Myth: take the highest offer.
It feels obvious. Two offers land. One’s bigger. Pick the bigger one.
But the number on the top line is not the deal.
The deal is everything underneath it.
The price is the headline. The terms are the story.
Here’s what nobody tells you when you’re selling to buy your next place.
An offer is a package. Price is one part of it. The rest is the part that decides whether you actually get to your closing table on time.
Financing type. The earnest money. The inspection response. The closing date. The contingencies. Whether the buyer needs to sell their own house first.
You can take the biggest number on the page and still end up back on market in three weeks.
I see it every week.
Why the highest offer can be the shakiest offer
A high offer often comes with strings. A buyer stretches to win the house, then the appraisal comes in and the whole thing wobbles. Or they pile on contingencies to protect a price they’re nervous about.
Now walk that into your situation.
You’re a move-up seller. You’re not just selling. You’re buying the next house in the same breath. Maybe you’re eyeing something in Stevens Creek or the Pine Lake corridor. You’ve got a due date on that next house.
If the sale of your current place falls apart, the whole chain falls apart.
The bigger risk isn’t leaving a little money on the table. The bigger risk is a deal that dies and takes your next house down with it.
What a clean offer actually looks like
When two offers hit, this is what I’m really reading.
- Financing strength. Cash and strong pre-approvals hold up. A shaky loan doesn’t.
- The appraisal gap. Will the buyer cover the difference if it appraises low, or does the price collapse the second the appraiser disagrees.
- Earnest money. More money down means more skin in the game. It’s a signal.
- Inspection terms. Is this a buyer who’ll nickel-and-dime every outlet, or one who’s committed.
- The closing date. Does it line up with when you can actually get into your next house.
- Contingencies. Every
If your family is feeling the squeeze of a house you’ve outgrown, this is the exact framework I walk Lincoln families through – selling, buying, prepping, and moving without the chaos: See how the Move-Up Method works →