FREE SKIP TOOLS · BIG QUESTIONS WELCOME
A little clarity.
A lot more possibility.
Pull a thread. Play with a what-if. Find your next “aha.”
Real tools for your real-life next move. No sign-up needed.
HOME-VALUE REPORT + LOCAL CONTEXT
Meet your home’s numbers.
Get the available property facts, automated value range, and nearby recorded sales. No email or phone number needed.
A neighborhood is more than a price.
Use the report’s nearby sales and recorded property details as a starting point—not a neighborhood-wide price index or a prediction.
Check school boundaries with the district, insurance with a carrier, and zoning and permits with the local jurisdiction. Skip does not rank neighborhoods or infer who belongs there.
PROCEEDS + SELLING SCENARIOS
What would you walk away with?
Change the example numbers. See the math, then compare selling now, preparing the home, waiting, or renting.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF…
Now, a little prep, or a little later?
These are your assumptions—not forecasts. All three paths use the proceeds inputs above.
Carrying outlay can include mortgage payments, taxes, insurance, utilities, and HOA. This simplified cash comparison holds the payoff balance constant; it excludes principal reduction, investment returns, tax consequences, and replacement housing. Renovations do not guarantee a price increase.
KEEP IT & RENT IT
Would the rent cover the carrying costs?
Before income taxes, leasing costs, legal costs, and unexpected losses. If your mortgage payment includes escrow, remove taxes and insurance from that input before entering them separately. Check rental restrictions, insurance, tenant law, and local rent evidence before deciding.
BUYING BUDGET + OFFER STRATEGY
Buy with breathing room.
Your comfortable budget matters more than a big approval number. Start with examples, then replace them with your own quotes.
Fixed-rate principal-and-interest illustration, not preapproval. Taxes and insurance stay fixed in the budget calculation and may rise with price. Closing costs, upfront mortgage insurance, utilities, moving costs, other debts, and emergency savings are not included. CFPB: build your budget ↗
OFFER COMPARISON
There’s more than one way to write a number.
Compare two possible offers to the same seller. A credit changes cash at closing differently from a price reduction.
Price minus credit plus repairs is a comparison only—not your cash to close, monthly payment, or the seller’s net. Credit limits and permitted uses depend on financing. A larger loan can cost more over time even when these totals match.
Strengthen the offer without guessing.
- Set a walk-away price from your budget and verified comparable sales.
- Ask about the seller’s timing; consider a workable closing or possession date.
- Confirm financing, appraisal exposure, earnest money, and funds needed to close.
- Understand inspection, financing, appraisal, and title contingencies before changing them. Don’t waive protections just to make the offer look cleaner.
- Get contract-specific advice from your broker or attorney before signing.
COMMISSION STRUCTURES
Know what you’re paying for.
Compensation is negotiable. Compare the math and the service—not just the headline number.
All values are fictional examples for one service arrangement, not Skip prices, standard rates, or advertised offerings. Services and availability vary. This does not automatically change your selling calculator.
Compare the scope.
- Pricing analysis, marketing, photography, and listing exposure
- Showings, negotiations, inspection and appraisal coordination
- Contract support, deadlines, and closing coordination
- What costs extra, and what happens if the home doesn’t close
Read the agreement.
- Who owes the compensation, how much, and when it becomes due
- Term, exclusivity, cancellation, and any protection period
- Any buyer-side compensation or seller credit, documented separately
- How conflicts and representation are handled
No particular fee is required by law. Negotiate the written scope and terms before committing. NAR consumer guide ↗
PLAN THE SEQUENCE
A move, with a little less mystery.
Build a planning calendar. These durations are editable assumptions, not promised market times or contract deadlines.
Sell first
Know your sale proceeds before committing to the next home. Plan for temporary housing, storage, and a second move if the dates don’t line up.
Buy first
Move once and prepare an empty home for sale. First verify you can carry both homes, cover the down payment, and handle a slower-than-expected sale.
A simultaneous close has dependencies. Financing, inspections, title issues, estate authority, repairs, and recording can change the schedule. Confirm actual deadlines and possession terms in the signed agreements.
NO JARGON REQUIRED
The questions behind the question.
Useful context before you hire anyone, make an offer, or decide to sell.
Inspection: what am I actually checking?
An inspection assesses condition; an appraisal addresses value for its assignment. Neither guarantees the absence of hidden defects.
- Ask an independent inspector about scope, exclusions, access, and how findings are documented.
- Prioritize safety, moisture, roof, structure, electrical, plumbing, and major systems.
- Ask whether sewer, septic, well, pest, radon, or specialist reviews are appropriate.
- Get repair estimates for major concerns and confirm contract deadlines before negotiating.
Home value: why isn’t there one perfect number?
An automated estimate is a starting point. A broker analysis adds verified market context; an appraisal answers a defined valuation question as of a specific date.
- Compare similar homes, not just the nearest ones.
- Check sale dates, condition, size, site utility, concessions, and transaction terms.
- Active asking prices are competition—not proof of what buyers paid.
- Tax-assessed value is not interchangeable with market value.
As-is, light preparation, or a larger renovation?
As-is can reduce project work, but it may narrow the buyer pool. Preparation can improve presentation without paying back dollar for dollar.
- Separate safety and active damage from cosmetic preferences.
- Price projects with real bids, permits, time, and a contingency allowance.
- Compare added net proceeds after selling fees and carrying costs—not just a higher sale price.
- Keep receipts and disclosures. As-is does not automatically remove disclosure obligations.
Should I sell now, wait, or keep the home?
Start with your timing, cash needs, housing alternatives, and appetite for uncertainty. A market forecast alone cannot make this decision.
- Sell now: more certainty about your next step, but verify replacement housing.
- Wait: more flexibility, with carrying costs and an unknown future price.
- Rent: keep the asset, with vacancy, repairs, management, insurance, and legal responsibilities.
- Compare an investor offer against a traditional sale using net proceeds, contract terms, proof of funds, and execution risk.
Offer strategy: price is only one part.
Compare price, credits, repairs, financing, timing, and contingencies together. A higher offer with uncertain financing is not the same as a reliable close.
- Use verified comparable sales to set a defensible range.
- Separate price from credits; ask your lender what credits can cover.
- Know how an appraisal shortfall or inspection finding would affect you.
- Understand earnest-money exposure and every deadline before signing.
Inherited home or a family transition?
Start with the people and authority involved—not a listing date. Confirm who can make decisions, whether an estate or trust is involved, and what housing or accessibility needs must be met.
- Gather title, estate or trust documents, insurance, loan information, and known property issues.
- Coordinate with the authorized representative, attorney, and tax professional.
- Compare keeping, renting, and selling only after understanding authority and obligations.
- For a senior transition, plan support, belongings, accessibility, moving logistics, and a comfortable budget.
OPTIONAL, ALWAYS HUMAN
Numbers first.
A person when you want one.
You can keep exploring on your own—or bring your questions into a personalized Skip plan.