Making buying and selling at the same time seamless when moving.

Steve LaMothe • August 3, 2026

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Buy First. Move In. Then Sell for Top Dollar.



Why buying and selling at the same time is the hardest thing most Folsom homeowners will ever do — and how Elevate's Trade-In Program turns that nightmare into the smoothest move of your life.

By Steve LaMothe, Co-Founder · Elevate Realty Group · homesbyelevate.com  ·  Published August 2026

You've found it. The home you want to buy. Maybe it's in Willow Creek, maybe it's a bigger lot in El Dorado Hills, or a quieter street in Granite Bay. Whatever it is — you want it. There's just one problem.

You already own a home in Folsom. And you can't buy until you sell. Or can you?

This is the most stressful situation in all of residential real estate — and it's the one we hear about most from Folsom homeowners. The traditional approach to buying and selling at the same time is genuinely difficult, financially risky, and emotionally exhausting. Forums are full of horror stories. Families in temporary housing. Dream homes lost to non-contingent buyers. Double mortgages that lasted six months longer than planned.

This blog post breaks down exactly what the traditional approach looks like — why it fails so many Folsom move-up buyers — and then shows you how Elevate's Trade-In Program rewrites the entire experience from beginning to end.



PART 1: THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH WHAT MOST FOLSOM HOMEOWNERS FACE



THE REALITY


"How Hard Could It Be to Buy and Sell at the Same Time?"


The answer, if you ask almost anyone who has done it the traditional way: much, much harder than they expected. Here's what the conventional process actually looks like for a Folsom move-up buyer in 2026 — step by painful step.


The Three Paths — And Why Each One Is a Trap

When a Folsom homeowner decides to buy and sell simultaneously, they typically face three options. Every single one has a fundamental flaw.


PATH 1: Sell First, Buy Later

You list your Folsom home, accept an offer, close the sale — and then you're homeless. You either move into a short-term rental, move in with family, or negotiate a rent-back from your buyer while you scramble to find and win a home to purchase. In Folsom's market right now, where well-priced homes receive offers within 14 days, you're under enormous pressure to find and close on a new home before your rent-back window expires.


⚠  The Double-Move Problem

Moving twice is expensive and exhausting. You pack everything into storage or a rental. You live out of boxes for months. Then you move again. For a typical Folsom family with children in school, this means disrupting their schedule, paying two months of storage fees averaging $200–$400/month, and rushing a purchase decision you'll live with for the next decade — all under deadline pressure.


PATH 2: Buy First, Sell Later

You find your next home before listing your current one. To buy it, you either drain your savings for a second down payment, take out a bridge loan, or tap a HELOC. Then you carry two properties simultaneously until your Folsom home sells.


⚠  The Bridge Loan Reality Check

Bridge loans in 2026 carry interest rates of 9%–11% APR — on top of your existing mortgage. On a $760,000 Folsom home, a bridge loan can cost $13,000–$27,000 in total fees and interest over a 6-month period. And if your current home takes longer to sell than expected, that meter keeps running. This is the most expensive version of the move-up transaction — and the most common mistake we see.


PATH 3: Make a Contingent Offer

You find the home you want to buy and write an offer with a contingency: "This purchase is contingent on the sale of my current home at [address]." You hope the seller accepts.


⚠  Contingent Offers in Folsom Are Frequently Rejected

In a market where Folsom's well-priced homes receive multiple offers within two weeks, sellers have little incentive to accept a contingent offer — especially when non-contingent buyers are competing. Even when a seller does accept, they typically include a "kick-out clause" allowing them to continue showing the home and accept any better non-contingent offer with just 24–72 hours notice. You can lose the home at any point — after you've already started preparing yours to sell.


THE PROBLEMS


The 5 Worst Moments of the Traditional Buy-and-Sell Process


We've helped hundreds of Folsom families move up over the past 15 years. Here are the five moments that consistently cause the most stress — and the most financial damage — when buyers try to do this the traditional way.


Nightmare #1: You Lose Your Dream Home to a Non-Contingent Buyer

This is the most heartbreaking scenario in Folsom real estate — and it happens constantly. You write a contingent offer on a home in Empire Ranch. The seller accepts, pending a kick-out clause. You rush to prepare and list your current home. Three weeks later, the seller gets a non-contingent offer and gives you 48 hours to remove your contingency. You can't. You lose the home. You're back to searching — and your current home is now listed, creating pressure to accept an offer before you've found a replacement.

"Buying a home is stressful. Selling a home is stressful. When you do both at the same time, the experience is super stressful — not to mention emotional and difficult on many levels. You're potentially carrying two mortgages or trying to time the purchase with the sale. There will be sleepless nights."

— Real estate expert quoted in national real estate forum


Nightmare #2: Occupied Home vs. Vacant Home — A $30,000+ Difference

Here's a financial reality that most Folsom sellers never account for: occupied homes consistently sell for less than vacant, professionally staged homes. When you're still living in your house — with your furniture, your personal items, your kids' artwork on the refrigerator — it's harder to stage, harder to photograph, and harder for buyers to envision themselves living there.

Professional staging studies consistently show that vacant, professionally staged homes sell faster and for 5%–10% more than occupied equivalents. On a $760,000 Folsom home, that's $38,000–$76,000 in real money left on the table simply because you're still living there when it's listed. When you're forced to sell while occupied — because you haven't yet found and closed on your next home — this is the hidden cost nobody talks about.


Nightmare #3: Rushed Decisions Under Financial Pressure

When you're carrying two mortgages — or when your rent-back is expiring — every day costs money. This creates the worst possible environment for making a major real estate decision. Buyers who are under financial pressure accept offers on their current home that are lower than they should. They rush into a purchase they might not have made with more time. They skip the contingencies that would have protected them. Every financial advisor will tell you: urgent decisions in real estate are expensive decisions.


Nightmare #4: The Timing Tightrope — Coordinating Two Closings

Even when everything goes right — your Folsom home is under contract, your purchase is in escrow — the attempt to coordinate two simultaneous closings is one of the most complex logistics exercises in residential real estate. Buyers' loan funding can be delayed. Appraisals can come in low. Inspections surface issues that require renegotiation. One hiccup in either transaction cascades into the other. Professionals who have done this for decades say: coordinating two closes on the same day is the real estate equivalent of threading a needle in the dark.


Nightmare #5: Moving Twice — The Hidden Cost Nobody Counts

If you sell first and move into temporary housing, you move twice. The average cost of a professional move for a Folsom family (3–4 bedroom home) is $3,000–$7,000 per move. That's $6,000–$14,000 in moving costs alone — before storage fees, utility deposits, school disruption, and the simple exhaustion of uprooting your family twice in the space of a few months.


The Traditional Cost Reality

These Are Real Costs — Not Hypotheticals

Bridge loan (6 months on $760K home)

$13,000–$27,000

Two professional moves

$6,000–$14,000

Temporary housing (2–3 months)

$4,000–$9,000

Storage unit fees

$1,200–$2,400

Lost sale price (occupied vs. vacant)

$38,000–$76,000

TOTAL hidden cost of the traditional approach

$62,200–$128,400


PART 2: THE ELEVATE TRADE-IN PROGRAM — THE MODERN WAY TO MOVE


THE SOLUTION


Buy First. Move In. Then Sell for Top Dollar.


Elevate Realty Group's Trade-In Program was built specifically to solve every single problem we just outlined. It's not a bridge loan. It's not a contingent offer. It's not temporary housing. It's a completely different approach to the move-up transaction — and it changes everything about the experience.

Here's the simple premise: you buy your next home first. You move in on your own timeline. Once you're gone, we prepare your Folsom home — vacant, staged to perfection, and market-ready — and sell it for maximum value. No overlap. No double mortgage risk. No compromises.


HOW IT WORKS


The Elevate Trade-In — Step by Step


STEP

1

Get Qualified to Buy Your Next Home Before You List

Our team connects you with Elevate's preferred lender network to get you fully underwritten and qualified to purchase your next home — before your current Folsom home is ever listed. This qualification is based on your existing equity and financial profile. You enter the buyer's market as a non-contingent, serious buyer from day one.


STEP

2

Find Your Next Home — With No Pressure or Deadline

Because you haven't listed your current home yet, there's no clock running. You search for your next home with patience and confidence. You're not racing against a rent-back deadline. You're not watching a bridge loan meter. You find the right home — in El Dorado Hills, Roseville, Granite Bay, or wherever your next chapter is — and you make a clean, non-contingent offer.


STEP

3

Win the Home — You're a Non-Contingent Buyer

Here's where the Trade-In Program changes everything for your offer. Because you're pre-qualified and not relying on your current home's sale, your offer has no sale contingency. In a Folsom-area market where sellers frequently reject contingent offers, you now compete at the same level as buyers with no existing property. Your offer wins on merit — not on luck.


STEP

4

Move Into Your New Home — On Your Own Timeline

You close on your new home and move in. No storage unit. No temporary housing. No double move. Your family gets settled in your new home while your current Folsom home sits empty and available to prepare for sale.


STEP

5

Elevate Prepares Your Folsom Home — Vacant, Staged, and Flawless

Now the magic happens. With your current home vacant, our team executes the full Elevate listing preparation: professional staging, 4K photography, drone video, digital marketing campaign launch, open house coordination, and Zillow Premier placement. A vacant, professionally staged home in Folsom shows dramatically better than an occupied one — and sells for measurably more.


STEP

6

Sell for Maximum Equity — Pay Nothing Until Closing

Your Folsom home hits the market in its best-ever condition. Our 50,000-person database, $400,000 annual marketing investment, and KFBK/KSTE radio reach go to work. Multiple offers. Maximum price. When it closes, your Concierge renovation costs (if applicable) are simply deducted from proceeds. You net more — often significantly more — than the traditional occupied-sale approach.


THE POWER COMBINATION


Trade-In + Concierge = Maximum Equity on Both Transactions


The Trade-In Program is even more powerful when combined with Elevate's Concierge Program — and this is the combination we recommend most often for Folsom move-up sellers.

Here's why it works so well together: once you've moved into your new home, your Folsom property sits vacant. That's the ideal moment to execute targeted pre-sale renovations — without working around your schedule, your furniture, or your family. Our team comes in, manages every contractor, and makes strategic updates to your empty home. You pay nothing upfront. Everything is covered by Elevate and reimbursed at closing.


Elevate Concierge Program — The Numbers

What This Means for Your Folsom Home

$15,000

Average Concierge investment

$75,000

Average added value at closing

▸  Elevate covers all costs upfront — zero out of pocket before closing

▸  Zero interest — repaid at closing from proceeds

▸  Our program has generated $4.5M+ in additional profit for clients

▸  Vacant home = easier to stage, photograph, and show perfectly


SIDE BY SIDE


Traditional Approach vs. Elevate Trade-In — The Full Comparison


Let's put both approaches side by side so you can see exactly what changes when you use the Elevate Trade-In Program.



Traditional Approach

Elevate Trade-In Program

Contingency

✗  Offer weakened or rejected by sellers

✓  No contingency — you compete as a non-contingent buyer

Timing stress

✗  Racing against rent-backs, bridge loans, and deadlines

✓  Buy first, move in — sell on your schedule

Moving

✗  Move twice — temporary housing required

✓  Move once, directly into your new home

Home prep

✗  Sell occupied — rushed, cluttered, harder to stage

✓  Sell vacant — perfectly staged, photographed, and presented

Bridge loan

✗  9–11% APR, up to $27,000 in costs

✓  No bridge loan needed

Sale price

✗  Lower — occupied homes net 5–10% less on average

✓  Higher — vacant, staged homes consistently outperform

Renovation

✗  Difficult with family living in home

✓  Concierge available — done while home is vacant and empty

Decision quality

✗  Rushed under financial pressure

✓  Patient — no deadline forcing poor decisions

Stress level

✗  "Bone-chilling terror" (actual quote from buyers)

✓  One step at a time — Elevate coordinates everything


REAL CLIENT STORY


"We Didn't Have to Move Twice — That Alone Made It Worth It"


"My husband and I used Elevate's Concierge and Trade-In programs to sell our home and buy our new one. Using the Concierge program for getting our home ready to sell worked extremely well for us. Elevate's team had contractors readily available and quality work was done quickly. The Trade-In program helped us make an offer on our new house as cash buyers. We were essentially pre-paid before actually selling our house. So we didn't need to move twice and pay for a storage unit just so that we wouldn't be living in the house while the renovations were being done. We can definitely recommend this program for anyone whose home needs some TLC before it can be listed."

— Rick  ·  Elevate Concierge + Trade-In Client


IS THIS RIGHT FOR YOU?


Who the Elevate Trade-In Program Is Perfect For


The Trade-In Program is not the right fit for every situation — but for Folsom homeowners in any of the following circumstances, it's often the best move on the board:


  • Move-Up Buyers:      You've found a home you want to buy but aren't ready to list your current home — and you don't want to lose it to another buyer.
  • Sellers with Renovation Plans:  Your current home needs updates before listing, and you want them done properly — without working around your family's daily life.
  • Families with School-Age Children:  You have children in Folsom schools and cannot afford the disruption of temporary housing or a mid-year school change.
  • Cost-Conscious Sellers:  You've run the numbers on a bridge loan and found the costs prohibitive — the Trade-In eliminates the need for one entirely.
  • Competitive Buyers:  You want to make the strongest possible offer on your next home, without a contingency that signals uncertainty to sellers.
  • Downsizers:  You're downsizing from a larger Folsom home and want maximum equity from your sale without the chaos of selling while occupied.


COMMON QUESTIONS


Folsom Homeowners Ask — Steve Answers


"What if my current home doesn't sell quickly after I move out?"

That's exactly why we combine the Trade-In with our full marketing system. Elevate invests $400,000 per year in marketing, maintains a 50,000-person buyer database, and carries 200,000 daily radio listeners across KFBK and KSTE. Your vacant, staged Folsom home will be launched with more marketing force than virtually any listing in the region. Our 99.7% list-to-sale ratio and 0.25% price reduction rate tell the story: Elevate listings sell — and they sell close to asking price.


"Does the Trade-In cost extra? What are the fees?"

The Trade-In Program does not carry a separate fee on top of our standard listing commission. The Concierge component — if you choose to add pre-sale renovations — is covered upfront by Elevate and reimbursed at closing with zero interest. There are no hidden fees, no bridge loan origination costs, and no markup on contractor work. Our vendor relationships actually save most clients 20–30% on renovation costs compared to sourcing contractors independently.


"What if I qualify for my next home but the timing doesn't work out perfectly?"

This is where having an experienced team managing both sides of the transaction matters enormously. Our agents have structured hundreds of concurrent buy-and-sell transactions across the Sacramento region. We know how to build contingency time into purchase timelines, negotiate leaseback arrangements when needed, and manage the sequencing to protect our clients at every step. There is no version of this transaction we haven't seen — and navigated successfully.


"My Folsom home needs significant work. Does that disqualify me from the Trade-In?"

No — and in fact, homes that need work are often the best candidates for the Trade-In plus Concierge combination. Because you'll be out of the home when renovations happen, our team can work faster, coordinate multiple trades simultaneously, and deliver a finished product that would be impossible to achieve in an occupied home. Some of our most dramatic before-and-after results have come from Folsom homes that sellers originally assumed they'd have to discount significantly.


THE ELEVATE DIFFERENCE

What You Actually Get When You Work with Elevate


The Trade-In Program only works as advertised when it's backed by a team with the resources, relationships, and track record to execute on both sides of the transaction. Here's what Elevate brings to every move-up client in Folsom:


  • Reputation:      A team ranked #1 in the Sacramento region, #8 in California, Top 1,000 in the United States by RealTrends — with the credibility and agent relationships to get your offer noticed.
  • Reviews:  500+ verified five-star reviews — the most of any team in the region. Our reputation protects your transaction.
  • Marketing:  $400,000 annual marketing investment behind your Folsom listing — Google ads, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, direct mail, radio across three stations, and a 50,000-person database outreach.
  • Radio Reach:  200,000 daily Sacramento-area radio listeners on KFBK-AM (93.1) and KSTE-AM (650) — your Folsom home gets mass-media exposure most listings never see.
  • Media Production:  4K photography, drone video, 3D virtual tour, and a custom property website — every listing receives luxury-level media production.
  • Lender Network:  A preferred lender network that can pre-qualify you for your next purchase in 24 hours — so you're ready to move the moment you find the right home.
  • Contractor Network:  A vendor network that executes Concierge renovations on time, on budget, and at 20–30% below market rate — because we bring them consistent volume.


READY TO BUY FIRST AND SELL FOR TOP DOLLAR? LET'S BUILD YOUR PLAN.


If you own a home in Folsom and you've been waiting to move up because you couldn't figure out the timing — or because the traditional approach felt too risky and too stressful — the Trade-In Program may be exactly what changes everything for your family. The conversation starts with a single call.

We'll show you exactly what your Folsom home is worth, what your purchasing power looks like, and how the Trade-In timeline could work for your family — at no cost and with zero pressure.


Call or text: 916-436-SELL

homesbyelevate.com

Serving Folsom · Empire Ranch · Willow Creek · Broadstone · Glenn · Folsom Ranch · El Dorado Hills · Granite Bay · Roseville



ABOUT ELEVATE REALTY GROUP

Elevate Realty Group is the #1 small real estate team in the Sacramento region, ranked #8 in California and Top 1,000 in the United States by RealTrends. Founded by Steve LaMothe and affiliated with Keller Williams, Elevate has served 2,000+ families, closed $1.5 billion in sales, and earned 500+ five-star reviews. Elevate is a Dave Ramsey Endorsed Local Provider and proud partner of the Sweet Dreams Foundation — donating a portion of every commission to create dream bedrooms for children battling life-threatening illness.

© 2026 Elevate Realty Group · homesbyelevate.com · DRE #01272617 · All rights reserved.

This post is part of Elevate's weekly Folsom Real Estate Education Series. New posts publish every Monday at homesbyelevate.com.


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3 Tips for Getting the Best Deal on a New Construction Home

By Steve LaMothe • May 6, 2026
Builders are offering massive incentives right now. Here's how to find them, navigate the process, and make sure you're getting the best deal possible. A lot of my clients over the past year and a half have made a big shift. They've stopped chasing resale homes and started targeting new construction exclusively. And once you see the numbers, you'll understand why. Builders across the Sacramento area are offering some of the best incentives I've seen in years. If you know how to find them and how to use them, buying new construction can be one of the smartest moves you make in today's market. Here are three things every buyer needs to know before stepping into a new construction community. 1. The incentives are real, and they're massive. Builders right now are offering $20,000 to $50,000 in incentives on new construction homes, and the primary way buyers are using these is to permanently buy down their interest rate. We have consistently locked rates below 5% on new construction deals for our clients, bringing rates down from the 7% to 7.5% range to 4.5% to 5%. That difference in monthly payment over the life of a 30-year loan is substantial. When you walk into a community, and the salesperson mentions a $5,000 or $10,000 credit, that is the tip of the iceberg. Knowing what to ask for and having someone in your corner who knows these builders is what gets you the real deal. 2. The process is different, and most of the best inventory isn't on the MLS. New construction isn't like buying a resale home, and the biggest mistake buyers make is treating it like one. Most new construction inventory isn't listed on the MLS. That means if you're searching Zillow or Redfin, you're not seeing the full picture. Some of the best deals in any new construction community come from homes that were under contract with a previous buyer who canceled. When a deal falls apart, that home often becomes available with all its upgrades already selected, and sometimes with improved incentives to move it quickly. But you only know about those opportunities if you have relationships with the builders and you know how these communities work. Getting off the internet and into the community with an agent who has those relationships is what separates buyers who get great deals from buyers who end up on a waitlist. " The builder's salesperson works for the builder. Having your own representation costs you nothing and changes everything about the deal you walk away with. " 3. The listing price isn't the real price. This one surprises many buyers. When you see a new construction home listed at $700,000, that home usually isn't available yet, and that price isn't what you'll actually pay. It's either a base price for a home that won't be ready for three or four months, which will then increase significantly with upgrades and options, or it's a price the builder has set to establish future value in the community. Walk into a sales office without your own representation, and the builder's salesperson will offer you a small credit and tell you it's a great deal. In my experience, having your own representation at the table results in meaningfully better outcomes for buyers, typically in the range of 10 to 15% compared to what unrepresented buyers are offered. The builder pays my fee. It costs you nothing to have me in your corner. New construction is one of the best opportunities in the Sacramento market right now, but it rewards buyers who understand how it works. The incentives are real, the inventory opportunities are real, and the savings from having the right representation are real. If you’re thinking about buying a new construction home in Sacramento, reach out to us before you visit any communities. We can show you what's actually available, connect you with the right builders, and make sure you are getting the deal you deserve. Call us at (916) 862-5463 , email Steve@homesbyelevate.com , or visit homesbyelevate.com .

Top 3 Reasons Insurance Is “Out of Whack” in California

By Steve LaMothe • April 15, 2026
Carriers are leaving, the FAIR plan is underfunded, and rate hikes are still coming. Here's what's happening with California insurance and how to save money. If your insurance bill doubled or tripled recently, you're probably wondering what the heck is going on. That's the exact question I've been hearing from homeowners across Northern California, and especially here in Sacramento. Last year and this year, I've had people reach out asking why their premiums skyrocketed overnight. And it's not just fire insurance. Even if you don't live in a high-risk fire area, your normal property and casualty insurance and probably your auto insurance are increasing significantly when you go to renew . I'd estimate 40 to 50%. So let's break down the three biggest reasons this is happening and I'll share a few ways you might be able to save some real money. 1. Carriers are leaving the state. This started around 2019 and 2020 and has only gotten worse. Insurance carriers began pulling out of California because the state was requiring them not to raise their premiums every year. California put caps and restrictions in place, and at the same time, the state was hit with massive wildfire losses. The Camp Fire near Chico and Paradise, the Caldor Fire that pushed almost to Tahoe, the fire in El Dorado County, and, of course, the Palisades fire. These fires created billions of dollars in costs, and that cost is shared by everyone who lives in California. On top of that, the average home price in California is very high. So when carriers lose a hundred or a thousand homes, the payouts are enormous. Many companies have decided it's simply not worth doing business here anymore. 2. The FAIR plan is underfunded and mismanaged. When carriers stopped covering homes in high-risk fire areas, the state of California stepped in and created something called the FAIR plan. This is fire insurance designed to fill the gap for homeowners who couldn't get coverage or whose premiums jumped to $15,000 or more. The problem is that the fair plan hasn't been run well. It's underfunded, meaning the balances owed are more than the premiums being collected. So while you can get coverage in higher-risk areas, the insurance is expensive, and the program itself is on shaky financial ground. " You can't keep premiums the same when the things you're insuring have doubled in value. " 3. A four-year rate freeze is now catching up with everyone. This is the one that explains why so many people are seeing their bills spike all at once. In 2020, because of COVID, the state of California locked rate increases. Insurers who were still in the state could not raise their premiums. That freeze stayed in place from 2020 all the way until 2024. Now think about what happened during that time. Home prices increased maybe 30%. The cost of building went up 30 to 40%. The cost of trucks and cars went up 30 to 40%. But insurance premiums stayed flat. When the freeze lifted in 2024, insurers had to reset their rates to reflect four years of rising costs all at once. That's why so many people opened their renewal and thought, "My insurance just doubled." It did, and it actually makes sense when you look at the math. You can't keep premiums the same when the things you're insuring have doubled in value. And it's not over yet. I'm estimating another 30% to maybe 40% in price increases over the next two years. Here's how you can save money. If you're in a high-risk fire area like Folsom, El Dorado Hills, Shingle Springs, or Granite Bay, you have options beyond the FAIR plan. There are state-accepted insurance carriers like State Farm where you can use the FAIR plan as your fire coverage and then add what's called a wrap policy from the carrier for your other coverage. But here's the tip most people don't know about. There are next-tier insurance carriers like Delos that can cover you in high-risk fire areas without the fair plan at a much lower cost. These carriers aren't backed by the state of California, but they are backed by multi-billion dollar insurance underwriters, so the risk of them going bankrupt is extremely low. This approach can save you 40% to 50% on fire insurance in high-risk areas. You can also look at lowering your water coverage for floods and installing a meter at your water main that shuts off the flow of water if you have a leak. There are some practical ways to bring your costs down if you know where to look. Insurance is going to be a major issue in California for the foreseeable future. If you h ave questions about how this affects your home's value, your buying or selling plans, or just want to talk through your options, reach out. You can call me at (916) 862-5463 , email me at Steve@homesbyelevate.com , or visit homesbyelevate.com . 
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