Alta Vista Real Estate named finalist in statewide homeownership incubator contest

A Marshalltown-based real estate agency has been announced as one of three finalists in the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA's) 2026 Iowa Homeownership Incubator contest and will have a chance to compete for $40,000 in marketing funding to develop and promote the campaign in partnership with the IFA.

Alta Vista Real Estate/Centro de Bienes Races, which is led by Owner/Broker Melisa Fonseca, will pitch its proposal, "The Key That Changed Everything (La Llave Que Lo Cambió Todo)," during the upcoming HousingIowa Conference in Des Moines on Wednesday, Sept. 9.

According to a press release, the proposal "shifts the conversation about homeownership to people and possibilities."

"Centered on the journeys of Iowa families who achieved homeownership with support from Iowa Finance Authority programs, the campaign explores how a single opportunity can unlock greater stability, confidence, and hope for the future. By highlighting the human impact of homeownership, this initiative creates an inspiring and relatable message: the key to a home can be the key to changing everything," the release reads.

Fonseca, who also serves on the Marshalltown City Council, told the T-R she applied in response to a mass email from Iowa REALTORS ®, and the homeownership incubator provides an opportunity to turn the stories of clients who have benefited from IFA assistance into a statewide marketing campaign that connects future Iowa homebuyers and supports the agents' marketing. The other two finalists are Jay Avant of LPT Realty in Clive and Daniela Downs of RE/MAX Precision in Des Moines.

"It centers on a powerful concept: real people, real stories and real homeownership success. It would be authentic storytelling. I want to showcase the journeys of actual IFA assisted homebuyers whose lives were transformed through homeownership," she said. "These stories would highlight how the financial assistance provided by the IFA has made a lasting impact on their family, their careers, their personal growth, their community involvement. The key here could be many things, but in this case, it would be the IFA homeownership programs."

Both Fonseca and another of her Alta Vista REALTORS ®, Antonio Carrera, have worked with local clients who utilized IFA funding, and she noted that there are a number of IFA approved lenders within the Marshalltown community.

"There's a lot of stories to tell, and my pitch is letting them know that we will be the ones who will interview them, either have videography, photography, billboards, blogs (and) vlogs. It's a lot of money, so we've got to use it wisely," Fonseca said.

A panel of expert judges will determine the winner, and the pitches will be presented live from 9:15 a.m. to noon next Wednesday at the Iowa Events Center. To learn more about potentially qualifying for IFA homebuying assistance, visit https://welcomehomeia.com/eligibility.

Contact Robert Maharry at (641) 753-6611 ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.