Ames, Iowa · Story County
We're USA Home Buyers. We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us. Find Story County property-record offices, Iowa sale-cost information, and local pages for common selling situations.
Call 888-274-5006 or send the Ames property address to request a cash offer.
Use the county links below for records and the form to tell us about the house and ask for a written cash offer.
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
Share the property address and what is happening with the house.
Useful county offices
The Assessor handles real-property assessment, the Auditor maintains ownership and map records, and the Recorder keeps public records that include land transactions. Use the address and the record you need to choose the right starting point.
Story County, Iowa · real-property assessment
Start here with a question about how real property is assessed or an assessment record. The Assessor handles valuation for assessment; use the Auditor or Recorder for ownership and recorded land documents.
Assessor Functions & Services ↗Story County, Iowa · ownership records, plat maps, and transfer books
The Auditor maintains current property-ownership records, plat maps, and transfer books. Use this page when you need the county’s property-record path or a plat-map reference.
Real Estate & Property Records ↗Story County, Iowa · public records, including land transactions
Use the Recorder’s public-records page for land-transaction documents that record title. Recorded documents, property ownership records, and assessed values are different records, so start with the office that matches your question.
Recorder & Vital Records ↗Iowa sale-cost rule
Iowa charges 80 cents for each $500, or fraction of $500, of the sale price above the first $500. The person conveying the property—normally the seller—is liable under state law, and the county recorder cannot record the deed until the tax is paid. Iowa lists exemptions for some family, divorce, and estate-distribution transfers and for transfers of $500 or less. Ask the closing professional to check the taxable amount, whether an exemption applies, and whether a declaration of value is required.
When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including Iowa real estate transfer tax. Your mortgage balance, liens, back taxes, and share of current property taxes remain separate.
Situation-specific information
Estate paperwork, authority to sign, and an inherited property sale.
Options and deadlines when a mortgage or foreclosure notice is involved.
Questions about a jointly owned house and selling during divorce.
Leases, access, occupancy, and a sale with tenants in place.
Ames-area property notices, repairs, and an as-is sale comparison.
A local page for comparing options after damage to a house.
A local page for property lien and payoff questions.
Read or compare
Compare a direct as-is sale with listing and other ways to sell in Ames.
Read a local comparison of available ways to sell an as-is house.
Browse practical seller topics in the Ames article hub.
Review Ames market context and its source links separately.
See the steps from property review through written terms and closing.
Ames, IA Home Sale Net Proceeds Calculator
CalculatorCompare what you would keep from listing your house or selling as-is for cash. Change the repair costs, cleanout, monthly bills and closing costs to fit your house.
Reviews and contact
Testimonials are real, from our transactions, verified and approved by our attorneys. Nearby-market testimonials keep their actual location; they are not Ames purchase claims.
Call 888-274-5006 or use the form above to ask for a written cash offer on an Ames or Story County house.
Contact the Story County Assessor about real-property assessment and assessment records. The Assessor’s page is linked above; the Auditor and Recorder handle different property records.
Use the Story County Auditor’s Real Estate & Property Records page. The county identifies the Auditor as maintaining current property-ownership records, plat maps, and transfer books.
Start with the Story County Recorder & Vital Records page for public records that include land transactions documenting title. The Assessor’s assessment work and the Auditor’s ownership records are separate tasks.
Iowa directs payment to the county recorder, and the deed is not recorded until the tax is paid. Ask the closing professional to confirm the taxable amount, any exemption, and whether a declaration of value is required for your transaction.