract ends. Connecticut attorneys warn sellers to structure the second contract as a back-up so the house is not sold twice, so both sides should have their attorney review it.

How long does a Hubbard clause last?

Until one of three things happens: the Contingency Date written into the rider passes, the buyer removes the contingency, or the kick-out notice period runs out after the seller gives notice. There is no single statewide length. The dates are negotiated in each contract. One Connecticut law firm suggests a 90 to 120 day outside limit, and kick-out windows of 72 hours are common.

What are the pros and cons of a Hubbard clause?

For the buyer, the upside is that you can lock up a house before you sell and get your deposit back if the contract ends under the rider. The downside is kick-out risk on short notice and an offer that usually ranks behind non-contingent offers. For the seller, the upside is a committed buyer while they keep marketing. The downside is that their closing depends on a sale they do not control.

What is the alternative to a Hubbard clause?

The main alternatives are a bridge loan against your current home, a HELOC opened before you list, AFC's Cash Offer, or selling first with a rent-back. Each lets you write an offer without a sale contingency. The home sale contingency guide on this site compares all five options side by side.

Does a Hubbard clause protect my deposit?

Typically yes while the contingency is in place. The Greater Hartford REALTORS rider returns the buyer's deposit if the contract terminates under the rider. Be careful when you remove it: under the standard removal form, if you then fail to close because your home did not sell, you can be in default and the seller may keep your deposit. Talk to your attorney before you sign a removal.

Can a bridge loan help me answer a kick-out notice?

It can, but start early. AFC bridge loans can fund as soon as 7 business days after approval, which is longer than a typical 72-hour kick-out window. If you have a Hubbard offer in place, get approved for the bridge right away so you can remove the contingency quickly if notice arrives. Your attorney decides what proof of funds satisfies your contract.

Write the Offer Without the Hubbard

Get approved for the bridge and the new mortgage together, then compete like a buyer who has already sold.

See what you qualify for Run the bridge numbers

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