Depends on where you are and how old your building is. I have a basement apartment, and the only reason I flooded once was that our eaves were broken and leaking inside. Fixing the eaves fixed the water.

I don’t know that Des Moines is all that affordable, housing-wise. If you want a good place in a decent neighbourhood, you’re going to be paying upward of $750 for the base rent per month. I work for the government, and I can’t even afford that.