I lost my job. Should I sell my house now?

Not necessarily — but you should make the decision now, not in 6 months.

The honest math depends on:

1. Runway: how many months of mortgage + property tax + insurance + living expenses can you cover from savings, severance, and emergency funds? 2. Equity: if you sold today, what would you net? Is that meaningful enough to materially extend your runway? 3. Job market: realistic time-to-rehire in your field at a comparable salary? 4. Family considerations: school year, spouse's income, kids' stability, extended family situation.

Bay Area real estate has been kind to long-time owners — many of my layoff-driven clients sell with $300K-$1M+ equity that gives them 3-7 years of runway in a more affordable home or a rental, removing the highest-stress monthly cost from their balance sheet.

Other clients have done modifications or used HELOC against equity to bridge to re-employment without selling.

The wrong move: delay the decision for 3-4 months, then sell under pressure with no leverage. The right move: get clarity on the math now while you still have options.

I want to give you a complete answer, but I need to know your specifics. Reach me at (510) 504-0402, text or call 24/7 at (406) 205-9003, or email roger@grubb.net. I answer my own phone.