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Many basements are finished - make sure you have a sump pump and if you are buying and plan to finish the basement, water seal the walls
Honestly I hate my neighbors here too... we can't wait to move... its not all sunny... like you said some people ruin it for the others... our neighbors let their dogs bark all the time and mow the yard at 9pm and 6am so NOT COOL - Im very irritated and ready to move just to get away from those without common courtesy... my back yard needs to be private as far as I can tell.. i need a relaxing place where I am not disturbed... like you said, friendly but come one I need my space!
We really can't wait to get out of here too- but I just worry, is this type of thing going to be anywhere we go? No courtesy as you say- I really hope not! Exactly- since when does needing space and privacy mean you are un-friendly? I am very friendly, but there is a difference. I read on another thread that you are looking in the $200+ range, we will stay under $170,000- is that still a good amount for a nice neighborhood in SF? I am also interested in Rapid City, which is I think near or in Black Hills? We are also considering small acreage. Besided my daughter wanting a horse, it is about choosing how far away we are from neighbors- I'm jaded now on regular neighborhoods!
Elbow, I can easily appreciate your concerns as I too have had some undesireable neighbors in the past. Hopefully you won't have that problem in SD, but there are a couple things you can do to circumvent the situation. The first would be to check the zoning of the house you are planning to buy/rent. You can get a zoning map at city hall. I have found that R 1 zoning tends to attract a more stable group of people. This step won't guarantee anything, but it will help. If you are building a new home in a subdivision, check for any covenants or restrictions that might be a part of the package. Also, take a real close look at the lot. Sometimes there will be a ravine or an easement on the edge of a lot that will keep your neighbors at arms length. Some strategically located tree's and shrubs will help also.
We built our current house in Wisconsin new and have had minimal problems with neighbors. We are in the process of building in Hot Springs and so far the neighbors are great.
As to flooding and basements, there is a lot of rock in and around Rapid. Sometimes the rock has to be blasted out in order to make a basement. You may want to consider a foundation other than a basement. This would also depend on the lot you buy. Any flooding in or near Rapid would most likely be the flash flood type, rather than seepage thru a crack in the basement wall. To avoid that kind of flooding, just take a close look at the terrain of your lot and nearby area's. If it might have flooded in the past, you can be sure it will flood in the future. Good Luck
Thanks, Uncle for all of the info! That is interesting about the zoning- do you know if that R 1 zoning allows horses? We are actually looking to buy probably in Sioux Falls, or actually outside the city limits as we like a rural setting,( but need a city for my husband to work in, and for soccer,etc for the kids) and hope to get a little acreage. The homes we have seen online mostly seem to have basements, but some have bedrooms in the basement, which I'm not sure if I like. We have trees as one of our top priorities in a home, and I'll keep an eye out for the other things you spoke of also! Thanks!
Location: My heart is in Wyoming, my body is soon to follow.....
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elbowgrease,
Keep in mind if you're going to live in the eastern part of the state you will want a basement in order to hide from tornadoes. The activity is higher over there than on the western side.
Hey elbowgrease, sell out and come back here! You can get double the house back here for the money you will get for yours out there. As for fences, some have them, some don't. Some put bedrooms in the basement, some don't.
The last one I talked to that moved back here from California said that she heard three sounds each and every night out there: first, the gunfire; second, the sound of police sirens; third, the sound of ambulance sirens. The mornings were spent painting over the last night's fresh graffiti on her fence. I think there were only 7 homicides here last year in town, and that's not bad for a city of 140K.
Safe schools, safe streets, and long lifespans. That's what we have to offer. The bad points are rather bad weather and low wages.
I'm glad I came back, just for my children's sake.
Hi! Thanks for the positive thoughts! Are you from Sioux Falls area, or Rapid City area? I am currently debating the two. It sounds like location-wise we would like the Black Hills better, but I'm not sure about jobs, pay, and amenities? We currently live very rural,(20 min from town), so don't have that type of trouble here as your other CA transplant had, but do have a lot of problems with juvenile delinquents and no courtesy/values/compassion-take your pick! We have 2 fantastic children who we want to have the best chances and opportunities for! Thanks for any info you can give me!
Elbow, you pretty much summed it up~the jobs are in the Sioux Falls area, but the beautiful scenery is in the Rapid area. As far as cost of living, they're fairly close to the same. Of course if you choose a different town near those areas, you could find cheaper housing.
They do have some jobs out there and Ellsworth will now have 700 civilian and non-civilian jobs available in Aug. (I think?)
When will you be able to vacation here to see which one you like best?
Elbow, you pretty much summed it up~the jobs are in the Sioux Falls area, but the beautiful scenery is in the Rapid area. As far as cost of living, they're fairly close to the same. Of course if you choose a different town near those areas, you could find cheaper housing.
They do have some jobs out there and Ellsworth will now have 700 civilian and non-civilian jobs available in Aug. (I think?)
When will you be able to vacation here to see which one you like best?
We would love to come visit, but funds are so tight, as well as, my husband has no sick/vacation time at this job! I know it would be ridiculous to buy w/out visiting, so we are contemplating renting in SF for like 6 mo. to get a feel before we buy. What do you think? P.S.- I read in another thread that you are a vegetarian- me too! I was worried I would be a weirdo there!!
Alright Elbow!!!! I'm not as strict with it as I should be, but I really make an effort at it. Actually, it's not a common thing here because of all the agriculture in our area. There are places on the Interstate that have signs denouncing fur activists and vegetarians aren't extremely popular either. But who cares? We'll eat what we want, right?
Actually, that sounds like a very good idea. I think you'll like Sioux Falls, but you're very wise to rent at first just in case you don't. It's kind of hard to figure out how to go about selling your own home and buying another home in another area at the same time. Renting would definitely make it so much easier for you.
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