Iowa taxes property sales through its real estate transfer tax, requires an attorney for part of the closing and requires a seller disclosure form. It forecloses through the courts and is not a community property state.
Iowa in short
Is there a real estate transfer tax in Iowa?
Iowa taxes real estate transfers at $0.80 for each $500 of price above the first $500, or $1.60 per $1,000, which is $479.20 on a $300,000 home. By law the seller, as the person conveying, is liable.
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What closing costs does Iowa law set?
Iowa has no official typical closing-cost total. The transfer tax is $0.80 per $500 of price above $500, Iowa Title Guaranty charges a flat $175 up to $750,000, and Polk County charges $12 for a deed's first page.
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How is property tax calculated in Iowa?
Iowa taxes a home's assessed market value after a state rollback, set at 44.5345% for residential property for the 2025 assessment year. In Des Moines the 2026-27 consolidated rate is $43.74496 per $1,000 of taxable value.
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What is the deadline to appeal a property tax assessment in Iowa?
In Iowa, file a written protest with the county board of review from April 2 through April 30 of the assessment year.
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Do you need a real estate attorney to close in Iowa?
No Iowa statute or court rule read requires an attorney at closing, but nonlawyers may not prepare deeds (Iowa Court Rule 37.5) and a title guaranty requires a title opinion from a participating attorney (Iowa Code 16.91(6)).
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What must a home seller disclose in Iowa?
An Iowa seller of a home with one to four units must give the buyer a written disclosure statement before making or accepting a written offer (Iowa Code 558A.2).
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How does foreclosure work in Iowa?
Iowa foreclosures are judicial: the lender must sue in court, and for an owner-occupied one- or two-family home must first give a 30-day right to cure. After a sheriff's sale the owner by default has one year to redeem and keeps possession meanwhile, unless the lender chose a faster track.
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What first-time home buyer programs does Iowa offer?
In Iowa, the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) offers FirstHome buyers a $2,500 grant or a second loan of up to 5% of the price with no monthly payment.
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How are title insurance rates set in Iowa?
Iowa does not allow private title insurance (Iowa Code 515.48(10)). Iowa Title Guaranty, a division of the Iowa Finance Authority, issues title coverage for a flat $175 up to $750,000, then $1 per $1,000 above.
Iowa guides
- Closing costs in Iowa: what buyers and sellers pay
- Iowa real estate transfer tax: $1.60 per $1,000 of price
- Iowa property tax: rollback, homestead credit and 2026 changes
- What must a home seller disclose in Iowa?
- Do you need a real estate attorney to close in Iowa?
- Foreclosure process in Iowa: steps, timeline and redemption
- Home prices in Iowa and Des Moines: median value and trend
- First-time home buyer programs in Iowa and Des Moines
- How to verify a real estate license in Iowa
- Title insurance in Iowa: why you get a guaranty, not a policy (state-specific topic)