Get your numbers in writing.
Send the address of whichever house is first, and a line on the other two. Within 1 business day you'll have a written answer on whichever of the three moves is first: the order, the numbers, and what can wait. No call required to get it.
When you're ready for more
Everything below is here for when you want it. None of it is homework this week.
For analytical adults age 45–62 in Central Iowa managing a parent's home, their own next-chapter housing, and an adult child's first purchase, often in the same calendar year. Built for CPAs, attorneys, engineers, physicians, financial advisors, and executives who want sequencing, not slogans.
Written by Sarah Ingles, REALTOR®, SRES®, CPCU® — Iowa License #S73007000. Holds both the SRES® and CPCU®, combining senior real estate training with an insurance credential. Specialty: multi-generational Iowa housing transitions across Polk, Dallas, Warren, and Story counties.
Why this page exists
Sarah Ingles is a Des Moines metro REALTOR® holding both the SRES® (Seniors Real Estate Specialist) and CPCU® (Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter) credentials. That pairing is built for the Sandwich Generation: one client, three concurrent housing problems, every one of them touching insurance, probate, or both.
The two pages most families read next
Most Sandwich Generation families start with one of these two, depending on which move is first. Read the one that matches, then send the address and the written answer covers the sequence.
Frequently Asked Questions — Sandwich Generation Real Estate in Iowa
What is the Sandwich Generation in real estate?
The Sandwich Generation in real estate refers to adults — typically age 45 to 62 — managing three concurrent housing transactions: a parent's downsize or estate sale, their own next-chapter move, and an adult child's first purchase. In Central Iowa, this often means coordinating a Polk County probate, a 55+ community search, and a first-time-buyer FHA loan in the same calendar year.
How do I help my aging parents sell their home while raising my own kids?
Treat it as one project with three workstreams: the parent's transition, your own household stability, and the family operational load. Build a written sequencing plan — which transaction needs to happen first, what funding gates each step, and who owns each task. An SRES®-credentialed REALTOR® who has run multi-generational Iowa transactions can map the order so the highest-stakes decisions aren't made reactively.
Should aging parents sell their home or age in place?
There's no universal answer — the right decision depends on health trajectory, home accessibility, social network, and finances. Most Iowa families benefit from a 12-to-24-month planning horizon: cost out home modifications (stair lifts, walk-in showers, ramps) against the net proceeds of selling now versus later. Sarah models both paths on the house numbers and refers out to aging-in-place evaluators and independent senior move managers when those are needed.
What's the difference between an SRES and a regular REALTOR®?
An SRES® (Seniors Real Estate Specialist) is a REALTOR® who has completed National Association of REALTORS® coursework on the financial, legal, and emotional aspects of selling a home after age 50 — reverse mortgages, probate handoffs, age-restricted communities, and family dynamics. Sarah Ingles holds SRES® plus the CPCU® insurance credential.
How do I handle a real estate transaction when my parent has dementia or diminished capacity?
Iowa real estate contracts require legal capacity to sign — so if a parent has diagnosed dementia or diminished capacity, the family needs durable power of attorney (executed while capacity was present), a court-appointed guardian or conservator, or a successor trustee under a properly funded trust. Sarah coordinates with the family's Iowa elder-law attorney to confirm the right signing authority is in place before any listing agreement.
