Iowa

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The earliest inhabitants of the modern-day state of Iowa were the Paleo-Indians more than 13,000 years ago. This group engaged in hunting and gathering as their primary economic activity. The Archaic people would later inhabit the area and started domesticating plants as they practiced farming to supplement their hunting and gathering activities. During the Woodland Period, the Native Americans were even more civilized as they had more advanced social structures and engaged in ceramics and pottery-making. The Late Prehistoric period saw the natives establish nuclear settlements and engaged in corn farming. Some of the contemporary Native American tribes living in this area during the initial European contact include; the Ho-Chunk, Otoe, Ioway and the Dakota.

Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette were the earliest French explorers to visit the present-day state of Iowa in 1673. This land was part of the New France until 1763 when France lost to the British in the French and Indian War. The French were forced to surrender this territory to the Spanish, who were their allies in the battle. The French temporarily regained the territory in 1800, but three years later, the U.S. government acquired it through the Louisiana Purchase. The U.S. government established Fort Madison, but the Indians captured it in 1813 aided by the British. The United States Army then built several forts in the neighboring territories which helped them control the entire region.

With an estimated population of about 190,000 people, Iowa was admitted to the Union, on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. It covers an area of 56,273 square miles making it the 26th largest US state in overall size. With the estimated 3.25 million people calling it home, it ranks as the 30th most populous US state. This state has been nicknamed the Hawkeye State and uses; ’Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain’ as its motto. The state's name is derived from Iowan people who happened to be one of the native tribes that inhabited the area during the European exploration

This state is located in the Midwestern part of the United States and shares its borders with the states of Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, Minnesota and South Dakota as well as Mississippi River, Big Sioux River, and the Missouri River. Some of the major lakes in this state include; the West Okoboji Lake, Spirit Lake, Clear Lake and the East Okoboji Lake. The Loess Hills covers the western part of this state while the upper side falls under the Driftless Area made up of valleys and steep hills. The overall climate of this state is the humid continental climate which is characterized by both extreme hotness and coldness. Winters are known to be harsh, and snowfall is quite common. Summers are known to be hot and humid, and sometimes the temperatures can rise to around 100 degrees.

The Hawkeye State is endowed with various monuments, preserves, national parks and scenic places of national importance. The Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail cuts through five states, and it is the route that was followed by more than 70,000 Mormons as they tried to escape religious persecution. The Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail commemorates the route followed by the Agents of Discovery as they traveled from the Midwest plains to the Pacific Ocean’s shores, thus opening this region to the U.S. government. The Herbert Hoover National Historic Site in West Branch is the preserve of the birthplace of Hebert Hoover; former president of the United States. The Effigy Mounds National Monument in Harpers Ferry is a sacred and cultural preserve for various Native American tribes. Other popular places around the state to see or experience would be Cedar Falls Main Street, Reiman Gardens in Ames, Pikes Peak State Park in McGregor, Brucemore in Cedar Rapids, Maquoketa Caves State Park, Dunnings Spring Park in Decorah, Mines of Spain Recreation Area and Eagle Point Park in Dubuque, High Trestle Trail in Ankeny, and Field of Dreams in Dyersville to mention a few.

The Hawkeye State also has many museums that focus on the state’s rich history, art, culture, and heritage. The Squirrel Cage Jail Museum is the site of an old museum used during the colonial times and happens to be the oldest of its kind in this region. The African American Museum of Iowa concentrates on the history, art, and culture of the African Americans in this state. The Belinda Toy and Antique Museum has various toys of tractors, trains, dolls, and airplanes. The Burlington Northern Depot & WWII Memorial Museum focuses on the railroad history as well commemorating the soldiers from the state who served in the WWII. Some of the other places and museums that you should check out and experience here are the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library in Cedar Rapids, the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque, Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch, IA 80 Trucking Museum in Walcott, Adventureland in Altoona, the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Sioux City, the Union Pacific Railroad Museum in Council Bluffs, and Fenelon Place Elevator Co. in Dubuque among many others.

This state has a total of 99 counties, but it is worth noting that the county seats are a total of 100 because there are two seats in Lee County. The city of Des Moines serves as the capital and plays a significant role in the US insurance industry and is ranked as the world’s 3rd largest insurance capital by Business Wire. It was also recently named as the ‘Wealthiest City in America’ in its category by the Forbes Magazine. This city is a major transport hub served by highways such as the I-235, I-80, and I-35 along with the Des Moines International Airport for all the commercial aviation needs. Some of the popular places and sites that you should experience here are Pappajohn Sculpture Park, Gray's Lake Park, Principal Park, Downtown Farmers Market, Blank Park Zoo, and the Capitol Building. The other main towns in this state include Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City, Waterloo, Iowa City, Council Bluffs, Ames, Dubuque, West Des Moines, Ankeny, Urbandale, Cedar Falls, Marion, and Bettendorf.

People here have access to various schools that offer training across different levels. The IA State, located in the city of Ames, is the largest public university in this state. The other major public universities here are the U of I located in Iowa City and the UNI in Cedar Falls. Some of the major private universities here are the Maharishi University of Management in the city of Fairfield and Drake University in Des Moines.

Sports have a wide following within this state even though there are no major professional teams. Some of the most notable MLB affiliated baseball teams are the Cubs in Des Moines with the Chicago Cubs, the Burlington Bees with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the Cedar Rapids Kernels with the Minnesota Twins, the Clinton LumberKings with the Seattle Mariners, and the Quad Cities River Bandits with the Houston Astros. Other minor league teams are the IA Energy in Des Moines with the NBA Chicago Bulls, the Sioux City Bandits of the Champions Indoor Football league, and both the Barnstormers and the Cedar Rapids Titans of the Indoor Football League. College sports are also popular here with several teams such as the UI Hawkeyes, the ISU Cyclones, the UNI Panthers, and the Drake Bulldogs competing in the NCAA Division I. The UI-ISU Football Rivalry, nicknamed ‘¡El Assico!’, is a major college football game played every year, with the winner taking home the Cy-Hawk Trophy along with all the bragging rights that come with it. Auto racing fans attend the NASCAR Truck Series and the NASCAR Nationwide Series at the Iowa Speedway in Newton. Golfing enthusiasts attend the John Deere Classic of the prestigious PGA Tour.

This state has a diversified economy with players such as agriculture, education, healthcare, tourism, technology, insurance, hospitality, banking, food processing, manufacturing, and retail just to mention a few. The major private employers in this city are; the Rockwell Clinics, Principal Financial Group, Casey's General Stores, Blank Children’s Hospital, Mercy Medical Center, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Hy-Vee Food Stores, Rock Island Arsenal, Deere & Co., Genesis Health Systems, and the Helping Hands AVP.

When buying or selling a house here, the real estate closing agent will typically use a Warranty Deed to convey the title of the property to the new owner. For the deed to be legally valid, the document must include the property’s exact legal description, which usually comes from language within the property’s original survey. The Hawkeye State primarily follows the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) methodology when surveying real estate. The initial starting point for their PLSS is the Fifth Principal Meridian which uses lines originating from the old mouths of the Arkansas and St. Francis Rivers.

If you aren’t paying cash for the home and are instead getting a loan to buy the real estate, then understand that this is primarily a lien theory state. This just means that the raw title of the property will remain as collateral until the lien is ultimately paid off. The most common document that is used here to secure the lender’s interest in the title is called a Mortgage.

If for some reason the borrower cannot repay the home loan, then the lender must go to court and start a judicial foreclosure which typically takes about 160 days to complete so long as it remains uncontested. During this process, the mortgage company’s attorney will also typically file a lis pendens against the property so that the public is made aware of the pending foreclosure. Once the judge rules in favor of the mortgage company, then the court will issue a final judgment of foreclosure and the property will either revert back to the bank or will be awarded to the highest bidder at the foreclosure auction. The laws that pertain to the IA foreclosure process are mostly found in IA Code: Chapters 615, 628, & 654.

However, if you are an landlord here that needs to evict a non-paying tenant, then you would need to reference the statutes of Title XIV, Subtitle 2, Chapter 562 instead. Whereas if you are looking to become a real estate agent, then you would just deal directly with the IA Real Estate Commission, which oversees all the licensing of the agents and most of the implementation and enforcement of the IA Real Estate Laws. Amongst other things, the main requirements to get a real estate license here would be to be at least 18 years old, complete at least 30 hours of approved IA real estate courses, successfully pass the written state real estate exam, pass certain criminal background checks, and pay the various required licensing fees.

The strong economy, entertaining sporting action, excellent parks & preserves, modern museums and modern education systems are just a few reasons why many residents love calling the state home. Speaking of homes, if you happen to have one that you would like to sell, then we would be honored with the opportunity to purchase it from you. If the speed of selling your home is your concern, have no fear because we can close escrow very quickly. In fact, if you had only contacted Finally Sold ten days ago, your home could have already been Finally SOLD by now.

 

Some of the counties where we purchase properties in this state are: Adair | Adams | Allamakee | Appanoose | Audubon | Benton | Black Hawk | Boone | Bremer | Buchanan | Buena Vista | Butler | Calhoun | Carroll | Cass | Cedar | Cerro Gordo | Cherokee | Chickasaw | Clarke | Clay | Clayton | Clinton | Crawford | Dallas | Davis | Decatur | Delaware | Des Moines | Dickinson | Dubuque | Emmet | Fayette | Floyd | Franklin | Fremont | Greene | Grundy | Guthrie | Hamilton | Hancock | Hardin | Harrison | Henry | Howard | Humboldt | Ida | Iowa | Jackson | Jasper | Jefferson | Johnson | Jones | Keokuk | Kossuth | Lee | Linn | Louisa | Lucas | Lyon | Madison | Mahaska | Marion | Marshall | Mills | Mitchell | Monona | Monroe | Montgomery | Muscatine | O'Brien | Osceola | Page | Palo Alto | Plymouth | Pocahontas | Polk | Pottawattamie | Poweshiek | Ringgold | Sac | Scott | Shelby | Sioux | Story | Tama | Taylor | Union | Van Buren | Wapello | Warren | Washington | Wayne | Webster | Winnebago | Winneshiek | Woodbury | Worth | Wright.

At Finally Sold, we buy most all single family homes in their as is condition. If you happen to have a property that you would like to sell, make sure you call us or fill out our short online form so that you too can once and for all get your property Finally SOLD!

Finally Sold is a national real estate investment company that specializes in helping homeowners sell quick for cash. We are not Realtors® or a real estate agency. We instead purchase houses and real estate for our benefit. No 'Agency' is created when selling a property to us. We are an Equal Housing Opportunity Provider. We do business in accordance to the Federal Fair Housing Law. One or more franchisees of Right Now Capital, LLC and the Finally Sold Brand may be licensed real estate agents.