Can I Make an Offer on a House in Georgetown Before Mine Is for Sale?

Yes. You can make an offer on a house in Georgetown before your own home is listed, but the seller doesn't have to accept it. Your offer is stronger when you can show the seller that your plan to sell is already moving.

Here's how it usually works in Georgetown, Floyd County, Indiana.

How an Offer Before You List Usually Works

Most buyers take one of two paths.

• Buy without waiting on your sale. If your lender approves you to carry both homes, you can make a regular offer.
• Make your offer depend on your sale. This is called a home sale contingency. Your purchase only goes through if your house sells by a date in the contract. If it doesn't, you can usually cancel under the contract's terms.
  
  

The catch: when your home isn't listed yet, nobody knows what it will bring or how fast it will sell. So some sellers say no or ask for a shorter deadline.

One way to ease that worry is to put two dates in your offer: the date your home will be listed, and the date it needs to be under contract. To figure out what your sale could put toward the next home, start with our post on how much house you can afford if you already own one.

This isn't legal advice. If your contract has unusual terms, ask an Indiana real estate attorney or a title company.

The Georgetown Detail: Get Your Seller Paperwork Done First

Indiana law generally requires sellers of homes with one to four units to fill out the Seller's Residential Real Estate Sales Disclosure (State Form 46234). You have to give it to a buyer before you accept an offer on your house. The current version (marked R/9-26) is four pages.

It asks about your roof, the age of major systems, flood plains, and septic or well water. It also asks, "Are there any violations of zoning, building codes, or restrictive covenants?" The form isn't a warranty. It's a record of what you know.

If your Georgetown home is in a subdivision, it may have recorded covenants. Those are written rules, like limits on fences or sheds. Not sure about yours? The Floyd County Recorder's Office has an online search for neighborhood covenants. The Recorder is at 311 Hauss Square, Room 115, in New Albany (812-948-5430).

Fill out the form before you write your offer. Then a buyer can make an offer the day your house hits the market, and a quick sale is what a contingent offer needs most.

A Tip From a Local Agent

Before you write anything, have your agent call the listing agent and ask one question: would the seller consider a home sale contingency? Some sellers can wait. Some can't. That call tells you whether to write a contingent offer, line up a loan to buy first, or keep looking.

Related Questions

What happens if I find a house in Georgetown before my house sells?

You can make an offer that depends on your sale, or buy first if your lender approves both payments. If you buy first and keep the old home, Indiana's homestead deduction covers only one principal residence, per the state's Indiana Property Tax Benefits form.

Should I get my Georgetown house ready to sell before I start looking?

It often helps. Start with the state disclosure form, which asks how many layers of shingles your roof has and how old your water heater, furnace and central air are.

How do I make my offer stronger in Georgetown if I need to sell first?

Give the seller clear dates, a lender's preapproval and proof your home is ready to list. Apply with a lender early, since the CFPB says a lender must send your Loan Estimate within three business days of your application.

Thinking about an offer before your Georgetown house is listed? Send us your questions anytime, and Summit Edge Realty will help. More local answers are on our blog.

Rob Gaines, Summit Edge Realty | Keller Williams Realty Consultants

Updated October 2026