Every August, more than a million people descend on Des Moines, Iowa, for one of the most iconic celebrations of agriculture, tradition and Americana: the Iowa State Fair.

You’ll find butter cows. Deep-fried Snickers. Prize-winning pigs. And yes – this year, you’ll find us there, too.

You may be wondering, we have a fair in Orange County, so why Iowa? Well, we’re trying to see all 50 states. What better way to visit Iowa, than the state fair, we reasoned.

Now, I’ll admit, on the surface, the Iowa State Fair has very little to do with commercial real estate. But after years in this business, I’ve learned that the best lessons don’t always come from lease negotiations or cap rate spreadsheets. Sometimes, they come from places you least expect — like from livestock barns and lemonade stand

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