10 States With Ridiculously Low Unemployment -- And Why

A three bedroom ranch located in an area with lots of trees and has a circular driveway. There is lots of potential on this large lot.  Only a 1/4 mile of gravel road to a paved street and driveway.  Very close to Sioux Falls city limits.  Homes in this area and to the west of home are upscale homes.  The house was moved on to this site when built.  The single garage has an additional workshop in back.  Main floor laundry.

Here's a "Don't Miss" Opportunity...

Take a few minutes right now and take a look at this bank owned property.  Whether this would be for your family or as an investment, it's one of those times the house may make you a little money.   Sellers are putting this on the market in as-is condition and have priced it accordingly.  Bring your sense of style and color and have the fun of making it all your own.  

 Plenty of room inside and out for your family.  The oversize yard is totally fenced.   The kids and pets have room to roam and you'll still keep them in sight.  Both a deck and a patio are available for your outdoor entertainment needs.  Two bedrooms up and two down let everyone have their own "zone".  It will be a great starter home or move-up purchase for someone.  Will it be you?!

Just a little history on the “Queen Anne” style…If you look at any of the Victorian style homes, this one is likely the most elaborate and unique. There is something idealistic and, maybe even wistful, about these houses.  A little odd since they came about in the hard driving , turn-of-the-century  American machine age. It was the architectural fashion rage of the 1880’s and 1890’s; new technologies of all types were budding across the country and home building was no exception.  Mass produced in factories, precut detail pieces were sent everywhere builders were looking for unique means to make their particular offerings stand out. Tending to be innovative and asymmetrical, they’re easy to spot but not so easy to define.  There are four types of detailing that are often associated with the Queen Anne home (Virginia and Lee McAlester,  A Field Guide to American Homes).  1) Patterned- Tend to be city houses with brick, stone or terra cotta walls, decorative details in wood) 2) Half-timbered – The gables carry the half timber look, thick porch posts.  3) Spindled – the “gingerbread” look most often associated with Queen Anne’s. 4) Free Classic – Classic columns, inside or outside, brick or stone piers. Not unusual to see dentil moldings. 

The history of this  “Queen Anne” house…

The Emerson family sold this lot to Francis and Alice Scott in 1902.  Their daughter Lillian lived with them.  In 1911, Alice and Lillian Scott Langfeldt sold the house to Walter and Myrtle Steven.  Walter was the president of the State Bank & Trust Company.  They lived here until 1917, when the Stevens moved to Minneapolis where Walter was the president of the Steven’s  Overland Company.

As you take some time to walk through this home let your eye catch the abundance of detail that is here. Beautiful wood trim with various widths and styling, floors that carry a life within them that vinyl never will, curved window glass that leads you around the expansive porch and graces the dining room.  No boxed in feeling with these ceilings, they give you that free and open sensation that makes for comfortable conversation with family and friends. The kitchen has been redone with convenience and style in mind, tile floors, granite counters, and cherry cabinet faces. Everywhere you look, there is another story to heard or your history to make!

On the practical side, the roof has been redone in the last few years. There are dual heating systems available, both a hot water system and two forced air furnaces for those who prefer that type of heat (and cooling!). The yard is surrounded with wrought iron fencing  helping to maintain the feel of this historic neighborhood.

And, yes, you’re right, this house isn’t for everyone. Vintage homes will always come with a certain amount of maintenance.  Keeping a part of our community’s housing history alive will come with a price in effort and material

This is a gorgeous 6 bedroom, 3 bath ranch on a cul-de-sac with a large fenced backyard.

The spacious kitchen/dining area has beautiful maple cabinets and a tile floor.  The large living room has a large window with the view to a spacious backyard.  There are vaulted and tray ceilings throughout the house. 

The master bedroom suite has a tray ceiling, a walk-in closet and a master bath with a jacuzzi and a separate shower.  There are three bedrooms on the main level and three in the lower level with walk-in closets.

The lower level family room has a gas fireplace with unique custom built-in shelves surrounding it. 

There is a sprinkler system and nice landscaping.  The fenced backyard has a 20 x 25 basketball court and a sand volleyball area.

A two bedroom ranch in the McKennan area in a quiet neighborhood.

There are beautiful wood floors on the main level.  A unique arch between the living and dining room and lead glass windows in the living room.

The kitchen has lots of oak cabinets with a newer counter top and hardware. The master bedroom has wood floors and a walk-in closet.  There is also a walk up access to the attic, great for easy storage.  In the lower level there is a legal bedroom with a double closet.  There is also on the main level a 8 x 11 office/den room and a great 10 x 7 three season room.

To enjoy the outdoors in privacy there is an enclosed 15 x 14.8 patio.  Above the garage is a 11 x 15 deck to enjoy the outdoors.

The home is in the Sioux Falls school district with Longfellow being the elementary, Patrick Henry the junior high and Lincoln the High School.

I will suggest that you check your water drainage systems carefully. Check the sump pumps to see they are working. It might benefit you to have an extra pump on hand. From my experience getting a sump pump after business hours is pretty expensive. Check the down spouts to be sure they are on & directing water far away from the house. (one person we know just had the eaves plugged) so make sure the eaves are clean from debris & are flowing well.

Check the window wells, do they have drain tile in them? If they do make sure they work well. We have heard of one person that the drain tile in the window well was plugged. Is there a large foundation of rock in the bottom of the window well so there is in essence a French drain for some water to accumulate before it reaches up to the bottom of the window well?

One other major concern is to make sure the grading around the house is not directing towards any portion of the house directly. In this storm we noticed that surface drainage needs to get away from the foundation & to have a way to escape from your yard if possible. One of the questions you will answer on the sellers property disclosure is do you have standing water in your yard for more than 48 hours after a heavy rain. Think about that carefully right now so you will be able to answer that question when you go to sell your property.

Check with your insurance agent & see if you have the appropriate insurance in case of future problems. You cannot insure against natural ground water but you can get sump pump failure insurance or sewer backup insurance. You might want to ask your agent if you are in the flood plain & need flood insurance also.

Terrific close-in acreage. Twenty acres within 10 miles is hard to find. Lots of footage with 3 bedrooms plus a 4th bedroom set up as an office are all on the main level. Beautiful '' Brazilian cherry flooring in the dining area . Oak kitchen has loads of cabinetry, instant hot water at the sink & D/W, pantry with roll-outs, soft closure drawers, and a granite top island. Need counter space?; theres apprx 24 running feet!.

The master suite has a tray ceiling with 9'-10' ceilings.  A great master bath with a 4' shower, jacuzzi, and dual granite counter. The floor is heated.

Geothermal system is very efficient. It provides the in-floor heat in for the master bath, the LL floor and even the garage floor. Space abounds with the vaulted ceilings in the open areas and nine foot ceilings on the rest of the main level..Geothermal system.

2500-3000 trees were planted. There is also a 36 x 63 metal building with a partial concrete floor on the site. You'll enjoy all the wildlife that the grassland and the pond attract. Give us a call for additional information.

NEW VALUE   $129,900

A two story house with three bedrooms in a quiet and convenient area. There is a great covered front porch (8 x 24) to relax and enjoy the outdoors. 

Newer cabinets have been installed in the kitchen.  The formal dining room has a gorgeous wood beam ceiling (must see to appreciate) and wood floors.  There are great wood columns between the living and dining room with closed shelving in the lower area. 

There are three bedrooms on the second level along with a full bath and a den/bedroom without a closet.  The walk-up attic has great potential for another bedroom, den, hobby area or whatever.

New French doors open to a 8 x 20 deck and private fenced backyard.  It gives you more outdoor space to enjoy.  It is convenient to everything-school, parks, hospital and etc.

It is about 1100 sq ft., no basement, single garage and a lot that is about 7000 sq ft.  That is a large lot for that area.

NEW VALUE OF $238,800

LOCATION, LOCATION,LOCATION!!!

This four-bedroom, multi-level has been one terrific home!  It is angled on a sprawling corner lot on a quiet cul-de-sac with little traffic and has a large, well-groomed lawn with 10 mature trees. 

There are four bedrooms with two upstairs and two large bedrooms on the garden level.  There are three full bathrooms.  In all 2760 square feet of living space.  The four levels of the home's layout works well for a growing family because of the large eating area and lower level family room that walks out to a quaint patio made from Black Hills gold creek stone. 

Though from the outside of the house it appears there is only a double garage, in reality the builder made it super deep and at 618 square feet it can nearly hold a third car (or lots of bikes, a snow blower, a lawnmower, a refrigerator,etc).

Useful features include a spacious study, a toy room/playroom, sturdy storage rafters in the garage, an invisible dog fence(can not go around whole house, either front of back yard), two sump pumps (no water worries), a small wet bar, loads of bookcases, neat lighting and three patio doors with spectacular window treatments.

The exterior of the house was just painted this past summer.  You couldn't ask for nicer neighbors; most are the original homeowners.  All the houses in the neighborhood are unique and carry their own design. This house was built in 1988 with only one owner.

A three bedroom ranch with an updated kitchen.  There is a 10 x 22 patio.  There is a detached double garage.  There are lots of trees on this 2.50 acres acreage.  It is extremely efficient to heat!

It is located between Lennox and Chancellor.  There is only 1/8 miles of gravel.

Tons of light throughout this house with more and larger windows than you find in most houses!!

A sharp 4 bedroom, 3 bath multi-level on the southeastern location of Sioux Falls. This house has vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors and a large 12 foot window for you to enjoy.

The kitchen has granite counter tops, lots of pullouts, a pantry, stainless steel appliances and a snack bar.  The dining area has French doors to a deck to enjoy the outdoors. There is a hearth area off of the dining area with a gas fireplace to enjoy.  There are lots of great and fun decorating nooks located in the house to display your items. 

There is a spacious master bedroom and master bath.  The master bath has a heated tile floor and a Corian jet tub along with double sinks in the vanity and a shower.  The other bedrooms have walk-in closets.

The lower level with garden windows has a family room, bathroom and a 4th bedroom plus a multi purpose room.  The large L-shaped multi purpose room has lots of potential, possibly for a hobby room, home theatre or even a home daycare.  The family room has a corner gas fireplace and dry bar with a refrigerator.

The home is located facing south which is ideal for the winter snow melting driveway. The lawn has been professionally landscaped with a waterfall, a underground sprinkler system and a privacy fence.

It is in a great location - walking distance to stores, schools, park, USF football stadium, bike trail and close to an emergency snow route.

Click here:  http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i5405.pdf

First-Time Homebuyer Credit Expanded and Extended

Homebuyer Credit Extended to April 30, 2010.  Some Current Homeowners now also qualify.

We have a couple items on Energy Efficiency that we would like to share with you. They come from the US Department of Energy. The first one is a 36 page booklet called Energy Savers Booklet. It’s table of contents shows articles on Saving Energy & Money, Your Home’s Energy Use, Insulation and Sealing Air Leak, Heating & Cooling, Water Heating, Windows, Lighting, Appliances, Home office & Home Electronics, Driving and Car Maintenance, & Renewable Energy. This booklet shows you how easy it is to reduce your energy use at home and on the road. The easy, practical solutions for saving energy include tips you can use today throughout your home-from the roof, walls, and insulation that enclose it to the appliances & lights inside.  

The second free handout we can share with you is a Home Buyer’s Energy Efficient Checklist. This is a 2 page checklist to give you ideas of what to check for while looking at houses. We would gladly email either of these to anyone that asks for it. If you want a printed copy we will mail that to you as an alternative to sending this through your email.