Downtown Des Moines condo sales have fallen hard with the nationwide real estate slow down a fact which was highlighted in a recent Des Moines Register article entitled "Stagnant condo sales plaugue downtown Des Moines" dated November 19th 2010. The article stated, among other things, that downtown sales were off 75% from their peak in 2006, that only 30 units had closed in 2009, and that 2010 was poised to be only marginally better. In doing a quick check I see that 2010 finished with 29 closed sales out of an inventory of approximately 111. For all you absorption rate folks that's a 3.82 year supply. Pretty dismal on the surface. Pundits, builders, real estate agents and industry insiders querried variously blamed onerous FHA rules, consumer preference, unemployment, sluggish sales of... 02/04/2011

Papajohn Sculpture Park in Downtown Des Moines "Shattering Silence" by Iowa artist James Ellwanger at the State Capitol Complex Downtown Des Moines from Buchanan St looking southwest   Pedestrian Bridge over I-235 connecting Walker St. and River Hills apartments from the Des Moines botanical center parking lot with Iowa State capitol in the background 01/23/2011

01/14/2011

Last night provided a good opportunity to head to downtown Des Moines with my new Panasonic Lumix LX5 to test out its night scene capability. The LX5 is billed as one of the most advanced point and shoot cameras available. Since its debut in August of this year it has been getting rave reviews. The LX5 is unique among many point and shoot models in that with the aid of a lens adapter you can use filters and additional lenses. The camera also has a hot shoe for attaching an external flash. Additionally it has aperture settings and a sensor that rival DSLRs but without the extreme cost and bulk. The built in lens will also go down to 24mm, alot wider than most cameras in its class. With the add on wide angle lens you can go down to 18mm. I can't wait to get out and shoot some new listings... 12/10/2010

Des Moines has a vibrant condo market in its historic central downtown. We have lofts, we have high rises, we have re-purposed space, we have row houses, we have penthouses, we have brownstones, we have everything but enough buyers for all of the inventory. Developers, spurred by tax credits awarded by the State, went on a building frenzy downtown staring in the late 1990's. Available units went from under a thousand to nearly six thousand in about seven years. Then 2007 came. At the height of the building frenzy there was over a five year supply of units available. Developers finally got the message and "re-purposed" many projects into affordable rentals or just shut down the projects altogether. The estimated 75,000 people who flock downtown to work everyday just weren't sold on the i... 07/06/2010

Fabulous townhome with two bedrooms plus office. Wonder where to park downtown -- press a button and pull into your own two-car garage. Walk to work, Farmer's Market, museums and the Civic Center. Discover a new way to live in Iowa! Click here for listing on Realtor.com It's listing #339830 if you get lost in the Realtor.com maze. Price reduced nearly $100,000! I own this puppy and would like to sell it (listing broker is displayed on Realtor.com), but also will discuss renting cause it'll be worth more in 5 years.   06/12/2009

This great model home has never been lived in -- but if someone doesn't buy it soon, it will be! Price just reduced by $25,000. Fabulous location. Quality built by Hubbell. Over 1900 square feet. Here's more: Des Moines Townhome in the East-Coast Traditional Townhome Style (brick, three-story row homes). This home has the convenience of a suburban-style two-car garage, but you may never need your car to get to work and certainly not for the cultural and fun opportunities in downtown Des Moines. For more photos and details and contact info for my listing, click here. 05/17/2009