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Iowa Foreclosures are on the Decline and other little-known facts!

The Iowa Business Record reports that the foreclosure activity in Iowa has declined to 2.1% of all outstanding home loans for Sept. The figures are from CoreLogic Inc. Our state is not amongst the best or worst (depending on your viewpoint) of the American states for number of foreclosures. Lenders completed 3,380 foreclosures in the state of Iowa during  Sept 2012. Trends in first-time home-buying – home ownership rate of 30-34 year old continues to fall. This is a critical age range to track because this is the age group that is typically first-time home buyers.  This is also the age-range that are most likely to be burdened with student loans. When this number begins to grow again, that will be a good indicator of economic recovery. Nearly half of the homes in the United States have inside stairs.  Renter-occupied houses are more likely to be without stairs. Here in the Midwest, 65% of our homes have indoor stairs. In comparison, the South and the West have 35% with stairs.  This has absolutely nothing to do with economic recovery and is only mildly noteworthy! Another totally useless bit of information – The average man in the United States weights 195.5 pounds. The average woman is 166.2. This is actual weight, not “reported” weight. If you want more information about any of these facts and statistics, don’t call the Eisenlauer Team. BUT, if you want to know about the local real estate market – we’re the go-to team!

Bill 770-2455  Bob 979-2883

   
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Freaky Friday Fotos – from our MLS

Or What Not to Do!  If the photo isn’t the right size, don’t stretch it to fit!  Or how about this, hire a professional photograher to showcase your house to it’s best advantage.  I’m pretty sure this microwave is NOT 4′ x 1′. But it does look like a slimline in this photo doesn’t it?

For more information about how to best stage your house to make it appeal to the widest audience – consult a professional. The Eisenlauer Team is ready to help.

Bill 770-2455    Bob  979-2883

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Wednesday Review

                    Comfort Cuisine – just the title makes you want to pull up a chair and dine with Uncle Mike. Located in a remodeled building on 6th Ave, Uncle Mike’s serves a simple, delicious and home-made menu of Bar-B-Que items. We had a Crush sandwich – Beef brisket and pulled pork on an open-face bun. For a side I chose – potato salad. It was creamy and a bit on the bland side for me. The sandwich – delicious and enough for two meals. Bill had a Southerner – a pulled pork with bar-b-cue sauce on open-face bun topped with cole-slaw, side of greens – all excellent. The decor is simple and clean, the staff friendly and courteous. If you like sweet potato pie and peach cobbler – I’ve been told they’re the best!  We’ll be back. Address: 1610 6th Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50314 Phone: (515) 244-6553 Hours: 11AM-8PM Mon-Sat; Closed Sun For opinions on food – we’re willing, but far from experts. For advice on real estate – We’re experienced and  professional and willing to be your Realtor. Give us a call.

Bill 770-2455  Bob 979-2883

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State Fair People and the rest

Having lived on the east side of Des Moines for the past 30+ years, I’ve come to realize there are 2 types of people. State Fair goers and everybody else. There are just a certain per-cent of the population that attend the fair – at least once- if not more times every year. Only a cataclysmic event would keep them from attending. And this is not just “east-siders”, its across the state. There are sub-cultures at the fair. The carnies – the traveling guys who put up those rides and hawk their wares and try the darndest to get you to part with your money.  Successful Email Marketing Boot Camp Then there is another level of people trying to take your money – the guys doing cooking demos, the Vita-Mixer guy, the salsa maker guy, the massage chair, the freezie maker – etc.  There are the 4-H kids in the barns that wash and dry the animals, put fans on them, spray their hooves – treat them royally. These kids love to play tricks on the “city-slickers”, catch them off-guard by dropping a rubber spider from the rafters and watch our reaction! The campers – a city onto itself. Wow – have you driven through there?  Or take the big John Deere wagon up for a look-see. People pass their camping sites down through generations, a 10 yr. waiting list!  They decorate, construct decks, the appear to defy gravity stuck on the side of the hill and still level. Outside there are the car-parking-hawkers. They wave canes, wave flags, wear costumes, lure you in with the promise of a shuttle to and from, sell refreshments, offer to tatoo you and your kids for a nominal fee. Front and back yards are plotted out with precision to get the most revenue from the window of time available. My family are fair-goers.  You either love it or you don’t. Comment about your favorite sub-culture.  
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Walnut Street Downtown Scheduled to Re-open

Some things just seem so obvious, you wonder why the Important People in Suits didn’t figure it out.  When they turned Walnut St. downtown into a buses only street, why would you be surprised that business on the street level would be negatively affected? So, the Dart busses will be leaving Walnut and a big effort will begin to bring business and patrons back to the center of downtown. The East Village has seen a boost, the Western Gateway in underway, it’s time to revitalize the heart of downtown.  Watch for new things to be coming in 2013. Read the whole story here.

 
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Central Iowa’s Love/Hate Realtionship with Des Moines Register

I don’t know anyone who loves the DM Register and thinks they are unbiased purveyors of local news. They are the newspaper we all love to hate. The latest article to raise my blood pressure was titled “Realtors squabble over commission money, Iowa Realty trims amount of commission it shares with two competitors.” The title seems to imply there was a petty disagreement over money.  Read the article and see if the title represents the content.  Iowa Realty has decided to give NO commission money to Keller Williams agents that sell one of their listings.  That is not “trimming the amount of commission” that is bully tactics to ‘welcome’ the new guy in town. The mystery is how does this serve Iowa Realty’s clients? The client is still charged the full commission. If the selling agent is from Keller Williams – they get nothing. Where does the other half the commission go? In Bill Knapp’s pocket?  And the general public has no idea of this situation.  I don’t know who causes me more angst – Iowa Realty or Des Moines Register.  In this case,  Iowa Realty deserves the razzberry. It’s a greedy move that does not serve our clients, our community or our profession.