Senior Downsizing · Probate & Estate Sales · Out-of-State Heirs | Des Moines, Iowa
By Sarah Ingles, REALTOR® SRES® CPCU® | Smart Move Des Moines If you’re facing the reality of selling your parents’ home in Des Moines — whether it’s an estate situation, a probate property, or a planned transition to senior living — you deserve a calm, clear plan that respects both the heart and the numbers. … Read more
If you need to sell an inherited house in Iowa, start here. Selling an inherited house in Iowa starts with one question: who has the legal authority to sign? Until that question is answered, nothing else can move forward. Most families in Polk, Dallas, and Warren Counties find the full process takes four to six … Read more
By Sarah Ingles, REALTOR® SRES® CPCU® | Smart Move Des Moines What happens to a house when someone dies in Iowa? If you’ve recently lost a parent or family member — or you’re helping someone who has — one of the first questions that comes up is: what happens to the house? It’s the right … Read more
By Sarah Ingles, REALTOR® SRES® CPCU® | Smart Move Des Moines Selling Your Parents’ Iowa Home From Out of State: What Out-of-State Heirs Need to Know Need to sell an inherited Iowa home from out of state? If you live in Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, or Phoenix and just learned you’re responsible for selling a parent’s … Read more
By Sarah Ingles, REALTOR® SRES® CPCU® | Smart Move Des Moines To price an inherited house in Des Moines correctly, executors need a framework that goes beyond a simple CMA. One of the first questions executors ask when they’re preparing to sell an inherited home in Des Moines is whether to fix it up first … Read more
By Sarah Ingles, REALTOR® SRES® CPCU® | Smart Move Des Moines Can you sell a house in probate in Iowa? If you’ve been named executor of an estate in Iowa and the estate includes real property, you’re probably asking one of the most common questions I hear: can I sell the house while it’s still … Read more
By Sarah Ingles, REALTOR® SRES® CPCU® | Smart Move Des Moines Vacant home insurance for executors in Iowa is one of the most overlooked aspects of estate administration. When someone passes away and leaves a home in Iowa, the family’s focus is — understandably — on grief, on legal paperwork, and on figuring out … Read more
Vacant home insurance Iowa requirements are one of the first surprises out-of-state heirs run into after inheriting Iowa real estate from out of state in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, or anywhere across the state. Standard homeowners policies were written for owner-occupied homes — once a property sits empty for 30 to 60 days, most carriers … Read more
By Sarah Ingles, REALTOR® & SRES® CPCU® | Smart Move Des Moines Downsizing Your Home Starts With Downsizing Your Belongings This guide covers estate sale vs selling items downsizing options to help you make the best decision. When you have lived in a home for decades, the belongings you have accumulated tell the story of … Read more
By Sarah Ingles, REALTOR® SRES® CPCU® | Smart Move Des Moines What Happens to Home Insurance When a Parent Passes Away in Iowa? If you’re managing a parent’s home after they’ve passed away in Iowa, there’s one thing you need to check before anything else: the homeowner’s insurance. Iowa executors have as little as 30 … Read more