MAKE AN OFFER THAT’S CONTINGENT ON THE SALE OF YOUR HOUSE: A seller may be persuaded

to accept your offer with the caveat that you’ll have to sell your house before closing on theirs.

One way to buy yourself extra time to complete your sale is to offer to buy the new house, then rent it back to the seller after closing, said real estate

If you have a high credit score and considerable equity in your house, you could free up some of the latter with a home equity line of credit. This strategy may let you buy a house before you sell, but it’s not a last-minute option. A HELOC requires an appraisal, income verification and a thorough credit check, so it takes time — generally 30 days or more — to qualify, says Tim Beyers, mortgage analyst with American Financing in Aurora. NerdWallet