Yard Conditions (Sioux Falls: house, compensation, costs)

[MJ1986]

Originally Posted by AJTucson

Hello again. I can't believe that I have to even ask this. As I mentioned, we are coming to SD for a visit and are going to try to get to two cities on each side of the state. Thus, I know we won't have a lot of time to check out everything.

My question is this. How are the yards looking in Rapid City and Sioux Falls? I tried searching a thread by looking up "unkempt yards" and "messy yards" and found nothing. That is encouraging. Is that accurate?

I am not talking about "oops, the kids left their bikes out" or forgetting to pick up a newspaper or that tree that you are meaning to prune or "gee, I better cut that grass this weekend" type of stuff. I am talking about crap. Here we have seen the following: a metal twin bed frame, an old wooden and screen door, weeds galore (again, it costs nothing to pull those on their own), paint cans (like 10), old tree branches set askew, old cars that do not run, car parts, old moving boxes that have been rained on, tires and bike parts to name a few. These have been out for months. They have been reported, but.....where that went I don't know. I am only counting four houses in this assessment - now multiply that times other blocks and you have blight (goes so well with all our graffiti).

This is beyond discouraging to us as we ourselves are doing a lot to our home to sell it. It was and is in very good condition, but we are adding touches as this (as we all know) is a buyer's market. I hate the fact that we need to hope for a buyer with blinders on. I sure as heck don't want to make this mistake again. It is, in my opinion, lack of respect for ones home. All that I listed could be picked up and handled for a nominal fee (bed frame, towing old car for donation) and/or free (all the rest) by the owner.

Anyway, if there are a few areas like this where you live .... if you wouldn't mind giving a general direction to avoid ... we would sure appreciate that. When we lived in WI we had maybe one or two questionable houses and yards per subdivision. Here, we have a few good ones - totally reversing what we were used to. Also, just to add, I am completely not talking about fussy and prissy "richie rich" type neighborhoods. I am talking essentially general middle class type areas.

Sorry for the rant again. I am exhausted from all our work and I would wish more for us than opening the blinds and thinking ... oh crap...

The lawns and yards in Sioux Falls will be really good, compared to what you're experiencing now.
The only area would be the state penitentiary area (I agree with Snowbird, that needs some major cleaning up), some of the west downtown area, and maybe the far NE area (east of Cliff Avenue, Riverside, Norton Tracks). If you are looking for a good middle class neighborhood, you probably won't be looking in those areas anyway.

[NEVAstopGamer]

The only yard that comes to mind that is in your description is the house on the corner of elm and Wedgewood in Blackhawk. it’s kind of funny, because their neighbors have big wooden fences on that side of the yard, and the contrast is amazing. (Nice well kept lawn, roses bushes vs. waist high weeds growing in the gravel driveway, a missing front porch, and several cars parked in weird spots, as well as bushes growing 2 feet over the roadway). These types of houses and yards are so few and far in-between, that everyone knows what you’re talking about when you say “the guy with the forest around his house took out his trash for once in a year”

[AJTucson]

Thanks to you two as well MJ and NEVA! I guess it is settled; I currently live in a dump (the area - not my house)!! I do very well remember (when we were in WI) that there were one or two houses in a subdivision who were questionable. NEVA, I even remember seeing what you described - fences guarding against the offender.

If anyone has anything to add, please do. Thus far, I am getting that our quick trip won't be scoping out all the horrible areas (as it really seems that bad junked up homes and yards are the exception and not the general rule in both cities).

So, does anyone think it is inappropriate to set out blinders at the beginning of the driveway when we get to open house time ?? I know the house will show well, but the area.... Oh well, just have to hope for a buyer who just cares about the house and is a typical person in this city - come home, talk to no one, close that garage door and shut the blinds (paraphrased from a thread I read a month ago - generally just about covers it)!

Okay, enough of my whine - time to get back at it here - thanks to everyone again .

[BusySocialWorker]

I have to agree that in Rapid most of the yards look really good - lots of people put a lot of time and effort into flowers and keeping things looking nice... honestly - I am probably in the minority, but that is why I do like HOA's that enforce rules - most of the rules don't infringe on anything I would ever want to do to my house anyway (I do not want a pink house, a couch on my front porch, or flamingos in my yard) , and I like knowing my neighborhood will be kept to good standards.... just my thoughts... I know HOA's are not for everyone

[AJTucson]

Hi Busy, I was just thinking (and reviewing) a bunch of prior posts (including yours) the other night. How are things going at the hospital? We're heading up to SD and I will be in touch with HR there. I hope to get a tour or a visit with someone. It is hard since we have to wait for a sale of our home before we can get serious, but at least I can introduce myself and put a name with a face .

Anyway, I have to say I agree with the HOA. I didn't always. Had two homes without one, one with and now this place. The first was in Milwaukee - in late 1970s - I don't think they were even in effect. The second was way out in another county, 1.5 acres. Again, no issues. In fact, the pink flamingos were a running gag between neighbors on birthdays. Never, ever stayed out longer than a day or two (unlike the omnipresent holiday lights here - and there is no excuse - our weather is temperate to hotter than you can imagine - no snow to fight, no ice chipping to get the spotlights out of the ground). Then we lived on about 1/2 acre in another city. The HOA was enforced. However, we had no stagnant pools, no couches, chairs, bed frames, etc. in the yards. The sheds were built well (really cute - matched a lot of the architecture of the house), and we enjoyed well kept lawns , etc. I never heard much of a complaint from anyone (in fact, if you are not going to use your front and/or back yard as a dump, I don't see why there would be a complaint).

Having said that, I have lived here for ten years and have seen what people do when there are no rules. Just as a side note, I can see how people in SD would want all of us escaping our respective states to prove ourselves. So, it may not be the worst thing in the world to have a few rules as there are others from other states that may try to live like they lived - just saying.

For me, this situation is my single biggest fear selling our home. Once one or two go down; the rest follow quickly. There are like 5 of us out of many more with great looking houses and yards on our side of the block - we are not a majority. I would have never, ever expected this ten years ago; never had any experience with this. Anyway, just my opinion and observation from having an HOA and what we enjoyed because of it, and what we have now . One last point, these homes here are all owner owned - I am not talking about short selling or foreclosures - OMG I can't even go there when and if that starts.

[SDHomesteader]

My Yard is a damn mess and I am proud of it. I am the one that pays the mortgage, taxes and so forth not my neighbor (of course my nearest neighbor is about a mile away) and until my neighbor pays my bills, I'll keep it that way. My house and land, MY RULES. LOL

[debey]

We a friend who lives a few miles away. True redneck.....he bales his lawn....

[SD4020]

Originally Posted by debey

We a friend who lives a few miles away. True redneck.....he bales his lawn....

I have done that at my folks place. And my brothers place too now that I think about it.

[MJ1986]

Originally Posted by SDHomesteader

My Yard is a damn mess and I am proud of it. I am the one that pays the mortgage, taxes and so forth not my neighbor (of course my nearest neighbor is about a mile away) and until my neighbor pays my bills, I'll keep it that way. My house and land, MY RULES. LOL

Ahhh... The true difference between the country and the city.

Originally Posted by debey

We a friend who lives a few miles away. True redneck.....he bales his lawn....

Not uncommon to see the ditches baled in the rural areas.... I've seen hay bales on the outside edges of Sioux Falls (if its in the city limits or not, I don't know)...

[SD4020]

I have hayed lots for sale in housing developments. Also in and around camping resorts and the really rough areas of a golf course.