The question I always get now is, “So, how’s the market?” Here is the raw data as of the end of October:

Total Active Listings: 3,937

Total Pending Listings: 1,826

Sold Month to Date for October: 1,102

Sold Year to Date: 11,162

Avg List Price $367,723

There is a lot I can pull out of this. Houses are still selling! 11,162 houses have sold in 2024, and there are still two months left. Actually, the market has picked up. Year to date, by the end of October last year, we were only at 10,660.

Also, more people are trying to sell. Up until about late 2022, the Des Moines MLS (Multiple Listing Service) had rarely had more than 2,500 houses available at one time. And right now, we are sitting on 3,937 listings (as of the end of October).

And finally, the average list price in central Iowa is $367,723. Prices have just been going up and up. And frankly, once interest rates really start to go down again, they are only going to go higher.

What does this mean for you? If you are selling, you have more competition, and there are still a ton of buyers out there. If you are buying, you have more to choose from, and the best time to buy has consistently been yesterday. So don’t let too many tomorrows get in your way before you buy.

I am here to help. I have been doing this for over a decade now, and I know what I am doing. I know what to expect. And I know how to help you through the process. Call me.

As always, I love doing what I do. I love looking at the market, and I love building relationships with the people I get to help. Let me know how I can help you. Call me today. You can reach me at 515.724.3163 or RyanLynch@KW.com. I am good at what I do, and I want to help you.

~Ryan Lynch

So I thought I would drop a line to give you my thoughts on all the new laws coming into fruition over July and August nationwide.

First, a little backstory. Down in Missouri there was a class action lawsuit where apparently realtors were steering their clients towards houses where they would get paid more. This went to a national lawsuit and because of it, realtors can no longer put on the Multiple Listing System what their listings will pay a buyer’s realtor.

A few of my thoughts. I have no idea how realtors were able to do this. It has been my experience that my clients choose the houses they want to go look at. I give them my thoughts, expertise and advice. And then the client chooses which house they want to buy. And I help them buy it legally, safely, and with eyes wide open. Me telling my clients which house to buy doesn’t seem like something that happens.

Second, this really feels like it takes away rights from sellers. If I am selling my house, and I want to pay the buyer’s realtor (because then I have a much bigger pool of buyers), I am no longer allowed to say that on the MLS.

Third, I can say it literally everywhere else. I can put it on my own website. I can put it on a sign in my yard. I can put it everywhere, except where people are looking for listings. Doesn’t that seem a bit ridiculous?

And the grand takeaway is that this won’t really change much. I now need to call the listing agent for them to tell me what the seller is wanting to pay. And I now need to fill out more paperwork. And (exactly like before this law came into existence), everything is negotiable. Always has been.

The second law that is happening is that now, if you want to go see any house, you have to have a contract with your realtor. Before, you could just call me and say I want to see 123 Main Street, and then we would go see it. Now, you have to sign a contract with me before that will happen. Again, more paperwork and just general work for me. Not much of a change for you.

You can probably see my opinion of these changes. I am not a huge fan, and I generally think they take away from the consumer. Just like changes to the closing statements a few years ago (which also seemed to take away from the consumer), people will still buy and sell houses. Having a Realtor will still be greatly to your benefit. And I am not going anywhere. I want to help.

As always, I love doing what I do. I love looking at the market, and I love building relationships with the people I get to help. Let me know how I can help you. Call me today. You can reach me at 515.724.3163 or RyanLynch@KW.com. I am good at what I do, and I want to help you.

~Ryan Lynch

I keep having the same question raised: how is this real estate market here in Des Moines, IA?

I will tell you right now, it is weird. We are actually ahead of 2023, and have been (barely) all year. Year to date through May 25th, 4634 houses have sold. The same time last year, 4619 houses sold. However, we are nowhere near the heights of previous years. For reference, in 2022 we sold 5934 houses at this time. So we are not in the raging market of previous years, and we are not doing terrible.

What is really happening is rates are affecting both sides of the transaction. Many sellers are looking at their near 3% interest rate and wondering why they would ever sell. While most buyers are looking at current rates and being more picky because their mortgage is more expensive.

In short, are houses still selling? Absolutely. Has the process gotten trickier? Also, yes.

I have actually talked a few people out of selling this year based off the information I gave them. I am sad to lose the deal. I am in this for the long run though, and so being straight with people is the way I am choosing to go.

If you are looking to buy or sell, I want to help. I will give you all the information I can and help you to decide what works best for you. Give me a call.

As always, I love doing what I do. I love looking at the market, and I love building relationships with the people I get to help. Let me know how I can help you. Call me today. You can reach me at 515.639.0047 or RyanLynch@KW.com. I am good at what I do, and I want to help you.

~Ryan Lynch

I am just reaching out to let you know I was on a podcast recently. I got to talk about being a Realtor, what I am doing with HowToBeHappier.blog, and some talks about AI and a few quick questions as well. This was super fun, only lasts about 25 minutes, and I thought it would be nice to share. Here are the links:

• Spotify
• YouTube

I hope you enjoy. Let me know if you need anything at all. Have a great day!

As always, I love doing what I do. I love looking at the market, and I love building relationships with the people I get to help. Let me know how I can help you. Call me today. You can reach me at 515.639.0047 or RyanLynch@KW.com. I am good at what I do, and I want to help you.

~Ryan Lynch

Here is an update on what is going on in the Des Moines Real Estate Market:

Sales are up year over year from 2023. February of this year we had 793 homes listed. This is the best start we have seen for the year since 2021. Also, in the month of February 1,060 houses went under contract. So houses are selling faster than they are being listed. And the interesting thing is that March and April are typically more than double the numbers of February in previous years.

People keep asking me where interest rates are going, and my honest answer is I do not know. However, I want to point out that buyers don’t seem to be caring. Sure, I know plenty of people that are holding back with the hopes that interest rates are going to come down. There are still many, many buyers out there looking for homes. It turns out, when you want to buy a home, you just want to buy a home and you deal with the interest rate you have.

What does all this mean? It means if you are looking to buy or sell a house in 2024, I can help. If you are listing, you need to know where to price to take advantage of the coming Spring real estate market. People are being more picky, and so positioning matters. It also means if you are looking to buy, there is plenty of competition out there. I am here to help. Please reach out.

As always, I love doing what I do. I love looking at the market, and I love building relationships with the people I get to help. Let me know how I can help you. Call me today. You can reach me at 515.639.0047 or RyanLynch@KW.com. I am good at what I do, and I want to help you.

~Ryan Lynch

The real estate market right now is quite insane.

Interest rates have more than doubled and there are still so many buyers.

Sellers are sitting on their 3% mortgages, so there is still very little inventory.

And everyone is getting a bit tighter in their wants and needs.

All this makes for an everybody market. Sellers are still strong, because they have no competition. Buyers are being more picky, because their money buys less than it used to. And that makes offers, negotiations, and simply getting to the finish line far more interesting.

I am so happy when people choose me to work for them. And I am really good at this. If you are thinking about getting into the market as a seller or buyer, let me know. I can give you advice, and make the process much less nerve racking for you. Just let me know.

As always, I love doing what I do. I love looking at the market, and I love building relationships with the people I get to help. Let me know how I can help you. Call me today. You can reach me at 515.639.0047 or RyanLynch@KW.com. I am good at what I do, and I want to help you.

~Ryan Lynch