You need the equity for a down payment
Your cash is locked inside your current home. You need it to close on the new one. Use an in-house bridge loan to pull that equity out before you sell.
Explore Bridge Loans →
For Arizona Move-Up Buyers
Buy your next home before selling the current one.
Avoid contingent offers, unlock equity, and move on your timeline — without losing the Arizona house you actually want.
Backup ContractStarting at $2,500
180 daysTo sell on your terms
49 statesCornerstone-licensed
Licensed in Arizona · NMLS #173855 · Equal Opportunity Lender
★★★★★ Verified five-star reviews from Arizona homeowners · 23+ years helping buyers structure complicated moves · Read the reviews ↓
What is a Buy Before You Sell program?
Most Arizona homeowners get stuck for one of two reasons: they need the equity from their current home, or they can't qualify carrying two mortgage payments. We solve both — without you losing the house you want.
You can’t qualify for both mortgages
Your debt-to-income ratio is too high with two house payments. Use our Guaranteed Backup Contract (from $2,500) to remove the current home’s payment from your DTI calculation.
Explore Backup Contracts →
The Process
How a Buy Before You Sell move works
Four steps from initial conversation to keys in hand. Most Arizona clients move through this in 30–45 days.
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1
Free consult
We review your current home’s equity, income, credit, and the price of the home you want to buy.
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2
Choose the right tool
Bridge loan if you need down-payment cash. Guaranteed Backup Contract if DTI is the roadblock. Sometimes both together.
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3
Get underwritten
With your current mortgage payment excluded or offset, you now qualify for the new loan, no sale-of-home contingency required.
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4
Close, move, then sell
Close on the new home. Move on your schedule. List and sell the old home without a ticking clock.
Our Solutions
Two products. One outcome: you don’t lose the house.
Guaranteed Backup Contract
$2,500 starting net fee
For buyers blocked on qualification. The backup offer on your current home lets most buyers qualify without counting their current house payment.
- Non-contingent backup offer on your current home
- Lets most buyers qualify without counting their current house payment — works on conventional, VA, jumbo, and Non-QM loans
- 180 days to sell, at your price, with your agent
- Equity pledge guarantee
- Starts at $2,500 (home value ≤ $500K); tiered above
In-House Bridge Loan
Equity, now custom rate
For cash-blocked buyers. Pulls equity from your current home so you can close on the new one.
- Use locked-up equity for your new down payment
- Fast approval, closes alongside your new purchase
- Short-term structure, paid off at old home’s sale
- Bridge loans up to $1 million
- Underwritten in-house, no third-party delays
Why our pricing is different
National programs charge percentages. We don't.
Many national "buy before you sell" programs charge a fee equal to 2–3% of your home's value. On a typical Arizona move-up sale, that can mean tens of thousands of dollars in program fees.
Our Guaranteed Backup Contract program is structured as a flat starting fee — beginning at $2,500 for homes up to $500,000, with transparent tiers above that. Same outcome. Dramatically lower cost.
Comparison reflects publicly published fee structures from competing national "buy before you sell" programs. Each provider's pricing varies by home value and program; verify current pricing with each provider before deciding.
Why work with us
A mortgage lender, not a middleman.
Cornerstone First Mortgage is a full-service mortgage lender, we lend, we broker, we underwrite and fund in-house. That means fewer handoffs, no outside program fees, and direct accountability from application to close.
- Arizona-focused: Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Tucson.
- 49-state footprint under NMLS #173855 for out-of-state moves into AZ.
- In-house underwriting: we own the timeline, not a third-party investor.
- Equal Opportunity Lender.
We found our dream home in Scottsdale before our Chandler house was even listed. The backup contract let us make a clean, non-contingent offer, and it cost us less than a tenth of what two other national programs quoted.
Sarah & Michael T.: Scottsdale, AZ · Upgraded to 4BR
Who you're actually working with
This isn't a call center.
When you reach out, you work directly with Mike Certo and his Phoenix team — Arizona-based mortgage professionals with 23+ years of experience helping homeowners structure complicated moves. No outsourced team. No national call center. No pressure. Just a real strategy conversation about your specific situation.
Self-identify
Who this is for
Buy Before You Sell is most commonly used by:
- Move-up buyers stepping into a larger home
- Families relocating within Arizona
- Homeowners competing in low-inventory neighborhoods
- Buyers who already found their next home before listing the current one
- Clients who need their current equity for the next down payment
- Buyers trying to avoid contingent offers being rejected
- Homeowners with strong income who get blocked on DTI
- Buyers in Scottsdale, Chandler, Gilbert, Paradise Valley, Queen Creek, and Phoenix
FAQ
Common questions about Buy Before You Sell
What does “Buy Before You Sell” actually mean?
It’s a financing strategy that lets you purchase a new home before selling your existing one, without the offer depending on your sale. Instead of the usual “sale-of-home contingency,” a bridge loan gives you the down-payment cash, or a Guaranteed Backup Contract removes the qualification roadblock so lenders can approve you for two mortgages on paper.
Which do I need, a bridge loan or a backup contract?
If you can't qualify carrying two mortgage payments, you need a backup contract — it allows most buyers to qualify without counting the current house payment. If you have the income but your down-payment cash is trapped in your current home's equity, you need a bridge loan. Many Arizona buyers need both, and they stack.
How much does the $2,500 program actually cost?
$2,500 is the starting net fee for homes valued up to $500,000. Pricing tiers up with home value. See the full pricing table.
How long do I have to sell my departing residence?
You have 180 days from the backup contract’s effective date. You list with the agent of your choice, at your price, and you keep any sale proceeds above the backup offer amount. If the home doesn’t sell in 180 days, the backup buyer purchases it at the guaranteed price.
Do I have to use a Cornerstone real estate agent?
No. You choose your own listing agent. The backup contract is a financing tool, not an agent referral program, you remain in control of listing, pricing, negotiating, and accepting offers on your current home.
Is this available in Tucson and the rest of Arizona?
Yes. We work statewide. Most transactions are in the Phoenix metro (Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe, Glendale), but Tucson, Flagstaff, Prescott, and rural AZ are fully supported.
What if my current home doesn't sell quickly?
That's exactly the risk a Guaranteed Backup Contract is designed to remove. You have 180 days to sell at your price with your agent. If the home doesn't sell within that window, the pre-arranged backup buyer purchases it at the guaranteed price you agreed to up front. You always know the floor.
What happens if I change my mind?
You can cancel the program before closing on your next home. There's no penalty for choosing a different path during the consult phase. Once your purchase closes and the backup contract is in place, the structure is what unlocks your qualification — we'd walk through any change-of-mind scenario together so nothing surprises you.
Will the backup contract hurt my offer on the new home?
No — it strengthens it. Because the backup contract removes your current home's payment from your debt-to-income calculation, your offer on the new home is non-contingent. Sellers see a stronger, cleaner offer, not a weaker one. Many of our clients win competitive situations specifically because their offer doesn't depend on a sale.
Can I still use my own Realtor?
Yes. You choose your listing agent, set your price, and run the sale of your current home on your terms. The backup contract is a financing tool, not a real estate referral.
Is this safer than a contingent offer?
For most move-up buyers, yes. A contingent offer can be rejected by a seller outright, lose to a competing offer, or fall apart if your home doesn't sell in time. Buy Before You Sell removes the contingency entirely — your purchase doesn't depend on your sale, which is the failure point of most contingent transactions.
Do I need perfect credit?
No. You need the same credit profile any standard mortgage requires. Backup contracts are compatible with conventional, VA, jumbo, and non-QM loans — so the credit standards match the loan type you'd qualify for anyway, not a stricter program tier.
See if Buy Before You Sell fits your situation.
A 20-minute consult with Mike Certo covers equity, DTI, and which tool solves your move. No obligation.