How do you sell a home and buy another at the same time in Fort Worth? You line up the two contracts with the tools the Texas forms already provide: a sale contingency, a short leaseback, backup offers, and closing dates set close together.
Doing both at once is mostly a scheduling problem with money attached. The goal is to avoid two bad outcomes: owning two houses with two payments, or owning none and living out of a storage unit. You can't remove all the risk, but you can shrink it a lot with the right paperwork and a realistic timeline.
If you're still deciding which order to go in, start with Should You Sell Your Home Before Buying the Next One? This post assumes you're doing both and covers how to actually coordinate them.
Start with the timeline, not the house
Before you shop, get two numbers: how long your house is likely to take to sell, and how much you'll net when it does. Redfin's Fort Worth data shows homes selling in a median of 48 days over the three months ending August 2026, and in Parker County Redfin reported 78 days. Add the time from contract to closing on top of that.
Then talk with your lender about how they'll treat your current mortgage. Some buyers can qualify carrying both payments. Many can't, and need the sale to close first. That answer decides which tools below fit you.
Tool 1: The sale contingency addendum
Texas has a promulgated form for this: the Addendum for Sale of Other Property by Buyer (TREC No. 10-6). It makes your purchase contingent on receiving the proceeds from selling your current home by a date you fill in. If that doesn't happen by the date, the contract ends and your earnest money comes back.
Here's the part buyers often miss. The seller can keep marketing the home. If the seller accepts another written offer, they notify you and you have a set number of days to waive the contingency or the contract terminates. Waiving means depositing additional earnest money, and if you then fail to close only because your house didn't sell, you're in default.
So the contingency gives you protection, but not much leverage. It works best when your house is already listed or under contract, and when the home you want has been on the market for a while.
Tool 2: A short leaseback on the home you sell
Selling first is safer financially, but it can leave you without a place to live for a few weeks. A leaseback solves that. TREC's Seller's Temporary Residential Lease lets you stay in the house after closing for no more than 90 days, on terms you and the buyer agree to.
Don't skip the paperwork. The standard resale contract says that a seller staying after closing without a written lease creates a tenancy at sufferance, and it tells both parties to check with their insurance agents. Your homeowner's policy may not cover you once you no longer own the house, so call your agent before closing day.
There's a mirror-image form, the Buyer's Temporary Residential Lease, for the case where the seller of your next home lets you move in early.
Tool 3: Backup offers
Under the TREC resale contract, unless you agree otherwise in writing, a seller can keep showing the home and accept backup offers while under contract. That cuts both ways. On the house you're selling, a backup offer is insurance if your first buyer falls through. On the house you're buying, it means another buyer could be waiting behind you, which is why deadlines matter.
Tool 4: Closing dates that work together
The cleanest version is selling and buying on the same day, or within a few days. The sale funds first, and the proceeds go toward the purchase. It takes coordination between both title companies and both lenders, and it leaves little room for delays like a late appraisal or a repair that isn't finished.
If you go this route, build in a cushion. A leaseback of even a few days on the home you sell gives you room if the purchase slips.
A practical order of operations
- Get a value and a net sheet on your current home so you know what you'll have to work with.
- Get pre-approved and ask the lender directly whether you need your sale to close first.
- Prep and list your home. A house that's already on the market, or under contract, makes your contingent offer far more believable.
- Shop with a short list. Know your target neighborhoods so you can move quickly once you have a buyer.
- Negotiate the leaseback and closing dates together so the two contracts fit each other.
Where the risk usually shows up
Most trouble comes from one contract moving and the other stalling. An appraisal comes in low on your sale. A buyer's financing hits a snag. Repairs take longer than planned. The fix isn't to avoid risk entirely. It's to keep a fallback ready: a backup offer, a leaseback, or a short-term rental you've already looked into.
The other common mistake is stretching on the next house because you're counting on a sale price you haven't gotten yet. Shop with the number on your net sheet, not the number you hope for.
Frequently asked questions
Will a seller accept an offer contingent on selling my house?
Some will, especially when their home has been on the market a while. It's a weaker offer than a non-contingent one, because the seller can keep marketing the home and ask you to waive the contingency if a better offer comes in. Having your home already listed or under contract helps a lot.
How long can I stay in my house after I sell it?
Whatever you and the buyer agree to in writing. TREC's Seller's Temporary Residential Lease is for stays of no more than 90 days after closing. Longer stays need a different lease.
Can I close on both houses on the same day?
Yes, it's common. The sale closes and funds first, and the proceeds go toward the purchase. It works best when both lenders and title companies are told early and the dates have a little cushion.
If you're planning a move in the next year, I can help you map out both sides. Start with my seller resources or reach out. If you're buying or selling in Fort Worth or Parker County, call or text Josh White at 432.215.9177 or visit buysellfortworthhomes.com.