Where to live in Des Moines from SC ? (Urbandale, Ankeny: real estate, housing)

[Yukonii]

Hi - where is a good place..out in a country like setting to live in or around the Des Moines area ? We are planning a move from South Carolina in the next few weeks/months when our home here sells. thanks

[iaborn42]

How far out do you want to be? We live down near Winterset about 30 minutes SW of the west side of the metro and there are some nice country areas between here & Des Moines.

[Yukonii]

Originally Posted by iaborn42

How far out do you want to be? We live down near Winterset about 30 minutes SW of the west side of the metro and there are some nice country areas between here & Des Moines.

I would love to live in a smaller community with lot sizes bigger than in the city of Des Moines. The only thing we would need is high speed internet (for work) and a post office near by. I have heard that Ankenny is nice as well as Grimes, Urbandale, etc. We have only been there once (last October) but really loved the area...not to mention that my daughter and her husband moved there last June for school. They live on the east side in an older area. Thanks.

[Luke9686]

Ankeny and Urbandale are going to be your textbook suburbs. Typical tract housing with ok lots. Grimes is growing like crazy but you should be able to find a good sized lot. In most of the suburbs, the biggest lot you will get will probably be around .25 acre. If you want land, maybe a little west of the metro, or east of the metro.

Check Iowarealty.com and firstrealtyhomes.com for a real estate search.

I grew up on the east side. It has it's scetchy parts, but for the most part it is just a blue collar area.

[iaborn42]

Think about Waukee & Norwalk too. They have some nice areas. There is a subdivision I was just in west of Jordan Creek Mall and where Mills Civic Parkway is named another street as it goes west, maybe 335th st.

Anyway, we were out there doing an estimate in a house for carpet on a house that is being flipped in the Fox Creek area. Nice big roomy lots in a country like setting. Very nice, almost feel like you are out of the city.

[metro223]

Originally Posted by iaborn42

Think about Waukee & Norwalk too. They have some nice areas. There is a subdivision I was just in west of Jordan Creek Mall and where Mills Civic Parkway is named another street as it goes west, maybe 335th st.

Anyway, we were out there doing an estimate in a house for carpet on a house that is being flipped in the Fox Creek area. Nice big roomy lots in a country like setting. Very nice, almost feel like you are out of the city.

Wow I think I know where you are talking about, it's out on 335th and the main street through the neighborhood is "Fox Creek Dr." That seems like it would be a neat area - but it's so close to the city I don't know how long it will be "country" ... or have the country feel shall we say.

[iaborn42]

This is a link to a map of the area.

33154 Paterson Cir, Waukee, IA 50263, USA - Google Maps

Then you can go to this link with the Dallas county assesors and find the streets. You don't need a street address, just look at the map and plug one of the streets in the subdivision into the street name with waukee as the town and hit search.

Dallas County - RealEstate Inquiry

Hit the search by address. The addresses for that street come up.

Then hit assesment data and you can find out about the house and lot size. Many of them are an acre or just a little less.

Office of the Assessor - Dallas County - Search Page

It won't let me do what I want to and paste it here. When you go to the address page and have a list of addresses on a street. Hit one of the addresses and then hit the assesment data information. I hope you understand what I am trying to tell you to do. There is so much information to be found on housing and lot sizes doing this.


I know right now of a house that they are in the process of totally redoing in this area and it will go up for sale when they have finished it. I didn't really look to see if others were up for sale, I just loved the area. There is growth going on in some of the other areas around it but this is kinda a sheltered little area out there and would certainly feel more country even with the growth than Ankeny or Urbandale.


Oh and one more thing before somebody says something.... I have absolutely no interest in this at all for telling someone about this one house. I don't even know if we will get the bid. I just happened to see this post, and wanted to help somebody out who was looking for information.

[Yukonii]

Originally Posted by iaborn42

Think about Waukee & Norwalk too. They have some nice areas. There is a subdivision I was just in west of Jordan Creek Mall and where Mills Civic Parkway is named another street as it goes west, maybe 335th st.

Anyway, we were out there doing an estimate in a house for carpet on a house that is being flipped in the Fox Creek area. Nice big roomy lots in a country like setting. Very nice, almost feel like you are out of the city.

Thanks for all you're information you have given me. It does help me out a lot I have a realtor already and I have looked at hundreds of homes on the net...just have to get mine sold to move. I did notice that the taxes are much higher than what we pay Guess we will have to 'save up'. Thanks.

[Yukonii]

Originally Posted by Luke9686

Ankeny and Urbandale are going to be your textbook suburbs. Typical tract housing with ok lots. Grimes is growing like crazy but you should be able to find a good sized lot. In most of the suburbs, the biggest lot you will get will probably be around .25 acre. If you want land, maybe a little west of the metro, or east of the metro.

Check Iowarealty.com and firstrealtyhomes.com for a real estate search.

I grew up on the east side. It has it's scetchy parts, but for the most part it is just a blue collar area.

Thanks, I will keep all those areas in mind

[Yukonii]

Originally Posted by Yukonii

Thanks, I will keep all those areas in mind

Hi - how about the difference between a regular basement and the new style (new for my eyes) walk out ones? Which one is the most popular and why ?