Des Moines, Iowa · Polk County · Warren County · 2026 seller guide
USA Home Buyers buys houses as-is in Des Moines, Polk County, and Warren County. We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours. Written offer and written terms before you commit; title-company closing.
Call 888-274-5006 or start with the property address.
The short answer
We buy houses as-is in Des Moines, Polk County, and Warren County. You do not have to repair, clean, or clear out the house to sell to us. The incorporated City of Des Moines intersects both counties, but that citywide fact does not determine a particular parcel’s county. Share the address, condition, occupancy, and timing so the comparison starts with the actual property.
Call 888-274-5006 or use the form above to ask for a written cash offer.
Compare the choices
Listing may fit a house that is ready to show and an owner who can manage preparation and waiting. Price repair bids, cleanout, photos, showings, inspection responses, commissions if you use an agent, concessions, utilities, insurance, taxes, and the time you carry the property against the likely sale price.
Ask for written price and terms before deciding. Compare the number with the work and costs you avoid, plus the payoff, tax, title, occupancy, and other property details that affect what you keep. Closing is through a title company.
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 Des Moines, IA 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.
These measures describe housing prices and selling conditions for the areas and periods shown. Compare them alongside repair costs, your mortgage payoff and selling costs.
| Measure | Value | Source and area | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $225,750 | Redfin · Des Moines, IA | Three months ending August 2026 |
| Median days on market | 24 days | Redfin · Des Moines, IA | Three months ending August 2026 |
| Homes sold | 870 homes | Redfin · Des Moines, IA | Three months ending August 2026 |
| Typical home value (Zillow ZHVI) | $210,572 | Zillow · Des Moines, IA | As of August 2026 |
| For-sale inventory | 1,031 homes | Zillow · Des Moines, IA | As of August 2026 |
Include utilities, other bills and any mortgage payments while waiting to sell. Allow time for closing, too.
Zillow’s typical home value is market context, not a value or offer for one house: $210,572 (As of August 2026; Zillow typical home value for Des Moines, IA).
The calculator is an estimate. Change the assumptions and compare what you might keep after selling costs; the figure is not a property-specific settlement calculation.
Des Moines property questions
The Citywide Housing Strategy describes many Des Moines homes as older, converted to rental use, and needing repairs. That is citywide planning context, not a conclusion about one house. Start with the actual property condition and check any City notices or address-specific requirements before deciding what work to do.
The City says a house not occupied by its owner must have a rental certificate or license and that inspectors inspect rental units. Check the current record for the address; this does not establish a particular house’s status or a sale-specific certificate requirement.
The City says its Property Maintenance Code applies to occupied, business-used, and vacant properties. Its page links to vacant-property registration and a foreclosure list. Check current notices and address-specific records; a sale does not itself erase an existing order or deadline.
Exterior modifications in a Local Historic District require a Certificate of Appropriateness, the City’s review of proposed exterior work. Check the address and project with the City; a neighborhood name alone does not establish district status.
The City lists 46 recognized neighborhood associations and an address-based neighborhood finder. Its local-area labels include Beaverdale and Historic East Village; use the address tool for orientation rather than treating a neighborhood name as a parcel or county determination. City neighborhood associations · Find a Des Moines neighborhood
Iowa closing questions
The deed, estate or court papers, current notices, and property-specific payoff records matter. A title company can check the documents and settlement numbers for this sale; ask an Iowa attorney about legal advice on your particular situation.
Often, yes, an inherited Iowa house can be sold before the estate is finished, but the sale normally goes through the court-appointed personal representative, not an heir acting alone. A will may give that representative power to sell. Otherwise, the representative generally petitions the court, gives notice to interested people unless they waive it in writing, gets an order, and later files a report for court approval. A homestead is sold as the court directs, and a surviving spouse may have the right to keep it. Have the title company or an Iowa estate attorney check the will, appointment papers, deed, and any court orders before relying on a closing plan.
Iowa inheritance tax does not apply to deaths on or after January 1, 2025. That tax rule does not decide who has authority to sign or whether a particular house is subject to a mortgage or lien.
Iowa Code §633.383 — power given in a will · §633.386 — purposes of sale and homestead · §633.388 — petition to sell · §561.12 — surviving spouse and homestead · Iowa inheritance tax.
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. Before suing, most lenders must give the owner of an occupied one- or two-family home 30 days to cure the default 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 cases generally allow one year to redeem after the sale, 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. Have the title company or an attorney confirm the current deadline and amount needed.
If a foreclosure sale is scheduled, tell us the date right away so we can try to close before it.
Iowa Code chapter 654 — foreclosure by action and cure notice · §626.75 — notice of sale · Iowa Code chapter 628 — redemption periods · §654.20 — foreclosure without redemption.
A sale does not by itself require a tenant to move. Iowa law makes the buyer the successor landlord and sets steps for handling rental deposits when the seller’s interest ends: the deposit, less lawful deductions, may be transferred to the buyer with written notice, or returned to the tenant. Bring the lease, deposit records, notices, access limits, and possession plan into the sale discussion. Check the actual lease and current legal requirements before making a move-out plan.
Iowa Code §562A.12 — rental deposits · §562A.16 — landlord liability after sale · Des Moines tenant-occupied property guidance.
Iowa charges 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, or $159.20. The person conveying the property, normally the seller, is liable under the law; the county Recorder will not record the deed until applicable tax is paid. A declaration of value is filed when required, and some family, divorce, estate-distribution, and $500-or-less transfers are exempt. Ask the closing professional to confirm the taxable amount and whether an exemption applies.
When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including Iowa real estate transfer tax. Mortgage balances, liens, back taxes, and your share of current property taxes are separate.
Iowa Code §428A.1 — rate and declaration of value · §428A.2 — exemptions · §428A.3 — who is liable · Iowa Code chapter 428A.
Where to find help
The incorporated City of Des Moines intersects Polk and Warren counties. Check the exact address or parcel before choosing an Assessor, Treasurer, Recorder, or court contact. Those offices handle different records; a city name does not establish a property’s tax balance, title, lien, or court status.
Polk County · assessed value and parcel records
Ask about assessed value or a parcel record. The Assessor is not the office for an unpaid tax balance or recorded deed.
Polk County · property-tax accounts
Use the Treasurer for a property-tax account, payment, or unpaid-balance question.
Polk County · recorded real-estate documents
Use the Recorder for a deed or other recorded real-estate document. Court filings are separate records.
Polk County · Clerk of Court contact route
Use the case information on a court notice for filing or case-access questions. This link does not determine a specific case’s venue or outcome.
Warren County · assessed value and parcel records
Ask about assessed value or a parcel record for a Warren County property.
Warren County · property-tax accounts
Use the Treasurer for a property-tax account, payment, or unpaid-balance question.
Warren County · recorded property documents
Use the Recorder for a deed or other recorded property document. Court filings are separate records.
Warren County · Clerk of Court contact route
Use the case information on a court notice for filing or case-access questions. This link does not determine a specific case’s venue or outcome.
For City rental, vacant-property, maintenance, and historic-district questions, use the linked City pages above. For longer seller guidance, see the Iowa statutes linked in the closing section and the Des Moines pages below.
Have a question about the house? Call 888-274-5006 or send the address in the form above.
Yes. USA Home Buyers buys houses as-is in Des Moines, Polk County, and Warren County. We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us.
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours. Written offer and written terms before you commit; title-company closing.
The incorporated City of Des Moines intersects Polk County and Warren County. The city name or mailing address does not identify the county for a particular parcel; check the property address and use the office for its actual county.
Usually the court-appointed personal representative handles an estate sale; an heir should not assume they can sign alone. The will, appointment papers, deed, and any court order determine the authority for a particular property. Ask the title company or an Iowa estate attorney to review those records.
No. A sale does not by itself end the lease or require the tenant to move. Share the lease, deposit records, notices, access limits, and possession plan so the actual handover can be checked.
Iowa real estate transfer tax is 80 cents for each $500, or fraction of $500, of the price above the first $500; exemptions may apply. When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including Iowa real estate transfer tax. Mortgage balances, liens, back taxes, and your share of current property taxes are separate.
Call 888-274-5006 or use the form above. Share the address and the question that is making the sale difficult.