Your next home can be about ease
A single-level layout. A manageable yard. A neighborhood closer to family, favorite restaurants, or the places you visit every week. Choosing a smaller home can mean choosing more freedom, without giving up the quality and comfort you enjoy.
A smaller house still deserves a full financial plan.
How much sale equity goes into the next home, and how much stays available? I can show you the mortgage choices so you can consider them alongside your retirement and savings plans.
Amy DeBusk | Branch Manager & Mortgage Advisor
Amy DeBusk Home Loans, powered by loanDepot
Your current home may hold years of memories. We can honor that while looking ahead. Start with what you want to keep in your life, what you would like to simplify, and how much cash you want available after moving.
Compare your choices before deciding what to sell or borrow
Paying cash may simplify the monthly payment, but it also places money into the home. Financing part of the purchase may leave more savings available, with an ongoing payment and borrowing costs. I can help you compare the mortgage choices alongside the priorities you discuss with your financial and tax advisors.
If your sale proceeds are needed first, review selling before buying. If you would prefer to move once, explore buying before you sell, including carrying both loans, a buy-before-you-sell program, or a bridge loan. Each approach has different costs and qualification requirements.
Could a recast help after the sale?
Some eligible mortgages allow a substantial principal payment followed by a recalculation of the required monthly principal-and-interest payment. This is called a recast. It does not create a new interest rate or a new loan term, and not every mortgage or servicer offers it.
Read the recast explanation. We should confirm availability, minimum payment, fees, and timing before choosing a buy-first plan that depends on one.
Include retirement in the conversation when it fits
If you are planning for or living in retirement, visit Home Loans for Retirement. For eligible buyers, a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) for Purchase is another option to understand, including the required funds, ongoing obligations, and effect on equity. It is not the right fit for every household.
Prefer to remain in your current home? The renovation hub can help you explore a more comfortable layout instead. Your next chapter does not have to involve moving.
Begin with the life you want to make room for
Use the Dream Home Planner to clarify location, layout, and lifestyle priorities. A home value estimate can be an early starting point for an equity conversation, but it is not an appraisal or a promise of sale proceeds.
My team can work with your real estate professional on the sale and purchase, or help you connect with someone to guide the move.
Tell me what you hope your next home will make easier. We can compare the numbers and the timing together.
Your questions, answered
Should we sell first or buy first?
That depends on the funds you need, qualification, your comfort with two homes, and the local market. I will help compare the costs and practical trade-offs of both sequences.
Is a recast the same as refinancing?
No. A recast recalculates the payment on an eligible existing loan after a qualifying principal reduction. Refinancing replaces the mortgage and may change the rate, term, and costs.
Can we explore this before we are ready to list?
Yes. Early planning gives you time to compare layouts, communities, sale proceeds, and financing without having to choose a home first.