We could pay cash for the next house. Should we?
Maybe — being able to isn't the same as should. Cash buys certainty: no financing contingency, no appraisal negotiation, a faster close, and an offer sellers take seriously. What cash costs you is flexibility. Money in the house stops being available for whatever comes next. At your scale, that trade belongs in a conversation with your financial adviser, not your agent. (I'm not your CPA or your planner, and this isn't financial advice.)
Here's what most people don't know: it isn't either-or. You can close with cash and put financing on the house afterward — lenders have a process built for exactly that. The offer can be strong without the decision being permanent.
My lane is the house and the negotiation. Get your adviser's answer on the money. I'll make whichever version of the offer wins.
I wrote this answer, and I stand behind it. I'm Chris Deutsch, a Minneapolis Realtor (MN #20382264). Twenty-five years of walking these neighborhoods, checking basements, and sitting across kitchen tables from people making exactly this call. I re-check every answer and date it — this one was last verified .
If your situation is more specific than the market, that's the one worth talking through. Email me at chris@lakesarearealty.com.