Tips for the Hill City First Time Home Buyer

One of life’s milestones is buying your first Hill City home and with home prices still affordable in the Black Hills region … now is the perfect time to buy. However, it’s really easy to get caught up in the excitement of buying your first home and, in that excitement; many homebuyer’s make some common mistakes.

These mistakes can easily be avoided by preparing and getting smart even before your house hunt begins.

Pre-Approval is key. You may have already computed your debt-to-income ratio and you already have a good idea about how much home you can afford. However, don’t assume that is the loan amount you will ultimately receive. Credit scores play a big role in loan approvals as well as other factors. Making sure you are pre-approved for a loan before shopping for a Hill City home will save time and stress.

Be careful not to get in over your head. While you may be able to afford the house on paper, make sure that you leave yourself some breathing room. Pushing yourself right to the limit will leave you highly exposed to changes in our economy or your personal finances in the future.

A life where all your family earnings go into the support and upkeep of your home is a frequent cause of family stress. Also, you may find yourself with a large beautiful home but with no extra cash to do any updating or additions to make it your own.

Don’t fall in the “perfect home” trap. Everyone’s idea of the perfect home is different. If you trap yourself into only looking at those homes with everything on your wish list, you will be severely limiting your options. It’s important to choose the things you are not willing to compromise on. These may include location, neighborhood, school district, or home size; things you cannot change. Remember, when it comes to personal preferences on additions and decorating, these can be added later.

Also, while you are waiting for that perfect home that meets all of your requirements, housing prices could be rising or mortgage rates going up, adding expense to your purchase. Instead, determine the most important of your needs and select a home that meets the majority of them.

Skipping inspection is not an option. Any good Realtor® will tell you to never skip the home inspection. By completely skipping a whole house inspection in order to save the relatively small amount of money involved is just crazy. Never use a friend or relative with limited experience to conduct the inspection either. You could be missing potentially expensive and even hazardous defects in the property. A whole home inspection protects you and your family from things unseen that could add up to thousands upon thousands of dollars in repairs or rebuilding later down the road.

If you are ready to buy your new home in the Black Hills Area, I’d love to talk with you. Whether you are interested in homes in Hill City, Custer homes for sale, or Rapid City new homes, we can give you the most comprehensive listings that meet your criteria. Our expertise in the Black Hills or Rapid City markets will ensure you a stress-free experience. Contact me, Jim Peterson, at (605) 574-4444 or email me to discuss how I can help you with all your real estate needs. My office is in the heart of Hill City and as a tourist spot, restrooms are hard to find – mine are always open for your convenience!

Black Hills Home Heating Tips for Fall

When you step out the door of your Black Hills home, there’s no denying that fall is at your doorstep. It won’t be much longer before the temperatures start dipping down into freezing and your heating costs start to rise. Before that happens, here are some easy things you can do to keep heating costs under control.

Change that air filter. A clean air filter can lower your energy bills by 5% or more. Get off to a good start right off the bat by changing your air filter before using your heater for the first time. A dirty filter will make your heating system work harder and will definitely be noticed in your heating bill!

Keep the cold air out. Caulking your windows and weather-stripping your doors will keep the warm air in and the cold air out. Be sure to check the sliding doors and screen doors as well. When selling your home, potential buyers will be checking for drafts so this is a cheap fix to be sure that your home is in good shape.

Visit the attic. If you haven’t checked you attic is years, you may want to peek and make sure the insulation is in good shape. If you need to replace the insulation, it will be a cost upfront but will pay off helping to save hundreds off your heating bill each year.

Mother Nature is the best heater. You can naturally heat your home just by opening your curtains, blinds and shades during the day. The sun is the best source of heat and it’s free! Also, when selling your home, you will want to let in as much natural light as possible to show off the inside of your Black Hills home.

Install a programmable thermostat. With a programmable thermostat; you can program it so that while you are at work or vacation, the heat isn’t running needlessly. This will keep your heating costs down while saving energy.

Lower your thermostat setting. It’s a fact that your  heating costs could rise 4% to 6% for every degree you set your thermostat above 70 degrees in the winter. Rely on a pair of slippers, a sweater, and if you have one, your fireplace or pellet stove to keep the heat up in your house.

If you are planning to sell your home this winter, you should know exactly what it’s worth before making such an important decision.  At Integrity Realty, we determine the value of Black Hills area homes daily. I’d love to talk with you about giving you a Comparative Market Analysis of your home to determine the best course of action for you. Our expertise in the Black Hills or Rapid City markets will ensure you a stress-free experience. Contact me, Jim Peterson, at (605) 574-4444 or email me to discuss how I can help you with all your real estate needs. My office is in the heart of Hill City and as a tourist spot, restrooms are hard to find – mine are always open for your convenience!

Landscaping your Black Hills Home for Energy Efficiency

You may be deciding how to landscape your new Black Hills home or how to add landscaping to make your home more attractive before selling it. Whatever your situation, you can use energy-efficient landscaping strategies to save on your yearly energy bill or to show potential buyers the added benefits of buying your home.

The best approach for South Dakota landscaping is to ensure that south-facing windows receive full sun during the winter while southern and western-facing windows receive adequate shade and no direct sunlight during the summer. You will also want to plant windbreaks around your property that can block our unforgiving winter winds.

The first step is indentifying your microclimate. This is the area that immediately surrounds your home. Nearby mountains, lakes and more immediate, shade, wind and moisture around your home can affect its microclimate.

Once you’ve determined your microclimate and mapped out where your windbreaks should be, the vulnerable sides of your home and the best types of plants that thrive in your area, you are ready to get started!

An effective windbreak helps to reduce heating costs during cold South Dakota months. There are several types of windbreaks depending on the direction your home faces and the logistics of where things are located around your home.

The first type of windbreak is to plant a row of trees and shrubs placed a certain distance from the house to reduce the chilling effects of our winter winds. The typical distance to plant this type of windbreak is 7 times the distance of the tree’s mature height to ensure the tree will not impede into the home.

Deciduous trees are ideal for letting sun through during the winter, while blocking it in the summer. Coniferous trees such as Black Hills spruce, ponderosa pine and eastern red cedar are ideal for year-round shade and blocking heavy winds.

Another type of windbreak consists of a variety of shrubs, vines and groundcover placed very close to the home. In the winter, this helps to insulate the house and prevent the snow from drifting against the side of the home. In the summer, it serves to shade the ground and pavement around your home helping to cool the air surrounding it.

Taking all of these things into consideration will improve your home’s energy efficiency and your curb appeal. Before you dig, call South Dakota One Call (811) to determine the location of any underground utilities around the home.

Call me, Jim Peterson, at (605) 574-4444 or email me to discuss how I can help you with all your real estate needs. Our expertise in the Black Hills or Rapid City markets will ensure you a stress-free experience in selling your Black Hills Home. My office is in the heart of Hill City and as a tourist spot, restrooms are hard to find – mine are always open for your convenience!

Black Hill Events You Won’t Want to Miss

There’s never a dull moment in the Black Hills of South Dakota! Whether you own a Black Hills home or just use the region as your playground, you can always find something going on to please the whole family.

Take this weekend for instance, it’s Holy Terror Days in Keystone marking the end of the season. This year it falls September 6-8. For those of you wanting a brief history lesson, Holy Terror Days began in the late 1800’s as an Independence Day celebration, creating entertainment for the gold rush miners and their families. It was named after the Holy Terror Mine which at that time, had the richest gold claim in all of the southern Black Hills.

Today, it’s not only good old-fashioned town fun but also a great fundraiser to help those in need in the Keystone area community. Check out all the festivities which include the annual parade, an auction, a 4^th annual Ugly Truck Contest, and the always favorite “abuse of public officials event” (first throw shaving cream pies for $1 at ‘em, then help clean ‘em off by dunking them in the dunk tank). Lastly, top off the activities on Sunday with a downhill derby!

Ready to celebrate the 125^th birthday of Spearfish? The Birthday will end with a blast during the Grand Finale weekend September 13-15. There will be fun for the whole family with antique cars, sack races, scavenger hunt and stage entertainment. Bring a basket for the Family Picnic starting at noon but save room for a piece of birthday cake to be served in the afternoon!

Save your appetite for the Taste of Autumn BBQ Cook-Off Championships, September 20-21. Come out to support our local BBQ experts. Enjoy some family fun on Friday evening with food, live music and refreshments. Taste of Autumn People’s Choice Judging will take place on Friday evening and is open to the public. Saturday morning the BBQ event will get under way with judging taking place in the early afternoon followed by awards presentations at 4 pm. All proceeds from this event will benefit the Rec Youth & Family Scholarship Program.

Take some time to enjoy our end-of-summer activities in the area! Whether you are looking for a year-around home, land, investment or vacation home, our expertise in the Black Hills or Rapid City markets will ensure you a stress-free experience. Contact me, Jim Peterson, at (605) 574-4444 or email me to discuss how I can help you with all your real estate needs. My office is in the heart of Hill City and as a tourist spot, restrooms are hard to find – mine are always open for your convenience!

Achieve Financial Success Before Buying Your First Hill City Home

If you have decided that buying a Hill City home is your next big purchase but feel that you have too much debt to buy a home, don’t despair. There is a way out of your burden of debt. Becoming and staying debt-free will put you in a better position to find the home of your dreams and be able to comfortably make your new mortgage payment. 

There are many financial coaches and systems out there to show you how to achieve success. Here are some steps to help get a handle on your debt, relaxing your financial stress and ways to streamline those extra costs that add up each month:                  

Say Goodbye to High Interest Credit ~ Paying your high interest credit cards off first will save you money in the long run. Take the time to give your credit card companies a call to find out if you may qualify for lower interest rates. If possible, consolidate all the balances onto a single card; ideally, the one with the lowest rate.

Keep Accounts Current and Credit Score Good ~ Check your credit score at least once a year to ensure your credit score is good. If you have a low score, you can start to repair it by paying your bills on time. If you already have balances that have gone to collections, call the debtor and make payment arrangements that fit into your budget. Some level of payment, no matter the amount, is better than nothing.

Don’t  be too quick to close those cards ~ Closing credit card accounts can damage your credit-to-debt ratio, which is one of the key factors in determining your credit score. Also, closing an account can erase any good payment history you may have had, decrease your available credit and increase your debt ratio.

Track your monthly spending ~ This one may be a real eye opener to you! Many of us don’t realize where our money goes each month. It’s important to stick to this and for one entire month, record every dollar you spend. Categorize your spending such as, “groceries”, “clothing”, “automobile”, and “dining out”. You may be pleasantly surprised that there is room to cut expenses. Your morning coffee fix at the local coffee shop or your impulse buys online can all be reduced once you admit there’s a problem!

For those inevitable expenses such as gift giving, buy small, inexpensive items you know you will need even if it’s months ahead. Buying things on clearance now to use at a later date can save you money.

Lower your bills by conserving energy ~ Lowering your monthly household bills by turning off lights in unoccupied rooms, washing clothes in cold water and wearing a sweatshirt if you get a chill instead of turning on the heater can add up yearly to a lot of money. Also, on yearly renewals of your car insurance, make sure you are paying the best possible rates available.

Cash & Carry ~ This may seem hard in today’s age, but stop charging and switch to “cash and carry”. It’s all too easy to whip out a credit or debit card to pay for something. Instead, only carry cash and keep those credit cards at home. You will find yourself being much more aware of what you’re spending when you have to part with that hard-earned cash.

Save and SAVE some more ~ So you have taken my advice from above, you’ve cut back on the splurges and impulse spending and saved on household bills by conserving. All this doesn’t do much good unless you now take that savings and SAVE IT! Decide how much you can save from each check, even if it’s just $50, and immediately put it into savings. Some banks will even do a transfer withdrawal bi-monthly from your checking to savings. Before you know it, you will have accumulated a nice bit of savings which you can invest or use to help pay off that debt.

Buying a Hill City home is one of the largest, but proudest, purchases you will ever make. Ensure that you are ready for that mortgage payment before you begin the buying process. Contact me, Jim Peterson, at (605) 574-4444 or email me to discuss how I can help you with all your real estate needs.

Our expertise in the Black Hills or Rapid City markets will ensure you a stress-free experience. My office is in the heart of Hill City and as a tourist spot, restrooms are hard to find – mine are always open for your convenience!