Hold Period — Des Moines, IA
Average flip hold-period in Des Moines, IA, broken out by property type.
Fastest-flip states (shortest avg hold)
Longest-hold states
Property type breakdown — Des Moines
Average hold period by property type (sample ≥ 3)
Sorted shortest to longest| # | Property type | Avg hold (yrs) | Avg hold (mo) | Avg gain % | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | single_family | 0.82 | 9.9 | +138.7% | 321 |
| 2 | Unknown | 0.93 | 11.4 | +133.1% | 272 |
| 3 | land | 1.20 | 14.6 | +37.2% | 3 |
| 4 | townhomes | 1.22 | 14.9 | +76.0% | 8 |
| 5 | condos | 1.45 | 17.7 | +116.3% | 10 |
What hold period tells investors
Short average holds (under 2 years) indicate a liquid market — properties trade often, exit timing is flexible, and capital recycles quickly. Long holds (5+ years) suggest fewer buyers, slower exits, and higher carry-cost risk.
Markets where typical investors hold 3–9 months are dominated by fix-and-flip operators. Markets averaging 5–10 years are dominated by buy-and-hold landlords. Choose the strategy that matches the market — don't fight it.
This metric reflects only properties that resold. True buy-and-hold landlords who never sold during the data window are invisible here. Treat the numbers as a relative ranking across states, not an absolute hold-period truth. Source: public record.