Articles about Featured Resources

A Seller's Guide to Closing Documents in Iowa

The week before closing is when the paper shows up. A payoff statement from your mortgage company. A deed you are supposed to sign in front of a notary. Something called a ...

How to Add Someone to a Deed in Iowa (Read This Before You Sign)

Every few weeks somebody calls my office with what sounds like a five-minute favor. "Jeremy, I just want to add my spouse to the deed." Or "I want to put my daughter on the house ...

The 4 Essential Parts of a Real Estate Sales Contract

Real Estate 101: The Difference Between Appraised Value and Assessed Value

Do you know the value of your home?

How Property Taxes in Iowa Work

Iowa is one of many states that has a property tax assessed to virtually all residential and commercial property. However, property taxes are not assessed merely based upon the ...

4 Benefits of Forming an LLC to Invest in Real Estate

Investing in real estate is one of the best ways to earn a passive income, if you do it right. Like most other investments, however, real estate has its own ups and downs and a ...

5 Common Residential Real Estate Title Issues

Whether you are investing in property for buying your own home, one of the most important documents to the transaction is the abstract. An abstract contains the chain of title for ...

Iowa Property Taxes: Understanding How They Are Calculated

Property taxes are an essential source of revenue for state and local governments. If you own property in Iowa, actively understanding how your property taxes are calculated is ...

Property Survey: A Critical Step in Iowa Real Estate Transactions

A property survey is essential when buying or building a property in Iowa. They ensure the deed correctly describes and conveys all of the land in the transaction, and can prevent ...

Installment Contracts: What are they and when are they used?

Real estate installment contracts are a financing option that allows for periodic payments instead of a lump sum payment. Also known as a land contract, contract for deed, or ...

Earnest Money in Iowa Real Estate: What You Need to Know

As an Iowa Real Estate Attorney, I have come across many home buyers and sellers who are unsure about earnest money. It is a basic concept that can have significant implications ...

You Won’t Find Title Insurance in Iowa: What That Means and Why Iowa’s Solution is Better

Iowa has the cleanest title in the country. While Iowa doesn’t have title insurance like the rest of the country, we use a state-specific solution, that works to the benefit of ...