What is a sale contingency and will sellers accept one?

A sale contingency is a clause in a purchase contract that lets a buyer back out if their own current home does not sell within an agreed window. Sellers weigh it against the rest of the offer, since a contingent buyer is less certain than one already sold or paying cash, and many sellers pass on it if stronger offers exist. Whether one gets accepted often comes down to how close the buyer's own home is to selling. Joel Boss can tell you how contingent offers are landing now.