Des Moines Iowa Real Estate Market Watch – Week of November 3rd, 2008

by Tyler Osby on November 17, 2008

Des Moines Iowa Real Estate Market Watch


What’s The Real Estate Market Doing?

Do you ever wonder how our real estate market is here in Des Moines? Unfortunately, we spend a lot of time listening to how rough things are in other cities around the country, but too often we don’t really consider what our real estate climate is like.

I’m a fan of having as much information available before I take action on any big decisions. I don’t know about you, but I think buying or selling a home is a pretty big deal.

As a blogger and mortgage professional, when I receive good information – I pass it on. Home listings and sales are an interesting set of information most of us don’t have super easy access to. Thankfully, I have a Realtor that hammers me with e-mails (Just kidding, I don’t mind them) on market updates and her opinion on where things are at.

Do YOU Need Help?

As a mortgage professional, I cannot sell real estate.  I can however help you connect with a Realtor.  If you are looking for some answers, I’d be happy to introduce you to someone who can help!  No question is silly or too off the wall.

I can also reach out to my connections throughout the country if you’re looking for real estate outside of Iowa.  So please, feel free to contact us, we’d love to help!

Why Should You Care About Statistics?

Whether you’re looking to purchase, sell or refinance a home – this stuff matters. These statistics are compiled from the Multiple Listing Service and cover the Des Moines, Iowa residential real estate market.

With her permission, I post the facts here so you can come up with your very own market opinion. Here’s this week’s market commentary:

Below is your weekly look at the Des Moines Residential Real Estate Market.  This week I have added a new dimension to my market watch, building permits.  For those of you who don’t follow the market too closely, building permits indicate how many new homes and townhomes are being started each month, when you compare those to the previous year you can get a good feel for how much new construction is happening in your market.  I’m starting off a little slow with just a few suburbs and we will expand and grow from there.

If you look at the running averages in the middle column of the report you will see that our days on market average for sales is beginning to drop to a lower number.  Over the past two months we have had an average days on market of 89 this is much better than the 100 days+ we were seeing for awhile there.  As of today we have sold 7,158 homes in the Des Moines market for the year, last year at this time we had sold 9158 homes keep in mind though that last year at this time we have almost 700 more homes on the market than we do today.

Heather Barglof, RE/MAX Real Estate Concepts

Market Statistics for Des Moines

What Does This Report Cover?

I really enjoy this chart because it gives a breakdown of:

  • Days on the Market
  • Price Per Square Foot
  • Number of New Listings
  • Number of Expired Listings
  • Number of Price Reductions
  • Pending Home Sales (by price)
  • New Home Sales (by price)
  • All Active Home Sales (by price)
  • Best of all, it compares this week vs. last week and last year!

This is a great chart.  I’m not a Realtor and would never try to take the place of one.  If you’re looking for statistics in your specific neighborhood (because your neighborhood is the only one that matters when you’re selling), I can help connect you with the right Realtor for the job!

We Love Great Information and Love to Give Great Information!

If you’re a super cool person and have any market statistics you think our readers would find valuable, please feel free to contact me. If it’s relevant, It’ll show up here!

If you’re looking for my professional opinion or looking for a comment (press related), please contact me here.

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