How Do I Make a Cash Offer Without Being a Cash Buyer?

October 1, 2026

Short answer: You can make an all-cash offer without having the cash by using a cash offer (buy-before-you-sell) loan. A lender funds the purchase up front, so your offer has no mortgage, appraisal or home-sale contingency. You move in, sell your current home, and repay the loan from the sale or your long-term mortgage.

In a tight Connecticut market, the offer that wins is usually the one the seller trusts to close. A contingent offer sits at the bottom of the pile. Below is how we turn a buyer whose money is tied up in their current house into a cash buyer, who it fits, and what it really costs.

Why cash wins even when your price is the same

Most buyers who own a home today are stuck in a timing gap. They need the equity from their current house to buy the next one, so they write an offer with a sale contingency (in Connecticut, usually a Hubbard clause), or a mortgage and appraisal contingency on top of it. A seller comparing that to an offer with no contingencies will usually take the cleaner one, even at the same price.

A cash offer removes the three things a seller worries about: no mortgage contingency, no appraisal contingency, and no sale contingency. You can still do a home inspection. The seller gets certainty and can pick the closing date that works for them.

How it works, step by step

We approve you for the long-term mortgage first. Our Approval Team underwrites the final mortgage on the new home before anything else happens. We don't fund the cash offer unless we already know how you get paid out of it.
You shop and offer as a cash buyer. The cash offer loan can cover up to 100% of the purchase price, and closing costs can be rolled in, so you don't need cash out of pocket to close.
You close and move in. Bridge funding can happen as soon as 7 business days after approval. A typical Cash Offer purchase closes in about 2 to 4 weeks.
You sell your old home on your own schedule. There's no monthly payment while it's listed. Interest accrues and is paid when the loan is paid off.
You pay it off. If your sale proceeds cover the whole balance, you're done. If not, the long-term mortgage we already approved pays off the rest.

Who it's built for

Move-up families. Growing household, already carrying a mortgage, and they can't qualify for two payments at once. (More on that in buying a new home when you can't afford two mortgages.)
Downsizers. Lots of equity, often money in retirement accounts they'd rather not cash out. See bridge loan vs. selling investments.
Relocations. A new job means a hard start date and no time to sell first.

It's not the right fit for someone who wants to list high and wait six months or a year to sell. This is for buyers who have found the house and need to win it.

What it costs

Cash Offer uses our bridge fund at the same pricing: 2.5% origination, 1% per month interest (12% a year) that accrues and is paid at payoff, plus a flat $3,200 attorney and processing fee and a $50 wire ($3,250 in fees). No prepayment penalty and no minimum interest.

Example: a $200,000 loan repaid in month 4 costs $5,000 origination + $8,000 interest + $3,250 fees = $16,250.

Representative APR: about 16.4% on a $250,000 loan held 12 months ($6,250 origination, $3,250 fees, $30,000 interest; total cost of credit $39,500). Your APR depends on how long the loan is outstanding.

The fair comparison isn't "free." It's what the alternatives cost: two moves, storage, a short-term rental, or losing the house you wanted to a cleaner offer.

See the full program on our Cash Offer page, or compare it with a classic bridge loan in Connecticut.

Cash offer questions

Do I need to sell my house before I can use a cash offer?

No. That's the point of the program. You buy first, move in, then sell. The loan is repaid from your sale or from the long-term mortgage we approved up front.

Can I still have a home inspection?

Yes. A cash offer removes the mortgage, appraisal and sale contingencies. You can still inspect the home.

Do I make payments while my old house is listed?

No monthly payment. Interest accrues at 1% per month and is paid when the loan is paid off, along with the 2.5% origination.

What if my house sells for less than I expected?

That's why we approve your long-term mortgage before we fund. Whatever the sale doesn't cover, the long-term mortgage does.

How fast can I close?

Bridge funding can happen as soon as 7 business days after approval. A typical Cash Offer purchase closes in about 2 to 4 weeks.

Want to see if you'd qualify? Call or text our team at (203) 452-9899.