Buy a Home

First steps to buying a house from Sioux Falls homes for sale? Bet you hoped we'd say you need to start looking at pretty pictures on the Internet, then finding a real estate agent to show you around, and then moving in. Alas, the first steps are not nearly that much fun. 

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If you're a new homeowner, you have many decisions to make when it comes to packing, moving, and decorating your new home. With everything to keep track of, it's easy to forget something important or to fail to consider everything you should before making decisions about your new home.

Our real estate agents point out the following common mistakes new homeowners should avoid after buying one of our listed Sioux Falls homes for sale:

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Buying a home for the first time can be exciting but also somewhat daunting. It's a multistep process, and it's easy to make some costly mistakes along the way.

Our real estate agents have the experience to guide you through the process and help you avoid these common mistakes - as well as any others — that first-time homebuyers often make:

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If you're buying or selling a home, you may be tempted to try completing the process on your own rather than working with a REALTOR®. This, however, can make every detail of your purchase or sale much more stressful than it has to be and open you up to costly mistakes.
  
Our REALTORS® point out the following 5 ways working with a REALTOR® benefits you, whether you're looking for Sioux Falls homes for sale or would like to sell a home in the area:

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According to Realtor.com, an outdated and rundown kitchen is one of the top dealbreakers with Sioux Falls homes for sale. Has your kitchen seen better days? Our real estate agents share their seven tips for sprucing up this important room without spending a lot of money or time.

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The best time to clean your new home is before you bring the first box through the door. Even the cleanest Sioux Falls homes for sale can benefit from a deep cleaning before move-in day is over. The following checklist will help you get your new home spic and span.

1. Get Your Supplies Together
   It's a good idea to pack your mops, brooms, cleaning agents, rags, etc. at the back of your moving truck. Having them right there and ready to go when you arrive at your new home will save you time and energy.
2. Aim High
   Clean from top to bottom. Start with ceiling fans, shelves, walls, cabinets, and counters. Working your way down ensures that you don't have to clean up the same dirt twice. Also, slip a pillowcase over the blades of your fans when cleaning them. This will help trap most of the dust before it can rain down on the floor.
3. Clean the Appliances
   Give the refrigerator, stove, microwave, washing machines, etc. a thorough cleaning inside and out. Make sure to clean out coils, hoods, vents, and other areas that are often overlooked. 
4. Make the Windows Shine
   Cleaning the windows is worth every ounce of effort. Clean windows not only help you see what you're doing, but they also provide a visual reminder that you're making progress. Use newspaper dampened with vinegar to clean windows. This is like a magnet for dust, and it will give you a streak-free shine.
5. Scrub the Fittings and Fixtures
   Give the light fixtures, door handles, stair rails, cabinet fobs, and other fittings and fixtures a solid wipe down.
6. Scrub the Sinks and Toilets 
   This is always a good idea because bacteria and mold love to grow here while a house is unoccupied. Be sure to clean these with disinfectants.
7. Mop Hardwood, Tile, and Linoleum Floors 
   In most cases, cleaning these surfaces requires little more than a damp mop and a little elbow grease.  
8. Go Deep into the Carpet
   Once you have everything else done, go ahead and give the carpets a steam cleaning. You can use a portable steamer or hire a professional to do this for you.
9. Carefully Pick Cleaning Supplies
   One thing that you will want to be very careful about is the types of cleaning agents you use. Surfaces and materials will react differently to bleach, vinegar, polish, and oil. When moving into a new house, use extra caution, and verify compatibility before applying a cleaning agent to any surface. Don't mix cleaning agents. Mixing bleach, ammonia, vinegar, etc. in a cleaning bucket can create toxic chemical reactions.
10. Home Remedies
    Boiling hot water can easily remove grime from the fridge, glue and gunk from counters, tiles, and mirrored surfaces. Want lemon fresh clean without a chemical residue? Take the peels from two lemons and add them to 1 liter of vinegar. Shake up and let sit for a week. When you're ready to move in, you can use this mixture to clean windows, mirrors, etc.  

Our real estate agents are always happy to help our clients! Contact us, and we will help you find the perfect place for you and your family. 

Pets are beloved members of our families, so why shouldn't they have their own Valentine's Day? Thursday, February 20, has been officially designated as National Love Your Pet Day, so celebrate by taking your precious pooch out for a fun day at one of these great dog parks recommended by our REALTORS®.

• Braeburn Park - 3350 Idlehurst Lane, Rapid City 17022
  Does your dog have so much energy that he ends up walking you instead of the other way around? Take him to Braeburn Park, a spacious off-leash site where your dog can run to his heart's content or swim in the beautiful creek.  There is a smaller enclosed area for dogs who may prefer less activity as well as supplies of bags and scoopers. Picnic tables are available if you want to pack a lunch and make a day of it. Park hours are 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. daily.
  
  
• Knollwood Metering Dam Off-Leash Area - N. Racine St. and W. LaCrosse St., Rapid City 57702
  Both dogs and their humans will find plenty to love about Knollwood Metering Dam Off-Leash Area. In addition to lots of space for dogs to roam about, the park has tennis and softball courts, kids' playgrounds, and picnic shelters. Be sure to leash your dog whenever he's outside of the off-leash area. The park is open seven days a week from 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. 
  
  
• Memorial Park Promenade - 600-684 Omaha St., Rapid City 57701
  Memorial Park Promenade was designed to encourage walking between the downtown area and Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, but the pet-friendly park is also a beautiful spot to enjoy some leisure time. The park, built in remembrance of victims of the 1972 flood, includes moving tributes such as a pond and fountain, Berlin Wall and Veterans Memorials and Legacy Statue. Stroll the Promenade from 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. daily.
  
  

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Sometimes when you're so close to securing one of the great Sioux Falls homes for sale, you find yourself in a situation of deal or no deal. But this is far from a game — it's one of the most important financial decisions of your life! When you're stuck in this unfavorable situation, you need to know when it's time to move forward or when it's time to save yourself from making the wrong decision.

Our real estate agents understand that no homebuyer ever wants to be caught in this scenario. We've gathered this list of tips to help you identify when it's the right choice to walk away from a house negotiation.

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The world is a complicated place! Especially the real estate world, which can seem very complicated to those unfamiliar with the terminology. Our real estate agents are committed to making your home buying experience as straightforward as possible. This is why we've compiled common real estate terms to know before looking at Sioux Falls homes for sale. 

• Adjustable-Rate Mortgage - A type of home loan where the interest rate can change over the lifetime of the loan, usually at intervals of five, seven, or ten years. The other alternative is a Fixed-Rate Mortgage, where the interest rate cannot change. 
• Appraisal - A required step to assess the value of a property. The mortgage lender will send an appraiser to estimate the property's value to determine if it is worth the amount of the loan that the buyer is seeking.
  

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By the time you get to your final walk-through before buying a home, you're so close to the end that you probably already celebrated with a bottle of champagne on ice. But be careful—it's easy to get complacent when you're in the home stretch, and our real estate agents have seen deals go south at the last possible second. 

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