Senior Downsizing · Probate & Estate Sales · Out-of-State Heirs | Des Moines, Iowa
The call usually goes like this. One sibling is in Phoenix, one is in Chicago, one still lives forty minutes from the Iowa house. The Phoenix sibling wants to sell immediately and distribute the proceeds. The Chicago sibling agrees but thinks the house needs work first. The local sibling isn’t sure they want to sell … Read more
My phone doesn’t ring at 11pm very often. When it does, it’s usually an adult child calling from Phoenix or Chicago or Florida who just got off the phone with a hospital, and the family home in Polk County is suddenly their problem. They’re not ready to sell. They don’t know what they’re allowed to … 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
Iowa inheritance tax repealed:When a parent dies and leaves an Iowa house, one of the first calls an out-of-state heir makes is to their CPA or home-state attorney. And one of the first things that CPA or attorney says — if they haven’t updated their Iowa knowledge recently — is some version of: “Watch out … Read more
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
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