Will My Home Equity Be Enough to Move Up in Des Moines?

Why Move-Up Buyers in Des Moines Overestimate Their Equity Your Zillow estimate says your home is worth $340,000. You owe $195,000. You do the math: $145,000 in equity. That should be more than enough to move up to a 4-bedroom home in Johnston or Ankeny, right? This is the most common miscalculation

We've Been Thinking About Moving for Two Years. Here's What's Actually Holding You Back

I hear a version of this in almost every first conversation I have with a family. "We've been thinking about it for about two years now." Sometimes it's eighteen months. Sometimes it's three years. But the number is almost always longer than the family expected it to be when they first started havin

Think You're Ready to Move Up? Watch This First.

You've been sitting on it for a while now. The kids are sharing a room. The home office is the kitchen table. You're circling listings in Johnston and Ankeny on weekends, running mental math in your head, wondering if the timing actually works. You're not alone — and you're probably closer than you

Can You Afford to Move Up? The Real Equity Formula for Des Moines Families (2026)

If you bought a starter home in West Des Moines, Urbandale, Clive, or Ankeny 7-10 years ago for around $250,000, you've probably been casually browsing Zillow wondering: "Can we actually afford to move up?" I help families make this exact transition every month in the Des Moines northwest suburbs, a