Buying Subject to Sale 101 I have spent a lot of time helping a new buyer find a home.  To buy their new home, they must rely on the proceeds from the sale of their current home.  This is very common.  Most of us cannot purchase a new home without selling our current home.  The problem is that due to […]
Homeownership Home Inspections: from a seller’s perspective I have written about what buyer’s can expect during the home inspection, but it’s important to clarify what happens for a seller. (Again, ChatGPT helped me write this blog, I modified it to reflect what happens in the Des Moines real estate market)   A home inspection is a crucial part of the home buying […]
Homeownership Property taxes in Iowa Last week Iowans received their updated tax assessments from their local county assessor’s office.  This stirred a lot of conversation because many residents saw BIG increases in their property tax assessments.  Can you imagine how many phone calls the local assessor’s office received last week?Many residents were upset, and I wanted to break down what […]
Buying Buying and selling at the same time It was very timely that this month I mailed to clients a helpful cheat sheet about tips for buying a home and selling at the same time – this is often the number one stressor I hear from clients. This can be challenging, but with proper planning and guidance from a trusted real estate agent, […]
Buying Winning for buyers in the current market If you’re a buyer in the current real estate market, you know the competition is tight! I always prepare buyers that they will most likely need to write a few offers before they land an accepted offer.  This is tough.  Buying a home is emotional, but buyers need to understand that with such tight inventory, […]
Homeownership Spring Home Maintenance This photo makes me so happy!  I’m looking forward to the tulips coming up in my yard.  It’s spring break in Iowa and we are home this week.  Along with some relaxing with Nate and the kids, we will fit in a few home projects.  Here’s a list of spring home maintenance items for you […]
Business & learning Home Inspections and AI Each week I write a short blog post that goes more in-depth to a topic I recently experienced in real estate.  This week I wanted to share my thoughts on home inspections.  Full disclosure: I was curious if ChatGPT could write a quick summary of what happens at a home inspection.  It’s fantastic and took 3 […]
Buying Highest and Best Every industry has their own lingo. In real estate there are many phrases and acronyms to remember. The phrase “highest and best” is one that is out there a lot as more buyers are trying to get an accepted offer when we are facing a low inventory of homes for sale.  “Highest and best” refers […]
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Selling Spring seller’s checklist Spring is in the air, that is a phrase everyone loves to hear!  I think we are a few months away from warmer weather, but the spring real estate market is heating up!  All of the homebuyers I work with are getting tired of waiting for new homes to hit the market, they are ready […]
Buying Top 10 list for buyers I love the opportunity to work with buyers, especially first time buyers.  Before we trek out to see a house I ask for their time to have a quick consultation.  This time is so valuable.  It not only benefits me, but allows the prospective buyers to pause and think about their goals before becoming distracted […]
Business & learning Home Owner’s Associations This week I dug deep into the operations of a local homeowners association (HOA) and I wanted to share what I have learned. HOA’s are formed to help maintain the appearance, up-keep, and desired look of a neighborhood – but there is so much more to these organizations than flower boxes and fences. I have […]
Market Update Why with all the market reports? This is the time of year where I work really hard to become top-of-mind for my clients and friends. Sending a market report is my way of jumping up and down and waving my arms – pick me, pick me, pick me! I know that people want to know about the value of their home.  […]
Business & learning Books, books, books It’s a new year, and keeping with tradition, I have set a few goals for myself.  Historically, I am terrible with goal setting.  I like the idea of sitting down and planning out my year, the act of setting goals.  But, like most of us, I stink at hitting the mark. This year will be […]
Des Moines Des Moines Tour Occasionally I am asked to tour clients around the area before they make the decision to move to Des Moines.  This week I toured a young couple from Minnesota (no kids, yet).  Like many from the midwest, they had “driven through” Des Moines on their way to ski in Colorado or make a trip to […]
Market Update Looking ahead to 2023 It’s January; that means that Realtors like me are spending a lot of time planning our businesses for what’s next. We do not have a crystal ball, but we do have data. Looking at sales data from 2022 can tell us a lot. More than 3 nugget of information makes my head spin, so here […]
Selling Market Absorption As Realtors, we have a lot of data at our fingertips.  The MLS provides a wealth of history on past sales and active listings:  days on market, price per square foot, list price versus sales price, and so much more.  Knowing how to use this data to provide a seller with an accurate picture of […]
Remodeling Home Values & Remodeling One of my favorite questions is when friends reach out to talk with me about updating their home.  They ask questions like “how much will I get back if I remodel my kitchen”, or “We aren’t moving, but I think we might put on an addition to our house, will we get that money back”? […]
Estate Selling an Estate Last week I sold a house that was an estate.  I was given a referral from my friend Beth to sell the home of her childhood friend’s grandmother (are you with me)?  The conversation was something like “Hey, Beth, do you know anyone in Des Moines who can help my family sell my grandmother’s house?  […]
Uncategorized Welcome to Home Matters blog! I am sharing this blog with all of you to share my stories and experiences in real estate because I think home matters. Buying and selling real estate is a big deal, it doesn’t happen in your life everyday.  I understand that as a Realtor, I work with people when they are at their most […]
Market Update October 2022 Clive Market Update Each month I share market a market snapshot of my neighborhood.  I figure most of my neighbors are like me, they want to know which homes hit the market and what they sold for.  I want to be the go-to source for that information, not $illow so I post a snapshot each month. Last week […]