We Buy Houses in Des Moines, IA

The Raccoon and Des Moines rivers meet downtown, and both the 1993 Midwest flood and the 2008 Iowa flood put water into Des Moines neighborhoods along those banks, knocking out the city’s water treatment plant for twelve days in 1993 and damaging homes near Birdland and the lower river again in 2008 — a history that still shows up in flood-zone questions on riverside listings today. Cash Home Buyers CA buys houses throughout Des Moines as-is, in any condition, for cash.

Des Moines’s market in August 2026: steady prices, fast pace

Redfin’s August 2026 figures for Des Moines show a median sale price of about $226,850, up 3.1 percent from a year earlier. The typical home sells in around 24 days, a day slower than last year, and buyers are paying about 98.3 percent of asking price on average. Redfin scores the market 68 out of 100, “somewhat competitive,” with most homes getting close to one offer.

A market that moves in about three and a half weeks rewards a house that shows well and needs nothing. For the seller of a Sherman Hill Victorian with knob-and-tube wiring, a Beaverdale bungalow with a cracked foundation from freeze-thaw cycles, or a rental near the river with a flood-damaged basement, that same pace works against them — buyers with financing keep walking once an inspector flags what a retail sale can’t absorb.

Rules that shape a Des Moines home sale

Iowa’s statewide rules apply in Des Moines, plus a quirk of the state’s title system that surprises out-of-state sellers. Here is what governs a sale:

• No conventional title insurance. Iowa does not allow private title insurance on real estate. Title is proven by an abstract of the property’s history, which a licensed Iowa attorney examines and certifies with a title opinion before closing, with coverage available through the state-run Iowa Title Guaranty program.
• Foreclosure is judicial. Most Iowa foreclosures go through the courts rather than a trustee’s sale, which generally makes the process slower and more public than in non-judicial states.
• Transfer tax. Iowa charges a real estate transfer tax of $0.80 for each $500 of value above the first $500, typically handled at closing.
• Seller disclosure. Iowa Code chapter 558A requires sellers of one-to-four-unit residential property to give buyers a written disclosure statement on the home’s condition before an offer is accepted.
• Flood zones. Neighborhoods along the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers, including parts of Birdland and the lower South Side, sit in FEMA-mapped flood plains after the 1993 and 2008 floods, which affects insurance cost and availability for financed buyers.

Sherman Hill to Beaverdale: what we buy in Des Moines

Des Moines’s oldest housing sits in Sherman Hill, a Victorian-era historic district just west of downtown with homes dating to the 1870s through 1900s, and in the loft and warehouse conversions of East Village on the river’s east bank. Beaverdale, developed mainly in the 1920s through 1940s, is known for its brick bungalows and the “Beaverdale spot” streetlamps that mark the neighborhood, while Waterbury and the South of Grand (SoGr) area hold larger early-to-mid-century homes near Water Works Park. Drake and the University neighborhood mix student rentals with older single-family stock closer to Drake University.

We buy the Sherman Hill Victorian that still has original wiring and plumbing, the Beaverdale bungalow with foundation cracks from decades of Iowa freeze-thaw cycles, the riverside rental with a flooded or water-damaged basement, and the inherited or tenant-occupied property anywhere in between. Unpermitted additions, deferred maintenance, and homes that have sat vacant are all situations we routinely price and close on.

Situations we see most in Des Moines

• Flood-damaged or flood-zone property. Homes near the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers with past water damage or a FEMA flood designation that scares off financed buyers and drives up insurance quotes.
• Older housing stock needing work. Sherman Hill and Beaverdale homes with original electrical, plumbing, or foundation issues that a bank-financed buyer’s inspection will flag.
• Inherited properties. Family homes passed down where heirs live out of state or simply want a fast, single sale instead of managing repairs and showings.
• Landlords ready to exit. Owners of rental property near Drake or the East Side who want out without the hassle of tenant turnover or vacancy risk.
• Time-sensitive sales. Job relocation, divorce, or a looming foreclosure timeline where a judicial process makes speed matter more than top dollar.

How a Des Moines cash sale closes

Once you accept our written offer, we open the file with a licensed title company that orders the property abstract, the record Iowa uses in place of a title search backed by private insurance. An Iowa attorney reviews the abstract and issues a title opinion, and any old liens, unrecorded releases, or ownership gaps get cleared before signing. Because there is no lender involved, there is no appraisal or mortgage underwriting to wait on.

Closings typically run 7 to 14 days through the title company, or on whatever later date works if you need time to move belongings out of a house that has sat full for years. The seller customarily covers Iowa’s transfer tax at closing, and we can structure the numbers so your net proceeds are a single, agreed figure with no surprise deductions.

Listing a Des Moines house or selling for cash

A move-in-ready Beaverdale bungalow or a renovated Sherman Hill Victorian in this market — 24 days on market and 98.3 percent of asking price — is a strong listing candidate, and an agent will likely net you more than a cash offer once the home is staged and priced right.

The math changes when the house needs real work: a flood-zone basement, original wiring a lender’s inspector won’t approve, an unpermitted addition, or an estate that needs to close before probate deadlines. A financed buyer in those cases needs an appraisal, an inspection response, and often an insurance binder, any of which can stall or kill a deal. Our offer accounts for the repairs and risk we take on, but it comes with no commission, no repair requests, and a closing date you set.

Des Moines sellers ask us

How fast can I sell my house in Des Moines for cash?

We send a written offer within 24 to 48 hours and can close in as little as 7 to 14 days once you accept. Redfin’s August 2026 data shows Des Moines homes averaging 24 days on market before even going under contract, so a cash sale typically saves several weeks to a couple of months.

My house is in a flood zone near the river. Can I still sell it?

Yes. Flood-zone status and past water damage make financing harder to get, not the sale itself. We buy homes near the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers as-is and factor flood history into our offer rather than requiring you to fix or flood-proof anything first.

Why does Iowa use an abstract instead of title insurance?

Iowa is one of the only states that bars private title insurance on real estate. Title is instead proven with a property abstract that a licensed attorney examines and certifies, with the state-run Iowa Title Guaranty program available for coverage. Our title company and attorney handle this as part of every closing, so it adds no extra work for you.

What will I pay in transfer tax when I sell in Des Moines?

Iowa’s real estate transfer tax is $0.80 per $500 of value above the first $500. It is a modest cost compared to states with higher transfer taxes, and it’s handled at closing along with any other recording fees.

I’m behind on my mortgage. How fast do Iowa foreclosures move?

Iowa foreclosures are judicial, meaning the lender has to file suit and get a court judgment before a sale, which usually gives homeowners more time than a non-judicial state but still ends in a forced sale. Selling before that process finishes, or before it starts, lets you control the outcome and keep any equity instead of losing it at auction.

To get a written cash offer on your Des Moines house, call 424-435-2326. The offer is free, and there’s no obligation to accept it.

Written and reviewed by the Cash Home Buyers CA team, a nationwide cash home buyer based in Woodland Hills, CA. Market figures are from Redfin and Iowa state records as of August 2026 and are updated periodically.

Get a free cash offer from Cash Home Buyers CA today.