What are the most common problems found in Iowa home inspections?

The problems we find most often in Iowa homes cluster around the state's geology, weather, and housing stock. Water is first: on the Des Moines Lobe's heavy, poorly drained glacial till, basement moisture, settled grading pitched toward the foundation, downspouts discharging at the wall, and overworked or failing sump pumps appear on a large share of central Iowa reports. Radon is second, and Iowa's is the worst in the nation, with roughly five in ten homes above the EPA action level, so elevated radon tests are less a finding than an expectation. Roofs come third, carrying hail bruising, wind-creased shingles, and uneven storm-chaser repairs, a legacy Iowa's storm cycles keep refreshing, the 2020 derecho most memorably. In the older stock of Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and the small towns, we regularly document vintage electrical, from knob-and-tube remnants to overcrowded panels, corroding galvanized supply plumbing, and root-invaded clay sewer laterals under mature trees. New construction contributes its own list: insulation voids thermal imaging exposes, HVAC airflow problems, and flashing details skipped in the rush. On acreages, add wellhead defects, nitrate and bacteria concerns in farm-country water, and aging septic systems. Almost none of these are dealbreakers; nearly all are negotiable when documented well, which is what a photo-supported report delivered within 24 hours is for. Iowa has no municipal inspections to catch any of this, so the buyer's inspection is where it all comes to light.