Des Moines, IA · Updated 2026-10-14
Des Moines, IA cash home buyers: 6 local companies compared
The 6 cash buyers below work Des Moines directly.
The Des Moines market right now
In September 2026, 40% of homes listed in the Des Moines metro had a price cut, and the median listing had been on the market 65 days. Homes for sale were up 13.3% from a year earlier, and the typical Des Moines home value was down 0.2% (Zillow, August 2026).
With 40% of listings cutting price, cash fits a Des Moines seller who puts speed or certainty ahead of top dollar. If yours shows well and 65 days on market is fine with you, price a listing as well and compare the two on what you would net. How to compare a cash offer with listing →
Home value is the Zillow Home Value Index for the city of Des Moines, August 2026. The other figures cover the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro: Realtor.com housing inventory data, via FRED for September 2026, and the FHFA House Price Index, via FRED for Q2 2026. Pulled 2026-10-14.
Local companies that buy houses for cash in Des Moines
- 🏆 Top pick: Overall
Heberer Homes
★★★★★5.0(9)1. Heberer HomesClaimed ✓Heberer Homes is an Iowa cash-buying operation owned by Drew Heberer, a working real estate investor with statewide coverage anchored in Des Moines and active deal flow in Cedar Rapids, the Quad Cities, and outlying Iowa metros. Heberer Homes buys directly from owners in inherited, distressed, fast-close, and tired-landlord situations, closing in 7 to 14 days as-is with no repair requirements. The operation regularly partners with Cedar Rapids based investors and contractors on the rehab side, which keeps offers competitive even when the property is outside the immediate CR metro. In business since 2019. BBB rating Verified. hebererhomes.com
- 🏆 Top pick: Overall
Fast Real Estate CR
★★★★★Not yet rated on Google2. Fast Real Estate CRClaimed ✓Fast Real Estate CR is a Cedar Rapids based cash-buying operation focused primarily on the CR metro with active coverage across the I-380 corridor and into Des Moines. Owned and operated by a working real estate investor with multi-year Iowa transaction history, FREC handles inherited properties, distressed sales, tired-landlord exits, and fast-close situations directly without farming the lead out to a third party. Their model is a 7-day close on as-is purchases, no wholesale assignment fees baked into the offer, and they regularly work with sellers across Linn, Johnson, and surrounding counties. In business since 2018. BBB rating Verified. fastrealestatecr.com
- 🏆 Top pick: Overall
DM Cash Buyers
★★★★★Not yet rated on Google3. DM Cash BuyersClaimed ✓DM Cash Buyers is a Des Moines-focused cash-buying operation covering the full metro including Ankeny, West Des Moines, Urbandale, Waukee, and surrounding communities. The team specializes in fast closes for sellers facing foreclosure, inheritance situations, problem properties, or out-of-state ownership. The company markets a no-repairs, no-fees, no-commissions transaction with a typical close window of 7 to 14 days. Cash offers are made on as-is condition. Standard closing costs are handled by the buyer. The company maintains a verified phone line and email contact for vetting before any property visit, which puts it in the small minority of cash-buyer sites in Iowa that disclose direct contact upfront rather than gating behind a contact form. Expected offer range is 65 to 80 percent of after-repair value, with the spread depending on property condition. dmcashbuyers.com · (515) 633-1077
- 🏆 Local investor
Sell Now Iowa
★★★★★Not yet rated on Google8. Sell Now IowaSell Now Iowa is a Des Moines-area cash-buying operation run by Mitch Coluzzi and his father Bob, both with multi-year operational history in the local market. The company appears to maintain one of the strongest organic search positions for Des Moines cash-buyer queries, which signals consistent customer acquisition over time. The team buys houses in any condition across the Des Moines metro, with stated focus on distressed property situations including code violations, deferred maintenance, fire damage, and problem tenants. Typical close window is 10 to 21 days depending on title cleanliness. Offers are made on as-is condition with no inspection requirements. The two-generation family operation is unusual in the cash-buyer space and is a credibility signal for sellers who prefer working with named operators over franchise-routed leads. Expected offer range fits the local investor norm of 65 to 80 percent of after-repair value. sellnowiowa.com · (515) 531-2274
- 🏆 Local investor
We Buy Houses in Des Moines
★★★★★5.0(7)9. We Buy Houses in Des MoinesWe Buy Houses in Des Moines is a local cash-buying operation focused exclusively on the Des Moines metro and immediate surrounding communities. The company buys houses in any condition, including properties with deferred maintenance, fire or water damage, problem tenants, or code violations. The site discloses both a direct phone line and an operator email (jacob@...), which is a level of contact transparency above what many cash-buyer sites in this market offer. Sellers receive an initial cash offer within twenty-four to forty-eight hours of submitting property details. Typical close happens within 10 to 14 days for clean-title transactions. The company handles title work and most standard closing costs. Because it operates only in the Des Moines area, the team has hands-on knowledge of local neighborhoods, comparable sales, and property condition expectations across Polk County and adjacent jurisdictions. webuyhousesindesmoines.com · (515) 305-2803
- 🏆 Local investor
Des Moines Home Buyers, LLC
★★★★★4.8(49)11. Des Moines Home Buyers, LLCDes Moines Home Buyers, LLC operates as a hassle-free cash home buying option in the Des Moines metro. The company markets a no-agent, no-fee, no-repair process with a typical close window of 10 to 21 days. Cash offers are made on as-is condition. The site provides a direct phone line for vetting. The operation appears to be a smaller local investor team without the brand recognition of the franchise networks. Sellers using this option should verify the company name and entity registration through the Iowa Secretary of State business registry before signing closing documents. Expected offer range fits the local-investor norm of 65 to 80 percent of after-repair value, with the exact figure depending on property condition and current investor pipeline. desmoineshomebuyers.net · (515) 344-4341
National companies that also buy in Des Moines
Compared in depth on their own pages:
- Opendoor →
- We Buy Ugly Houses (HomeVestors) →
- We Buy Houses
- HomeLight Simple Sale →
- We Buy Houses Des Moines
Selling for cash in Des Moines neighborhoods
Notes on the Des Moines neighborhoods where cash sales come up most often.
Beaverdale
Signature 'Beaverdale brick' Tudors and bungalows, 1920s-1940s
Beloved older brick stock; estates and downsizers often prefer a clean cash close over staging.
Drake
Early-1900s foursquares and bungalows around Drake University
Heavy student-rental ownership; burned-out landlords are frequent cash sellers.
East Village
Renovated lofts, condos, and older homes east of the river
Walkable urban pocket; mobile professionals favor speed and certainty.
Highland Park
Affordable early-1900s homes on the north side
Lower price points and older systems make as-is cash sales common.
Ingersoll / Woodland
Historic homes and apartments along the Ingersoll corridor
Older near-downtown stock with a mix of restored and original-condition homes.
Sherman Hill
Historic Victorian and Queen Anne homes near downtown
Grand but maintenance-heavy historics; deferred repairs drive as-is cash sales.
South of Grand
Larger established homes, 1910s-1950s, on tree-lined streets
Higher-value established area; cash makes sense mainly for distress or speed.
Is wholesaling regulated in Iowa?
Yes. Iowa regulates buyers who sell your contract to another investor instead of closing on your Des Moines house.
Iowa Code 543B.6A (2024 Iowa Acts ch 1040, HF 2394); Iowa Admin. Code 193E-22.2, checked 2026-09-30. Iowa's full rules, and every other state →
Before you sign with a Des Moines buyer, ask in writing whether they will close on the house themselves or assign the contract.
Find cash home buyers in Des Moines, Iowa
What to know about cash buyers in Des Moines, Iowa
Do I need title insurance to sell a house in Des Moines?
No, and you could not buy it from a private insurer if you wanted to. Iowa law does not allow insurance companies to write title insurance on Iowa property (Iowa Code 515.48). Title is checked instead through an abstract of title and an attorney's title opinion, and buyers or lenders can add a guaranty from Iowa Title Guaranty, a state program run by the Iowa Finance Authority (Iowa Code 16.91). A cash buyer who has closed in Iowa before will know this, and one who asks about title insurance probably has not.
What is the transfer tax when I sell a house in Iowa?
Iowa charges 80 cents for every $500, or part of $500, of the sale price above the first $500 (Iowa Code 428A.1). On a $200,000 sale that is $319.20. It is a small line on the closing statement, and the purchase agreement should say which side pays it.
What is the groundwater hazard statement at an Iowa closing?
It is a form filed with the county recorder alongside the declaration of value whenever Iowa property changes hands (Iowa Code 558.69). It states whether any known wells, private burial sites, underground storage tanks, hazardous waste, waste disposal sites, or private septic systems are on the property, and where. A septic system has to have been inspected or fall under an exclusion. On a lot with public water and city sewer the answers are often all none, but an older property can surprise you. Know your answers before closing so the form does not hold anything up.
Do I have to fill out a disclosure statement if I sell as-is to a cash buyer in Iowa?
Usually yes. Iowa requires a written disclosure statement on sales of property with one to four dwelling units, delivered before you make or accept a written offer (Iowa Code 558A.2). Selling as-is is not one of the exemptions. The exemptions include court-ordered sales and foreclosures, certain sales by an executor, trustee, or guardian, sales to a spouse or close relative, and transfers by quitclaim deed (Iowa Code 558A.1). Since January 1, 2026 the statement also has to address lead service lines (Iowa Code 558A.4). If the buyer does not get the statement on time, they can withdraw within three days of personal delivery or five days of mail or electronic delivery.
What happens if an Iowa wholesaler skips the required disclosure?
Iowa Code 543B.6A lets the seller cancel the contract any time before closing without penalty, and keep any earnest money the wholesaler paid. The wholesaler also faces a civil penalty of up to $10,000 or 10 percent of the sale price, whichever is greater, for each property. On a $200,000 house that ceiling is $20,000. The disclosure has to tell you the wholesaler holds only an equitable interest and may not be able to deliver title, so if nobody put that in writing for you, ask why before you go any further.
How do I find out if my Des Moines house has a lead service line?
Des Moines Water Works has a Service Line Lookup page that links to its Service Line Inventory Map, where you can search your property, and its customer service number is (515) 283-8700. The utility notes that homes built before 1940 may be served by a lead service line, and that copper pipe installed before 1985 may have been joined with lead solder. Check it before you sell. Since January 1, 2026, Iowa's seller disclosure statement has to address lead service lines (Iowa Code 558A.4), and a cash buyer may factor a lead line into the offer.
Is my Polk County assessed value what a cash buyer will pay?
Not necessarily. Iowa reassesses real estate every odd-numbered year, valued as of January 1 of that year (Iowa Code 428.4), so in 2026 most assessments still reflect January 1, 2025. You can look yours up on the Polk County Assessor's website. A cash buyer prices from what the house would sell for fully repaired, minus the cost of the repairs, so the assessment is a rough reference and the condition of the house matters far more.
Cash buyers in other Iowa cities
Holding an offer from a Des Moines buyer already? Here is how to compare cash offers line by line.
Why trust this directory
Edited by Drew Heberer, a working real estate investor in Iowa. Nobody can pay to rank higher on this page.