Des Moines: Home Sales Get a Tax-Break Stimulus

Des Moines, Iowa may be a sleepy Midwestern town, but its recent home sales bounce is making Iowa's most populous city the envy of many communities.

In March, pending home sales in the Des Moines-area, a city with about a half-million residents, jumped 34 percent compared to the the same period a year earlier. The rebound was fueled by buyers racing to take advantage of the tax credit that expires April 30, reports The Des Moines Register.

Experts say that the looming tax credit deadline coupled with the season's first respite from the winter weather paved the way for the recent sales spike.