Bridge / HELOC / Cash Comparison Calculator
When you need capital before the sale closes, the cheapest-sounding option isn't always right. Compare on your numbers.
Move-Up and Timing
What this article helps you decide
> Buying before you sell means covering a gap. Bridge, HELOC, or cash each has a cost and a catch. Compare on the funds you need and the timing risk you're taking.
Work through the decision in order
What to check
Input 1 - Funds needed before sale proceeds arrive. Input 2 - Estimated interest + fees.
Article worksheet · browser private
Bridge / HELOC / Cash Comparison Calculator
Use the worksheet without a form. Keep your notes in this browser, then bring the live facts into a Real Estate Review if the decision still matters.
Questions about Bridge / HELOC / Cash Comparison Calculator
Clear answers first. If one question changes the deal, bring it into the review before you move money.
Q1Why can't I just use the cheapest option?+
Because the cheapest-sounding option isn't always right — each has a catch. Compare bridge, HELOC, and cash on cost, speed, and what they do to your reserves, not just the headline rate.
Q2Why set up a HELOC before I list?+
Because it's hard to get one once your home is on the market — lenders tighten when a property is listed. A HELOC arranged before listing is usually the cheapest bridge, but only if you set it up early.
Q3When is a bridge loan worth the higher cost?+
When you need funds fast and a HELOC isn't in place. Bridges deploy quicker but cost more; the premium can be worth it to move once and make a non-contingent offer, provided the sale is likely to close soon.
Q4What's the risk of using cash or selling assets?+
Two: liquidating investments at a bad moment, and draining the reserves you'll need after closing. Cash has no financing cost but can carry a real opportunity cost and a liquidity risk — size it honestly.
Q5How do I figure the true cost of the gap?+
Funds needed before your sale proceeds arrive, plus the interest and fees on whatever covers it. That total temporary-capital cost is the real number to compare across the three options.
Q6Which one keeps me liquid through the move?+
It depends on whether a HELOC is available, how fast your sale will close, and your reserve. Picking the path that protects your liquidity is part of a Real Estate Review.
Apply the article to the live decision.
Let's pick the funding path that keeps you liquid through the move in a Real Estate Review.
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