Moving and Conversations with DSM Leadership
So there is a lot going on…
I don’t know what it is about fall but it finds me making major life changes every year. After fifty years, a reasonable person might take note of the pattern and intentionally try and avoid it. It seems I am not a reasonable person.
I spent October selling real estate, remodeling my home and finishing a book proposal three years in the making. I devoted hours every day to writing despite the pulls from my two businesses and my personal life. It was worth it when I sent the proposal to my editor on November 2nd and felt the intense satisfaction that comes with creation and closure. And speaking of closure, there’s more.
I decided to sell my house. Despite having a 2.5 percent interest rate and only having 18 more months of commitment to my youngest son’s school district, it didn’t make sense to stay here anymore.
My oldest is working on a move to Minnesota to become a fishing guide, my daughter has been living on her own for over a year and we just aren’t the same family we were for the eleven years we were there. Sometimes the time to move isn’t based on the market, its personal.
For those of you who have listed your home with me and have executed a to do list in preparation of listing, my hats off to you. As I repainted walls I swore I would never paint again, I reminded myself that I have told countless people to do the same to get top dollar for their own homes. If you found yourself cursing me a little as you completed a project you didn’t want to do, I get it-I was doing the same to myself.
My belief that a home needs to be in near mint condition to be attractive in this market only gets stronger as I watch price reductions persist on homes that would have flown off the market a few years ago. Instead of 1,000s of Zillow views on my listings as in years past, the views are in the hundreds now. There are far fewer buyers chasing more homes which means the buyers aren’t really running. I’m truly testing the market adage that there is no bad time to list a great home. Stay tuned.
What I did to list and recommend to everyone, even if you aren’t moving:
Focus on the first 8 seconds — Buyers make up their mind within moments of walking into a home. Freshen up your entry way, paint the garage and update your landscaping. Pressure wash your siding, tidy up your yard and ensure the first impression is positive.
Paint — You don’t want to hear it, but you know you need to . If you aren’t capable of a quality paint job yourself, start gathering estimates months before you plan to list.
Lighting — Updating lighting fixtures is an inexpensive way to have a huge impact. Focus on the entry way, kitchen and living space, and primary suite of the home.
Purge — Make it a habit to ruthlessly and systematically clean out items you don’t use, don’t need and are going to hate to move one day. Clutter serves no one. Do it now, you’ll thank me later.
A conversation with DSM City Manager, Scott Sanders
I reached out to the City Manger’s office about an interview for this newsletter and was delighted when Scott graciously accepted the offer to discuss economic development and housing in Des Moines. I don’t often get to revisit my former life as an ISU extension economist in economic development so to do so with Scott, who has a master’s degree in community and regional planning from ISU, was a treat. Here’s the quick takeaway: Des Moines is in good hands with Scott at the helm.
My questions were focused around the first ever DSM Citywide Housing Strategy approved by the City Council in July. The written document credits Scott with his leadership in its creation to address affordability, accessibility and quality of housing stock. When asked which elements of the housing strategy he thought would have the biggest impacts on long term economic growth in DSM, Scott pointed to further investments in Invest DSM and ION(Improving our Neighborhoods) noting the difference in focuses. Readers of this newsletter know our team are huge fans of Invest DSM and the work they do to improve housing stock throughout the city, but their focus is not on affordability. Scott pointed out that increasing resources for ION will address affordability through their commitment to keeping people in their homes and funding necessary repairs. I was only aware of ION peripherally before talking to Scott, but I’m a big fan after doing some more research. It is a necessary program to keep people in their homes, preserve their equity for future generations and avoid having to sell when repairs are too much. As a realtor, I typically meet people long after they could have used this program but you may know someone who can use it, so please check out the website for more information. They accept applications in January and February for financial assistance for critical projects that keep a home from deteriorating, like roofs and structural/safety upgrades.
Scott also discussed the importance of the whole block redevelopment strategy that will target entire streets and neighborhoods to ensure the housing stock matches the needs of the community and the current demand for housing. We have a number of neighborhoods in DSM with deteriorating housing stock and/or not enough of it. This voluntary program will provide resources to improve density, affordability and the quality of housing stock in DSM. In this strategy, ION, Invest DSM and creative financing strategies will work together to achieve the toughest of housing goals: increase supply and keep it affordable.
I highly recommend everyone take a look at the comprehensive work the city is doing in housing and economic development. We have a lot to be proud of here in DSM and the forward thinking of our city leaders is one of them.
For more information on any of these programs or to keep tabs on the improvements DSM is making within and on behalf of the greater 515, visit the city’s website.