Deja's Des Moines Homes Blog

North Of Grand Home For Sale Des Moines, Iowa

Great West Des Moines Home for sale Valley Junction Charmer

Des Moines Area BANK Forclosure

Foreclosed Home in Dexter, IA

Good bye GMAC

Foreclosed Home For sale in Des Moines, Iowa

Cute Home In Pella, IA

Altoona Tax Abatement.

Home For sale in Des Moines North West

Top Ten Reasons to move to Iowa

Is E 85 going to increse your property taxes ?

Newer south side home In Des Moines

Regency Homes Built Urbandale Townhome.

Moving To Des Moines ?

Using Postlets to Blog Your Listings.

Des Moines area acreage Priced To sell Shown By appointment

West Des Moines Townhome

Ankeny Condo/ Townhome Market Report

Ankeny Condo / Townhome Market Report

What State Is Number one for Foreclosures In 2006.

Des Moines West Market Report for 2006

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Blue Chip Real Estate

Deja Fouts (NONE) — Fri, 14 May 2010 02:58:46 -0700

Deja & Joann Fouts | 515.249.7610

659 38th st, Des Moines, IA

Move in ready North of Grand home. Walking distance to many Ingersoll Ave. shops and restaurants.

3BR/1BA Single Family House

offered at $108,900

Year Built	1900
Sq Footage	1,158
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	1 full, 0 partial
Floors	2
Parking	1 Car garage
Lot Size	8,133 sqft
HOA/Maint	$0 per month

DESCRIPTION

Unique turn of the century home. Original trim was saved when new replacement windows were installed.Recent major kitchen remodel with hard wood floors and lots of cabinets. New high efficiency furnace added in 2009. Fenced back yard. The back yard also features a patio and a small deck space. Mature trees provide lots of shade in the summer. NCF area, grant money may be avalible.

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

- Central A/C	- Central heat	- Hardwood floor
- Tile floor	- Dishwasher	- Refrigerator
- Stove/Oven	- Microwave	- Basement
- Washer	- Dryer	- Laundry area - inside

OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES

- 1.5 car garage

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

659 38th Street	Photo 1
Photo 2

Contact info:

Deja & Joann Fouts

515.249.7610

For sale by individual owner

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: May 11, 2010, 2:41pm PDT

I am no longer a Real Estate Agent.

Deja Fouts (NONE) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:17:48 -0700

Details

Photo Gallery

50265-West Des Moines (Valley Junction)

FOR SALE
$124,900Below 2007 Appraisal

	First Realty

Email Deja Work: 515-453-7429
More Photos(12)
West Des Moines Charmer

	Details


	Address: 523 12th Street Type: Residential Style: Single Story Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 1 Suite: No Living Area: 835 square feet Year Built: 1918 More Details

	Description


	Location, Location, Location. Area of well maintained homes close to holiday park, The Shops at Valley Junction, bus line and schools. This house has been redone with new bath room, new carpet and paint, kitchen counter with tile back splash. Exterior freshly painted. The drywalled garage has a new door and new roofing. This home modest size means low low utilities. Budget billing between $60-70. low taxes as well. All appliances included in the sale. Don't delay call today. More Description

Brokered and Advertised by Prudential First Realty Westown LID 1667909

5500 westown parkway ste 120 west des moines, ia 50266

Information is deemed to be correct but not guaranteed.

Deja Fouts (NONE) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:34:21 -0800

Details

Photo Gallery

View Rooms

50070-Dexter (Dexter)

MLS #315074 FOR SALE
$69,900Less then $50/sqft

<!--Listing Primary Photo Max width = 300 Max height = 300-->	<!--Brokerage Name-->First Realty
<!--Listing Agent Photo Max width = 225 Max height = 120-->
<!--Agent Name-->Deja Fouts Email Deja <!--Contact Info in the format "<b>Type of contact:</b>number<br>" repeating for each--> Work: 515-453-7429
More Photos(1)
901 brown

	Details


	<!--First 10 details in the format "<b>DetailType:</b> Detail " next detail-->Address: 901 brown Type: Residential Style: Single Story Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 2 Suite: No Living Area: 1,556 square feet Year Built: 1969 More Details

	Description


	<!--First 500 words of description-->The bank says SELL IT! Great home in a great Iowa small town good sized home that you could move into. a bit of TLC could make this home a fabulous find. Right now the list price put it below $50/sqft. The advergae in out MLS runs around $100. This property is definatly worth taking a look at. Fireplace in living room. large county kichen ramp. More Description

Brokered and Advertised by First Realty Westown LID 1417208

Information is deemed to be correct but not guaranteed.

Deja Fouts (NONE) — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 12:28:18 -0700

Details

Photo Gallery

50070-Dexter (Dexter)

FOR SALE
<89,9000>

	Prudential First Realty

First Realty Westown Email Deja Work: 515-453-7429
More Photos(15)
100_0828

	Details


	<!--First 10 details in the format "<b>DetailType:</b> Detail " next detail-->Address: 510 state Type: Residential Style: 1 1/2 Story Suite: No Living Area: Year Built: 0 More Details

	Description


	<!--First 500 words of description-->Dreaming of a bigger home. This home just a short commute from the metro is a lot of home for the money. Priced to sell. Features include a fuax fireplace, hardwood floors original woodwork. Large fenced yard, tack shed, heated two car garage, large bedrooms high ceilings. Unique home. Does need some work but could be moved into today. Sold as-is bank owned property. All for around $40 per sqft . More Description

Brokered and Advertised by First Realty Westown LID 1254022

Information is deemed to be correct but not guaranteed.

Deja Fouts (NONE) — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 15:23:54 -0700

Were no longer a GMAC we have change affilation to prudential real estate. The signs are up it is going to take a bit to get use to. every one in the office is excited about the change. Pru seems a bit more tech savy.

Is now

What every way the switch goes I post about it in my blog so check back there if you want details.

Deja Fouts (NONE) — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:08:50 -0700

	Details	>Photo Gallery

50313-Des Moines (Saylor Township)	$97,000<!--PriceHighlight-->49300 below assessed

	First Realty

First Realty Westown Email Deja Work: 515-453-7429
More Photos(7)
100_0423

	Details


<Address: 5121 NE 3rd Type: Residential Style: Ranch Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2 Suite: No Living Area: 1,215 square feet Year Built: 2001 More Details

	Description


<!--First 500 words of description-->THE BANK SAYS SELL IT!!!. Newer modular home on large lot just outside of the city limits. Great oppertunity for someone who like to garden or needs a place to park the toys More Description

Brokered and Advertised by First Realty Westown LID 1060300

Information is deemed to be correct but not guaranteed.

Deja Fouts (NONE) — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 12:26:38 -0700

This Property is listed with Jody Lautenbach Of CENTURY 21
Premier Associates. in Pella, IA.

This would make a great home for first time home buyer or empty nesters. It has over 1100 Sqft.

Jody's Remarks:

Lots of space for a great price! Oversized master bedroom with private bath. Open floor plan in living room and kitchen. New carpet in LR - new gutters - freshly painted! Great location close to schools and on quiet street!

For more details and photos click here.

equal housing opportunity

This property IS NOT listed With First Realty GMAC Real Estate. Posted on Belhalf of Century 21 Premier Associates Pella, IA

Deja Fouts (NONE) — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 15:13:45 -0700

Home With Tax abatement

The city of Altoona, like a few other cities in the metro, has a tax abatement. Searching the the city of Altoona website I did not find details of how the tax abatment worked.

Searching further I found a reference that would be helpful for any one looking for details of the various tax abatments in Polk county.

http://www.assess.co.polk.ia.us/web/info/ur/abate.html

When looking for tax abatment info for Warren County Search the website of the city here is a link to Norwalk.

http://www.ci.norwalk.ia.us/pdf/forms/abatement-form.pdf

Deja Fouts (NONE) — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 23:13:56 -0700

Deja Fouts | First Realty GMAC Real Estate www.desmoinesdownpayment.com | 515-453-7429

2401 62nd st, Des Moines, IA

Charming home in great northwest des moines location. Garage of street parking newer kitchen cabnets hardwood and tile

3 Bdrm Single Family House

offered at $125,000

Year Built	1955
Sq Footage	1,145
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	1 full, 1 partial
Floors	2
Parking	1 Car garage
Lot Size	0.19 acres
HOA/Maint	$0 per month

DESCRIPTION

Property located in the heart of Des Moines. Close to shopping, schools, and great restaurants. Property has a fenced yard with some garden spaces. The highlights of this home are the well maintained original hardwood floors. the Kitchen and main full bath feature newer ceramic tile. with some work the upstairs could be turned in to a master suit with bathroom. call today fro you private showing.

Photo 1

PROPERTY FEATURES

Central A/C	Central heat	Hardwood floor
Tile floor	Living room	Laundry area - inside

ADDITIONAL LINKS

Map of property

Website

Mortgage calculator

Seller contact info:

Deja Fouts

First Realty GMAC Real Estate www.desmoinesdownpayment.com

515-453-7429

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Mar 26, 2007, 9:50pm PDT

Deja Fouts (NONE) — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 13:10:47 -0700

Ten: iowa state fair
Nine: shorten your commute
Eight: I chop
Seven: farm fresh produce
Six: blue ribbion schools
Five: acess to high qualtiy health care
Four people in Iowa are friendly
Three: the experence of the four seasons
Two: good jobs
One: the. Quality of life

Deja Fouts (NONE) — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 18:22:06 -0700

The use of the ethanol blend of gasoline known as e-85 has increased 200%. Ethanol is made from corn in Iowa. The due to the demand for e-85 corn prices have gone up.

In reading The City Of Des Moines 2006 performance report I read "In Iowa, the price of corn is one of the primary variables used in calculating the taxable value of residential property" That is intresting to hear.

Assessed Value: Is the value of a property for the purpose of taxation. The adverage assessed value in the city of Des Moines is $89,530. That value is then reduced by the state property tax roll back of 52% Meaning tax is calculated on less then half of the property value.

The the assessed value of assessed residential property in Des Moines is $6.75 Billion

Deja Fouts (NONE) — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 13:06:12 -0700

Deja Fouts | First Realty GMAC Real Estate | 515-249-7610

2003 Maish, Des Moines, IA

Property is in area of well maintained homes close to schools and shopping

3 Bdrm Single Family House

offered at $139,990

Year Built	1990
Sq Footage	1,092
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2 full, 0 partial
Floors	2
Parking	2 Car garage
Lot Size	0 sqft
HOA/Maint	$0 per month

DESCRIPTION

Condtion of the property is good some minor TLC is needed. Well Landscaped yard finished lower leval with fireplace. Estate sale-looking for offers

Photo 1

PROPERTY FEATURES

Fireplace

High/Vaulted ceiling

Laundry area - inside

COMMUNITY FEATURES

Garage parking

Storage space(s)

ADDITIONAL LINKS

Map of property

Mortgage calculator

Seller contact info:

Deja Fouts

First Realty GMAC Real Estate

515-249-7610

For sale by agent/broker

http://www.desmoinesdownpayment.com

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Jan 31, 2007, 9:07am PST

Deja Fouts (NONE) — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 11:02:20 -0700

Deja Fouts | First Realty GMAC Real Estate www.desmoinesdownpayment.com | 515-453-7429

15419 Hammontree, Urbandale, IA

Upgraded Regency "D" Plan with balcony over looking dinning room.

2 Bdrm Townhouse

offered at $157,990

Year Built	2003
Sq Footage	1,349
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	2 full, 1 partial
Floors	2
Parking	2 Car garage
Lot Size	Unspecified
HOA/Maint	$80 per month

DESCRIPTION

Luxury and Style. This elegant two story town home feels warm and inviting, your own personal oasis. Upgrades include hardwood floors, crown molding, fireplace, 6 panel doors, brushed nickel fixtures, security system and patio area. This two bedroom, two and a half bath unit has an egress window in the ready to be finished lower level. This professionally painted home is wired with cat 5 cable for high speed Internet. Don't let this one pass you by. Call today for your personal tour.

Photo 1

PROPERTY FEATURES

Central A/C	Fireplace	High/Vaulted ceiling
Walk-in closet	Hardwood floor	Tile floor
Living room	Laundry area - inside	Balcony, Deck, or Patio

COMMUNITY FEATURES

Garage parking

OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES

Wired for High Speed Internet

ADDITIONAL LINKS

Map of property

Website

Mortgage calculator

Seller contact info:

Deja Fouts

First Realty GMAC Real Estate www.desmoinesdownpayment.com

515-453-7429

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Mar 13, 2007, 9:28pm PDT

Deja Fouts (NONE) — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 10:50:14 -0700

Thinking of moving to Des Moines? More and more people are choosing to take control of the quality of there live by moving to Des Moines, Iowa. The cost of living is low. The quality of life is high.

Iowa has one of the highest high school graduation rates in the nation. Des Moines boasts one of shortest commute for a community of this size in the nation. On average 15 minutes or less. Real Estate is affordable. The school systems in the area are top notch.

My Real Estate web site http://www.desmoinesdownpayment.com/ has a wealth of links on the front page to help you learn more about our community.

If your thinking of moving to the area and would like a relocation package loaded with things like maps and information on local attractions please send $2.00 for postage to

Deja Fouts

First Realty GMAC Real Estate

5500 Westown Pkwy Ste. 120

West Des Moines,IA 50266

Deja Fouts (NONE) — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 22:31:51 -0700

Postlets is a website that you can use to broadcast your listing to several sites including Active Rain.

Step One: Get a postlets account

Step Two: Use postlets to post a listing to several sites .

Step Three: Copy the code used to make a craigslist posting

Step Four: Open a new active rain blog hit the HTML button paste the code.

Step Five: Post your Blog

Step Five: Edit your blog post in the WYSIWYG view to clean up the look of your post.

Here is a link to a l Des Moines Area Acreage I posted it looks nice and took no knowledge of HTML editing or having to find a place to host pictures of the house so it worked great.

Try it.

Deja Fouts (NONE) — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 00:14:46 -0800

Deja Fouts | First Realty GMAC Real Estate | 515-453-7429

7228 80 th st, Bondurant, IA
Shown By appointment

3 Bdrm Single Family House

offered at $254,900

Year Built	1992
Sq Footage	2,344
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2 full, 1 partial
Floors	2
Parking	3 Car garage
Lot Size	0.79 acres
HOA/Maint	$0 per month

DESCRIPTION

Country living city close executive sized lot located in between Bondurant and Altoona. Large mast suite, den, great room with fire place, multiple decks tile entry, egress window in lower level. List price below recent appraisal.

Photo 1

PROPERTY FEATURES

Central A/C	Fireplace	High/Vaulted ceiling
Walk-in closet	Tile floor	Family room
Bonus/Rec room	Office/Den	Dishwasher
Basement

OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES

A great view

ADDITIONAL LINKS

Map of property

Website

Seller contact info:

Deja Fouts

First Realty GMAC Real Estate

515-453-7429

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Mar 10, 2007, 10:48pm PST

Deja Fouts (NONE) — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 16:51:36 -0800

This property is a forclosure. It is located in the village at maple grove on Westown parkway. It is located just west of the Des Moines Golf and Country Club. This townhome has no pet size restrictions( Limit Two ). A two car attached garage. It is located close to the new Jordan creek mall in West Des Moines.

More Info at http://dejafouts.firstrealtyhomes.com/

listed with First Realty GMAC Real Estate

licensed in the state of Iowa

Deja Fouts (NONE) — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 19:26:01 -0800

Current Market Stats: Active Listings

Price Range : $79,900 - $400,000

SQFT Range: 834- 2789

Number of Listings: 341

Average SQFT: 1,336

Average List Price: $156,984

Average DOM: 165

% New Construction: 60%

2006 Review of Sales.

Price Range: $65,000 - $363,000

SQFT Range: 528- 2316

Total Sold Units: 504

Average SQFT: 1,265

Average Sold Price: $138,311

Average DOM: 115

% New Construction: 59%

Average Condo/ Townhome Sales Per Month: 42

Current Pending Sales: 99

Supply in Months: 8.1

Hotness Ratio: 29%

Report created 3/3/2007

Deja Fouts (NONE) — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 12:59:18 -0800

My partner was in a closing a few day ago and the closing agent mentioned that Des Moines had the highest %

increase in the nation followed by Colarado. Searching Google new didn't give me any results. I know realty trac

provides some number on this But I really would like to find a news source for this data. Here is a link

http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/m-news+article+storyid-19529.html.

The article states that foreclosures are up 64% but does not give a source for this stat. The article also discuses

the largest consumer settlement in Iowa's with history. Do to predatory lending practices 3.5 Million was given back

to Iowa consumers.

The Iowa Attorney General Has proposed a bill to protect consumers and fight predatory lending. Here Is a copy of an outline of the bill:

1. Fight unfair lending practices by lenders, mortgage bankers or mortgage brokers:

“Flipping” consumers -- refinancing their loan without a net tangible benefit.
Advertising loan terms that are not available to a reasonable number of qualified applicants.
Fabricating a consumer’s income to qualify the consumer for a loan.
Misrepresenting a consumer’s credit rating or status.
Promising to refinance a consumer at a later date on better terms (unless the promise is put in writing.)
Imposing anti-free-market contract terms that make borrowers responsible for origination costs even if the loan does not close.
Making loans without verifying the borrower’s ability to repay the loan.

2. Improve Standards for Mortgage Bankers and Mortgage Brokers. The bill specifies certain standards of conduct for mortgage bankers and mortgage brokers by requiring them to:

Safeguard and account for the borrower’s money.
Affirmatively disclose facts that materially affect the borrower’s rights and interests.
Follow reasonable instructions from the borrower.

For mortgage brokers, the proposal specifies additional requirements that mirror the representations already made by mortgage brokers, by requiring them to:

Make reasonable efforts to comparison-shop for a loan that is reasonably advantageous to the borrower.
Put the borrower in a loan that is in the borrower’s best interests.

3. Limit Discount Points: The bill builds on current Iowa law that makes it unlawful to impose discount points that do not buy down mortgage interest rates, by barring imposition of discount points in loans which include a “yield-spread premium.” (A yield-spread premium is an amount of interest that is above the rate the borrower actually qualifies for. That difference is then paid in whole or in part to a mortgage broker as part of the compensation for the loan. Example: A borrower who qualifies for a 7% interest rate, but is charged 8%; the difference of 1% is the yield-spread premium.) It is inherently unfair to tell a consumer he or she is paying a discount point to buy down a loan interest rate when, in fact, the broker receives a yield-spread premium resulting in a higher interest rate for the consumer.

4. Establish a Mortgage Lending Fraud Prosecution Fund: The fund would be administered by the Attorney General for investigation and prosecution of frauds related to mortgage lending. The funding source would be a surcharge imposed by the county recorder at the time of recording of each mortgage. The recorder could retain up to 5% of the funds for administration costs, with the remainder being transmitted monthly to the State Treasurer for deposit into the fund. The funding would support personnel, expert witness fees, and other costs related to civil and criminal prosecutions of mortgage lending fraud.

5. Provide Remedies: Violations of the statute would be enforced by the Attorney General under the Consumer Fraud Act, and by the Iowa Division of Banking under its regulatory authority. Private remedies for consumers also are included in the bill.

The attorney General Has also noted that the creation of a secondary market has made lenders standards much more lax.

Deja Fouts (NONE) — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 15:04:36 -0800

The First Realty's Westown Office is the # 2 Real Estate Office in the MLS area Des Moines West. The 2006 Des Moines Area Association of Realtors' Statistic show that Westown had a 12.04% market share. The average sales price was $185,132. The average sales price for the #1 ranked office was $ 167,920. That is a 10.5% difference in sale price. I will say that again: a 10.5% difference in sales price. The number one office had only 1.5% more sales than Westown. The MLS Area Des Moines West is a collection of neighborhoods including North of Grand, Waterbury, South of Grand And Ingersoll Park.

First Realty/Better Homes & Gardens® was founded in Des Moines in 1960. With four metro Des Moines locations, and 30 affiliate offices across Iowa; the company has the largest statewide affiliate program with GMAC Real Estate. Our sales associates are among the highest producers in the area. First Realty GMAC Real Estate® can help you determine and achieve exactly what you want out of homeownership. Whether you are buying, selling or relocating, we’re here to serve all your real estate needs.

Information based on MLxchange statistical report with criteria Sold Date between 1/1/2006 and 12/31/2006 MLS area: Des Moines West, Property type all. Information deemed to be accurate but should not be relied upon with out independent verification.

Deja Fouts (NONE) — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 00:12:46 -0800

I read a recent post that said to write you blogs in notepad. I think blogging in a html or text editing software that has an auto save is a good feature. if you browser crashes as your searching for the just right photo of that listing you took last night you'll still have something to go back to and start again from scratch.

Quick Links

Virtual Tour

Request More Info

Email Listing

More Photos(12)

Deja Fouts (NONE) — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 10:07:00 -0800

In the stock market there are "blue chip" stocks. These stocks are of big stable companies . They appreciate at a regular rate compared to the rest of the stock market.

Investors do you see certain parts of the country as "blue chip " While some real estate markets seem to have a boom bust pendulum swing to them other markets are relatively stable. chugging along at 5-6% a year regardless of what is happening on the coast.

If you live in a volatile market that is trending downward after a huge upswing do you look for deals in that downward trending market or do you look for a safe haven, a location that won't trend downward as the same time that the rest of you,real estate portfolio is.