Des Moines Makes Top Five Market
List!
11-03-08
Happy November and what a way to start the
month! Can you even believe it? Great news about
the Des Moines real estate market on the national news!
Pinch me, I'm dreaming!
Today Show Real Estate
Contributor Barbara Corcoran named Des Moines Iowa as one of the
'Top Five Real Estate Markets in the Country.'
She based this on Des Moines
being 'the friendliest town in the U.S.'.....having a low
divorce rate, home prices up 6%, and good job growth.
This is great news! I just got off the
phone with an agent who had 8 closings this month! Another
agent I spoke with recently said this is her best year yet.
This is a market where experienced, committed agents will
succeed, and others might not make it. Agents who continue
to market themselves and their listings or developments
will stand out, as their competitors fade away.
Please take the time to watch our on-line
feature with experienced agents talking about our local
market, and how to take advantage of the market conditions.
Between the low interest rates, builder incentives, and
competitive home prices, potential first-time buyers and move-up
buyers should enlist the help of an experienced agent
and take advantage while they can!
Iowa's housing market has performed
better than the rest of the nation, and at a recent Homebuilders
Association meeting, experts in the mortgage and consumer credit
areas discussed how Des Moines is more insulated from the
housing woes compared to the coastal states, and we
are set to rebound more quickly. (details on this subject
can be found on the last blog,)
Homebuyers need to enlist the help of a
qualified, experienced agent, and get ready to enjoy the buyer's
market out there! Watch The Open House
Television Show each Sunday at 11:00 a.m., as
we are touring some homes this month that have a lot of extra
value to them!
Happy house hunting,
The Good News for Homebuyers!
10-01-08
I've heard it said dozens of times...and
Jake Stanton, COO of Prudential/First Realty makes this statement on our
show: Don't react to the national news,
because what's happening around the country is not the same
as here in Iowa!
- When you hear about the
problems with subprime mortgages, the latest data
show that only 2.7% of mortgages in Iowa are in the
subprime category, comfortably below the 5.6% national
average, and well below Las Vegas, Phoenix, coastal
Florida and parts of California reporting 8%-12%.
- The truth is, most home owners are
making their mortgage payments on time!
- Here in Iowa, 37% of all
single-family homes are owned debt-free...without any
mortgage.
- Now that the government is backing
Fannie and Freddie, this should increase liquidity in the
nation's mortgage markets and help restore confidence in
U.S. financial markets.
- Prospective buyers need to know that
everything is going to be okay! Housing markets,
like all markets, inevitably have their ups and downs.
But as a long-term investment, homeownership remains one
of the best investments for individual households with a
track record that is virtually unmatched by any other
purchase in terms of its real benefits!
- Now is an exceptionally good time to
shop for a new home. Buyers with good credit, a job
and steady income, will find there is plenty of mortgage
credit to be had at great rates.
- And the new $7,500 temporary
first-time homebuyer tax credit-good until July 1,
2009-gives prospective homebuyers a financial incentive to
get off the fence and take advantage of today's market.
For details about the credit go to www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com
- Builders are offering incentives!
Stainless steel appliance packages, trade-up offers
and extending the home warranty to a full 5 years are just
a few that come to mind that I've heard of recently.
This is definitely a buyer's market!
Lots of inventory in a variety of price ranges, incredibly
low rates, and incentives to buy new construction.
The Iowa housing market is well
positioned to return to normal conditions more quickly than
national trends suggest, so don't wait too long, this
buyer's market won't last forever!
Special thanks to Creighton Cox, Director
of Government Affairs at the Homebuilders Association of
Greater Des Moines for compiling this valuable information!
Sharon
Greetings blog readers!
09-15-08
First things first!
There is an incredible opportunity this Saturday and
Sunday to tour 19 recently remodeled homes, all open to the
public! The Remodelor's Council of the HBA of Greater Des
Moines has homes throughout the metro area open Saturday and
Sunday (September 20th & 21st) from 10am to 6pm.
Tickets are $10 and are available at any of the homes.
You'll see new
kitchens, baths, bedrooms and lower levels. Homes that
have been added onto and homes where the space has been gutted
and completely transformed. It's a great way to get new
ideas for your home, and to talk to the remodelors in person
about these incredible projects! Just click on Tour of
Remodeled Homes on our front page for the addresses.
Last week I promised to
explain WHY it is so important to engage the services of a real
estate professional when you are buying or selling a home.
- First, ask yourself, why trust what will most
likely be the largest purchase you ever make to anyone
but a professional?
- Real estate professionals know homes.
They know the different layouts, what floorplans work
well for a variety of lifestyles, and what features are
important in a home. They have the knowledge to find
a home that suits your family's needs.
- Realtors recognize the importance of
location, and what amenities make a location desirable.
They know about the schools, class sizes and average Basic
Skills scores. If they don't know the information, they
will get it for you!
- Timeframes! Realtors know the
importance of timeframes! Whether building or buying
new, or buying a resale, the timing of a transaction is
critical. Trust an expert to make this transition work
for you!
- Price! Jake Stanton, Chief
Operating Officer for Prudential/First Realty says,
"Agents have laser knowledge on where the market is
today. The amount of information available to realtors
is incredible. How you price a property can dictate the
success or failure of the sale of a home."
I could actually go on
forever on this subject. Ten years working with real
estate professionals...and being the daughter of a realtor, I am
convinced that this is the most important first step in
purchasing or selling a home.
But if you want more
information, here's a great source: BuyNowDSM.com
the Des Moines Association of Realtors has put
together this site with more facts supporting the statement You'll
never find a better time to buy a home.
Blogs
aren't supposed to get too wordy, so I'm going to end this one
before it's too late! Enjoy the fabulous weather that's
been forecast and don't forget to spend some time Saturday or
Sunday touring remodeled homes in West Des Moines, Urbandale,
Clive, Johnston and Des Moines!
Sharon
Greetings!
What a great way to start the fall... with
a new, improved website and a first-time ever blog! There is
so much I can't wait to share with you, but blogs are meant to be
short and informative, so I'll just let you know up front that in
weeks to come you'll find out how to get great remodeling ideas
for your own home, how to choose a remodelor, and if you are
buying or selling a home-maybe both-things to consider when
purchasing a new home! And we'll share expert advice on how
to "stage" your home for a quicker sale.
It's cool and windy and cloudy today so it
feels like fall. And fall is actually a great time to
buy a new home! Summer camps, vacations and weekend
get-a-ways are now a thing of the past, and typically this time of
year homeowners start looking around their own homes to see
if they have enough space to entertain and house holiday guests. Of
course the BEST advice I can give anyone selling their home,
is to list with a qualified, professional agent, a member of
the National Association of Realtors. An agent will
start by determining what price your home can be sold for. Don't
be fooled by the asking price of homes in your neighborhood
that are currently for sale...a good agent will base their market
analysis on what has SOLD in the last 90 days. Prudential/First
Realty's Sharon Klaus has 16 years selling experience and she
offers these suggestions for a timely sale:
- make sure the home is priced accordingly.
- prepare your home for sale. Paint
walls, clean rooms, de-clutter, wash windows, keep the lawn and
gardens well-manicured.
- don't try to do it all yourself! Get
the kids involved. Maybe institute a reward program!
- recognize that this is a competitve market,
and the expectations of homebuyers are high.
On my street two homes went for sale at the
exact same time. Both were 4 bedroom two stories. One
sold within two months, and the other is still for sale. I
looked at both, at the homeowners' request. Only one took my
advice and listed it with an agent and that is the one that sold!
The homeowners of the other two story are now making double house
payments, as they have moved out of state for a job change.
Next week's blog will explain WHY it is so important to list your
home with a real estate professional!
In the meantime, I'll tell you a little bit
about myself. I am a Valley grad, married to a great guy
named Bill. After graduating from college in Wisconsin, I
went to work at KCCI-TV8. That's where I met my husband, who
was interning at the time....so yes, he is younger than me! :)
We have two terrific kids, Ryan is a senior at
Valley, who sometimes does the "play-by-play" announcing
of the football and basketball games for Valley's radio station,
and Haley, a sophomore, is dedicated to dance! She loves
ballet and pointe and takes classes at the School of Classical
Ballet and Dance in West Des Moines. We have a rescue league
mutt named "Husker"....yes, we are Cornhusker fans!
And I love to cook and read. I look forward to sharing more
real estate and remodeling advice with you in upcoming blogs!
Enjoy our new site, where you can watch our
shows and see home tours and remodeling features. There will
be additional surprises too, and we can't wait to share them with
you! Our TV show is a 3 person show, Dan Nannen, owner of
Silverwings Productions shoots and produces the show. And
Paul Joy, a Grandview student and marvelous editor edits the show.
(Except when he's stuck in classes:) We'd
love to hear from you, so let us know if you have ideas for the
show or upcoming blogs!
Enjoy your day!
Sharon
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