Derek Veldhouse

Starter homes aren’t what they used to be. Prices are up, mortgage rates remain high, and inventory is tight, particularly at the lower end of the market. What was once considered an easy first step into homeownership now takes more planning and stronger finances. Selecting the right starter home means focusing less on style and more on function, value and flexibility at a time when budgets leave little room for error. What Is Considered a Starter Home? A starter home is your

The answer to the question “Should I get a home inspection?” is unequivocally “yes.” It can be tempting, especially in a seller’s market, to submit an offer without this condition, but that could wind up being a very expensive mistake. When you are touring a freshly renovated, beautifully staged house, it can be easy to get caught up in the dream of moving in and putting your pictures up on the walls, and it is easy to overlook serious problems. This is not to say that the se

Spring is finally here! And with it, one housing question is top of mind: After several slow, unaffordable years , is this finally when the market rebounds? The tea leaves are really hard to read right now. Let me run through the housing outlook —from macro to micro—to explain why.  Let’s start with the macro picture: The war in Iran has injected a whole lot of uncertainty into the economy. Gas prices are up, and markets are rattled. As a result, mortgage rates spiked again

February’s housing market showed early signs of spring activity, with inventory, sales, and pending contracts all trending upward. While seasonal patterns continue to influence days on market, growing buyer activity and steady price movement suggest the market is gradually gaining momentum as the typically busy spring housing market approaches. "We’re starting to see the early stages of the spring market take shape," said Scott Steelman, president of the Des Moines Area Assoc

If you’ve been watching mortgage rates drop and thinking about how much you could save at a lower rate, you may be wondering when you can refinance your home loan to get a more favorable deal. There is no one right way to answer how soon you can refinance a home mortgage; it depends on your loan type, your lender, and your financial goals. What Is Mortgage Refinancing? Refinancing  means replacing your current mortgage with a new one, usually to get better terms. When you ref

Should You Renovate Before Selling Your House? The housing market has cooled from its peak, and mortgage rates have started to settle. In many parts of the U.S., there aren’t enough homes for sale, so sellers have an advantage. But buyers now look more closely at condition and value than they did a few years ago. Maybe your place looks good from the outside with a new roof, fresh paint, and a tidy yard. But once someone steps inside, will it make the same impression? If parts

Getting your home ready for buyers can be stressful, and it is easy to slip up even with a good agent by your side. Most sellers may not realize what really matters when showing a home or how quickly small details can turn buyers off. Simple missteps like poor lighting and cluttered rooms can hurt your chances and your final sale price. We walk through the most common mistakes and share practical home showing tips to help you avoid them. Neglecting Curb Appeal First impressio

If you’re one of the thousands of homebuyers waiting for rates to fall, you should know it’s already happening. And they recently crossed an important milestone. Rates officially dipped into the 5s - something that hasn't happened in about 3 years. This moment marked a critical threshold. Now, rates are sitting in the low 6% territory. And expert forecasts project they’ll hover near this range throughout the year. Why Current Rates Are Such a Big Deal A mortgage rate doesn’

January Housing Data Shows Growing Inventory and Steady Sales in Des Moines Metro Freezing temperatures were no match for the Des Moines metro housing market’s appeal in January. Increases in inventory and sales highlighted the frigid month, according to January housing statistics from the Des Moines Area Association of REALTORS®. “January’s numbers show the Des Moines housing market starting the year on solid footing,” said Scott Steelman, president of the Des Moines Area As

Preparing to buy a home can take time, especially if it’s your first one. A little forethought early in the process will go a long way when you’re ready to make your move. If you plan to buy a house next year, here are a few important things to start doing now. These simple steps will help streamline the process, make the experience less daunting, and provide confidence that you’re making the right moves, toward your big move. 1. Contact a REMAX Agent Buying a home on your ow

Saving money on everyday and big-ticket items often comes down to timing. Knowing when to buy specific products can unlock significant discounts and help you stretch your budget further. This guide breaks down the best times of year to purchase clothing, electronics, home goods, and seasonal items. You will find trends, sales events, and practical tips to maximize your savings. Follow the month-by-month breakdown to plan your shopping smartly and avoid paying full price. Seas

Planning to sell this spring? While you may be tempted to hold off until the first blooms or the spring showers hit, that’s actually waiting too long to get started by today’s standards. Buyers have more options than they did a few years ago. So it's worth it to tackle repairs now and make sure your house is set up to stand out. Because you don’t want to be caught scrambling right before the spring rush. Or, running out of time to do the work your house really needs.  The ke

1. Be Compassionate with Yourself Giving things away and getting organized can have an emotional component that can be a stumbling block. And when a project feels too overwhelming to tackle, it can seem like you’ve failed. It’s hard not to tie our sense of success and worth to how ‘together’ our spaces appear. Getting organized is an ongoing tool to make things easier. Give yourself grace as you navigate the process; how organized you are isn’t a reflection of your value or c

The new year is a perfect time for a home refresh to spark inspiration, open new opportunities and create a change of scenery. Whether you’re refreshing your own home or offering refreshing tips to a client, here are 10   ways to transform your space and embrace the year ahead. 1. Declutter   Before we can bring in the new, we sometimes have to say goodbye to the old, and decluttering your space can be the perfect way to kickstart your home transformation. As you collect and

Chances are, more than a couple of the top 10 most common resolutions will look familiar to you: Exercise more Lose weight Get organized Learn a new skill or hobby  Live life to the fullest Save more money / spend less money Quit smoking Spend more time with family and friends Travel more Read more Despite the best of intentions, once the glow of a fresh new year wears off, many people struggle to make good on their plans. According to a study published in the Journal of Cli

When you’re selling your home , it is natural to assume that anything you can safely remove is yours to keep—like the light fixtures you painstakingly cleaned and repaired, or the appliances you bought last year. But the truth is, the buyer may want some of those items, too, and sometimes it's better to part ways with these items for the sake of the sale. Rather than keep everything, you should decide what you'd like to keep and what you'll leave behind as a way to entice

Though winter began to make its mark on the Des Moines housing market, shifting into a seasonally-typical position in November, inventory and pending sales remained a bright spot across the metro.  “As winter rears its head, many communities brace for a traditionally slower housing market, we’re not seeing that just yet in the metro,” Eric Webster, Des Moines Area Association of REALTORS® president, said. “The energetic market we witnessed this fall, buoyed by decreases in in

How can more young people afford to buy a home?  It’s been the quintessential, million-dollar question concerning the American dream for the past few years.  With millennials finally breaking into the market—the new average age of a first-time home buyer in 2024 was 40—the focus is turning to the generation behind them: Gen Z.  A recent Realtor.com® survey of 1,000 adults aged 18–27 who currently own or hope to own a home found that 82% of respondents believe it’s harder fo

Ready for winter in your new home? As a first-time homeowner, make sure you’re prepared to handle whatever the snowy season has in store. Check out 10 items that will help you navigate and embrace the season ahead: 1. Snow removal tools A sturdy shovel is a must-have for clearing snow from your driveway, walkways and sidewalks – and be sure to keep one in your garage or near the front door for easy access ahead of winter storms. Have a car window scraper ready to go, too, for

It’s everyone’s nightmare: the turkey is ruined. Well, probably not ruined, but it certainly needs some major help or your beautiful holiday dinner will be a bust. So before you throw out that bird, here are a couple of quick tricks that might just save the day. Turkey Emergency Toolkit There are a few things you need to have on hand as part of your turkey emergency kit. These items will be necessary at the last minute so you better make sure you are prepared. An accurate mea