“What can you do to sell my house WITHOUT dropping the price,” he asked me several times throughout my listing presentation.  He confided that he had cancelled his last listing agreement just days ago due to lack of showings. The home is new within a few years and in an upscale location but yet at the same time it has some low end features that are not common in his development.  It has some laminate floors, it has some cheap bamboo floors, it has Corian instead of granite in the bathrooms and the basement is unfinished.  And while it does has some upscale features they are very taste specific with an almost  southwestern flair.  It sits on the smallest lot in this development and has a tiny little deck.  It is also square footage wise one of the smallest in the area due to the unfini... 07/30/2011

Thursday started off as so many Thursdays before until it arrived. The email that left me rather shaken all day long.  The email that informed us that one of our co-workers had passed away in his sleep the night before.  Roger was a kind man with a sweet smile and years of experience selling real estate.  Whenever I had a question he would always gladly listen and direct me in the right direction. He had been absent from our staff meeting on Tuesday, which was unusual for him, but I didn’t think anything of it.  And then he was just gone!    It makes one humble to know that death can come so close and so quickly. No one is immune. No one has any say but our Savior who makes no mistakes. It’s just another reminder to me to live life like I know I should and to value the things that reall... 07/28/2011

I am the outdoorsy sort of girl. There is nothing I like to do more then jump in my kayak and paddle around looking at wildlife. If I am not in my kayak I am out hiking the trails with my camera. One of my favorite haunts is Palisades State Park in Garretson,SD. Palisades is a small slice of heaven in my opinion! Good fishing, picturesque hiking trails, a wonderfully shady campground and a historic 1908 bridge await you here. I hope you all enjoy my pictures! Did I mention it is a great place to take pictures? My darling daughter Dana Jean is on the right and her bestie Jaime Kay is on the left. 07/25/2011

So even if you are on the market you may not be in the market. We preach over and over ad naseaum about the importance of listing at the correct price but today lets talk about the next spoke in the wheel, condition.  If you are listing your house and it is not in show room condition the people that are coming to see it are not probably noticing the great bones of your home they are probably noticing your gritty floors under their feet.  If they are walking through your kitchen they are probably noticing the smear of greasy fingertips on your stainless and your dirty dishes in the sink.  While they are checking out your basement they are holding their breath because you haven’t cleaned Fluffy’s litter box. While you see all the boxes in your basement as your treasured belongings they ju... 07/21/2011

  I was so intrigued by this home that I went up and rang the bell to ask the homeowners if I could take a photo to share on my blog.  The homeowner was a very pleasant woman that was even nice enough to show me around. She gave me some other details on the house as well. This beautiful house was built in 1984 and has a most unusual roof. Not only does the roof have ripples but it curls down under the roofline! This look is created by the placement of the cedar shakes in multiple layers. The homeowner told me that in some areas there are seven layers of shakes! This combined with the cute little cat eye window above the garage and the paned windows with the beautiful Ivy vine create quite the pretty picture. It reminds me of a beautiful English cottage. What do you all think? Is there a... 07/18/2011

             I started out the child of a single mother, of modest means in a modest town. We never did starve but we didn’t have much money to throw around either. My mother was in college during a good chunk of my childhood, and my saving grace was my grandpa and grandma who I was with constantly. My mother and I lived in low rent housing and apartments for the majority of my childhood  ,but my grandparents had a huge yard for me to play in. We did live in few small rental homes, but there was always a no pets policy so no dog for me.  But at my grandparent’s house there was love, and food, and a line chart up the side of the doorway in the kitchen with my growth chart.  My grandma was a homemaker and her door was always open to her only grandchild.  While we moved around in my hometo... 07/17/2011

  I am a foodie. I will be the first to admit it. I am a voracious cook. There is nothing I enjoy more then being in my kitchen, listening to Jazz, while cooking with a glass of wine in hand. And I can make most anything, with the help of a recipe. But sometimes a cook just doesn’t want to cook! Being a cook I am very picky about where I go to eat. If I can cook better then the restaurant I generally won’t go there again. To me food is not just sustenance it is something to be enjoyed! So it goes without saying that if I recommend a restaurant that it will be good! One of my favorite types of food is Mediterranean. My favorite place to get this food is Sanaa’s 8th Street Gourmet in Sioux Falls, SD. Sanaa and her staff cook everything from scratch daily, with fresh ingredients and freshl... 07/16/2011

Sioux Falls 20th Annual JazzFest is coming to town July 14, 2011- July 16th, 2011.  With two stages and 23 great acts there will be something for everyone to love. There will be beverages and food vendors as well. Outside food and drink is prohibited and leave Rover home as well…. unless he is a service animal.  This awesome event will take place at Yankton Trails Park. Parking will be limited and if you live close biking in may be your best bet. Spoke and Sport will be providing a valet area for bikes if you choose this option.  Also important is to dress appropriately and bring your sunscreen because the mercury will be rising close to the hundred-degree mark this weekend! Hope to see you all there!  MAIN STAGE ACTS   THURSDAY, JULY 14 INDIGENOUS – 6:30PM THE FABULOUS  THUNDERBIRDS –... 07/13/2011

Terrace Park, located in the heart of downtown Sioux Falls, is one of my favorite places to be. Established in 1917 on 52 acres there is something for everyone here. Terrace Park pool built in 1994 has several slides and is a zero entry pool for the safety of your little ones. For the older kids there is basketball, baseball and tennis courts. In 1922 a Outdoor Amphitheater was built which is still in use every Sunday night at 8pm (during summer) when the Sioux Falls Municipal Band has a concert. With picnic shelters and playground equipment you have all you need for an afternoon of fun. My personal favorite area is the Terrace Park Japanese Gardens. With Japanese garden lanterns, several pagodas and gazebos and a beautiful waterfall it is a sight to behold and all with a beautiful view... 07/12/2011

  RASE-REALTOR Association of the Sioux Empire- June 2011 Housing Market Statistical Reporting   Sioux Falls, SD – July 8, 2011: You may have noticed some "noise" lately about where the market is heading. Some accounts are optimistic while others, well, aren't. The good news is that local data provides a more reliable tone than national sound bites can offer. When it comes to hearing the market's true message, it may not necessarily be from the expected indicators, it may not be heard evenly across all segments and it may arrive in disjointed bursts. Let's listen.   The rate of inventory absorption in the Sioux Empire region slowed as Months Supply of Inventory was up 22.6 percent to 9.7 months. New Listings decreased 2.0 percent to 539. Pending Sales were up 14.5 percent to 300. Inven... 07/08/2011

  Come out and support the kids at the 16th Annual Hot Harley Nights.  This event is a fundraiser for the Make A Wish Foundation of South Dakota which grants wishes for children with life threatening diseases.  There will be awesome food, live music, a motorcycle parade, a casino run and lots of great folks! Hope to see you there! FRIDAY JULY 8, 2011 9am–8pm Registration at J&L Harley-Davidson (2601 W. 60th St. North, Sioux Falls. 2 blocks east of I-29, Exit 83) Unguided area ride maps are also available 9am–8pm Silent Auction and Raffle Items at J&L Harley-Davidson 10am-4pm Harley-Davidson National Demo Fleet at J&L Harley-Davidson 6pm–9pm Ride in Bike Show (10 classes) at J&L Harley-Davidson 5pm–8pm Food vendors at J&L Harley-Davidson 5pm–9pm Purchase your favorite Budweiser Beer, Dai... 07/07/2011

  Chartered in 1856 on the banks of the Big Sioux River Sioux Falls has blossomed into a regional center of commerce for the surrounding areas. Sioux Falls is the largest city in South Dakota and is the county seat of Minnehaha County, and has in recent years spread down into Lincoln County to the south as well. Sioux Falls is counted  as among one of  the fastest growing metro areas in the United States. With an estimated population of 156,500 Sioux Falls has been growing at a rate of 2.4% per year. In the begining the epicenter of the city revolved around the Falls of the Big Sioux River which is now located in Falls Park near downtown Sioux Falls. Ho-Chunk, Ioway, Otoe, Missouri, Omaha, Quapaw, Kansa,Osage, Arikira, Dakota, Nakota, and Cheyenne inhibited the Falls area prior to the a... 05/23/2011

Preventing Water in the Basement...a few easy steps. Spring is almost here.  It's difficult to think that here in Sioux Falls, SD.  It is snowing as I type this but spring is on its way.  With spring comes melting.  With several feet of snowfall this winter, melting snow means water.  Lots of it.  Along with the spring melt will also be rain.  There could be lots of it.  Where will all this water go?  That will be determined later, but the basement is where we do not want it. When water does enter your basement, it will need to get pumped out.  Relying on a floor drain is risky.  A sump pump is your most reliable method.  The best option is to take measures to avoid the problem all together.  The best sump pump is one that never needs to run...but can when necessary.  To avoid basement ... 03/11/2010

What Drives You? Why do you get out of bed in the morning?  Does the sound of the alarm every morning make you angry?  Would you rather stay in bed and forget you sell real estate? I'll be the first to admit the alarm does not greet me with smiles every morning.  Three mornings per week I am on the basketball court by 6:00 am.  I don't enjoy waking up, but starting the day with a game of full court hoops tends to give me a kick start. I am driven to make a difference.  One of my favorite quotes is by Tony Dungy:  While winning is important, it should be a result of doing what's right.  How many people can say they agree with this mindset?  I firmly believe if I work with integrity and keep the client's well-being at the forefront, I will be successful.  Sometimes that means foregoing a ... 03/10/2010

Sioux Falls Home Show Attendance This weekend was the annual Home Show in Sioux Falls.  The weather seemed to cooperate in favor of the event.  We were fortunate to have the temperature warm enough to welcome spring, but cool and damp enough that being outdoors was not an enjoyable option.  The Homebuilders Association of the Sioux Empire sponsored the event which saw over 200 vendors.  The area of primary focus this year seemed to be energy efficiency and the movement towards going green.  It is encouraging to speak with people this year and hear the excitement for spring.  I'm sure the vendors were happy to see people attending in good numbers.  Hopefully good numbers at the home show is also an indicator of buyers and sellers confident in the market and ready to make some moves. I'm ... 03/07/2010

Should the repairs be completed before listing? I thought this was a very simple question with a very simple answer.  I will contend the answer is yes. Here's the scenario:  Property is listed, posted on MLS, and the sign goes in the yard on Wednesday.  The seller promises to finish painting and cleaning over the weekend.  In the meantime, there have been 10 showings and of course the work did not get done over the weekend. I work very hard to educate my sellers.  I do not want a single showing until all cosmetic repairs and/or upgrades are completed.  I see so many properties still needing work or cleaning and agent remarks indicate it will be completed.  Am I missing an opportunity?  I believe a week of lost market time is better than having 10 buyers walk through and be turned off by... 03/03/2010

Weekday Open House Feedback As I am wrapping up another weekend of open houses and showing a few properties, I have a question for my real estate professional counterparts as well as prospective clients:  What is your opinion of weekday open houses?  Last I looked, Moses did not command that open houses be held only on the weekend. As spring and summer approach, I plan to once again do a few of these each month.  When I held my first evening open house a couple of years ago, virtually none of the other 600 plus licensed agents in Sioux Falls had tested those waters.  Since then, I will occasionally see a sign indicating a weekday open.  For the most part, I have no competition during the week. A little more about me I certainly am not trying to suggest that I am a trendsetter or that an... 02/28/2010

This month in Mortgage--- As  published in the Home Ideas Magazine, November 2009-- by Wanda Promes Most Mortgage Loan Officers have full time jobs just keeping up with the ever changing guidelines handed down by Fannie Mae, Freddie, HUD and new regulations passed down by Congress. When you apply for your next mortgage loan you may see these changes affecting the application and closing process. The most recent changes in mortgage lending include the areas of appraisals, the self employed borrower, the need for tax transcripts.  These changes have also affected the disclosing process for Good Faith Estimates and Truth-In-Lending disclosures.  Changes in minimum credit scores, Debt-to-Income ratios, and the ability to get Mortgage Insurance on your loan are shifting to a conservative lev... 11/25/2009

South Dakota Credit Repair National Credit Fixers: 330 Roberts Street 4th Floor East Hartford CT 06108 phone: 860-282-6181. National Credit Fixers boasts of 13 years experience repairing low FICO scores. Whether your credit has been damaged by a foreclosure, bankruptcy, slow credit, collections, judgments, repossessions, etc. we can help. We are the experts in credit restoration and credit repair. We have helped numerous residents of South Dakota and are experts in South Dakota credit repair. Everyone deserves a fresh start. Isn't it time for yours? There are ways to improve those negative credit scores. We have the tips and tricks to help you improve your credit and get yourself back on your feet. Don't spend another day living with a bad credit score, let us help you get a clean slate... 06/30/2009

Posted with permission: Tom Lundstedt Seminars Tom Lundstedt, CCIM www.tomlundstedt.com The purpose of this article is to give a friendly whack upside the head to people who own rental property. You probably made a good investment when you first bought the property. But have you owned it too long?Depending on how long you've held your property, it might not be a good investment anymore. I didn't say not a good property; I said not a good investment. Read on to find a simple way to determine if your property is still measuring up. You may be in for a surprise!First, let's quickly review the four financial benefits of owning investment real estate: CASH FLOW: After you pay all expenses and loan payments, cash flow is the money left over. PRINCIPAL REDUCTION: The loan is paid down with mon... 03/10/2009