Sarah Ingles, REALTOR® · Smart Move Des Moines · Fathom Realty

Selling, buying, or dealing with a parent's house in Des Moines? Pick the one that fits.

I'll tell you what happens first, in writing, within 1 business day.

Someone died, and there is a house The order things happen in, and the numbers on the house. I'm helping a parent move The three paths, with the monthly cost of each. I'm selling The price, your estimated net, and what to fix first. I'm buying or moving here What it would go for, an estimated monthly cost, and what an inspection is likely to flag.

Not sure which? Send the address and one sentence. Within 1 business day you have the numbers and the next step in writing.

Get my numbers in writing

Sarah Ingles, REALTOR®, SRES®, CPCU® · Smart Move Des Moines
(563) 513-8771 · 5.0★ across 40+ Google reviews

Updated September 2026

The first step is not a meeting

Send the address. Get the numbers in writing.

Within 1 business day you'll have three things by email: what the house would likely sell for today, what you would actually walk away with after fees and typical Iowa closing costs (the net), and what I'd fix first — or leave alone — before it lists. Written, with the reasoning and the comparable sales shown, so you can check my work.

No obligation and no listing agreement. If the honest answer is “wait,” that is what I'll write.

Settling an estate, or selling from out of state? Same form. Say so in the note and the answer also covers the sequence: the documents that show who can sign (your attorney confirms), insurance on an empty house, and when the house can list. See what one looks like.

Prefer to talk? Book a free 30-minute call or call (563) 513-8771.

What you get, whichever door you pick.

Before real estate, people called me after the house had burned down or the basement had flooded, when the damage was already done. I would rather catch it before. I'm not an inspector and I don't sell insurance. What I do is know what to flag, and when: before you write the offer, not after the report comes back. That is why every answer from me arrives in writing, with the reasoning shown, so you can check it.

Sarah Ingles, REALTOR®, SRES®, CPCU® · Smart Move Des Moines · Fathom Realty

A written answer within 1 business day. The likely price, what you would net (an estimate, with the assumptions shown), and what to fix first. My fee is paid at closing, only if the home sells; vendors you hire bill separately.
Insurance problems flagged in week one. A vacant house can lose coverage after 30 to 60 days under many policies. I flag it early and hand you three licensed producers to call. I don't sell insurance.
One page your whole family can see. The price and the reasoning, the dates, the documents. Siblings in three states read the same page, and an estate can often close without anyone flying in.

The three calls I get most.

"Mom needs to move." We start with what she keeps, then the house. Most downsizes take 3 to 12 months from decision to moving day, so the order matters more than the speed. How a senior move runs
"The house came with an estate." Iowa probate typically runs six to nine months. The house is often listable around month two, once the court appoints the executor. How an estate sale runs
"We're divorcing, and there's a house." A neutral sale: both names on every update, one set of numbers you both see, no side conversations. How a divorce sale runs

Buying a first home, moving to Des Moines, or selling for an ordinary reason? Same standard, same written answer.

"Sarah turned a stressful real estate situation into an awesome outcome by staying calm, communicative, and relentlessly focused on getting the best result. Her advice on pricing, timing, and negotiations showed a deep understanding of the Central Iowa market."

Jim K., Google review, January 2026

Read all 40+ reviews

5.0 stars across 40+ Google reviews·REALTOR®, SRES®, CPCU®·a private portal page for every client·every referral comes in threes·insurance flagged and referred, never sold·brokered by Fathom Realty·Iowa License #S73007000

Ready when you are.

Send the address and the situation. You'll have the numbers in writing within 1 business day. My fee is paid at closing, only if the home sells.

Get my numbers in writing

Serving Polk, Dallas, and Warren counties: Des Moines, West Des Moines, Ankeny, Urbandale, Clive, Johnston, Waukee, Grimes, Norwalk, and Altoona. All neighborhood guides. Prefer the phone? (563) 513-8771.

In short

Sarah Ingles is a Des Moines, Iowa REALTOR® (Smart Move Des Moines, brokered by Fathom Realty) whose practice centers on probate and inherited-property sales, senior downsizing and 55+ transitions, and out-of-state heirs — estate sales can run entirely remotely, and in a typical 6–9 month Iowa probate the house is often listable around month 2 once Letters Testamentary issue. Every client gets a private client portal (live timeline, documents, scheduled events — accessible from anywhere) plus weekly written updates. Clients rate her 5.0 stars across 40+ Google reviews. Vendor referrals always come in threes, and insurability concerns are flagged and referred to licensed insurance producers — three referrals, never one. She is a Des Moines metro REALTOR® holding both the SRES® (Seniors Real Estate Specialist) and CPCU® designations. She serves Polk, Dallas, and Warren counties — West Des Moines, Ankeny, Urbandale, Clive, Johnston, Waukee, Grimes, Altoona, and Beaverdale. Contact: (563) 513-8771, sarah@smartmovedsm.com, Iowa License #S73007000.