Calculate your bridge loan
buy before you sell.

How bridge loans work — and when to use one

A bridge loan is short-term financing that lets you buy your next property before selling your current one. It "bridges" the gap between closing dates so you don't miss out on your next home or investment because your current property hasn't sold yet.

When a bridge loan makes sense

• You found the perfect property but your current home hasn't sold
• You can't make a competitive (non-contingent) offer in a hot market
• You're an investor buying a new rental before a current property closes
• You need short-term capital for a fix and flip while waiting for other funds
• You're equity-rich but income-light — common in retirement years. Bridge loans qualify on the equity in your property, not your monthly income, so a fixed-income borrower with a paid-down home can access capital a bank would decline

Bridge loans are interest-only and typically run 6–18 months. The cost is real — 10–13% interest — but you only pay interest for the months you actually hold the loan. Sell fast and the cost shrinks fast: pay it off in 90 days and you've paid roughly 3 months of interest, not a year's worth. On a $200k bridge at 11%, that's about $5,500 total instead of $22,000.

No monthly payments on some programs. Certain bridge structures defer everything to a single balloon payment due when your departing home sells — nothing out of pocket monthly for up to 12 months on a primary residence. That's especially powerful for retirees and fixed-income borrowers: no new monthly obligation, and the loan settles itself out of the sale proceeds.