$2 million residential sales. Nonprofit executive compensation. Underage drinking. Tattoo regrets.
10/4/2023Despite rising interest rates and home prices, a number of major residential purchases have occurred since the start of 2023 in central Iowa. CITYVIEW gathered details on seven homes that have sold for more than $1.5 million, four of which went for more than $2 million.
In Granger, a home built in 2021 at 11192 N.W. 108th Court was sold in March by Kimberly Development Corporation to Aaron Moon for $2,667,542.
In September, Jon Couture, chief human resources officer at Principal Financial Group, purchased a $2,475,000 home at 7580 N.W. 100th St. in Johnston from Kristin Rose. The seven-acre property has a pool with a pool house, five bedrooms and seven bathrooms (one for every acre). The 22-year-old home was remodeled in 2021 and has 4,360 square feet inside.
The nearly century-old home built in 1927 at 1401 Casady Drive in Des Moines was sold to Eugene Cherny by Nixon Lauridsen for $2,250,000 in May. Cherny, a plastic surgeon in Urbandale, now has six bedrooms and six bathrooms and more than nine acres of land. The basement is unfinished.
Chad Toyne, founder and CEO of Trader PhD, purchased a 3-plus-acre property and home at 7500 N.W. 100th St. in Johnston for $2,037,500 in June from the Jian Jin 2020 Irrevocable Family Trust. The home was built in 2008 and features five bedrooms and six bathrooms, a home gym, spa, hot tub and fire pit.
We now exit the $2 million range for something more… modest?
In July, Sharon Lynn Dinshaw bought her home for $1,950,000 at 3721 Turnberry Drive in West Des Moines from John S. Ziester Trust. Built at the turn of the century in 2000, this house has five bedrooms, seven bathrooms and a finished basement, as well as a wet bar, wine cellar and four covered garage spaces.
Stepping east of Des Moines to 5555 N.E. 88th St. in Altoona, Dr. Dominic Formaro Jr. purchased his 2006 home for $1,595,000 from Randall L. Childs in July. The surgeon has five bedrooms and six bathrooms, a pond with water features and an expansive backyard to go along with six-plus acres of land.
Shannon Bryan’s home at 11987 N.W. 102nd Ave. in Granger also crossed the $1.5 million mark, coming in at $1,559,000. The home was purchased from Lorraine Beard in August. Inside are three bedrooms, four bathrooms and a massive woodworking station with several machines inside the garage. Stepping out of the home is a makeshift beach that leads to the pond, accompanied by an outside bar. …
Heads of nonprofit organizations in central Iowa may not have purchased the homes listed above, but it would appear that some of them could. We researched and pulled records of highest gross receipts, excluding medical-related nonprofits, and found these organizations’ highest paid executives, according to their 990 tax forms.
Leading the list is the executive director of the Iowa Farm Bureau, Duane Johnson, who made an estimated amount of compensation from the organization and related organizations of $1,120,260, according to their organization’s 2020 form.
Prairie Meadows President and CEO Gary Palmer’s earnings have been widely reported, including here, at $926,684, according to their 2020 report (not including bonuses). The second highest total at Prairie Meadows is COO Ann Atkin, whose total compensation rose to $533,633, up by more than $50,000 from the 2019 form.
Jesse Jantzen, CEO, president and director of Lifespace Communities Inc., retirement home facilities, saw his total compensation from the organization come to $626,048, according to their 2020 form.
Drake University’s 2022 form showed President Earl Martin’s pay coming in at $604,739.
Kristine Knous, president of the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, rounds out the top five with compensation of $303,559. …
According to a report by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, Iowa is home to the most structurally defunct bridges in the country. The report states that 14,905 bridges are in need of repair, specifically 4,558 classified as “structurally deficient.” The next closest state, Pennsylvania, has 3,022.
The director of the Iowa DOT, Scott Marler, said 50% of those bridges carry fewer than 35 vehicles per day, and 74% carry fewer than 100. …
According to a report from Iowa Workforce Development, the state’s unemployment rate rose from 2.7% to 2.9% in August. Even with this rise, Iowa added 2,400 jobs and the workforce grew by 500 people. “Iowa employers appear to have acted cautiously last month amid ongoing worry about the national economy and rising inflation, however, we saw Iowa’s pool of available workers increase, meaning that more and more Iowans continue to show a strong desire to find new careers across the state,” said Beth Townsend, executive director of Iowa Workforce Development. …
Clean energy jobs in Iowa continue to grow according to a new analysis of employment data released by business group E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs) and Evergreen Climate Innovations. Clean energy jobs range from manufacturing of electric vehicles, solar energy installation, wind turbine repairs and more. The report states clean energy jobs in Iowa grew 3.5% in 2022. …
The U.S. Forest Service selected the City of Des Moines as a recipient of a $2.5 million Urban and Community Forest Grant from the USDA through the Inflation Reduction Act. Des Moines is one of 385 communities to receive funding from the U.S. Forest Service. The goal is to increase the country’s tree coverage in urban, suburban and rural communities.
The city already has plans for the funding, which will be primarily used to fill 8,400 vacant right-of-way locations within 22 disadvantaged areas in Des Moines. The planting and maintenance of these areas will take place over the next five years. …
New data has been revealed about underage drinking in the country. The Addiction Treatment Magazine used data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to determine if those aged 12-20 years old had consumed alcohol within the last month and if they participated in binge drinking. Underage Iowans managed to crack the top 10, and nearly the top five. Sitting at sixth on the list, the study shows that 19.3% of underage Iowans drank alcohol within the last month, with 9.4% binge drinking. …
Recent findings from a LaserAway study found that Iowans ranked third out of 40 states on their list in terms of “tattoo regret.” Residents in Iowa also ranked 10th in terms of most money spent on tattoos, with an average of $699.99. …
A report from WalletHub.com shows that residents in Iowa are the third most vaccinated in the country. They also ranked Iowa at sixth for children and teenager immunization rates, and seventh for adult and elderly vaccination rates. …
Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie announced he would not be running for reelection. Cownie has been in charge of Des Moines since 2003, making him the city’s longest-serving mayor. Candidates who are aiming to take his spot so far are Connie Boesen, Benjamin Clarke, Denver Foote, Josh Mandelbaum and Christopher Von Arx. ♦
