All Access

All-Access Weekly Digest

Standard

Des Moines

Picture of the Des Moines skyline with DSM written across it.

blue

Get smarter, faster about what’s happening in your backyard with local reporters Jason Clayworth and Linh Ta.

Axios Des Moines Thought Bubble

Thought Bubble

Axios Des Moines

Axios Des Moines Deep Dive

Deep Dive

Des Moines Members

Membership

Microsoft's AI epicenter is an Iowa water hog

Company is told it must "significantly reduce peak water usage" before expanding.

News

How Iowans are helping Ukrainians raise hogs

Raising pigs is a more profitable way of using grain supply.

Dog euthanizations on the rise in Des Moines

The Animal Rescue League of Iowa's dog intakes are also up.

Kum & Go officially sells

Maverik — Adventure's First Stop is now the nation's 11th largest convenience store chain.

Business

Iowa homes aren't prepared for more frequent 100° days

By 2053, Iowa is expected to endure more days over 100 degrees.

Climate

Iowa is expected to endure more &quot;extreme heat&quot; days of 100°F or more in the next 30 years — but experts tell <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Midwest Newsroom" data-vars-click-url="https://www.iowapublicradio.org/2023-09-13/the-future-of-the-midwest-includes-hazardous-heat-and-most-of-our-homes-are-not-ready" data-vars-content-id="9720291f-739f-4d8d-a08b-bc6c4037c065" data-vars-headline="Iowa homes aren&#x27;t prepared for more frequent 100° days" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.iowapublicradio.org/2023-09-13/the-future-of-the-midwest-includes-hazardous-heat-and-most-of-our-homes-are-not-ready" target="_blank">Midwest Newsroom</a> our homes aren&#x27;t prepared for it.Why it matters: Extreme heat results in hardships such as higher energy consumption and health risks like heat stroke.

Animated illustration of sunlight hitting the floor through a window with blinds on it, and the window shape changes into an exclamation point.

Downtown Des Moines' office vacancies slowly recovering

Vacancies are ticking down in downtown Des Moines' offices.

While downtown office vacancies are showing signs of recovery from pandemic-era losses, it will take creativity by developers to fill larger spaces, says TJ Jacobs of commercial brokerage firm CBRE.Why it matters: Full office spaces bring more foot traffic to surrounding areas, helping nearby retailers and restaurants.

an illustration of a person with a briefcase walking in front of a teal background with graph paper overlay

Fixer-uppers are scaring off Des Moines home buyers

We asked local selling experts about fixes worth making.

Real Estate

Des Moines homeowners looking to sell for top-dollar should be thinking: renovations.Why it matters: Homebuyers already hampered by <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="gravity-defying prices" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/17/housing-prices-affordability-rise-fall-2023-goldman-sachs" data-vars-content-id="19802d0e-4a0d-4d56-a0d6-85f75ecb7a94" data-vars-headline="Fixer-uppers are scaring off Des Moines home buyers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/17/housing-prices-affordability-rise-fall-2023-goldman-sachs" target="_self">gravity-defying prices</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="mortgage rates" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/22/mortgage-rates-current" data-vars-content-id="19802d0e-4a0d-4d56-a0d6-85f75ecb7a94" data-vars-headline="Fixer-uppers are scaring off Des Moines home buyers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/22/mortgage-rates-current" target="_self">mortgage rates</a> don&#x27;t want to spring for a place that looks like an HGTV &quot;before&quot; photo. (Unless you&#x27;re actually <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="on" data-vars-click-url="https://www.facebook.com/PieTownProductions/posts/738354464957983?ref=embed_post" data-vars-content-id="19802d0e-4a0d-4d56-a0d6-85f75ecb7a94" data-vars-headline="Fixer-uppers are scaring off Des Moines home buyers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/PieTownProductions/posts/738354464957983?ref=embed_post" target="_blank">on</a> <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="HGTV" data-vars-click-url="https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/entertainment/television/2023/06/08/hgtv-show-house-hunters-comes-to-central-iowa-with-real-estate-agent-thomas-payne-and-local-couple/70303180007/" data-vars-content-id="19802d0e-4a0d-4d56-a0d6-85f75ecb7a94" data-vars-headline="Fixer-uppers are scaring off Des Moines home buyers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/entertainment/television/2023/06/08/hgtv-show-house-hunters-comes-to-central-iowa-with-real-estate-agent-thomas-payne-and-local-couple/70303180007/" target="_blank">HGTV</a>.)<ul><li>&quot;If the home is ready to go, buyers feel more comfortable biting off the higher payment,&quot; local broker <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Jen Stanbrough" data-vars-click-url="https://jenstanbroughrealestate.com/" data-vars-content-id="19802d0e-4a0d-4d56-a0d6-85f75ecb7a94" data-vars-headline="Fixer-uppers are scaring off Des Moines home buyers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://jenstanbroughrealestate.com/" target="_blank">Jen Stanbrough</a> tells Axios.</li></ul>

Illustration of two hammers forming an "X" shape. 

Newly built home sales spike in Des Moines and the Midwest

"You're not having to wait six months for a stove."

Des Moines&#x27; market for newly built homes is thriving as fewer homeowners want to sell.Why it matters: With U.S. mortgage rates at a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="22-year high" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/17/mortgage-rates-2001-loan" data-vars-content-id="ad3ce33c-dc2c-44ed-aa17-334e79f95606" data-vars-headline="Newly built home sales spike in Des Moines and the Midwest" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/17/mortgage-rates-2001-loan" target="_self">22-year high</a>, golden handcuffs are locking up housing inventory, and that&#x27;s fueling buyers&#x27; appetite for new builds, according to real estate experts.

Historic Iowa Capitol rowhouse may get a sibling

A new infill rowhouse could share the historic building's patio.

Development

A rowhouse relocated a decade ago to make way for an Iowa Capitol grounds expansion will have a new sibling under a proposal approved this week by the Des Moines Landmark Review Board.Catch up fast: The 143-year-old rowhouse was a private residence and later home to multiple Scandinavian community groups, including the Norden Singing Society.

A photo of the Norden Hall building in Des Moines.

Historic Edward H. Jones House is saved; now for sale

The nearly 3,000-square-foot Vicotrian-style home was built almost 135 years ago.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The Edward H. Jones House" data-vars-click-url="https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/693-19th-St_Des-Moines_IA_50314_M83579-03695?cid=eml_shares_core_ldp_ios&amp;source_caller=sdk&amp;pid=af_app_invites&amp;af_sub4=LDP&amp;shortlink=0tak9m51&amp;af_sub2=https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/693-19th-St_Des-Moines_IA_50314_M83579-03695?cid=eml_shares_core_ldp_ios&amp;af_referrer_customer_id=7AB90ACE-2B00-45AE-9318-9FA96EDA910E&amp;af_channel=eml_shares_core_ldp_ios&amp;af_siteid=336698281&amp;af_referrer_uid=1589133589316-5524775" data-vars-content-id="5037392e-c1ce-472a-a5ad-59c80a837873" data-vars-headline="Historic Edward H. Jones House is saved; now for sale" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/693-19th-St_Des-Moines_IA_50314_M83579-03695?cid=eml_shares_core_ldp_ios&amp;source_caller=sdk&amp;pid=af_app_invites&amp;af_sub4=LDP&amp;shortlink=0tak9m51&amp;af_sub2=https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/693-19th-St_Des-Moines_IA_50314_M83579-03695?cid=eml_shares_core_ldp_ios&amp;af_referrer_customer_id=7AB90ACE-2B00-45AE-9318-9FA96EDA910E&amp;af_channel=eml_shares_core_ldp_ios&amp;af_siteid=336698281&amp;af_referrer_uid=1589133589316-5524775" target="_blank">The Edward H. Jones House</a> was listed for sale Tuesday after a major historic rehabilitation saved it from demolition.Why it matters: It&#x27;s a &quot;contributing resource&quot; to Sherman Hill&#x27;s local and national historic district, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="city documents" data-vars-click-url="https://councildocs.dsm.city/resolutions/20190408/30.pdf" data-vars-content-id="5037392e-c1ce-472a-a5ad-59c80a837873" data-vars-headline="Historic Edward H. Jones House is saved; now for sale" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://councildocs.dsm.city/resolutions/20190408/30.pdf" target="_blank">city documents</a>.

Nebraska residents want Des Moines real estate

A growing share of searches for metro homes that originate outside our area come from Omaha.

A growing share of searches for metro homes that originate outside our area come from Omaha, according to pageview data Zillow shared with Axios that compares the first quarter of this year to last.Why it matters: Our <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="increasingly sweeter smells" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2023/06/29/odor-desmoines-darling-wiechman-pineridge-iowa" data-vars-content-id="2aa1b8bc-e916-490e-8765-1d6f5978ef1b" data-vars-headline="Nebraska residents want Des Moines real estate" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2023/06/29/odor-desmoines-darling-wiechman-pineridge-iowa" target="_self">increasingly sweeter smells</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="lower tax rates" data-vars-click-url="https://platteinstitute.org/lower-taxes-spur-new-nebraska-iowa-rivalry/" data-vars-content-id="2aa1b8bc-e916-490e-8765-1d6f5978ef1b" data-vars-headline="Nebraska residents want Des Moines real estate" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://platteinstitute.org/lower-taxes-spur-new-nebraska-iowa-rivalry/" target="_blank">lower tax rates</a> are undoubtedly alluring more Cornhuskers.By the numbers: Just over 13% of all page views for DSM-area Zillow listings in Q1 this year were from Omaha, up from around 10% in 2022, Axios&#x27; Brianna Crane reports.<ul><li>Omaha lookers accounted for almost half of all page views originating from outside the metro.</li></ul>🕺 The bottom line: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="We&#x27;re sexy and we know it" data-vars-click-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyx6JDQCslE" data-vars-content-id="2aa1b8bc-e916-490e-8765-1d6f5978ef1b" data-vars-headline="Nebraska residents want Des Moines real estate" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyx6JDQCslE" target="_blank">We&#x27;re sexy and we know it</a>.Editor&#x27;s note: This article originally appeared in the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios Des Moines newsletter" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/signup/des-moines" data-vars-content-id="2aa1b8bc-e916-490e-8765-1d6f5978ef1b" data-vars-headline="Nebraska residents want Des Moines real estate" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/signup/des-moines" target="_self">Axios Des Moines newsletter</a>.

Iowa is one of the cheapest states for home down payments

The majority of millennials in Des Moines own rather than rent — about 73%.

It&#x27;ll take Iowans an average of a little over five years to save up for a 10% down payment on a typical home in our state, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Zillow data shows" data-vars-click-url="https://www.zillow.com/research/understanding-affordability-32538/" data-vars-content-id="899ed896-594a-42ae-83c4-a72d20074d84" data-vars-headline="Iowa is one of the cheapest states for home down payments" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.zillow.com/research/understanding-affordability-32538/" target="_blank">Zillow data shows</a>.<ul><li>That accounts for saving 5% of the median household income every month.</li></ul>

Downtown Des Moines business to leave historic depot space

Business Publications Corp. is leaving its Depot space to move into the Plaza instead.

A longtime media business is moving from its historic downtown Depot location to the Plaza.Driving the news: Connie Wimer, the owner of Business Publications Corp., is selling the building at 100 4th Street near the downtown Hy-Vee and Hessen Haus.Why it matters: Downtown Des Moines is undergoing <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a landscape change" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2023/01/30/desmoines-downtown-exodus-wellsfargo-meredith" data-vars-content-id="239cac24-7963-4304-8dfa-dc5ef151dc6b" data-vars-headline="Downtown Des Moines business to leave historic depot space" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2023/01/30/desmoines-downtown-exodus-wellsfargo-meredith" target="_self">a landscape change</a> as more businesses leave or downsize office space, including Nationwide and Wells Fargo.

Housing prices in Des Moines' suburbs continue to rise

Homes for under $300K are especially hard to find right now in the suburbs.

Housing prices in Des Moines&#x27; suburbs continue to shoot up, especially in outer areas where new housing stock is growing like outside Bondurant, Adel and Huxley.Driving the news: New housing prompted by population growth in the suburbs continues to raise median home prices there, Ted Weaver, a RE/MAX real estate broker, tells Axios.

Real Estate 🏠