Need a real estate lawyer in Des Moines, Iowa?
Selling a house in Des Moines, buying one with cash, or signing a real estate contract? Danilson Law handles the legal paperwork for Des Moines property, whether the parcel sits in Polk County or in the small part of the city that lies in Warren County. That means purchase agreement review, seller transactions, cash and installment-contract closings, quit claim deeds, adding someone to a deed, and title opinions. We do not handle closings with a mortgage lender. The first step is a free 15-minute discovery call with attorney Jeremy Danilson, and you get a flat fee quote before we start.
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Danilson Law, PLC
We meet Des Moines clients by phone, by video, or at our Johnston office, about 20 minutes from downtown.
What do we handle for Des Moines buyers and sellers?
Short answer: the legal side of selling a Des Moines home, and of buying one without a bank loan. We review or draft the purchase agreement, close cash and installment-contract sales, prepare quit claim deeds, add a spouse or child to a deed, and give title opinions. Direct-sale sellers can hand us the agreement and the closing. Because Des Moines licenses rental homes, we also ask early whether anyone other than you lives in the house.
- {IC_CK} Seller transaction support
- {IC_CK} Purchase agreement support
- {IC_CK} How to add someone to a deed in Iowa
- {IC_CK} Iowa title opinion vs. title search
Which county records a Des Moines deed, Polk or Warren?
Almost always Polk. U.S. Census Bureau estimates count about 213,000 Des Moines residents in Polk County and fewer than 200 in Warren County. A deed or contract records where the land sits: downtown at 111 Court Ave. for a Polk parcel, or Indianola for a Warren parcel. The Declaration of Value is filed with that county's recorder along with the deed or contract, and that county's treasurer supplies the tax figures. We read the legal description before anyone signs.
Polk
Recorder: Polk County Recorder, 111 Court Ave., Suite 250, Des Moines
Assessor: Polk County Assessor, 111 Court Ave., Room 195, Des Moines
Treasurer: Polk County Treasurer, 111 Court Ave., Room 154, Des Moines
Warren
Recorder: Warren County Recorder, 301 N. Buxton St., Suite 109, Indianola
Assessor: Warren County Assessor, 301 N. Buxton St., Suite 108, Indianola
Treasurer: Warren County Treasurer, 301 N. Buxton St., Suite 102, Indianola
What gets filed with a Des Moines deed at the recorder?
Most Iowa deeds and real estate contracts need a Declaration of Value, and you pay the state transfer tax to the county recorder when you record. Many tax-free transfers, like gifts between spouses or from parent to child, don't need a Declaration of Value. Some do, though, including real estate contracts. See the Iowa Legislature's transfer tax chapter.
When a transfer needs a Declaration of Value, the seller must also file a groundwater hazard statement. If the property has no wells, septic system, burial site, underground tank or waste site, the seller can instead put a "no known conditions" sentence on the first page of the deed. Without it, the recorder will refuse to record the document.
If a home with 1 to 4 units uses a private septic system, a DNR-certified inspector must inspect it before the deed or contract can be recorded, and that includes when you sign a seller-financed contract. See the Iowa DNR time-of-transfer page.
Does Des Moines have its own rules when you sell a rental?
Yes. Under Des Moines' rental rules, no owner may rent a dwelling unit without a rental business license (Des Moines City Code 60-30). When a licensed property sells and stays a rental, the buyer needs its own city business account and rental business license, open violation notices stay with the property, and the renewal inspection keeps the prior schedule (Des Moines City Code 60-32). Selling a rented house? Tell us early, and the purchase agreement will say who handles open violations and the license.
Des Moines' rental rules exempt a single-household home lived in by the owner or the owner's nuclear family (Des Moines City Code 60-25). If a family member lives there instead of you, you register who lives there every three years, or tell the city when that changes. Keep that in mind when parents add a child to a deed.
What if you sell a Des Moines home on contract?
In Iowa, the seller must record a contract for the sale of a home with the county recorder within 90 days of signing, or within 30 days for sellers who have signed four or more home contracts in the past year. Late recording can bring a fine of up to $100 a day, and the seller can't start a forfeiture until the contract is recorded. See the Iowa Legislature's installment contract recording rules.
Des Moines adds a reason not to wait. For Des Moines' rental rules, a contract buyer counts as the owner only after the real estate contract is filed with the county recorder (Des Moines City Code 60-19). Until then, the city looks to the seller, who still holds legal title. We record your contract right after signing.
How far is our Johnston office from Des Moines, and do you need to come in?
Our office at 6165 NW 86th St. in Johnston is about 20 minutes from downtown Des Moines by way of I-35/80, and Beaverdale and the Drake area are on the near side. You don't need to make the drive. Take the discovery call by phone, then sign through remote online notarization or at a scheduled signing. We do not have a Des Moines office.
The city recognizes 46 neighborhood associations, from Beaverdale and Sherman Hill to Highland Park and the East Village. To find the neighborhood inspector for an address, use the city's Show Me My House tool.
Des Moines real estate FAQs
Nearly all Des Moines residents live in Polk County, so most deeds record at 111 Court Ave. downtown. A small piece of the city lies in Warren County, and those parcels record in Indianola. Your property tax statement shows the county. We confirm it so the deed, the Declaration of Value, and the tax proration all match.
If the buyer keeps renting it, the buyer needs its own city business account and rental business license. Open violation notices stay with the property and still need to be fixed, and the renewal inspection stays on your schedule. Sort out who handles those in the purchase agreement, not at the closing table.
Not if the person living there is part of your nuclear family and it's a single-household home. Des Moines' rental rules exempt that case. You do need to register the family members who live there every three years, or tell the city when that changes.
Only after the real estate contract is recorded with the county recorder. Until then, the city's rental rules treat you, the titleholder, as the owner. Iowa also requires the seller to record a home sale contract within 90 days of signing, or 30 days for sellers who sign four or more a year. We record right after signing, which covers both.
We don't close lender-financed purchases. Your buyer's lender brings its own closing agent, and we can still be your lawyer on the sale side: purchase agreement, title questions, and the deed.
Three steps from hello to closing.
A discovery call is a free 15-minute call with attorney Jeremy Danilson. Here's what happens after you reach out.
Book your call
Pick a convenient time using the form above, or call 515-512-5500 any time, day or night. Claire, our AI assistant, answers every unscheduled call — she can answer common questions and book your discovery call on the spot, so you never hit voicemail. Attorney calls are always scheduled in advance, so when we talk, your file has our full attention.
We learn your situation
Tell attorney Jeremy Danilson about your transaction, whether you're buying, selling, investing, or something in between. We'll ask a few questions and answer yours, in plain English.
We quote your flat fee up front
If we're a good fit, we'll give you a single flat fee before any work begins. No hourly billing, no surprise invoices, no commitment until you're ready.
Selling or signing in Des Moines? Let's talk.
Book a free 15-minute call with Jeremy Danilson. You'll leave it knowing which county gets your paperwork, whether the city's rental rules touch your sale, and the flat fee before any work starts. Claire, our AI assistant, answers calls day or night and can book the call for you.
Prefer to write first? Use the form above. New inquiries get a reply within one business day.