Whether you should sell before you buy in the Des Moines metro comes down to which risk you would rather carry: the risk of owning two homes for a stretch, or the risk of selling and needing somewhere to land. There is no universally right answer, only the one that fits your finances and your nerves.
Here is the trade-off in plain terms: certainty versus convenience. Sell first and you know exactly what you have to spend and you make a stronger, cleaner offer, but you may need a short-term rental or a rent-back. Buy first and you never move twice, but you may carry two payments and feel pressure to sell fast, and pressure is where sellers lose leverage. Removing one worry usually transfers it somewhere else.
What I typically see in the Des Moines metro is that sellers who sell first negotiate their purchase from a position of strength, because their offer carries no “subject to selling my home” flag that makes sellers nervous. As one example, a rent-back of a week or two after closing often bridges the gap cleanly, letting you sell strong and still move once. The tools exist. The key is choosing on purpose, not by default.
If you want the full walk-through of your options, including sale contingencies and rent-backs, my Seller Encyclopedia covers it step by step.
Related Resources: handling a low appraisal as a seller and why the first week on the market matters most.
Want the metro’s first-time-buyer and market moves in your inbox? Join my newsletter here.
Written by Jason Huffey, REALTOR with RE/MAX Revolution (License S73436000), serving Des Moines and the greater Des Moines metro. Call or text (515) 606-1227. The Best Is Yet To Come.
