Trying to line up a home sale and a home purchase at the same time can feel like you are solving a puzzle with moving parts on every side. If you are making a move in Ankeny, you are probably thinking about timing, money, housing gaps, and how to avoid one delay from throwing off everything else. The good news is that with a clear plan and strong coordination, you can make the process far more manageable. Let’s dive in.
Why timing matters in Ankeny
Ankeny is still growing quickly. The city’s 2024 special census put the population at 76,207, which was up 12.25% from 2020.
That growth helps explain why the local housing market can still move fast, even when buyers have more options than they did a few years ago. Recent market data showed a median sale price around $340,000 in May 2026, while broader Des Moines metro data pointed to healthy inventory and a median of 64 days on market at the end of 2025.
In other words, you may have more choices than during the tightest market years, but timing is still important if you need to sell one home and buy another. A mismatch of even a few weeks can create extra costs, stress, or rushed decisions.
Start with your timing strategy
Before you look at homes or prepare your current home for the market, it helps to choose the basic path you want to follow. Most homeowners fall into one of three strategies.
Sell first
Selling first is the most common route. It gives you a clearer picture of what you will net from your current home and can reduce the financial pressure of carrying two homes at once.
This approach often works with a home sale contingency. That means your offer on the next home can include a condition that gives you time to sell your current home, and if that sale does not happen in time, the contract can be voided and earnest money returned.
The tradeoff is that a contingent offer may be less appealing to a seller. In some cases, the seller may continue marketing the property while you work to get your current home under contract.
Buy first
Buying first can make sense if the right home becomes available and you do not want to miss it. It can also reduce the pressure of having to move out before you have a place to go.
The challenge is financing. Temporary or bridge loans with terms of 12 months or less may be used when you plan to sell your current home within 12 months, and some homeowners also consider a home equity loan or HELOC.
These tools can help, but they also increase your debt burden and put your current home at risk if repayment becomes difficult. This is where careful lender coordination matters most.
Close back-to-back
Some homeowners aim for back-to-back closings, where the sale of the current home and the purchase of the next one happen on the same day or very close together. On paper, that can sound like the least disruptive option.
In reality, it takes precise coordination. Closings typically happen 30 to 45 days after an offer is accepted, and buyers still need time for documentation, insurance, closing review, and the required Closing Disclosure timing.
That means even a well-planned same-day sequence can feel tight. If one piece shifts, the rest of the schedule may need to adjust quickly.
Understand what can cause stress
A lot of moving stress does not come from the move itself. It comes from uncertainty.
When you are both selling and buying, the biggest pressure points are usually:
- Not knowing when your current home will sell
- Not knowing whether your financing timeline will hold
- Worrying about where you will live if dates do not line up
- Carrying extra costs for storage, temporary housing, or two housing payments
- Making rushed decisions because a deadline is approaching
The more of these issues you address early, the calmer the process tends to feel.
Get lender coordination in place early
One of the smartest ways to reduce stress is to treat financing as a live part of the process, not a box to check once. If you are buying while selling, your loan timing can affect nearly every decision.
You can request Loan Estimates from three or more lenders using basic information, which makes it easier to compare options early. It is also important to remember that preapproval letters usually expire in 30 to 60 days.
That matters in a moving market like Ankeny. Preapproval helps show that you are serious, but it is not the same as final loan approval, and details can shift once a specific property is involved.
Watch your rate lock and approval status
A rate lock only stays in place if you close within the agreed time frame and do not make major changes to the application. Changes to loan amount, credit score, or verified income can affect the lock.
Lenders also look closely at debt-to-income ratio. If you take on large new debt before closing, that can affect your approval status and create last-minute stress.
A steady plan often includes:
- Comparing official Loan Estimates before choosing a lender
- Tracking preapproval expiration dates
- Avoiding major purchases before closing
- Budgeting for closing costs, insurance, taxes, and moving expenses
- Preparing for the possibility of overlapping housing costs
This is one area where Scot Bergman’s background is especially relevant. With more than two decades across financial and real estate fields, including over 10 years in mortgage lending, he brings a perspective that can help you spot timing and financing issues before they become bigger problems.
Plan for a possession gap
Even when your contracts are strong, there is still a chance your move-out date and move-in date will not line up perfectly. That is called a possession gap, and it is one of the most common reasons people feel overwhelmed during a sale and purchase.
Consider a rent-back
A rent-back, sometimes called a leaseback, can help if your current home sells before your next home is ready. In that setup, you stay in the home for a specified period after closing.
This can give you breathing room for packing, moving, and final coordination. It is helpful for logistics, but it is not a substitute for cash planning because rent-back credit cannot be used as qualifying funds for closing costs, down payment, or reserves.
Build a backup housing plan
If a rent-back is not available, it helps to decide on your fallback plan before closing. That may mean a short-term rental, an extended-stay hotel, or staying with family or friends while your belongings go into storage.
Fannie Mae guidance notes that a timing gap may require both temporary housing and storage. While that may not be your first choice, planning for it in advance can keep a short-term inconvenience from becoming a full-blown crisis.
Make your move plan realistic
A low-stress move usually comes from realistic expectations, not a perfect chain of events. Even when things go well, there may be a few days or weeks where you need extra flexibility.
Think through the practical side early. Will your move be staged, split, or compressed into a short window? Do you need storage? Could you manage a few nights of temporary housing if the dates shift?
When you answer those questions ahead of time, you are less likely to feel cornered by normal transaction delays.
Keep decisions simple and sequential
When people feel stressed, they often try to solve everything at once. A better approach is to make decisions in the order they matter most.
Focus on this order
- Understand your likely sale proceeds and budget
- Choose your preferred timing strategy
- Get lender options lined up and current
- Prepare your home for market
- Identify your backup plan for a housing gap
- Move forward on offers with clear timelines
This structure helps you stay grounded. It also gives you a better framework for evaluating tradeoffs, like whether a stronger sale price is worth a tighter closing window or whether a flexible possession timeline matters more than a few other terms.
Why local guidance helps
Buying and selling at the same time is part financial decision, part logistics challenge, and part emotional transition. In a place like Ankeny, where the market remains active and the city continues to grow, local experience can make those moving pieces easier to manage.
You want someone who understands the pace of the local market, but also knows how financing, timing, and contract details interact. That combination can help you stay calm, protect your options, and make decisions with more confidence.
If you are planning a move in Ankeny and want a clear, steady plan for selling and buying without unnecessary stress, Scot Bergman can help you map out the next steps with practical guidance and strong local insight.
FAQs
How competitive is the Ankeny housing market when you are buying and selling at the same time?
- Ankeny remains active, with recent data showing a median sale price around $340,000 and a market that can still move quickly, so timing your sale and purchase carefully is important.
What does selling first mean for an Ankeny homeowner?
- Selling first usually gives you a clearer budget for your next purchase and may reduce the risk of carrying two homes at once, though your next offer may need a home sale contingency.
What should Ankeny buyers know about preapproval timing?
- Preapproval letters typically expire in 30 to 60 days, so if your timeline stretches, you may need to refresh your paperwork and review updated loan terms.
What happens if your Ankeny home sells before your next home is ready?
- You may be able to negotiate a rent-back, or you may need a temporary plan such as short-term housing and storage until your next home is available.
Why is lender coordination so important when moving within Ankeny?
- Your financing can affect your budget, closing timeline, rate lock, and final approval, so early lender coordination can help prevent last-minute problems and reduce stress overall.
