3938 E 38th St, Des Moines, IA 50317 Property Records

Polk County property record for 3938 E 38th St, Des Moines, IA 50317

Property Summary

Property Type	Single Family Home
Details	2 bd · 2 ba · 1,498 sqft · built 1967
Lot Size	0.895 acres (39,000 sqft)
Owner	2 Individual Names on Record
Last Sale	$233,000 (Aug 2020)
Tax Bill	$5,584 (2024)
Deeds & Mortgages	Aug 2020 Sale & Mortgage Dec 2020 Sale + 1 more
Flood Zone	Zone X (minimal risk)
APN	`7923-20-476-005`

Property Details

APN / Parcel Number

Primary APN	`7923-20-476-005`
Alternative APN	`060/08973-001-000`

Interior

Bedrooms	2 Beds
Full Baths	2 Baths
Half Baths	1 Half Bath
Total Rooms	6 Rooms
Stories	1 Story
Building Area	1,498 sqft Living Area
Gross Area	2,496 sqft
1st Floor Area	1,498 sqft
Basement Area	1,498 sqft
Finished Basement	500 sqft
Fireplaces	2 Fireplaces
Fireplace	Fireplace

Exterior

Year Built	Built 1967
Architectural Style	Split Foyer
Exterior Material	Brick
Foundation Type	Block
Roof Type	Hip
Roof Material	Asphalt
Lot Area	39,000 sqft (0.895 acres)
Lot Dimensions	300 ft deep x 130 ft wide
Garage Type	Basement
Parking Spaces	2 Parking Spaces
Deck Area	206 sqft
Patio Area	110 sqft

Utilities, Heating & Cooling

Cooling System	HVAC
Heating System	Forced Air
Sewer	Connected

Location & Zoning

Street Address	3938 E 38TH ST
City	DES MOINES
State	IA
Zip	50317-8974
Property Category	Residential
Property Type	Residential > Single Family > Home
Legal Description	-EX E 30F ST- S 130F N 260F E 10A SE 1/4 SE 1/4 SEC 20-79-23
Legal Range	23
Legal Township	79
Legal Section	20
Legal Subdivision	SEC 20-79-23
Jurisdiction	POLK IA
Township / Civil Division	LEE
Census Block Group	1
Census Block	1004
Census Tract	101

Owner

Source: Polk County records, as of October 15, 2025

Owner names and exact recorded amounts shown locked on this page are available instantly with a free trial.

Owner of Record	2 Individual Names on Record
Mailing Address	3938 E 38TH ST, DES MOINES, IA 50317-8974
Occupancy	Owner Occupied
Owner Type	Individual

Deeds, Mortgages & Sale History

Date	Document
Aug 24, 2020	Warranty Deed, Transfer · Conventional Mortgage WELLS FARGO BANK NA
Dec 1, 2020	Grant Deed, Transfer NOT AVAILABLE
Aug 28, 2019	Warranty Deed, Transfer · Conventional Mortgage US BANK NA

Assessor's Deed Record

Deed Names	2 Names on Deed
Last Sale	Aug 24, 2020 · Amount on Record
Deed Sale	Aug 24, 2020 · Amount on Record
Prior Sale	Aug 24, 2020 · Amount on Record
Deed Document Number	202000020811
Deed Book / Page	18022 / 844
Last Transfer Date	Dec 1, 2020
Transfer Doc	0000061571
Record Updated	Jun 8, 2026

August 2020: Warranty Deed, Transfer

Document Type	Warranty Deed
Jurisdiction	POLK IA
Recording Date	Aug 24, 2020
Property Address	3938 E 38TH ST, DES MOINES, IA 50317-8974
Document Number	202000020811
Book / Page	18022 / 844
Instrument Date	Aug 20, 2020
Instrument	2020-00020811
Transaction Type	Transfer
Record Updated	Oct 19, 2021

Transaction

Amount	Amount Recorded
Downpayment	Downpayment on Record
Loan-to-Value (LTV)	LTV on Record
Tax	$372.00
Amount Accuracy	Rounded by County
Additional	Arm's Length

Transferred From (Grantor/Seller)

Name	Verified Name

Transferred To (Grantee/Buyer)

Name	Verified Name
Relationship	Joint Tenants with Right of Survivorship
Address	3938 E 38TH ST, DES MOINES, IA 50317-8974

Mortgage

Document Number	202000020813
Date	Aug 24, 2020
Instrument	2020-00020813

Lender

Name	WELLS FARGO BANK NA
Type	Bank

Agreement

Type	Conventional Mortgage
Amount	Amount Recorded
Term	361 Months
Due	Sep 1, 2050

December 2020: Grant Deed, Transfer

Document Type	Grant Deed
Jurisdiction	POLK IA
Recording Date	Dec 1, 2020
Property Address	3938 E 38TH ST, DES MOINES, IA 50317-8974
Document Number	0000061571
Book / Page	018221 / 000073
Instrument Date	Aug 1, 2020
Instrument	61571
Transaction Type	Transfer
Record Updated	Jan 5, 2021
Title Company	NOT AVAILABLE

Transaction

Tax	$0.00
Additional	Intrafamily Transfer

Transferred From (Grantor/Seller)

Name	Verified Name

Transferred To (Grantee/Buyer)

Name	Verified Name
Address	3938 E 38TH ST DES MOINES IA 503178974, DES MOINES, IA 50317-8974

August 2019: Warranty Deed, Transfer

Document Type	Warranty Deed
Jurisdiction	POLK IA
Recording Date	Aug 28, 2019
Property Address	3938 E 38TH ST, DES MOINES, IA 50317-8974
Document Number	201900018489
Book / Page	17469 / 0506
Instrument Date	Aug 20, 2019
Instrument	2019-00018489
Transaction Type	Transfer
Record Updated	Oct 19, 2021

Transaction

Amount	Amount Recorded
Downpayment	Downpayment on Record
Loan-to-Value (LTV)	LTV on Record
Tax	$359.20
Amount Accuracy	Rounded by County
Additional	Arm's Length

Transferred From (Grantor/Seller)

Name	Verified Name

Transferred To (Grantee/Buyer)

Name	Verified Name
Relationship	Joint Tenants with Right of Survivorship
Address	3938 E 38TH ST, DES MOINES, IA 50317-8974

Mortgage

Document Number	201900018491
Date	Aug 28, 2019
Instrument	2019-00018491

Lender

Name	US BANK NA
Type	Bank

Agreement

Type	Conventional Mortgage
Amount	Amount Recorded
Term	181 Months
Due	Sep 1, 2034

Tax Assessment & Valuation

Source: Polk County assessment roll, as of May 1, 2025

Property Jurisdictions

Type	Name
State	Iowa
County	Polk County
Municipality	Des Moines City
Unified School District	Des Moines Independent Community School District (PK - 12)

Tax Bill & Assessment History

Year	Tax Bill	Assessed Value	Assessed Market Value
2025		$296,800 (+6.69%) Land $53,800 Building $243,000	$296,800 (+6.69%) Land $53,800 Building $243,000
2024	$5,584.00 (+7.84%)
2023		$278,200 Land $49,800 Building $228,400	$278,200 Land $49,800 Building $228,400
2020	$5,178.00

Assessed value and assessed market value are set for property tax purposes and are not market price estimates.

Flood

Source: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, effective August 17, 2025 · OpenFEMA NFIP redacted claims and policies, as of September 2026

FEMA Flood Zone	Zone X minimal risk
Flood Insurance Requirement	Not required lenders may require it
Flood Insurance Cost	Premium on Record median of 14 policies
Community Rating System	Class 5 (25% premium discount)
Nearby Flood Policies	14 in force
Nearby Flood Claims	32 (2010–2026)
Claims Outside the SFHA	13 of 32
Most Recent Claim	Jul 2026 · Severe Storms And Flooding
Claims by Event	Severe Storms And Flooding, Jul 2026 · 12 claims Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding, Jul 2018 · 17 claims Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes, Aug 2010 · 3 claims

Values are read at the parcel center point; flood claims are located to the census block group, not this parcel; lenders make the official flood determination.

Wildfire

Source: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (2nd edition), as of 2024

Wildfire Risk	Low lower than 96% of the US · lower than 71% of Iowa
Wildfire Likelihood	0.01% annual chance
Exposure	Direct burnable vegetation

Values cover an area roughly 900 ft across, not the parcel itself; insurers use their own ratings.

Drinking Water

Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System, as of September 2026

Water System	DES MOINES WATER WORKS serves 246,055 people · EPA ID IA7727031
Water Source	Purchased surface water from CIWW (DMWW)
Last State Inspection	May 2024
Lead	Under 1 ppb (2022–2024) action level 15 ppb

Violations Reported to EPA

Water Quality	Treatment failure resolved · May 2017
Treatment and Procedure	None last 10 years
Monitoring and Reporting	None last 3 years

Results are for the whole water system, not water tested at this address; lead at the tap also depends on the building's own pipes.

Internet Providers

Source: FCC Broadband Data Collection, based on 505 locations within half a mile, as of December 31, 2025

Provider	Max Down / Up (Mbps)
Metronet Fiber	5,120 / 5,120
Mediacom Xtream Cable · Fiber in parts of the area	2,000 / 1,000
CenturyLink DSL · Fiber in parts of the area	140 / 20
AT&T Fixed Wireless	100 / 20

May also be available: Google Fiber, Verizon.

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