Homeward Buy Before You Sell: What Changed?
September 20, 2026
by Elena Garrett, Realtor, Sept 2026
If you have heard about Homeward’s Buy Before You Sell program in the past, there is something important you need to know: The program has changed, at least in Texas. And if you remember the older version, you may be expecting something very different from what Homeward offers today. So let me explain what changed, what the new limitations are, and who may still benefit from the program.
THE OLD HOMEWARD BUY BEFORE YOU SELL PROGRAM WAS, IN MY OPINION, MORE FLEXIBLE
The older Homeward program was extremely easy to understand. You owned a house. You wanted to buy another house. Homeward helped you purchase your new home before your old home sold. You could move into the new house, get yourself settled, and have up to 6 months to sell your old home while living in your new house.
Under the old program, during those 6 months, you did not need to pay monthly rent. The rents were due but could stay unpaid for 6 months. With those 6 months being previously made available, you had substantially more breathing room to deal with the house you were leaving behind.
The big appeal of the old Homeward program was flexibility. You did not have to sell first. You did not have to coordinate two closings perfectly. And you did not have to rush through packing, moving, repairs, cleaning, and listing your old house all at once. For sellers who had lived in the same house for many years, had a lot of belongings, needed repairs, had children, pets, or simply wanted a less stressful move, that structure was very attractive.
WHAT ABOUT THE NEW VERSION OF THE BUY BEFORE YOU SELL PROGRAM?
The current Homeward Buy Before You Sell program works differently.
Today, the program is much more centered around accessing the equity in your existing home. Homeward says qualifying homeowners may be able to unlock up to approximately 80% of their existing equity. Part of that money can potentially be used to pay off the mortgage on the current home. The remaining available equity may then help with things such as a down payment on the next home, closing costs, moving expenses, or even repairs and improvements to the house you are preparing to sell.
As a result, under the new policy, you still may be able to purchase your next home without making the purchase contingent upon selling your existing home first.
That part remains unchanged.
BUT HERE IS THE NEW MAJOR LIMITATION
Under the new Buy Before You Sell program structure, Homeward expects the old house to be put for sale fairly quickly.
The previously available 6 months to sell your own home are, apparently, no longer a part of the program. The Homeward representative we recently spoke with told us that they typically want the home listed within roughly two weeks after the new-home closing. That is very different from saying: “Move into your new house and take several months to figure out the old one.”
The 2 weeks limitation will make the program significantly less useful for many families whose homes need some significant work or who cannot get started on the old house refresh immediately. Many working families with kids need those 2 weeks just to move everything out first. And then they might still need painters, flooring, windows, roof repairs, potential plumbing or foundation repairs, landscaping, cleaning, and possibly staging.
Homeward Guaranteed Cash Offer Component of The Program.
However, there is still a 180-day, or six-month, component in the current structure. But it is no longer the six months to prepare the house before putting it on the market. Instead, Homeward explained that there is a guaranteed cash-offer component built into the program if the house has not sold during that approximately 180-day period.
Homeward’s guaranteed cash offer acts as a safety net if your old home does not sell on the open market. Before you enter the program, Homeward establishes a “floor price,” which is generally below expected retail market value. If the home is still unsold after 180 days and you qualify for the guarantee, Homeward can purchase it at that pre-established floor price.
In other words, you still try to sell for the best possible price first, but you have a known backup exit if the home does not sell.
WHAT IS STILL VERY USEFUL ABOUT THE NEW PROGRAM?
There are several situations where this new version of the Buy Before You Sell program could still be extremely helpful to the DFW homeowners.
Reason #1: removing the existing home-sale contingency when you are making an offer to buy your new home.
If you are trying to buy another house while still owning your current one, a contingent-upon-the-sale-of-another-house offer can make your purchase significantly less competitive. Many home sellers (as well as many home builders) will not accept contingencies.. If Homeward allows you to purchase without that contingency, that can be valuable all in itself.
Reason #2: accessing equity before the old house sells.
This can solve a very real problem. Some homeowners have plenty of equity, but very little liquid cash. They may have $200,000 or $300,000 sitting inside their house but not enough cash available for a large down payment, moving expenses, or repairs. If the house needs carpet, paint, repairs, landscaping, or other improvements before going on the market, accessing part of that equity before the sale can give them much needed cash liquidity.
Reason #3: potentially eliminating the old mortgage payment.
If part of the Homeward transaction pays off the existing mortgage, the homeowner may avoid carrying two traditional mortgage payments while waiting for the old property to sell. That can make the transition financially much easier.
WHO COULD BENEFIT THE MOST?
I think the current program makes the most sense for a homeowner who has substantial equity and knows they want to move, but does not want their next purchase dependent upon selling the current house first.
It could also work particularly well for someone whose house needs only light or moderate preparation before listing. Maybe the house needs pain, some flooring, cleaning and minor repairs. If you can move out and reasonably get the property market-ready within a 1-2 weeks, this program could solve several problems at once.
WHO MAY NOT LIKE THE NEW STRUCTURE?
If your biggest priority is time, this may be a very different conversation.
For example, if you are leaving a house where you have lived for 20 years… You have a garage full of belonging, you need a major renovation, and you know for certain that the time you need to put your old home on the market will be more than 2 weeks… or you simply do not want somebody telling you that the house should be listed within the next few weeks… then the newer structure may feel considerably more restrictive than the old Homeward program.
The program may still solve the financial problem. But it may not solve the timing problem. And those are two very different problems.
BOTTOM LINE
The old Homeward Buy Before You Sell program was primarily attractive because of the breathing room it created between buying one house and selling another. The current version still allows you to buy before you sell, but it is much more focused on unlocking equity, eliminating the sale contingency, potentially paying off the existing mortgage, and moving the old property toward the market fairly quickly.
That does not make the program bad. It simply makes it useful for a different type of seller.
Before deciding whether a program like this makes sense, I would look at three things:
- How much equity do you have?
- How quickly can your current house realistically be ready for the market?
- Are you trying to solve a money problem, a timing problem, or both?
Because the answer to that question may tell you whether the new Homeward structure actually fits your move.
Need more information on what type of homes typically qualify for Homeward Buy Before You Sell program? Give Elena Garrett a call, see the contact info in the description below.
