By Ron Melvin | Concord & Central Contra Costa Home-Selling Expert

Helping Concord, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill and Martinez homeowners sell strategically, especially when the move involves downsizing, an estate, probate, divorce or another major life transition.

Pillar Page: Concord Realtor

Why a Concord realtor with a lending background matters

I started in real estate in 1995 as a mortgage loan officer, years before I became a Realtor in 2013. I bought my own first Concord home in 2001 with a VA loan.

That lending experience matters when a family needs to buy before they sell. The financing has to be chosen and structured as carefully as the offer.

Step 1: Compare your options for unlocking equity

Option	What it does	What to weigh
Home equity loan	Borrows against your current home’s equity	Can be expensive
Bridge financing	Short-term loan to buy before your current home sells	Often expensive
Cash-out refinance	Replaces your mortgage with a larger one and pays out the difference	Can fund the down payment and improvements, but must be structured so it doesn’t affect your next purchase

Costs depend on rates and your finances, so compare them with your realtor and a lender before you start shopping.

Step 2: Search on and off the MLS

If you need a specific home, don’t rely only on what’s listed. I watch the MLS and also send letters to homeowners whose homes might be a fit. Even when a letter doesn’t produce the final home, the tours it leads to help you hone in on exactly what you want and where.

Step 3: Buy your new home first

With your equity unlocked, you can make your offer and close on the new home. There’s no temporary rental and no second move.

Step 4: Sell your current home

After you’ve bought, we prepare your current home, list it and sell it.

A real example: 2839 Rockridge Drive

This family lived in Pleasant Hill, Concord’s next-door neighbor. Their kids were grown and had kids of their own. They wanted a larger home for hosting family events, where everyone would have their own bedroom and bathroom. They were very specific about the type of home and its location, including walking access to open space. They had plenty of equity, but didn’t want to sell, rent temporarily and move twice.

Here’s how the four steps played out:

Options: A home equity loan and bridge financing would both have been expensive. We chose a cash-out refinance and structured it very carefully so it would not affect the next purchase. It funded the down payment and the improvements on the new home.
Search: We searched for a long time, on the MLS and off it, including hundreds of letters to homeowners. The letters led to numerous homes the family toured, which helped them hone in on exactly where they wanted to live.
Buy first: The family bought their new home in Martinez, also Concord’s neighbor.
Sell: We then sold 2839 Rockridge Drive for its full $1,399,000 list price in a tough market.

They moved once.

Watch the story: We Unlocked This Pleasant Hill Home’s Equity to Buy Their Dream House | 2839 Rockridge Dr SOLD

Want a bigger home in Concord without moving twice?

Many Concord homeowners have years of equity and a good reason to move up: grown kids, grandkids, more room for family. The hard part is the order. Sell first, and you may have to rent somewhere temporarily and move twice. Buy first, and your down payment is tied up in the home you haven’t sold yet.

I’m Ron Melvin, a Concord realtor with the East Bay Real Estate Team at Keller Williams, and I’ve called Concord home since 2001. This guide shows how Concord homeowners can buy their next home before selling, using a real example from my own clients.

If you’re still choosing an agent, start with my complete 2026 guide to finding the best Concord realtor.

Why buying before selling is hard

Your equity is locked in your current home. It’s your biggest source of a down payment, but you can’t spend it until you sell or borrow against it.
The right home may not be listed. If you need a specific layout or location, waiting for the MLS can take a long time.
Selling first means moving twice. Without a plan, you sell, rent temporarily, and then move again.

Questions to ask a Concord realtor before you buy and sell

These steps work the same way in Concord and its neighbors, Pleasant Hill and Martinez.

When you interview a Concord realtor about buying and selling at the same time, ask:

How would you help me buy before I sell?
What financing options would you compare for me, and what does each cost?
Will you search off the MLS if the right home isn’t listed?

For more questions, use The Interview Script: What to Say When Meeting a Concord Realtor. Coordinating a purchase, a refinance and a sale takes an agent who’s available every day, so read Full-Time vs. Part-Time Realtor in Concord: Why It Matters. To see how I prepare and sell a Concord home, read Concord Realtor Case Study: How 148 Roslyn Drive Drew 9 Offers and Sold for $81,000 Over List.

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy a new home in Concord before I sell my current one? Yes, if you can access the equity in your current home. Concord realtor Ron Melvin helped a nearby Pleasant Hill family buy first using a cash-out refinance, then sold their old home at 2839 Rockridge Drive.

How do I use my home equity to buy my next home? Common options are a home equity loan, bridge financing or a cash-out refinance. Each has different costs, so compare them with your realtor and lender before you shop.

Is a bridge loan or a cash-out refinance better for buying before selling? It depends on your situation. For this family, bridge financing and a home equity loan were expensive, and a carefully structured cash-out refinance was the better fit.

Can a cash-out refinance pay for improvements on the new home too? It can. This family’s cash-out refinance covered both the down payment and the improvements on their new property.

What if the home I need isn’t on the market? Ask your realtor to search off the MLS. For this family, we sent hundreds of letters to homeowners whose homes might be a fit, in addition to watching the MLS. The letters led to numerous homes the family toured and helped them pinpoint where they wanted to live.

How do I avoid moving twice when I sell and buy? Buy first, then sell. With the equity unlocked ahead of time, you can move straight into the new home and list the old one afterward.

Who is the best Concord realtor to help me sell and buy at the same time? Look for a full-time Concord realtor who understands financing as well as sales. Ron Melvin started in real estate in 1995 as a mortgage loan officer, has been a Realtor since 2013, and has lived in Concord since 2001.

About Ron Melvin, Concord realtor

I’m Ron Melvin, a licensed Realtor (DRE #01927543) with the East Bay Real Estate Team at Keller Williams. I bought my first home in Concord in 2001 using a VA loan, and my family has lived here ever since. I started in real estate in 1995 as a mortgage loan officer and have been a Realtor since 2013.

Before real estate, I served 7 years in the U.S. Air Force, including 2 years with the USAF Presidential Honor Guard. I’m connected to this community through Rotary and the Joint Chamber of Commerce, and I manage and officiate Special Olympics sports.