Eric’s Story
I have traversed through a bit of a different path to get where I am today and thought you might find my story interesting…
Born & raised in Des Moines
I grew up in what my Dad would call the “center of the world” - 47th Street and Urbandale Avenue in the heart of Beaverdale. I went to Holy Trinity through middle school, and spent my high school years at Johnston (I actually went to Roosevelt my freshman year, but then my parents moved to their new home in Johnston so I transferred). I felt pretty blessed to have gone to three school districts within the metro because I formed many lifelong friendships with people in all three areas.
DSM as a Community
I often say, “I am a poster child for the Des Moines Metro.” I think the private, public, and non-profit sectors of this city are great models on how towns should be run. I assume it is that earnest Midwest ethos that we are known for that keeps us thriving, retaining, and growing each year. I love seeing all the accolades Des Moines receives for being “the best city to raise a family” or, “the best city to start a business,” and more YET I secretly want to keep our amazing city to us and not tell too many outsiders about what we have going on here.
My Family
My family is what drives me to be successful in all my business ventures. They are the reason I get out of bed each morning and I truly love the life we have created as a family of five. I am married to the most beautiful gal in the metro (just ask me…I will tell you) Jenny Quiner since 2008. Together we have three rowdy, caring, ornery, intelligent, and crazy boys: Oliver, Walter, and Lewis. PS - It is a total coincidence that their initials spell O.W.L., but it is helpful to tell people that little trick so they can remember who is who!
“Mom…Dad…I am joining a hippie jam band”
In high school I became involved with a band called Euforia which morphed into what is now called Eufórquestra. This experience was formative in shaping my path for years to come. Our fan base was/is mostly in the jam band arena. Stylistically we played dance music inspired from Funk, Afro-Cuban, Afro-Brazilian, Reggae and more. We would often use the catch phrase “Afro-Carribean-Barnyard-Funk” to describe our music. Today they are mostly a funk band.
In 2008, we ventured from our home base of Iowa City, IA to Fort Collins, Co. The move took our band members, significant others, pets, kids, and all our belongings to follow our dreams as a touring band in Colorado. The band allowed me to travel to over 20 states in my decade of being involved. We played over 500 shows during that time and met tons of amazing people along the way. I still keep in touch with the members to this day the experiences we all had together (both ups and downs) were incredible. Building the relationships with both the members and the countless individuals along the way was a driver for my career path then just as it is today.
Camp Euforia
In our early stages as the band we met, and partnered, with a local farmer named Jerry Hotz. Jerry is a row crop farmer that lives/works in Lone Tree, IA (just out side of Iowa City). We were a young band working hard to get established and book gigs. We decided it would be a great idea to create our own “party” so we can host our own gig. In the tradition of our nomenclature, we decided to call it Camp Euforia. We started the event in 2004 and have be in in operation ever since. Camp Euforia was a boutique music festival that hosts local, regional, and national touring acts. The event spaned over three days in the middle of July each year.
During those years I (as well as other members of the band) worked on Jerry’s farm as farmhands. I can honestly say that I learned more on that farm than I did in college. Jerry and his brother, Roger, farm approx 2,000 acres of row crop. It blew me away with how they could fix anything, and I learned so many life skills while working for them.
They held an extremely high standard for anyone that worked as a farmhand. If you ask Jerry, I haven’t done a single job for him adequately since we have known each other…ha! The farmhand experience was in tandem with the life lessons I have obtained from Camp Euforia over the years.
In 2009 I left Eufórquestra but continued to partner with Jerry as the director/partner on the event. The event located and on Jerry’s homestead, and each year Jerry has the place looking like an award winning farmstead that belongs on the cover of a magazine. We grounds meticulously and Jerry had it full of “farm art”. The flower beds were always mulched, the trees trimmed and the lighting at night whisked you away to a magical place.
Camp Euforia gave me the equivalent masters on service and care for customers. I learned how to be a part of something bigger than myself and to work for others through each year. Our fans had faith that we would deliver, they knew we wanted to see “their” experience shine. The statement, "in order to receive you must give” was alive and well at Camp each year. Little did I know this event would be such a great pre-cursor for my next phase in life….
Real Estate - Ready…Set…Sold
I joined Iowa Realty when we moved back to Des Moines (from Colorado) in 2010. I immersed myself in the culture and got involved with both the leadership and new construction opportunities the company offered. I was hung my license in the Valley West location of their residential office. During that time I sold for Rottlund Homes of Iowa until it was sold to Greyhawk Homes of Iowa. I then sold for Hubbell Homes for a few years following. Being a Beaverdale boy I remember originally thinking how I would never want sell out in the “newer built” “western suburbs." During this period of selling for Hubbell I sold somewhere between 20-30 brand new townhomes “out west” alone. It just goes to show how never is a long time and that remaining open constantly to things that you may not understand is certainly of merit.
At the same time I grew a great affinity towards the leadership of the company and pursued/received an assistant manager position at the IR Waukee branch. I loved the position and it helped me work in both a leadership capacity but to also hone my craft as a Realtor. It is amazing the nuggets of wisdom one can gleam about Real Estate while sitting across the table listening to the problems agents are solving over and over again.
In 2019 I switched to my current brokerage Re/Max Precision and have not looked back ever since. Since approx 2014 I have been selling over 50 homes a year.
Urban Farming…. A logical next step…not!
By about 2015 Jenny was six years into teaching at Dowling Catholic High School and had given birth to our three sons. She found herself yearning for life change as her heart was not into teacher as it once was. In addition we had outgrown our cute bungalow and moved to a small little unincorporated pocket in Des Moines called the “Dogpatch”. Each summer Jenny wanted to expand our garden growing space in our new home and eventually wanted to get into homesteading. A big hobby of mine is landscaping/gardening as well and wanted no part of her tearing up our nice yard for this “homesteading” business. Around that same time a house right on Meredith Drive (a few blocks form our home) with a huge yard hit the market. Jenny and I sat down one night to dream up this notion for what was to become Jenny’s next path in life, Dogpatch Urban Gardens.
We purchased the home and did a major renovation to get it rental ready while we started to build out what is now Jenny’s company called Dogpatch Urban Gardens. DUG is an urban farm that operates on approximately 4 acres. We specialize in salad greens, root vegetables, and tomatoes. We constructed the DUG farmstand where we sell not just our products but serve as an aggregator for approximately 40 other producers across the state. The house is now an AirBnB dubbed our Urban Farm Stay. Our farming operation produces and sells about 9 months our of the year. We also host events on site most notably the Farmstand to Fork Dinner Series. In 2023 we opened our newest endeavor the Dogpatch Garden Center.
Can’t fight the urge to play music…
Having the passion to play music is still alive and well in me. I used play keyboards in the best church band in town (again…just ask me and I will tell you). I play on Saturday nights with the Plymouth Saturday Night Band for Plymouth UCC on 42nd and Ingersoll. I have played in the band of over 5 years and love the group of musicians I get to play with.
In addition you can catch me playing in the River City Opry a 6 piece country western band as well as a few sit ins around town.
We recorded an album in 2016 called Refuge for the storm
Q Enterprises - Flipping Des Moines
My mom, dad, and I formed a company in 2016 started to flip homes as well. It has been a ton of fun for me as it not only serves as a source of business, but it also serves as a source of creativity to feed my need to constantly be working on something more tactile.
Before - 3922 Merced DM IA
After - 3922 Merced DM IA
