Low appraisals, sign of the times? - 04/30/10 08:17 PM
I suppose it was bound to happen at some point, an appraisal came in low on a property that I was helping a buyer purchase. Low in this case means under the agreed on purchase price.  I've read about it happening and I've heard about it happening but I actually had never had it ever happen in the almost seven years I've been selling real estate. Then it happened again a short time later on a property I had listed. They weren't off by much and these weren't really expenskive house, but the difference was enough to throw a wrench in … (1 comments)

HUD Home spreads for March 2010 - 04/26/10 10:28 PM
HUD homes are homes that are offered for sale by the Department ofHousing and Urban Development. HUD acquires these homes as a result ofdefault on the part of borrowers using FHA loans.
When a borrowers defaults on a loan of this type in Iowa, the investorholding the loan will foreclose on the property and the property willbe sold at a sheriff's sale. Once this process is completed, thegovernment will buy the property from the lender and sell it throughits vendor. In Iowa the vendor is Best Assets.                  The properties arethen offered for sale to the public through an online bidding process.The … (1 comments)

Property tax exemptions. Are you getting yours? - 04/26/10 10:13 PM
Taxes are just a part of life. The burden for paying for manymunicipal services almost all citizens enjoy however often fallsunfairly on property owners. In Polk County the following parties havethe ability to levy taxes on property owners:
Schools Cities County Broadlawns Hospital Area XI College Des Moines Regional Transit County Assessor Agriculture Extension State of Iowa Counties do however allow us  methods to reduced our tax burdenthrough such mechanisms as abatements, roll backs and property taxexemptions.
Exemptions are credits allowed by the assessors office to propertyowners or entities who meet special conditions. There are currently 45exemption programs on the books … (0 comments)

Des Moines area housing stats for March 2010 - 04/24/10 12:02 AM
March in the Des Moines area brought both a melt off of the snow pack and the real estate inventory that had been building up all winter.Unit sales vaulted 42% from February's 431 units to 614 in March. Pending units sat at 1,046 at the end of March, a 41% increase from February, and days on market increased to 102 in March from  98 in February according to the Des Moines Area Association of REALTORS®.
The positive side of the figures for buyers in March was a continued increase in home affordability. Prices continued to weaken for a -3.6% change from … (1 comments)

The finer points of showing feedback, for sellers - 04/23/10 10:56 AM
A majority of sellers are interested in feedback from agents who view their home, and rightfully so. There are some finer points of feedback however that sellers should be aware of and take into account while their home is listed so that they don't have unrealistic expectations of the process or harbor doubts about their agents handling of their listing as a result. Ideally an agent will communicate these to sellers, but in the hustle bustle of daily life a deeper discussion into how the process works is not always practical or possible.
1.) Showing agents are not obligated to give … (1 comments)

DMAAR Breakfast enjoys big turn out for MLS committee Q&A - 04/20/10 01:11 PM
One thing is certain about REALTORS, they enjoy an opportunity to get together over a meal and talk about all things real estate. The Des Moines Area Association of REALTORS breakfast today gave Des Moines area real estate agents just such an opportunity this morning at it's monthly breakfast at the Hilton Garden in Johnston.
The weather cooperated by being beautifully sunny and cool and turn out for the event was about 150 to hear the MLS Board answer attendees questions about MLS policies and procedures. On hand were the full Board made of of Carolyn Helmlinger or Coldwell Banker, Don Godwin … (0 comments)

Stranded by a volcano? Just have to go with the flow. - 04/20/10 12:37 PM
By now most people have seen images of the Eyjafjallajokull (what could thatmean?) volcano in Iceland. Even bigger than the ash plume however has been the disruptive effect the ash has had on air travel in and out of Eurrope. Yesterday it was reported that millions of people are stranded around the world and that perhaps more 6 billion dollars has been lost by the airline and travel industry. A recent report in the London Times by a correspondent bemoaned his parents being "holed up in 4 star "misery" after coming off a three week cruise.
I can't really say, but being held up by … (3 comments)

RPAC luncheon highlights the importance of our political lobby - 04/12/10 11:57 PM
I was honored today to be an invitee to a gourmet luncheon today served by Taste! To Go and sponsored by our local arm of RPAC, or the REALTORS®Political Action Commitee, and held at the Schade Creek Vineyard and Winery in Waukee.
Hosting were Kurt Schade of Coldwell Banker and owner of Schade Creek, Jennifer Kingland our RPAC state lobbyist, Christopher Nave, RPAC funding representative from Washington DC and Dave Bert, former president of the Iowa Association of REALTORS. Also in attendance were many high profile brokers and agents from around the state who are dedicated to the organization and protecting our industry, … (2 comments)

The Bluebells of spring or Mertensia virginica if you prefer - 04/12/10 12:41 AM
Well, it's finally happening! The bluebells which started sprouting about two weeks ago have really shot up this past week. Some of the heartier ones are actually unfurling their blossoms. We have them all around our home and should be in for a real treat this coming week as they come into full bloom. The variety around our house is the Virgina Bluebell. 
This hillside near our home is just one of the many fabulous displays of color we enjoy about this time every spring.
When they really get going they turn the thin forest our home into a lavender paradise. We have to savor … (2 comments)

Speechless Sunday: Joy riders - 04/11/10 11:43 PM

… (2 comments)

But first, are you experienced? Have you ever been experienced? - 04/11/10 12:31 AM
Some fogies among my readers will recognize these lines from Jimi Hendrix's immortal classic "Are you experienced?"I chose these lines because the topic of "experience" has been bandied about quite a bit here as of late. It seems that if you're not an "expert" you should just sit out life on the sidelines and leave the heavy lifting to the "experienced." It begs the question of how the "experienced" got that way? I'd have to assume that before the "experienced" became "experienced" they were not. I can't fault them for that. What I can fault them for now is "experience" descrimination however.
The folks … (4 comments)

Narcissus by any other name.... - 04/07/10 05:00 PM
Might be called daffodil! Who knows exactly why this colorful spring flower got its from the mythical greek figure Narcissus, who, as legend has it, became so entranced by staring at the reflection of himself in a pool of water that he died of starvation.
What we do know here in Iowa is that when we see narcissi spring up in flower beds and hillsides, warmer weather is just around the corner. There are two varieties that are quite prevalent in this area in the spring, the white flowers with a yellow cornona, or trumpet, at right, and an all yellow variet, show below.
… (7 comments)

Applications for Iowa real estate licenses fall for the third straight year - 04/06/10 12:57 AM
According to the most recent statistics from the Iowa Professional Licensing Bureau, the number of applications for real estate licenses has fallen to a three year low. In the entire state there were only 525 applications for new licenses in 2009. The most recent records show that Iowa has 3,761 active licensed brokers and 5,794 active licensed sales persons. The Des Moines area now has about 1,426 licensed active brokers and agents. The break down of applications for licenses by years is:
2006 = 1275 applications 2007 = 1113 applications 2008 = 778 applications 2009 = 525 applications Real estate is … (3 comments)

Showing etiquette ~ Wait your turn please! - 04/05/10 11:52 PM
Every time this happens to me I can't quite believe it. It goes like this: I'm in a house with clients, we're looking around discussing the home's features, etc, and then we hear foot steps and voices. We go to look and surprise! There's another agent with some clients. They saw someone was viewing the home and decided they'd "just sneak on by and have a look."
In every case my clients have been offended by the lack of tact and poor judgment shown by the other agent and their clients. I mean didn't anyone in the group think back to … (9 comments)

New short sale processes take affect today April 5th 2010 - 04/05/10 07:55 PM
New treasury department guidelines for short sales took effect today which is welcome news to many borrowers, real estate agents and bank personnel nationwide. HAFA or the Home Affordable Mortgage Alternatives program aims to provide alternatives to buyers to avoid costly and credit dystroying foreclosures.
The program will help speed up the short sale approval process by setting guidliness for offer responses, provide financial incentives for parties involved to complete the process and avoid foreclosure, protect real estate agent commisions in the sale and most important disclose the amount the bank will be willing to accept for the home. Other guidelines … (3 comments)

CRS 111 Short Sales and Foreclosures ~ Gaining the expertise needed to work short sales - 04/05/10 01:00 AM
The most recent statistics from industry sources generally agree that at a minimum, 24% of borrowers with mortgages currently owe more on their homes than they will sell for on the open market. Some sources even say the figure may be as high as 34%. With about 47 million mortgages out there, that equates to over 11 million borrowers with negative equity. What this means to the real estate industry is that a lot more homes are being sold as short sales.
The history of short sales is not one of regimentation and order. The method of selling them thus far has been largely esoteric … (0 comments)

Getting to know the Iowa Department of Economic Development - 04/04/10 10:28 PM
Jobs. The economy. Communities. Small business. Manufacturing. Energy. These topics are on the forefront of everyone's minds these days. But for the folks at the Iowa Department of Economic Development, or IDED,they are always on the front burner. The IDED is Iowa's economic development arm charged with the responsibility of administering state and federal aid to businesses, counties, cities and individuals across the state and also spearheads promotion of Iowa's industries, products and communities worldwide.
Twice a year IDED hosts a session for development professionals and business leaders called "Getting to know the Iowa Department of Economic Development." I was lucky enough to make the short list … (0 comments)