About Cerro Gordo County, IA

My heart is going out to the people in Iowa right now!  I just watched a CNN video on the river flooding that is occurring in Cedar Rapids.  I grew up in Iowa about three hours north of there, where my parents still live. 

My parents just finished laying new carpet and putting down hardwood floors a few months ago, and 5 days ago water starting seeping into their basement.  They don't have a sump pump, so they have been running shop vacs around the clock to try to pick up as much as they can.  They called their insurance company and this is considered "flood damage", which most people aren't insured for in the area.  So nothing is covered.  The town isn't totally flooded like other areas, but the ground is just so saturated. 

Obviously this is a pain for them to keep getting up at all hours of the night to go empty the shop vacs, but now seeing what is happening in Cedar Rapids, it is just an inconvenience compared to the fact that a lot of people are going to lose their homes. 

I remember the last flood like this that happened in Iowa right before I went to college at Iowa State.  Ames got flooded.  I remember seeing on the news how water had come into the basketball stadium all the way to the top of the basketball rims.  The farmers really suffered immensely, as they will this year.  Unfortunately we are already far enough into the growing season that it will be hard for them to replant much.  Corn and soybeans will be hit hard, as these are the main crops planted in Iowa.  

My prayers go out to all Iowan dealing with the water issues right now!  I hope the weather starts cooperating.  The forecast looks better, but they could still see some more rain over the next week.  What crazy weather we have had over the last year.  From fires in the West, to flooding and tornados in the Central, and now heat waves in the East- not to mention the terrible winter we had here in Chicago.  No one has been safe from Mother Nature. 

CNN VIDEO

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to sell with the Behr Auction Company at public auction in Mason City Iowa. We were selling commercial real estate as well as the building contents. With 5 auctioneers including myself we were able to complete the sale in exactly 5 hours with two selling rings. The Behr family name is synonymous with auctions in Iowa. Behr Auction Company has conducted thousands of auctions in over 35 years since it began in 1971. Since that time it has grown into a multi-faceted/full service Auction Company now specializing in Iowa Real Estate Auctions including farmland, homes, acreages, and commercial real estate. They also conduct estate auctions.

Owned by brothers Paul C. Behr and Dennis Behr you'll also find many family members working behind the scenes and on auction day. Cory and Dennis run the day to day operations of the company. In my photo above you can see Ed Behr calling bids, while Cory Behr (Dennis's son) on the ground catching bids, while Cory's sister is acting as the clerk in the trailer. If you could look around you'd also see Dennis Behr and his wife Jane working, and Cory's wife Jennifer Behr. The Behr family runs a highly professional auction business and they are the best of the best in Northern Iowa. Their farmland sales have achieved record prices

Paul C. Behr is a 3 time world champion auctioneer and President of the World Wide College of Auctioneering in Mason City Iowa while Dennis Behr is one of the lead instructors at the college.

The opportunity to come help the out for the day was an exciting day and certainly one I was able to take away a few good lessons from. My most sincere thanks to the Behr family for their invitation to come help out on sale day.

Looking for an auctioneer in northern Iowa then I hope you will give Dennis or Cory a call at 641-425-8466 or visit their website Behr Auction Company You can email them at behrauctionco@gmail.com