One of the biggest pain points homeowners face when moving is the timing trap: you need to sell your current home to fund the next one, but you don't want to move twice, live in temporary housing, or make a contingent offer that sellers will overlook. Money Well Lending has a solution — HomeLight's Buy Before You Sell program — and it changes the game entirely.
Buy Before You Sell lets you unlock the equity in your existing home, purchase your next home first, move in on your timeline, and then sell your current home — vacant, potentially staged, and almost always for more money. No contingencies. No double moves. No stress.
Best of all, getting started is completely free. There's no fee or commitment to see how much equity you can unlock.
The process is straightforward and moves fast — pre-approval letters are typically issued within 24 hours of submitting your property information.
Step 1: Get Pre-Qualified.Your loan officer submits your departing residence for review. We determine how much equity you can unlock at no cost and with no commitment. Once property photos are received, a pre-approval letter goes out within 24 hours — so you can start making stronger offers the very next day.
Step 2: Make a Non-Contingent Offer.Armed with your pre-approval, you shop for your new home without a home sale contingency attached to your offer. Non-contingent offers are stronger and more competitive — and can save you 1–3% on the purchase price.
Step 3: Close and Move In.HomeLight wires your unlocked equity funds directly to the purchase escrow account 1–2 business days before your closing date. You move into your new home the moment it's yours — no bridge loans, no back-and-forth, no temporary housing.
Step 4: List Your Current Home and Sell for More.Once you're out, your listing agent has 21 days to list your now-vacant home. Vacant, potentially staged homes typically sell for up to 10% more than occupied ones. You and your agent have up to 120 days to sell before HomeLight's Backup Offer goes into effect.
Buy Before You Sell isn't just a convenience — it's a financial advantage. Here's what the program delivers:
It is free to get started and check your equity unlock amount — no commitment required. If you choose to move forward with the program, the fee is 2.4% of the final sale price of your departing residence. Minimum fees apply if the final sale price is below $375,000.
When you consider that the program can help you save 1–3% on your purchase and net up to 10% more on your sale, the program fee is often offset — and then some.
Note: An additional $1,500 fee applies for transactions in the Chicago metro area (Cook, Kane, Peoria, and Will counties) due to local title regulations. Fees are subject to change and may vary by region.
Sometimes borrowers need a bit more equity to make the deal work — to reach a specific down payment target or cover listing preparation costs. That's where Equity Boost comes in, a feature available within Buy Before You Sell at no additional cost.
With Equity Boost, borrowers may unlock up to 90% CLTV (combined loan-to-value) on their existing home, using one or both of the following methods:
Eligibility for Equity Boost depends on the borrower's financial profile, equity position in the departing residence, and the loan officer's estimates on purchase price, down payment, and client income and liabilities.
If a borrower doesn't need to access home equity but simply wants to remove a home sale contingency from their offer, DTI Drop™ (formerly known as Bring Your Own Cash) may be the right fit. This option eliminates the departing mortgage from the borrower's debt-to-income calculation, lowers their DTI ratio, and allows them to use their own cash for the down payment.
The fee for DTI Drop is 1% of the final sale price of the departing residence, with a $5,000 minimum.
The Upside Guarantee is one of the most reassuring parts of the Buy Before You Sell program. After your new home closes, you and your listing agent have up to 120 days to sell your current home on the open market.
In the rare event that the home does not sell within that window, HomeLight steps in and purchases the home directly. They continue working to sell it at full market value, and you receive 100% of the net profit from that sale — after the program fee and any carrying costs (taxes, insurance, etc.) incurred during HomeLight's ownership period.
This guarantee ensures that you are never stuck with two mortgage payments indefinitely, and that any upside from the eventual sale comes back to you.
The program is currently live in 48 states, including Oregon and Washington. Florida is available in select metro areas (Jacksonville, Orlando, Gainesville, Lakeland, Ocala, Palm Bay, Port St. Lucie, and others). Texas is available statewide excluding Galveston. Contact your loan officer to confirm availability in your market.
Getting started takes just a few minutes. Your loan officer submits your departing residence through HomeLight's lender portal. Once property photos are received, a pre-approval letter is issued within 24 hours — and you can begin making stronger, non-contingent offers right away.
To explore your options, use the Purchase Power Calculator to instantly compare your maximum purchase power and estimated out-of-pocket costs between Buy Before You Sell and other home buying and selling solutions.
Ready to move forward? Submit your client through HomeLight's secure lender portal or reach out to our team to discuss your specific situation. You can also explore the full suite of Buy Before You Sell marketing materials and resources available through Money Well Lending's HomeLight resource hub.
For more information on the program directly from HomeLight, visit homelight.com/buy-before-you-sell.
How is the departing home's value determined?
The primary factors are the listing agent's valuation and HomeLight's expected sales price. The model also incorporates publicly available market data including comparable sales and local risk factors.
When does the equity get wired?
HomeLight wires the funds directly to the purchase escrow account 1–2 business days before closing, or first thing on the morning of closing day.
What is the Loan Payoff Value?
The Loan Payoff Value (LPV) is the sum of the existing mortgage balance and the Equity Unlock amount. This is what HomeLight uses to pay off the client's liens if they need to purchase the home under the Backup Offer.
Why use HomeLight Closing Services?
HomeLight Closing Services is an in-house escrow team that understands the Buy Before You Sell program inside and out. Using them makes the closing experience more seamless and can expedite document transfers between parties.
Is this program specific to one loan officer?
No. Buy Before You Sell through Money Well Lending is available to any qualified client working with our team. Reach out to find the right loan officer for your situation.