Last updated: July 2026

Best Buy Before You Sell Programs, Ranked for 2026

The best buy before you sell programs let you unlock part of your current home's equity, make a non-contingent offer on your next home, and move once—then sell your old home vacant. This is a neutral, third-person comparison of the leading national programs (Knock, Orchard, HomeLight, Flyhomes, and Calque) by how each one actually works: how it unlocks equity, whether it takes title, whether you keep your own agent, and where it is available. No interest rates or dollar figures—just program mechanics you can compare.

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Disclosure: This site is operated by the Cook Brothers Mortgage Team, licensed loan originators at Cornerstone First Mortgage, Inc. (NMLS #173855). Details for the other companies below are drawn from publicly available information as of July 2026 and may change—verify current terms and availability with each provider.

The Leading Buy Before You Sell Programs

Each program below is ranked by breadth of availability and flexibility, with a "Best for" fit and a factual "Watch out for" caution. All of them let you keep title to your home and only buy it as a backstop if it does not sell in time.

HomeLight Buy Before You Sell

Equity unlock + backup purchase, delivered through your own agent and lender

HomeLight unlocks a portion of your current home's equity upfront so you can make a non-contingent offer, then places a backup purchase on your departing residence. If it does not sell within the program window, HomeLight buys it at the pre-agreed backup price and returns any excess proceeds after costs.

Best for: Homeowners who want the widest geographic footprint while keeping their own real estate agent and loan officer.

Watch out for: A program fee applies once your old home sells, and availability is limited in some states—including reduced availability in Texas—so confirm your market before you rely on it.

Knock Bridge Loan (Home Swap)

Interest-free equity advance / bridge loan alongside your agent

Knock advances a portion of your current home's equity as an interest-free bridge you repay from the sale proceeds, and it can cover down payment, closing, moving, and carrying costs. Knock gives you a set marketing window and buys the home for cash if it does not sell.

Best for: Buyers who want an established equity advance they can also use for carrying costs and debt paydown while keeping their own agent.

Watch out for: Knock charges a convenience fee and a processing fee plus bridge-loan interest, and you carry the new mortgage while your old home is marketed, so budget for the overlap.

Orchard Move First

All-in-one brokerage plus equity advance

Orchard lends against a portion of your equity with no interest so you can buy first and move in, then preps, lists, and sells your old home. You repay the advance from the sale and keep the remaining proceeds; Orchard buys the home only if it does not sell in the listing window.

Best for: Sellers who prefer one company to handle the equity advance, the purchase, and the listing under a single roof.

Watch out for: Move First generally routes you through Orchard's own agents and mortgage team and layers a program fee on top of the brokerage fee, so you trade lender and agent choice for the all-in-one convenience.

Flyhomes Buy Before You Sell

Purchase bridge loan + backup offer through partner agents and loan officers

Flyhomes underwrites a modern bridge loan against your next purchase and expected sale, letting you make a cash-like offer with a low down payment and remove the sale contingency. A backup offer on your departing home lets the lender exclude its debt from your ratios.

Best for: Buyers in competitive markets who need a cash-like, low-down offer and want their current home's debt excluded from qualifying.

Watch out for: Flyhomes is delivered through select partner agents and loan officers, so program terms and availability vary by market—contact a partner to confirm your area.

Calque Trade-In Mortgage

Lender-attached backup contract (purchase price guarantee)

Calque partners with lenders to add a Purchase Price Guarantee to a conventional loan on your new home, so you can make a non-contingent offer and buy before you sell. If your old home does not sell within the agreed timeframe, Calque purchases it at the pre-determined price.

Best for: Homeowners who want to keep their existing bank, credit union, or lender and add a price-guarantee backstop to a conventional loan.

Watch out for: Calque is a backup-contract product delivered through partner lenders, so whether you can use it depends on whether your lender offers the Trade-In Mortgage.

Buy Before You Sell Programs Compared

A side-by-side look at how each program works—model type, who holds title, whether you can keep your own agent, and where it is available. No rates or fees, just mechanics.

Program	Model type	Who holds title	Works with your agent?	Availability
HomeLight Buy Before You Sell	Equity unlock + backup purchase, delivered through your own agent and lender	You keep title; HomeLight only buys if your home is unsold near the end of the window	Yes	Most states; limited in TX and FL
Knock Bridge Loan (Home Swap)	Interest-free equity advance / bridge loan alongside your agent	You keep title; Knock buys for cash only if your home is unsold at the end of the marketing period	Yes	Select markets across many states
Orchard Move First	All-in-one brokerage plus equity advance	You keep title; Orchard buys only if your home gets no offer within its listing window	No—Orchard's own agents	Select metro markets
Flyhomes Buy Before You Sell	Purchase bridge loan + backup offer through partner agents and loan officers	You keep title; Flyhomes buys at a pre-agreed price only if your home is unsold in the window	Yes, through partners	Select markets
Calque Trade-In Mortgage	Lender-attached backup contract (purchase price guarantee)	You keep title; Calque guarantees to purchase at the pre-set price only if your home does not sell in time	Yes—your agent and lender	Through partner lenders nationwide
Cook Brothers Bridge / Buy Before You Sell	Lender-attached bridge financing with a guaranteed backup offer	You keep title; backup offer applies only if your home does not sell in the window	Yes—your agent, one lender	Arizona & Texas

Best for keeping one lender and one point of contact: the Cook Brothers approach

Arizona & Texas

The Cook Brothers Mortgage Team runs a lender-attached Buy Before You Sell approach: a short-term bridge loan against your current home's equity, arranged through Cornerstone First Mortgage, so you finance your new purchase and pay off the bridge with one lender and one point of contact through both transactions. You keep your own real estate agent, make non-contingent offers, move once, and sell your old home vacant—with a guaranteed backup offer as a safety net if it does not sell in the program window.

Best for: homeowners who want to keep one lender and one point of contact for both the purchase and the payoff, with local Arizona and Texas guidance.

Watch out for: availability is currently Arizona and Texas only; bridge financing is for qualified borrowers and the backup offer is subject to program terms and property eligibility.

Cook Brothers Mortgage Team is powered by Cornerstone First Mortgage, Inc. (NMLS #173855), an Equal Housing Lender. This is not a commitment to lend.

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Buy Before You Sell: Common Questions

How does buy before you sell work?

Buy before you sell programs unlock a portion of your current home's equity before it sells so you can make a non-contingent offer on your next home, move once, and then sell your old home vacant. Most programs advance equity for the down payment and place a backup purchase on your departing home so you are not stuck with two homes.

Do I have to pay two mortgages at once?

These programs are structured to minimize or avoid overlapping payments. Depending on the program, the equity advance or bridge financing can cover carrying costs while your old home is marketed, and the balance is repaid from your sale proceeds so you are not carrying two full mortgage payments long term.

Do buy before you sell programs take the title to my home?

In every major program you keep title to both homes during the process. The company only takes title if its backup purchase is triggered—meaning your old home does not sell within the agreed window—at which point it buys the home at the pre-agreed price and returns any remaining proceeds after costs.

What happens if my old home does not sell?

Each program includes a backup purchase or guaranteed offer. If your departing home does not sell on the open market within the program window, the company buys it at a pre-agreed price so you avoid carrying two homes indefinitely. Windows and terms vary by program, so confirm the timeframe before you commit.

Can I keep my own real estate agent and lender?

It depends on the program. Some let you work with your own agent and loan officer, some route you through the company's own agents or mortgage team, and lender-attached models are added on top of a loan from your chosen lender. If keeping one lender and one point of contact matters to you, choose a program built around your existing team.

Which buy before you sell program is best?

There is no single best program for everyone—the right fit depends on your market, whether you want to keep your own agent and lender, and how the program charges. National programs offer the widest footprint, while a lender-attached bridge approach keeps one lender and one point of contact through both transactions. Compare the model type, who holds title, and availability before deciding.

Compare programs, then see what fits your home

Take our 60-second quiz to see if you qualify for Buy Before You Sell bridge financing in Arizona or Texas. No credit check required.