Purchasing a house with the contingency of selling your current home is fairly common. This method helps to protect you from paying two mortgages at once.Contingent offers usually can't compete in a multiple offer situation but if the property isn't selling quickly it can be good for both buyer and seller. Q: What happens if a buyer can't meet a contingency? Purchase agreements can be made contingent on the buyer being approved for a loan within a specified period of time, usually 30 days or less. A contingency offer means that the buyer is making an offer on a house with certain conditions that have to be met. A sales contingency is when you will need to sell your current home in order to close on the house you're offering to buy. Contingencies are certain conditions in the purchase agreement that need to be met to have a fully binding purchase agreement. A contingent offer means that the buyer's ability to purchase your home depends on selling their current home. In Minnesota, there is no standard deadline to respond to an offer and it's pretty uncommon for a buyer to stipulate one.