Your Choice Realty was founded in 2005 and is a full service real estate brokerage with its roots in both sales and construction. Don Whitham, the broker owner of the company, has a background in farming, banking, real estate sales, and construction. Whitham left banking in 1996 and has sold real estate in the Des Moines area since that time. After several years of real estate sales Whitham had the desire to be more of an active player in the market and began buying, renovating, and reselling houses in the Des Moines area. Your Choice Realty was formed to market those renovated properties as well as serve other sellers and buyers. Your Choice Realty has been located at 400 Vine Street in West Des Moines in the Valley Junction District since 2007. Whitham bought the office retail building where Your Choice Realty is located in 2006 and made considerable improvements to that building before moving the company into it. After that, Whitham bought an adjoining mixed use property around the corner at 540 4th Street, which consisted of a house built in 1900 and an attached shop building. The house on this property was in need of extensive repairs and it was totally gutted and professionally renovated from top to bottom. Since 2002, Whitham has renovated numerous properties in the Des Moines area and the quality of work is reflected in the latest renovation on 4th Street.
Your Choice Realty has chosen to locate and invest in the Valley Junction community and will continue to do so by renovating and improving residential and commercial properties in the area. Your Choice Realty views Valley Junction as being a stable and growing community and is glad to be a part of that.
Whitham views Valley Junction as a progressive improving area with its roots rich in history and is committed to being a part of the progressive improvement in the area, as indicated by the work done on the commercial property at 404 Vine and the residential/commercial property at 540 4th Street.
Valley Junction in West Des Moines is the old town of West Des Moines and it has seen many trends come and go ranging from its beginnings as a hub of railroading and coal mining to its present day make-up of small retail, commercial, and residential properties. The community has endured all the economic and technical trends as well as the cycles of nature with its vulnerability to floods from the Raccoon River and local tributaries. The area has rebounded from all the negative changes and events of the past to be an improving community with a lot of spirit and a vision to the future.