Community Event | Skogman Real Estate - Iowa

Freedom From Hunger

July 8, 2010
By skogman

As part of the HACAP Freedom From Hunger food drive we decided to have a competition between our 5 offices to see who could collect the most food. Starting Monday June 28th the offices had until Friday the 2nd to collect food and get it to HACAP. The office with the most food in weight, would win a pizza party for their office.

Here are the results:

Marion Office: 58 pounds
West Office: 70 pounds
Coralville Office: 193 pounds
Downtown Office: 358 pounds
Hiawatha Office: 560 pounds

That is a total of 1,239 pounds of food that will go the HACAP Food Reservoir and will be distributed to area food pantries, free meal sites and programs that serve the homeless and hungry in Cedar Rapids and surrounding areas.

HACAP is a great organization and does great things for the community, we are happy to be able to contribute to the cause.

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Freedom Festival

July 1, 2010
By skogman

It’s that time of year again…time for the Freedom Festival! This is always a sure sign that it is summer in Cedar Rapids. Ever since I was little, I have loved the Freedom Fest and everything it represents. The family activities, the patriotism and the culture are all part of the spirit!

I love this time of year, not just because of the great childhood memories I have surrounding it, but also because there is always something to do! The Balloon Glow, the parade, the Office Olympics, tons of concerts and of course the big finale, the fireworks on July 4^thare just a few of my favorites. The events and activities that take place over these couple of weeks are not only entertaining but are educational and are a celebration of the community.

This year will be extra special with the fireworks returning downtown for the first time since the flood. I look forward to seeing the swarms of people gathering on the streets and roof tops to see the amazing display.

Have a safe and happy fourth of July!

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Two years later…

June 14, 2010
By skogman

It has been two years since we stood in the parking lot of our downtown office, watching water from the flooded Cedar River rushing up 1^stAvenue making its way toward us. It wasn’t until the water passed the rail road tracks and started seeping into our parking lot, that we started to get a little nervous.

Our land surveyor told us that our building was sitting at 34 feet, above the river, so as long as the water didn’t hit that point we would be OK. Luckily for us the river crested at 31 feet, stopping short of our building.

The realization that we were going to stay dry was bitter sweet. We looked around to our neighbors and they were not as fortunate. The river’s water covered more than 10 city square miles, leaving a wake of destruction in its path. More than 5,000 homes were damaged and over 900 businesses were affected.

While there have been great strides in the rebuilding process for homeowners and for businesses, there is still so much to be done. Buildings downtown sit empty and neighborhood blocks sit dark at night waiting to learn its fate.

Programs like Block by Block and Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED) are helping to restore and rebuild homes in and out of flood affected areas . These programs are not only putting people back into their homes but are also building new homes in the Cedar Rapids area to replace those that are being torn down.

We have many hurdles yet to climb but day by day we are progressing toward full recovery and we look forward to a bigger and better Cedar Rapids.

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Cedar Rapids Downtown Farmer’s Market

June 4, 2010
By skogman

Living in Cedar Rapids my whole life, I grew up going to the Farmers Market at Noelridge Park with my mom, where she would buy sweet corn, tomatoes and the occasional kolache. Looking back, Noelridge was always what I considered to be a typical farmers market with home grown produce and baked goods.

While the Noelridge market is still running every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and is a great place to buy local goods, it seems the term ‘Farmer’s Market’ has taken a new shape and has become much more of an event.

I’m referring to the Cedar Rapids Downtown Farmer’s Market. This market gathers several times throughout the year in downtown Cedar Rapids (home of your very own Skogman Realtors), starting this Saturday, June 5^th. Eight total gatherings will occur on the first and third Saturdays of each month through September. Artisan gifts, meats and dairy and Iowa wine samplings are all a part of the market. While there won’t be any Cedar Rapids homes for sale at the market, there will be over 200 vendors offering plenty of other delights.

Produce still has a big presence, as does baked goods, crafts, and floral-themed offerings. But, what upi are now able to do is interact with the vendors on a new level. With live music, dancers, street performances and cooking demonstrations this market offers not just goods to be purchased but an experience you will not soon forget. I promise you’ll walk away with something tasty, or useful – or at least something to look back on fondly.

Pictures of the downtown farmers market People Shopping at the Downtown Farmers Market

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Pending Home Sales up in April

May 24, 2010
By skogman

Since February of this year, the real estate market in Cedar Rapids has been HOT! Pending home sales are up 29% in the months of February, March and April when compared to last year. In April alone, sales jumped almost 31%!

While we are ecstatic to present these numbers for the Cedar Rapids market, it would be foolish not to consider the homebuyer tax credit that ended on April 30^th and the role it played in the record high numbers.

With this in mind we decided to ask some of our buyers, (at the closing table) to tell us if the tax credits played a role in their decision to purchase a home. When asked to rank the influence of the tax credit on their decision, on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being ‘Very Influential’, 59% said the tax credit played a significant role in their decision to purchase.

What we can take from this is that the first four months of the year most likely were inflated with sales from May and June…to what extent we will just have to wait and see.

Pending Home Sales