I was helping a client yesterday by being at a house they were buying while some work was being done. I had some time and so I just started wandering around the house. As I went through I was noticing things that might be helpful for the buyer to know, taking pictures, and sending all the info I could download to them.

The day before I was helping a client figure out what they wanted to ask for in negotiations around an inspection. When we were at the house together we had noticed other things that an inspector does not typically deal with. So I was walking them through how to get those items inspected and priced for possible fixes. And simply helping them to remember those issues were there.

I have helped hundreds of people buy and sell houses at this point. There is a ton going on, and I am just one aspect of a huge transaction. I absolutely love doing it.

If you want someone on your side who will make sure you get what you want, are protected, and point out all the little things you might miss, I am your guy.

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

There is no easy way to say this, there are a lot of bad listings out there right now. People who see houses that are the same general type as theirs (it’s a two story home with four bedrooms and two baths!), are listing at the same price while being dramatically different from their competitor.

One house is listed for $300,000 and has been completely updated, kept in good condition, and has earned every bit of the appreciation they have accumulated over the ten years the current owners have lived there.

The house next door is also listed for $300,000. It is the same style, size, and similar layout. However, the sellers have not done anything to the house since they bought it nine years ago, and the deferred maintenance is shining through.

The thing is, just a few years ago, sellers could get away with this. Money was so incredibly cheap, that people were fighting just to get the house in the area they wanted with the space they needed. They could do whatever they wanted after that. And there was so much buyer competition, just getting a house was a difficult task in many areas.

Now though, money got much less cheap. Materials have become more costly. Life has become more expensive. So, if you are expecting someone to pay top dollar for your house, and then put tens of thousands of dollars into it to solve the issues you ignored, it is going to be a long listing.

On the other side, if you see a house you want to buy, and it has a lot of issues you don’t notice, you could be in for a rude awakening.

It doesn’t have to be this way though. Whether you are buying or selling, you can have me on your side. I can tell you what needs to get done to list at the price you want, or I can tell you what is a reasonable price to get the property sold. Conversely, I can walk through the house you are considering buying and help you purchase with eyes wide open.

Let me help. Call me today: 515.724.3163.

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

Well friends, we are in interesting times. There are currently 3,874 houses available on the Des Moines Multiple Listing Service. 2,670 houses have sold or gone under contract in the last month. And it is getting weird out there.

I am writing to let you know you have me in your corner. If you are looking to list, I will give you straightforward information so you can price well and get sold. If you are looking to buy, I can help you position yourself to get the home you love.

I have seen houses fly off the market. I have seen houses sit for entirely too long. If you want to move right now, professional help is a must. Please reach out to me. I want to be of service!

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

Well, let me tell you about the local real estate market in the Des Moines area. It is currently trying to figure itself out, and quite odd to look at.

Year to date, we have sold 12,518 houses on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). That is up 499 units from this time last year. That is up almost exactly 4%. And yet, median home prices are down 3.5% on average. We are up 2.5% for new listings in the month of November from 2024, and down 2.4% for new sales in the same month over last year. And this week, 468 houses lowered their prices, while 19 houses raised theirs.

What I am seeing anecdotally is seemingly completely random. Houses that are basically the same, right next to each other, and listed near the same price are not even conforming. One will sell instantly, and the other will sit on the market for months.

Basically, right now, each house is unique. Having me on your side, giving you as much information as I can is pretty essential at this point. You can have all my experience, and I want to help. Whether you are buying or selling, I want to help. Just 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 515.724.3163 or RyanLynch@KW.com. I am good at what I do, and I want to help you.

~Ryan Lynch

Well, we are in weird times my friends. Look at the titles of two different headlines from this week I received:

New Home Sales Surge by 20.5%

And a NAR (National Association of Realtors) email that stated that Housing Inventory Up 12% Giving Buyers Options.

The secret between these two is that the Summer market was rough, to say the least. And things seemed to take a pretty big turn starting in August. So that 20.5% surge comes from things bouncing back from a very slow July. And inventory is up because more and more people are putting their houses on the market, while things are still a bit slower.

Locally, our numbers paint that picture as well. So far, in September, we have sold or put under contract 1,801 houses. In August, we were at 1,915. And in July we were at 1,417.

There are a couple of things to take away from all this. The market is wildly shifting from month to month. However, we are still regularly selling close to 2,000 houses a month. Even a bad month was over 1,400 houses sold.

So, is the market down? Yes, absolutely. Are houses still selling? Definitely.

I would say the biggest reason to work with me in this market is I will tell you what is going on, and be honest with where you need to be to sell. I will also help you navigate negotiating on the buy side. There is a lot going on, and many sellers who are not being given the full picture when they list. I will make sure you make it to the closing table whether you are buying or selling, or both. 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

Right now, the market is extremely segmented. There are areas where houses are selling instantly still. There are spots where nothing has sold in the last month. And everything in between. Honestly, many of these conditions are sitting right next to each other.

If you are a buyer, this is about the strongest you have been in a long time. Probably over a decade at this point. There is a ton of inventory. Currently there are 4,117 properties listed on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). And houses are still selling. As of this writing, there are 1,882 houses under contract, and 1,194 houses have closed in the last 30 days on the MLS.

So, that means that with over 4,000 houses for sale, that over 3,000 houses have sold in the last month. Again, houses are selling. They are just taking a little longer, and the buyers have a bit more power in getting what they want.

What all this means is you need a professional helping you. This market is bipolar. Some spots you need to negotiate hard, while others you need to know the limits of your power whether you are buying of selling. I would love to help you, and I will be straight with you no matter what I need to tell you.

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