Real Estate News from Popular Iowa Cities

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Real Estate News from Popular Iowa Counties

By Matt Grohe, Serving the metro since 2003
(RE/MAX Concepts)
Comments 4
Closings of luxury homes priced over $700,000 on the Des Moines MLS slumped in March to 2 closed for the month and pendings were flat from 7 to 7. Actives picked up from 64 to 69. Compared to closed sales of 6 in February closings were anemic. With 69 active at the end of the month there was a 37...

By Matt Grohe, Serving the metro since 2003
(RE/MAX Concepts)
Comments 0
Mortgage Credit Certificate Program Announced from the Iowa Finance AuthorityWow! A great benefit has been announced for Iowa home buyers who qualify as The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) unveils the 2018 Mortgage Credit Certificate Program that can save Iowa home buyers up to $2,000 on their feder...

By Karen Feltman, Relocation Specialist
(Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, IA Lepic-Kroeger REALTORS)
Comments 2
I feel compelled to share a recent experience that I had as a buyer's agent in Cedar Rapids this past weekend.  This is the third instance of this practice that I have seen so far this spring in this price point. The buyer that contacted me on Zillow was asking about a property that morning.  The...

By Karen Feltman, Relocation Specialist
(Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, IA Lepic-Kroeger REALTORS)
Comments 2
Buyer Question: What Does It Mean to be a "Backup Offer"? Buyer question: I called to see a home and was told that the seller is accepting backup offers.  What does this mean?  There are several reasons that a seller may be willing to continue to show their home after an offer is accepted.  1.  T...

By Gary & Melynda Wolter (CRS) 480-269-1164, Relentless, Reliable, Premiere Personal Service
(West USA Realty)
Comments 4
Iowa native, Gary Wolter has joined Pinnacle Realty in Cedar Rapids and will be helping many new and current clients. Gary and his wife Melynda started "Wolter Team Realtors" in 2001. "We always kept our Iowa ties even after we moved to Gilbert/Mesa, AZ in late 2014. We have always had a referral...

By Karen Feltman, Relocation Specialist
(Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, IA Lepic-Kroeger REALTORS)
Comments 2
The new breed of buyers are looking on all of the websites, from Realtor.com to Trulia and Zillow, and even local company MLS feeds.  Most buyers believe that they can find a home on their own and they only need an agent to open the door.  There is just so much information available to the public...

By Matt Grohe, Serving the metro since 2003
(RE/MAX Concepts)
Comments 2
Closings of luxury homes priced over $700,000 on the Des Moines MLS came off life support in February to log 6 closed for the month, 7 pending and 64 active. Compared to closed sales of 1 in January closings were brisk. With 64 active at the end of the month there was still a 10.7 months supply w...

By Matt Grohe, Serving the metro since 2003
(RE/MAX Concepts)
Comments 3
Des Moines area February 2018 home sales showed more cooling of the market even as temps warmed. Average and median sales prices rose across the board however as fewer but more expensive homes closed during the month. Overall unit sales fell -2.7% from 2017 from 750 sold to 730. Rising rates almo...

By Matt Grohe, Serving the metro since 2003
(RE/MAX Concepts)
Comments 2
This is a monthly report that focuses on sales of residential properties priced $700,000 and over on the Des Moines MLS in the cities of Altoona, Ankeny, Bondurant, Booneville, Clive, Cumming, Dallas Center, Des Moines, Grimes, Indianola, Johnston, Norwalk, Runnels, Pleasant Hill, Polk City, Urba...

By Matt Grohe, Serving the metro since 2003
(RE/MAX Concepts)
Comments 2
2018 Des Moines area home sales have started out a bit slow as compared to this month last year, falling by appx. -3.9% MLS wide. The drop was probably due in part to the bitterly cold start to the year which took out last January's lows by -17 degrees.738 units were sold in January 2018 and comp...

By Karen Feltman, Relocation Specialist
(Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, IA Lepic-Kroeger REALTORS)
Comments 3
This happens quite a bit in my market.  The buyers see a home that they like and they naturally want to know everything that they can about the neighborhood.  This is definitely a buying signal! Now for a real life example, Buyer comes through my listing with their agent.  Based on the agent's pe...

By Matt Grohe, Serving the metro since 2003
(RE/MAX Concepts)
Comments 0
The solid home sales trends the Des Moines area has been experiencing for past 5 years remained in place in 2017 with the region posting new records in numbers of homes sold and in average sales prices.On the top line unit sales MLS wide rose from 14,067 units in 2016 to 14,763 units in 2017 for ...

By Karen Feltman, Relocation Specialist
(Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, IA Lepic-Kroeger REALTORS)
Comments 5
Sellers:  Don't Forget to Change Your Address! A cautionary tale from the other side: Just this week, one of my sellers that closed on their former home with me just after Christmas texted me.  He had accidentally ordered a tool from Amazon and forgot to change the mailing address.  When you live...

By Karen Feltman, Relocation Specialist
(Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, IA Lepic-Kroeger REALTORS)
Comments 8
May the best offer win!   Unfortunately, neither of my buyers this weekend "won" the house that they wanted.  A cautionary tale... This weekend, I had two different buyers at were interested in two different new listings.  The first buyer couple saw the house and wanted to "sleep on it".  Which i...

By Karen Feltman, Relocation Specialist
(Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, IA Lepic-Kroeger REALTORS)
Comments 5
Lots of dangers to the temperatures that we are currently experiencing in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Corridor area.  With record breaking cold, there are a few things that you need to watch for to protect your home.  1.  Your furnace vent to the outside.  It needs to be clear of ice and snow.  If...

By Karen Feltman, Relocation Specialist
(Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, IA Lepic-Kroeger REALTORS)
Comments 1
What is your radon IQ?  Meaning, what do you really know about radon?  Here in Iowa, it is a real estate buzzword... and with good reason!  Our state has one of the highest levels in the country.  And as our homes have become better insulated and sealing out the outside, the occurence of radon le...

By Karen Feltman, Relocation Specialist
(Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, IA Lepic-Kroeger REALTORS)
Comments 1
Starting in 2018, first time homebuyers in Iowa will be able to open a savings account to save for the purchase of their first home.  And the best part?  The money you save can be tax deductible*  It is a 10 year account that anyone can contribute money into for your first home.  Parents and gran...

By Georgia Weaver, A Promise Made is a Promise Kept! 712-291-0118
(Weaver Realtors)
Comments 0
Notice on my MLS Service  IAR follows the MLS model bylaws, policies and rules from the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Handbook on Multiple Listing Policy and more particularly the Model Rules and Regulations for an MLS Operated as a Committee of an Association of REALTORS. Any options s...

By Karen Feltman, Relocation Specialist
(Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, IA Lepic-Kroeger REALTORS)
Comments 4
How many of us actually know our neighbors names?  What about their phone numbers?  I bet we might know their children or their pets' names.  Why should we get to know our neighbors?  When you are sellling your home, it can make it a lot easier on you.  Especially if you are already moved into a ...

By Karen Feltman, Relocation Specialist
(Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, IA Lepic-Kroeger REALTORS)
Comments 3
I want to say never, but that isn't realistic.  And even if the buyer is purchasing an estate or bank-owned property that is sold as-is with no repairs....I think that an inspection is still important.  Even on new construction, yes...I still recommend a home inspection. But what if the seller al...

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