The worst winter in the last 30 years here in Iowa can't stop the activity on the west side of town. With residents starting out @ the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, the University of Iowa graduate programs-including the Law & Dental Schools and undergraduate activity (Mom and Dad finding the right investment for the little Hawkeyes)-the activity on the west side for this time of year has been outstanding!  The key elements that make Iowa City (like most college towns) a sound investment opportunity for housing are:1. The University itself.2. The Hospital (operated by the University with emphasis on education).3. The Iowa City area is always ranked among the top smaller communities to live in the US.   2007 Gold Star Award Winner for Outstanding Professional Cooperation prese... 02/22/2008

-28 degree wind chill = great time to look for Buyers. I fully understand that the weather here in Iowa is not really conducive to the enjoyment of your house hunt. However, we should factor in the higher inventory (you will have more selection), low interest rates (you could have a lower payment and more disposable $) & most importantly-A smaller, less brave pool of potential Buyers looking right now. I know, I know... 'Mike, there is going to be so many new listings available in the coming months! We should wait and see if the perfect property comes up.' True. But, you have nothing to lose by looking earlier & your Realtor© will know exactly what your looking for when the perfect property does pop upon the MLS. You will be better informed to make the right decision when you are ready,... 02/10/2008

OK. This is getting ridiculous. Another 8-10 inches of snow in Iowa City. Obviously Old Man Winter is mad. I don't know what we did to provoke such action here in the Midwest. Maybe the old guy is getting tired of all the 'global warming' banter. Maybe the old guy decided to make up for 5 years plus of mild winters. Maybe he wanted to see just how much he could overextend the winter budget of every city in Iowa. OK. You got me Old Man Winter...You got me. Now go back to the South Pole & resume your feasting with Claus.... or wherever you do. You have won your battle here my friend. -Mike 02/06/2008

So this client and I were looking at older homes in the Goosetown area of Iowa City and the listing agency didn't let me know about a certain cat in the house. We opened up the door and this black cat scurried right out the front door across minor traffic to the other side of the street. Now, I'm not a great cat person-I don't know how to handle them & don't understand how they operate. My pet experience comes from from two rather obese pugs which require little exercise and extremely easy to catch while on the loose.  I looked at my client-thinking to myself-how the hell am I going to catch this thing? We went across the street and started calling out to the cat to come back to the property. I finally came close enough to the escapee...close enough to grab it's tail and attempt to real... 02/04/2008

Buyers Beware: Not all agents are created equal. Although the previous statement should not be held in the same esteem as the discovery of electricity, it certainly needs to be said. Just like every profession, real estate has it's share of bad apples. I'm fortunate to work in a community that promotes ethical behavior and don't often run into trouble with other agents in that area, but rest assured-there are people out there that will be less than honest to get a deal done. Make sure that your agent is treating you with the respect you deserve and keeping your interests in mind at all times. February is now here...and it's still cold & snowing in Iowa. Old Man Winter needs to get a hobby.-Mike 02/01/2008

The first two steps in the process include getting in contact with a good loan officer & setting up a meeting with me at a time most convenient for you. I have several ethical loan officers to refer you to-name YOUR bank and I will send you a quality contact. Prior to actually looking, you will want to get the financial picture sorted out. We want to look at homes that are well within your comfort zone. A good lender will lead you down the right path and help you figure out how much house is too much house-for lack of a better phrase. You will want to calculate your monthly bills and figure out what is comfortable for YOU-disregard what the bank will pre-approve you for. You are the one paying the bills, right? Finally, sit down with all decision makers and your loan officer and start t... 01/30/2008

We are rapidly approaching the 2nd month of 2008-February;aka month for lovers. Well, take a break from your hibernation Iowans and get out there and start looking for the perfect property. I'm encouraging all buyers to start searching on-line right now. Sellers are motivated to move their property & want the 'peace of mind' that their home is sold. I would like to get an idea of what your looking for so I can keep my eyes open to new listings that will be showing up on the MLS each day. 01/29/2008

An article in the July 25th issue of the Iowa City Press-Citizen states that Iowa City, Iowa, because of it's diversity, is a great place for gay people.  It has been compared to San Francisco. I am a member of the Iowa City Area Association of Realtors Fair Housing Ambassadors. We were formed because we saw a need to educate the community on diversity issues. Having resources available to inform newcomers to our community is also an important part of our mission.I have been a REALTOR for 14 years. I have lived in this community my whole life. There is something of interest for everyone! The activities to be involved in are endless!  We are truly blessed because of the diversity!If you are thinking of a place to move, think about Iowa City!  And let me help you find the perfect home and... 07/25/2007

As all REALTORS are aware, April is Fair Housing month. That's not to say that we shouldn't follow the fair housing guidelines all year long! It's just that April is the anniversary month of the Federal Fair Housing act. It's a good time to remind everyone of the guidelines and how they apply to us as REALTORS. REALTORS are often the first contacts area newcomers have. Diversity is a good thing! Wouldn't it be a boring world if we were all the same! Owning a home is the American dream and everyone, regardless of their differences should be afforded that privilege!Despite the number of years since the passing of this law and the advances in education and understanding of diversity, discrimination in housing still exists. And I'm saddened to say, in big numbers. Disability and race are th... 04/19/2007

We still seem to have a problem with consumers trusting Realtors. Have they had a bad experience? Did they just think it was bad and really it was a misunderstanding that the "bad" Realtor didn't even know about? Did they have parents who pounded it into their heads to not trust strangers? What is the deal? The last 3 open houses I have attended, I maybe was able to get 4 first names and 1 first and last name out of 8 people that came through. I am a friendly person with a big smile. I don't think I'm intimidating! I always greet people with both my first and last name and shake their hand. If I'm lucky, I'll get "hi, I'm Bill" or "I'm Joan, can I have a print-out of the house?" . Sometimes I make a game out of this. I'm sorry, but I do! The more unfriendly or aloof someone is to me the... 03/02/2007

Is winter ever going to be over???  Growing up on an Iowa farm, you'd think I'd be used to the snow and cold. Maybe it's because I'm getting older. My body can't stand the cold and I have a real fear of falling! My husband, Tom, holds on to me and says "be careful, gramma".  He's experienced the aftermath of my falls on the ice.Real estate is a very rewarding profession. I didn't say easy, I said rewarding. There is nothing better than seeing the excitement on first-time buyers faces or hearing a seller tell his neighbor that they should have used us! Every day is different. Every client and circumstance is different. I wonder how long I have to be in the business, it's been 14 years, and I won't wake up at night worrying about a vacant property or the phone call I'm going to have to ma... 02/07/2007

"Woke Up, Jumped Out Of Bed, Dragged A Comb Across My Head."  The dream was So real!  I'm in New York City, and I stumble upon, all these years later, my old friend, Mark Vos.  Driving out from the Des Moines airport on a Saturday morning earlier in the summer, on my way back from a red-eye flight from Las Vegas, I had caught him on the air on "The River". But this dream puts me in Manhattan, bite the big apple.  Mark is "on the air" at a little radio station, and it's great for me to be back in a radio studio.  I miss it.  Once a disc jockey, always a disc jockey!  There's a guest in the studio.  Seems like a nice guy.  He's here to talk about his new record.  Suddenly I'm in the show, and Mark & I are both talking to this rock musician.  Vos, as usual, is asking the deep, meaningful q... 12/25/2006