Ames, IA · Story County seller guide
Yes. USA Home Buyers buys houses as-is in Ames and Story County, Iowa.
We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us.
Written offer and written terms before you commit; title-company closing.
Call 888-274-5006We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
Share the property address and what you know about the house.
The short answer
Send the Ames property address or call 888-274-5006. We review the house as-is and give written terms before you commit. Compare those terms with a realistic listing plan, including the work, costs, access and time that apply to your house.
Compare the choices
Listing may fit a house that is ready for buyers and an owner who can manage preparation and showings. Compare the expected net—not only the asking price—after repairs, cleanout, marketing, commissions, concessions, carrying costs and the time needed to sell.
We review the house in its current condition. You do not repair, clean or clear it out to sell to us. Put the written price and terms beside the costs, obligations and work you would otherwise take on.
We have two ways to buy. A Cash Offer is built for speed, condition, and tough situations — heavy repairs, tight timelines, difficult circumstances. EZ Sale is often the better fit when the house doesn't need major repairs and you want a higher number. Either way, you compare written numbers and you pick what works best for you.
Swipe across the table to compare all four selling options.
| Factor | List with a realtor | FSBO | Cash Offer | EZ Sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timeline | Market-dependent | Market-dependent | 30 days or less | 60 days or less |
| Price | Highest, if it sells | Varies | Lower price | Higher price than the Cash Offer |
| Repairs | Repairs may be needed before listing or after inspection | The seller handles repair decisions | No repairs | No repairs |
| Commissions | Agent commissions apply under the listing agreement | No listing-agent commission; the seller handles the sale | No commissions | No commissions |
| Closing costs | Seller costs depend on the contract and settlement statement | Seller costs depend on the contract and settlement statement | No closing costs | No closing costs |
| Showings | The seller prepares for and coordinates showings | The seller markets the property and coordinates showings | None | None |
| Who buys | Retail buyer | Retail buyer | USA Home Buyers buys directly | Goes to one of our partners |
| Certainty | Depends on the buyer, inspections, financing, and contract | Depends on finding and qualifying a buyer | Written offer and written terms before you commit; title-company closing. | Written offer and written terms before you commit; title-company closing. |
| Net proceeds | Compare the expected sale price after commissions, repairs, costs, and waiting | Compare the expected sale price after seller-managed costs and work | Compare the written price after your payoff and other property obligations. No commissions. No closing costs. | Compare the written price after your payoff and other property obligations. No commissions. No closing costs. |
Compare what you would keep after costs with the Ames, Iowa calculator →
Questions about the two options? Call 888-274-5006.
Steps and numbers
1
Share the address, what needs work and who lives there. Tell us when we can see it and when you want to sell.
2
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
3
Written offer and written terms before you commit; title-company closing.
Ames market numbers
These Redfin and Zillow figures describe Ames at the periods shown. They are market context, not a price or selling-time estimate for one house.
| Measure | Value | Provider and place | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $330,000 (+3.9% year over year) | Redfin · Ames, IA | Three months ending August 2026 |
| Median days on market | 16 days | Redfin · Ames, IA | Three months ending August 2026 |
| Homes sold | 188 homes | Redfin · Ames, IA | Three months ending August 2026 |
| Typical home value (Zillow ZHVI) | $303,902 (+2.8% year over year) | Zillow · Ames, IA | As of August 2026 |
| For-sale inventory | 181 homes | Zillow · Ames, IA | As of August 2026 |
Planning tool
Net proceeds are what remains after costs, not the sale price. Use the Ames calculator to compare a listing path with a direct offer, and change the assumptions to fit your house.
Open the Ames home-sale net-proceeds calculator →Ames property context
The City of Ames describes Old Town as a 12-block area just north of downtown. Its documented residential architecture includes late-19th- and early-20th-century Queen Anne and Italianate homes, bungalows and vernacular styles. The district description is area context, not a record of any one house's age or condition.
Campustown is a high-density mixed-use neighborhood south of Iowa State University. Ames is in Story County; nearby Story County cities include Nevada, Huxley, Gilbert and Kelley. These place names orient the guide—they do not identify a past purchase or say what a particular house is worth.
Iowa foreclosure timing
A sale may still be possible if the payoff or redemption amount can be paid in time. Iowa home mortgages are generally foreclosed through a court case, and the court's judgment leads to a sheriff's sale. For an occupied one- or two-family home, most lenders must give the owner a notice with 30 days to cure the default before suing, and tell the owner that counseling and mediation are available. The sale must be posted and published, with the first publication at least four weeks before the sale.
The deadline depends on the kind of foreclosure. Some paths allow the owner to redeem after the sale, generally for one year, with shorter periods in some cases. If the lender chooses foreclosure without redemption for nonagricultural property, there is no right to redeem after the sheriff's sale. A written demand may delay the sale under the court procedure. Ask the lender, court, sheriff, title company or an Iowa attorney to confirm the date and amount for this property.
Our agreement of sale will often get a sheriff's sale postponed so we can close. Signing alone doesn't postpone it automatically; we use the agreement to ask for the postponement, and it works more often than people think.
Iowa law: Iowa Code chapter 654 · Iowa Code §626.75, notice of sale · Iowa Code chapter 628, redemption · Iowa Code §654.20, foreclosure without redemption.
Iowa closing costs
Iowa's real estate transfer tax is 80 cents for each $500, or fraction of $500, of the price above the first $500. On a $100,000 sale, the taxable $99,500 is 199 units of $500, so the tax is $159.20. The county recorder collects the tax before recording the deed, and a declaration of value is filed when required. The person conveying the property—normally the seller—is liable, but exemptions include certain family, divorce, estate-distribution and $500-or-less transfers. The closing professional confirms whether the tax applies and the taxable amount.
When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including Iowa real estate transfer tax.
That does not pay your mortgage balance, liens, back taxes or your share of current property taxes. Ask the title company to show the amounts that apply to the property in the closing figures.
Read Iowa Code §428A.1, rate and declaration of value · §428A.2, exemptions · §428A.3, who is liable · Iowa Department of Revenue tax and fee descriptions.
Before setting a closing plan
The deed, estate or court papers, lease, payoff information and property records answer different questions. Ask the title company what it needs to close this sale. If authority to sign, an estate, a court order or a lease question is unclear, get Iowa-specific legal guidance before relying on a closing date.
Inherited-property questions → · Tenant and occupancy questions →
Where to find help
Testimonials are real, from our transactions, verified and approved by our attorneys.
Yes. We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us. USA Home Buyers buys houses in Ames and Story County, Iowa.
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
Compare the written terms with the work, costs, access and time involved in a listing. The Cash Offer and EZ Sale comparison above explains the two programs, and the Ames calculator lets you compare potential net proceeds using your own assumptions.
The needed signatures depend on the recorded owners and the estate or court papers. Ask the title company what authority and documents this sale needs. If the authority is unclear or family members disagree, ask an Iowa attorney or the appropriate court before signing.
Yes. We can review a tenant-occupied house as-is. Gather the lease, access limits, notices and possession timing so you can compare the written terms with a listing plan. See the Ames tenant-occupied guide for more.
Our agreement of sale will often get a sheriff's sale postponed so we can close. Signing alone doesn't postpone it automatically; we use the agreement to ask for the postponement, and it works more often than people think.
The tax is generally based on the price above the first $500, with exemptions for some transfers. The closing professional confirms whether it applies and the taxable amount. When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including Iowa real estate transfer tax. Your mortgage, liens, back taxes and share of current property taxes are separate.
Start with the Story County Recorder for recorded documents, the County real estate and property records page, and the County Assessor for parcel and value information. Ask the title company to check the records for the property you plan to sell.
Talk through the property
Call 888-274-5006 or send the property address. Tell us what needs work, who lives there and what date matters to you.
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
Share the address and the details you know about the property.