MikeDavisHomes.com

Welcome To MikeDavisHomes.com!

Hi there!  I'm Mike Davis, a Realtor with RE/MAX Real Estate Concepts in Des Moines, Iowa.  I've been a Realtor for 15 years.  How can I help YOU?

Whether you're a seller, a buyer, or both, you'll find what you need here at MikeDavisHomes.com -- just click the links on the right side of this page.  And be sure to follow me on Twitter!

Contact me: mike@mikedavishomes.com or 515.259.1078.

Thanks for visiting,
Mike

Here's what people have to say about Mike Davis:

"I hope you and your team realize how much I appreciate your help, whether it be via emails, or showings. After my initial disappointment when I realized that property on [removed] wasn't going to be a good resale, I thought to myself how lucky I was to have your knowledge behind me. Any realtor could have told me that the comps were selling for good $$, and not pointed out the landscaping, and how tough that might be to sell." -- Mike Tigges, Des Moines

"Thank you and Danielle for all of your help- the process went by relatively painless! :) You guys are great. Sure I know it is your job, but I never felt like you were telling me something for the sake of making a buck. I know you had my best interest in mind and that says something considering today's sales world. I'll be sure to send everyone I know your way if they're looking to buy!" -- Stacy, Des Moines

"When we were ready to find a house 200 miles from our home we discovered Mike Davis' website.  He was great to help us find just the right house we were looking for.  He walked us right through the process and was very patient in answering all of our questions.  We would highly recommend Mike as your Realtor.  We know whenever we want to purchase property-he will be the first person we look up." -- Rebecca & Michael, Des Moines

"Buying a home was easier than I'd ever imagined. Mike did a wonderful job of keeping us informed throughout the entire process. We confidently put our trust in Mike and would recommend him to our family and friends." -- Mandy and Lee, Des Moines

"Thanks for finding the home that fits my needs. I appreciated the time you took to find the right home in the town that reminds me of where I grew up. You went the extra mile and I thank you for that. The whole process went very smoothly. Thanks Again!!" -- Stephen M., Altoona

"Purchasing a home can be a stressful event, especially for first time buyers. We were very fortunate to have found an outstanding agent named Mike Davis. Mike made sure the whole process went as smooth and quickly as possible, and he kept us informed and involved every step of the way. He is a very personable real estate agent and constantly kept our best interests in mind. Being newlyweds, money can be tight at times. Mike really understood where we were coming from as far as our finances were concerned. He didn't pressure us into buying something we really couldn't afford or try to push us into buying the first home we looked at. He was very patient with us while we looked at several houses, and was very knowledgeable and thorough when showing them. We believe Mike really kept our best interests in mind and found us the the perfect starter home, at a minimal cost. Our house payment now is really not much more than what we were paying for a one bedroom apartment, and we have so much more! He also worked it out that we only had to pay around $900 at the closing! We feel Mike Davis is a top notch person, and anyone considering purchasing a home would be very fortunate to have him as an agent. We not only consider him our real estate agent, but also a friend." -- Bob and Holly, Des Moines

"Mike took the time to come over and see our old home, gave us a marketing analysis on our old property including comparable listings from the MLS system, and gave us his opinion of what the house was worth. Since Mike was so helpful selling our old home, it made it an easy choice to use him to find our next home. Mike kept us informed of new homes being added to the market via email notifications and has some great checklists and referrals to offer of lenders, mortgage companies, and inspectors. Mike made the home buying process easy and always made himself available for questions. Thanks Mike!" -- Sam & Dawn, Urbandale

"Being first time home buyers we had a lot of questions and Mike did a great job of giving us very direct and accurate answers in a timely manner.  In addition to supplying us with several different homes to look at, once we found the one we wanted, Mike was extremely thorough in explaining the whole process and what questions we needed to be asking to ensure that we were making a sound investment.  In a nutshell, we felt good about the entire process because we could tell we were working with a person who knew what he was doing and had our best interest in mind." -- Jim and Tammy, West Des Moines

"Buyer's Market" Doesn't Even Begin To Cover It.

Interesting article: Housing Market Slows As Buyers Get Picky.  My favorite quote from the article:

It is a reversal of roles from the boom, when competing buyers were sometimes reduced to writing heartfelt letters saying how much they loved the house and how they promised to eternally worship the memory of the previous owners. These days, it is the buyers who are coldly seeking the absolute best deal while the sellers are left in emotional turmoil.

I remember those days well: Seller agents demanding to know where my buyers worked, what their credit score was, why they wanted to buy the home... all kinds of ridiculous stuff, when all that really mattered was that my buyers had been preapproved and could buy.

"Buyer's Market" doesn't even begin to sum up the state of things right now in real estate.  If you're thinking about buying a home, my advice is to do it now or sometime soon, while the market is working for you and not against you.

Because real estate is cyclical, and one thing I've learned is that things always change.

--

Mike Davis is a REALTOR in Des Moines, Iowa.  Contact him if you are thinking about buying a home, at mike@mikedavishomes.com or 515.259.1078.

Experts see underlying weakness in housing - MSNBC.com

It's still a Buyer's Market.  From MSNBC.com:

“Anyone expecting a robust rebound in the housing market ... will be sorely disappointed,” said Stan Humphries, chief economist for the online real estate database Zillow.com.

Although sales of existing homes and new homes rose for two straight months in March and April, values are still weakening, according to the widely watched Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index reported Tuesday.

What does this mean for you?  If you're a buyer -- especially a first-time homebuyer -- it's good news.  How in the world could this possibly be GOOD news, you ask?

A fair question.  Answer?  Because it means that we are still in a Buyer's Market.  When is the right time to buy something, when it's priced high, or priced low?  Well, of course low.  But that doesn't mean that after you own that home, that things won't turn around... they always do.  There are always more and more people, and yet there's just that same amount of land.  People will always need a place to live, and they are either going to rent it, or they are going to buy it.  You just can't beat real estate as an investment, but that's easy to forget when bad news is on CNBC all the time.

People don't need gold.  Or stocks.  Or bonds.  Or other investments.  They need a place to live.  That and leverage is why real estate is the best investment around.  (Notice I said investment -- not "get rich quick scheme".)

Besides... the Des Moines real estate market is better than all those "bad news" places around the country!

Should you buy out of your price range?  Should you buy the biggest home you can afford?  Absolutely not.  Make sure that you are comfortable with the payments -- with rates as low as they are, in most cases, you're going to be paying less than you do for rent.

And remember that what is BAD news for sellers, is GOOD news for buyers.

If you're ready to buy your first home, email me at mike@mikedavishomes.com !

Life After the Homebuyer Tax Credit

So... the homebuyer tax credit is over.  Is it still a good time to be a first-time homebuyer?  Of course it is.  Here are a few good reasons why:

Rates are still unbelievably low, and they won't stay like that forever.  As I write this, rates are at 4.82%.  That's incredible.  Obviously, you can afford more home for the same payment when rates are low.

It's a buyer's market.  I showed a lot of homes to a lot of buyers the past few weeks, and I can tell you that the constant phone calls from sellers' agents got pretty old, asking me what my buyers thought of the homes.  Buyers have a lot of choices right now.

Appreciation.  It never ceases to amaze me that some people have little or no qualms about buying a car on credit (for example) yet they are squeamish about buying a home.  Why do I say this?  Simply because a car goes down in value.  In the Des Moines metro area, homes go UP in value.  I've been a Realtor for 15 years and the trend has always been up.  Are there years that are better than others?  Yes.  Are there years when home values flatten or don't appreciate as well?  Of course!  But the overall trend is UP.  Owning a home is an investment.  It's a great idea.

Tax Benefits.  Your mortgage interest is fully tax deductible.  So are your real estate taxes.  That's a LOT of money saved at tax time.

It's Yours.  The best reason of all, though, is that it's your home.  You're not renting it, you don't have to ask the landlord for permission for anything.  If you have never owned a home before, you won't believe the good feeling you get every day just knowing that this home is yours!