The No-Nonsense Guide to Contingencies on Selling A House in Fort Worth, Texas

Selling your Fort Worth home while buying another one doesn’t have to stress you out. A contingency on selling your house in Fort Worth, Texas, lets you make an offer on your next home while giving yourself time to sell your current one.

What Is a Contingency When Selling a House in Fort Worth, Texas?

A contingency is a condition that must happen before your home sale can close.
When you’re selling a house with a contingency in Fort Worth, Texas, you’re telling the seller, “I’ll buy your house, but only if mine sells first.” This protects you from paying two mortgages at once.
Most people can’t afford double housing payments, especially with Fort Worth home prices staying strong. A home sale contingency gives you 30 to 60 days to sell your current property before you must buy the new one.
If you sell within that window, your new home purchase will continue. If you can’t sell in time, you have to cancel the new purchase and get your money back.
Important Note: It is crucial that the seller has agreed to your contingent offer. They’re taking their house off the market while you sell yours. If your sale fails, they start over with new buyers. This is why some sellers prefer non-contingent offers, especially when working with a company like Southern Hills Home Buyers, which helps streamline the process and minimize delays.

Important Note: It is crucial that the seller has agreed to your contingent offer. They’re taking their house off the market while you sell yours. If your sale fails, they start over with new buyers. This is why some sellers prefer non-contingent offers.

Common Types of Contingencies in Fort Worth Real Estate Transactions

As a Fort Worth seller, you’ll encounter different types of contingencies from buyers. You need to understand each of them so you can make smart decisions about which offers to accept

Home Sale Contingency

This contingency means the buyer won’t purchase your home unless they sell their current one first, and it comes in two forms with very different risks for you as the seller. A settlement contingency is safer, as the buyer already has their home under contract and is simply waiting to close, making their timeline more predictable and manageable. These usually close on time since the major steps have already been completed. In contrast, a sale and settlement contingency carries more uncertainty because the buyer hasn’t found a buyer yet; they still need to list, market, negotiate, and close on their current home, a process that typically takes 30 to 60 days in Fort Worth but could drag on much longer due to market conditions or pricing errors.

Financing Contingency

Even buyers with equity from home sales often need mortgages for their new purchase. This contingency protects them if their loan application gets denied. This may also protect you from buyers who can’t actually afford your home.

Lenders check buyers extra carefully when they’re managing two property transactions simultaneously. This is because debt-to-income ratios can be complicated, and underwriters sometimes change their minds during the 30 to 45-day approval process.

While this contingency can delay your sale, it’s actually better than dealing with buyers who find out about financing problems at the last minute without protection.

Home Inspection Contingency

Smart buyers will inspect your home thoroughly, and this contingency gives them the right to request repairs, negotiate price reductions, or walk away entirely. You’ll want to prepare for potential inspection issues before listing your home.

Professional inspectors check everything. If they find significant problems, you’ll need to decide whether to fix them or reduce your price.

Otherwise, you’ll risk losing the sale and dealing with the same issues with future buyers.

Appraisal Contingency

This contingency protects buyers when your home doesn’t appraise for the agreed purchase price.

In Fort Worth’s market, bidding wars sometimes push prices above actual market values, and appraisers bring everyone back to reality.

When appraisals come in low, you have three options: reduce your price to match the appraised value, wait for the buyer to bring extra cash to closing, or let them walk away and find a new buyer.

Most sellers choose price reductions rather than starting over with new buyers who’ll likely face the same appraisal issues.

Title Contingency

This contingency ensures you actually own your home and can legally transfer ownership to the buyer.

The title company searches public records for liens, unpaid taxes, or ownership disputes that could complicate the sale.

Most title issues can be resolved with time and sometimes money, but serious problems can derail sales entirely.

As the seller, you’re responsible for delivering clear titles to the buyer, so this contingency protects both parties.

When to Accept Contingent Offers as a Seller

Your decision to accept contingent offers would depend on market conditions, your timeline, and the strength of the buyer’s situation.

Strong seller’s markets mean you can reject contingencies, while slower markets make them more attractive.

You can evaluate each contingent offer based on these risk factors:

• Home already under contract: Lowest risk since they’re just waiting to close
• Home actively marketed with showings: Moderate risk if priced competitively
• Home not yet listed: Highest risk since they’re starting from scratch
• Realistic pricing based on recent sales: Shows market awareness
• Professional marketing and staging: Indicates serious selling commitment
• Flexible closing timeline: Gives both parties breathing room

Your personal situation matters just as much as the buyer’s circumstances.

If you’ve already purchased your next home or face work relocation deadlines, waiting 60 days for someone else’s sale might not work.

However, if you’re flexible with timing and your home has been on the market without offers, a contingent offer is better than ongoing carrying costs unless you’d prefer to sell your home for cash in Fort Worth or nearby cities for a faster, hassle-free solution.

How Hot Markets Affect Contingency Acceptance

Fort Worth’s competitive market gives you an advantage when evaluating contingent offers. When multiple offers arrive quickly, you can afford to prioritize non-contingent buyers who offer faster closings.

Moreover, when homes sell within days and bidding wars become common, contingent offers look less appealing even when they include higher prices.

You’d rather take a clean cash offer at asking price than deal with contingency complications that might derail your sale timeline. In other words, that certainty factor becomes more valuable than extra money when you have backup buyers waiting.

Buyers who want to compete with contingencies in hot markets also need to make their offers irresistible. They’ll offer above asking price, increase earnest money deposits, and shorten contingency timelines to 30 days or less.

Some even include appraisal gap coverage or waive inspection rights entirely. These enhanced terms can make contingent offers competitive again, but they need something to offset the risks you’re accepting.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Seasonal Considerations for Texas Home Sales

Fort Worth real estate follows the school calendar more than you’d expect.

Spring fever hits buyers hard, while winter makes everyone want to hibernate instead of house hunting.

March through June is nice, though. Kids are finishing school, the weather stops trying to kill you, and moving trucks can actually function. Your house will fly off the market during these months, so you can get away with shorter contingency periods.

Thirty days should do the trick when buyers are practically camping outside open houses.

Fall and winter are the exact opposite. The holiday shopping crowd is gone, and house hunting is not as popular. Your contingency might need 45 to 60 days because buyers move more slowly when they’re thinking about Christmas presents instead of mortgage payments.

But the upside? You’ll have way less competition from other sellers, and the buyers who do show up usually mean business.
Sellers get lonely when their houses sit empty for weeks, so they are surprisingly willing to work with contingency demands.

Alternatives to Home Sale Contingencies in Fort Worth

In some cases, contingencies just won’t cut it in Fort Worth’s real estate market. You need backup plans that let you buy first and figure out the selling part later.

Bridge Loans and HELOC Options

Bridge loans are exactly what they sound like… temporary money that gets you from Point A to Point B.

You borrow against your current home’s equity to buy the new one, then pay everything back when your old house sells. These loans typically last six months to a year, which gives you breathing room to sell without rushing into bad decisions.

HELOCs work differently but accomplish the same goal. You set up a credit line against your current home before you start house shopping.

When you find your dream home, you tap that credit line for the down payment and closing costs.

The monthly payments stay manageable until you sell your original house and pay off the HELOC balance.

Rent-Back Agreements

Rent-back deals let you sell your house but keep living in it for a while.

In other words, you become a tenant in your own former home, and you pay rent to the new owners until you close on your next place.

Most rent-back agreements last 30 to 60 days, though some buyers will extend longer for the right price.
This strategy is ideal when you find a buyer before you find your next home. You get the sale proceeds in your bank account, which makes you a cash buyer for your next purchase.

The new owners get their investment property immediately. Meanwhile, you avoid the stress of coordinating two closings on the same day by choosing to sell your home for cash in Dallas or nearby cities.

Extended Closing Dates

Pushing back your closing date gives you more time to find and close on your next home. Instead of the typical 30-day closing period, you negotiate 45 to 60 days to get your affairs in order.

This works best when you already have your next home picked out and just need extra time for financing.

Sellers sometimes resist extended closings because they want their money faster. You might need to offer them a higher purchase price or larger earnest money deposit.

But patient sellers often appreciate the certainty of a committed buyer over the uncertainty of starting fresh with new prospects.

Temporary Housing Solutions

Corporate housing and extended-stay hotels are lifesavers when timing doesn’t work out perfectly.

You sell your current home, move your stuff into storage, and live temporarily while you find the perfect next place. This removes contingencies entirely and makes you a much stronger buyer.

Note, though, that short-term rentals cost more than regular housing, but they buy you flexibility that’s often worth the extra expense.

You can take your time finding the right home instead of settling for whatever’s available within your contingency timeline.

Many Fort Worth buyers use this strategy during competitive seasons when contingent offers get rejected repeatedly.

Contingency Rules in Texas Real Estate

Texas real estate law has specific rules about contingencies that you need to follow. Getting the paperwork wrong can cost you serious legal headaches (and money).

Texas Property Code Requirements

Texas Property Code Section 5.008 requires all contingency clauses to include specific language and deadlines. Your contingency must clearly state what conditions need to be met, who’s responsible for meeting them, and exactly when the deadline expires.

Vague language like “seller must find suitable housing” won’t hold up if disputes arise later.

The law also requires written notice when contingencies are satisfied or waived. You can’t just verbally tell the seller that your house has sold.

You need proper documentation delivered according to the contract terms. Email notifications are usually acceptable, but certified mail provides better legal protection if timing becomes disputed.

Contract Language and Documentation

The Texas Association of Realtors forms include standard contingency language, but every situation needs customization.
Your specific timeline, required documentation, and notice procedures should be spelled out clearly in the contract.

Ambiguous terms may lead to arguments that can kill deals or end up in court.

Another thing to note is that professional legal review is crucial for complex contingency situations.

When you’re juggling multiple properties, unusual timelines, or significant money, spending a few hundred dollars on attorney review can save thousands in potential disputes.

Real estate professional know the standard forms well, but attorneys understand how contingency language holds up under legal scrutiny.

Why Do Contingencies Fail in Fort Worth

Contingencies fail for all sorts of reasons, and most of them boil down to timing and unrealistic expectations.

Fort Worth’s market moves fast, but your personal situation might not keep up.

The most common culprits that derail contingencies include:

• Overpriced homes: Asking $50,000 more than comparable sales kills buyer interest fast
• Financing problems: Buyer’s loan applications fall apart during underwriting
• Title issues: Hidden liens or ownership disputes surface at closing time
• Failed inspections: Foundation problems or electrical issues scare buyers away
• Market timing: Listing during slow seasons or economic uncertainty
• Poor marketing: Bad photos or inadequate staging reduce the showing traffic
• Unrealistic timelines: 30-day contingencies in 60-day markets don’t work
• Buyer’s cold feet: Life changes make buyers back out of committed purchases

Next Steps for Sellers After a Failed Sale

Your contingency just expired and your buyer walked away. Time to dust yourself off and get back in the game instead of wallowing in what went wrong.

You can start with brutal honesty about why the sale failed. If your house sat without offers for 45 days, the price was wrong. If financing keeps falling through, you’re attracting unqualified buyers.

Your real estate professional should have feedback from every showing. Use that data to fix whatever scared buyers away.
Price drops work faster than anything else, so cut deep enough to generate new interest. Don’t just make tiny adjustments that get ignored.

Cash Buyers as an Alternative to Contingent Sales

Cash buyers remove the entire contingency headache by purchasing your home directly. You skip the uncertainty of waiting for other buyers to sell their homes first.

Cash buying companies operate all over Fort Worth, and they close deals in as little as two weeks. You won’t get top dollar for your house, but you’ll get certainty that contingent offers can’t match.

Most cash buyers purchase homes in any condition, so you can skip repairs and staging that eat up your life
These companies handle all the paperwork and closing logistics, too. This means you can focus on finding your next home.

You know exactly when you’ll have cash in hand, which makes planning your next purchase much easier. Some cash buyers even offer flexible closing dates. This lets you time the sale perfectly with your new home purchase.

The certainty here alone makes cash sales attractive when contingencies keep falling through.

Key Takeaways: Contingency on Selling House in Fort Worth, Texas

Contingencies protect you financially, but make your offers less competitive in Fort Worth’s hot market. Settlement contingencies work better than sale contingencies because timing is more predictable.

On another note, spring selling seasons mean shorter contingency periods, while winter markets need longer timelines to account for slower buyer activity.

Alternative strategies like bridge loans, rent-backs, and cash buyers can remove contingency risks entirely.

But if you’re tired of dealing with contingency complications and want a simple solution, consider Southern Hills Home Buyers. Skip the traditional market stress and contact us (214) 225-3042! You may also fill out the form below to connect with us!

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