Buy your next home — before you sell.

A bridge loan is short-term financing secured against your current home's equity that lets you buy your next home before your current one sells. It 'bridges' the gap between the two transactions, so you don't have to make your new-home offer contingent on selling first. It's typically interest-only and paid off when your existing home sells or you refinance.

You use the equity in your current home to fund the down payment (or purchase) on your next one, make a stronger non-contingent offer, and move on your timeline. Once your current home sells, you pay off the bridge loan with the proceeds — or you refinance into long-term financing. Common exit strategies are selling the existing home, refinancing, or paying off from another asset sale.

Bridge programs generally allow up to 75–80% loan-to-value (or combined loan-to-value if you still have a first mortgage). Loan amounts typically start around $100,000 and range up to several million dollars, depending on the lender, your equity, and your qualifications. We'll size it to your specific scenario.

Most bridge loans run 6 to 12 months, and some lenders offer 18–24 month terms. They're usually interest-only, and many have no prepayment penalty — so if your home sells in month three, you can pay it off without extra cost. The right term depends on your timeline and exit plan.

Pricing varies by lender, credit, equity, property type, and term. As general market context, bridge rates often run roughly in the 8% to 12.5% range, with about 1–3 origination points plus standard closing costs (appraisal, escrow/title, underwriting, recording). Some lenders also charge an exit or processing fee. These are not a Choice Home Mortgage rate quote — we'll shop lenders and give you the real, current numbers for your file before you commit.

Approval is based on a combination of equity, credit, repayment ability, and a clear exit strategy. Many lenders prefer a 680+ credit score, though some private lenders will consider scores as low as 620 when there's significant equity. Strong income helps, but substantial equity can offset income limitations with certain lenders. Because we have multiple bridge options, we can match you to the program whose guidelines fit.

Most bridge programs finance primary residences, second homes, and investment properties. Availability depends on the individual lender — many operate across California, Florida, Texas, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, and other states. We'll confirm which programs cover your property and location.

Bridge lending varies widely between lenders, and the wrong structure can cost you. We have multiple bridge options and shop them against each other, then owner Esther Buede guides the file personally to a fast close. You get the right program for your equity and exit plan — not whatever one bank happens to offer.