Iowa REALTORS® Blog

The RE/MAX Concepts team in Waterloo–Cedar Falls showed up ready to work during their annual Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity Build Day this fall. 

It’s not often that legislative priorities in Iowa and Illinois align, but when Accessory Dwelling Units became a topic of discussion in both state legislatures, it was a big “win” for the Quad City Area REALTORS®. 

Student Built Home. 

The name of the program is quite literal: High school students in the Quad Cities area work together under the direction of skilled instructors to construct a home. 

There was rain in the forecast for Rock Valley, Iowa on June 21, 2024. Dawn DeWit came home from her custodial job at the school that afternoon to find a tag on the door recommending that her family evacuate, though there was no mandatory order to do so. 

Earnest money is a “good faith deposit” made by a homebuyer to a seller, and is typically held in an escrow account until the close of sale. But what happens when a buyer doesn’t provide earnest money as outlined in their purchase agreement?

The Iowa Real Estate Commission (IREC) has adopted several important rule changes that impact how real estate professionals conduct business across the state. 

September is REALTOR® Safety Month, a time dedicated to reinforcing the importance of safety in the real estate profession. 

Four years ago, members of the East Central Iowa Association of REALTORS® Community Involvement Committee set out to create a summer volunteer activity, and they had backpacks on their mind. After connecting with Dubuque and Western Dubuque School Districts, they learned of the St. Mark Youth Enrichment Apples for Students program. The rest, as they say, is history. 

In a world of YouTube tutorials, DIY home projects, and endless real estate apps, it might be tempting to sell your home without a professional. After all, how hard can it be to list a property and find a buyer?

With real estate apps at your fingertips and listings just a click away, it might seem like you can buy a home on your own. After all, how hard can it be to tour a few places and make an offer?

Have you ever received a call to help sell a property that just didn’t seem right? Perhaps the seller claimed they needed to quickly sell a property they inherited from their family, that they can only communicate via email and text and they want to list below market value for a quick sale? 

The Home Inspection Accountability Act (SF460) passed both the Iowa House and Senate on a unanimous bipartisan basis and was signed into law by Governor Reynolds. This legislation establishes comprehensive regulations for home inspections codifying qualifications for home inspectors, standards for inspection reports, and penalties for non-compliance, and is effective July 1, 2025.

Real estate in Iowa and nationwide has seen an evolution in recent years, leading to passage of new laws and policies to address the changing real estate landscape. This has also necessitated updates to  Iowa administrative rules (193E) to ensure they are in compliance with enacted legislation. Below is a summary of the latest Iowa Real Estate Commission rule changes, effective in June 2025:

As REALTORS® living and working in a community built around beautiful lakes, the Iowa Great Lakes Board of REALTORS® leadership team and members know firsthand how important water activities are to families in the area, and safety is always at the forefront of their minds. 

Iowa REALTORS® is reflecting on a positive 2025 Iowa legislative session where we achieved several bipartisan policy wins with an emphasis on increasing housing supply and consumer protection measures. These legislative wins would not have been possible without our members from across the state advocating for the passage of these bills. 

While the latest housing stats report from Iowa REALTORS® shows a welcome increase in housing inventory across the state, Iowa, like most of the country, continues to face housing inventory challenges.