For a January Closing I would put my home up for sale in Early fall. Somewhere between September 1st - 30th. That way you'll have 3 months to safely sell it at a fair market price and can close 6- 8 weeks later, sometime in January. As far as how much it will cost that all depends on the selling price of your home and Closing costs which range with every transaction. However, a guestimated closing cost schedule can be made per your individual financials. Hope that helped - Renee Pflanz Coldwell Banker Primus - Algonquin 847-854-3639

I completely agree with Mr. Sorem, below. All real estate is local, and you never really know until you ask a local agent. I am a REALTOR in McHenry County, and I'd love to talk with you and go over what is going on right here. If you would like area specific information, I will be happy to help. Please do not hesitate to email or call me. I will ask some basic questions to assess your specific situation, and offer some advice. If it works for you, GREAT. If not, at least you know that you asked. Jackie 815-276-4558 or jkaufmann@firstpru.com

Mary
I think you need to have a face to face conversation with a Realtor that knows your situation, and your market.
There are numerous ways to negotiate an ending that will meet your needs. With markets the way they are,
I would be tempted to get the home sold and then do a rent back. The danger is having a long escrow is that until the deed is recorded and the loan is funded, anything can happen.

You also need to look at where you are going after the sale. If you are purchasing property, you need to know what THAT market is doing too. I've got some sellers that are scared to sell, the market in my area is trending slightly downward, however the destination market is going UP, so they are losing more by waiting
In your situation it might make sense to buy the destination property and rent it out until you move in. Not to say this is ideal, but if your current market is going down, and the destination market is going up, it would be worth it to run the numbers.

Get the facts, develop your options, and pray.