Compare Black Hills Communities
25 towns and unincorporated communities. Pick two to four and the full table appears underneath. Commutes are driving times to the Ellsworth main gate and downtown Rapid City. Median sold prices, where we have them, come from the MLS over the trailing twelve months with the source, window and sale count printed under each figure. Typical price bands are practical search ranges, not medians, and are labelled separately.
10 of 25 communities
Price filters only consider communities with a published trailing twelve month median, so towns without one do not appear in a price filter.
The five facts that decide a shortlist
Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
Everything within about twenty five minutes of downtown Rapid City or the Ellsworth main gate, where most of the newer inventory, the shortest commutes and the jurisdiction questions about city versus county service are.
- Typical price
- $340k to $400kMedian sold $367,000. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 235 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- 9 min, 2.3 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- 19 min, 10.9 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- City water and sewer inside the limits
- School district
- Douglas School District 51-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Typical price
- $300k to $450kMedian sold $349,950. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 706 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- 24 min, 13.8 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- 5 min, 1.5 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- City water and sewer inside the limits
- School district
- Rapid City Area Schools 51-4Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Typical price
- About $350,000 average sold, 274 sales over 12 monthsAverage sold $349,971. Black Hills MLS, single family, 12 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 274 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- 22 min, 10.4 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- 11 min, 5.2 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- Utility service varies by address. Rapid Valley Sanitary District serves portions of the area, while properties outside district service may use private wells and septic systems.
- School district
- Mostly Rapid City Area School District 51-4, with portions in Douglas 51-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Northern Hills and I-90
The Sturgis to Belle Fourche side of the Hills, with its own hospitals, schools and employers, so a job in Spearfish or Sturgis does not have to mean a Rapid City commute.
- Typical price
- $275k to $375kMedian sold $300,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 113 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About an hourDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- About 55 to 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- School district
- Belle Fourche School District 9-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Typical price
- $320k to $500kMedian sold $385,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 117 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About 55 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- About 50 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify water and sewer service for the address.
- School district
- Lead-Deadwood School District 40-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Typical price
- $300k to $450kMedian sold $365,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 97 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- 48 min, 38.2 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- 33 min, 28.9 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify water and sewer service for the address.
- School district
- Meade School District 46-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Central and Southern Hills
In the timber and on the far southern edge, where lots get larger, well and septic get common, and the drive to a full service hospital becomes part of the decision.
- Typical price
- About $155,000 average sold, 13 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $155,285. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 13 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About 110 milesDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- To downtown Rapid City
- About 100 miles northeastDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- Utility pattern
- City water and sewer inside the limits
- School district
- Edgemont School District 23-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Typical price
- Median sold $315,150Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 24 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About an hour and fifteen minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- About 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify water and sewer service for the address.
- School district
- Hot Springs School District 23-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Prairie and Badlands
East of the Hills on the open prairie, where lots run larger, water is often a private well, services are thinner and the wind and the drive are the tradeoffs.
- Typical price
- About $320,000 average sold, 20 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $319,585. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 20 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About 11 miles, exit 78 to the main gate at exit 67ADistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- To downtown Rapid City
- About 18 miles west on I-90Distance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- Utility pattern
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- School district
- New Underwood School District 51-3Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Typical price
- About $270,000 average sold, 19 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $270,435. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 19 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About 43 miles westDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- To downtown Rapid City
- About 50 miles west on I-90Distance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- Utility pattern
- City water and sewer inside the limits
- School district
- Wall School District 51-5Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Between Keystone, Edgemont, Spearfish
The rows below are the ones where these do not read the same. Ordered as the table runs, not by importance.
- Region
- KeystoneCentral and Southern HillsEdgemontCentral and Southern HillsSpearfishNorthern Hills and I-90
- County
- KeystonePennington CountyEdgemontFall River CountySpearfishLawrence County
- Jurisdiction
- KeystoneIncorporated town of Keystone, with unincorporated Pennington County on the surrounding hillsides.EdgemontIncorporated city of Edgemont, with Fall River County outside the limits.SpearfishNot recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground.
- Corridor
- KeystoneUS 16AEdgemontUS 18 and SD 471SpearfishI-90
- To downtown Rapid City
- KeystoneAbout 25 minutes northeastEdgemontAbout 100 miles northeastSpearfish53 min, 47.8 mi
- To Ellsworth AFB
- KeystoneAbout 40 minutesEdgemontAbout 110 milesSpearfish68 min, 57.0 mi
Keystone, Edgemont, Spearfish
Rows marked as differing are the ones where these do not read alike. Rows without the mark sit on a quiet background because they say the same thing in every column.
| Attribute | Central and Southern HillsKeystone | Central and Southern HillsEdgemont | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | |||
| Regiondiffers | Central and Southern Hills | Central and Southern Hills | Northern Hills and I-90 |
| Countydiffers | Pennington County | Fall River County | Lawrence County |
| JurisdictiondiffersCity versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work. | Incorporated town of Keystone, with unincorporated Pennington County on the surrounding hillsides. | Incorporated city of Edgemont, with Fall River County outside the limits. | Not recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground. |
| Corridordiffers | US 16A | US 18 and SD 471 | I-90 |
| To downtown Rapid Citydiffers | About 25 minutes northeastDriving time and distance, off peak. | About 100 miles northeastDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel. | 53 min, 47.8 miDriving time and distance, off peak. |
| To Ellsworth AFBdiffers | About 40 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. | About 110 milesDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel. | 68 min, 57.0 miDriving time and distance, off peak. |
| Winter drivingdiffers | Black Hills elevation on canyon roads, and a town that empties out for the season. Iron Mountain Road and the scenic routes are not winter commuting roads. | Cold semi-arid country with a recorded low of 40 below. US 18 is the lifeline and it is a long way to anywhere in a storm. | Chinook winds off the hills are a genuine feature of winter in this corridor. |
| Housing and lots | |||
| Typical pricediffers | About $618,000 average sold, but only 9 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $618,449. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 9 closed sales, small sample. | About $155,000 average sold, 13 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $155,285. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 13 closed sales. | $400k to $600kMedian sold $475,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 199 closed sales. |
| Housing agediffers | An 1883 mining town, so genuinely old stock alongside newer builds and cabins. | An 1890 railroad town, so mostly older stock, with about a quarter of units vacant at the 2020 count. | Older stock in the middle, edge subdivisions built 1996 to 2023 |
| New constructiondiffers | Limited, mostly infill and small projects | None underway | New construction remains active on the edges of town, including areas such as Sky Ridge and other newer developments. |
| Acreagediffers | Some acreage, mostly platted town lots | Acreage parcels are common here | Acreage is available around Spearfish, primarily on surrounding Lawrence County ground rather than in the city core. |
| Typical lotdiffers | Small and steep in town, larger on the surrounding hillsides outside the limits. | Town lots inside the limits, ranch scale outside them. | Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions. |
| Covenants and HOAdiffersCovenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel. | Few plats here carry recorded covenants | Few plats here carry recorded covenants | Recorded covenants on some plats, none on others |
| Utilities and rules | |||
| Utility patterndiffers | Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it | City water and sewer inside the limits | City water and sewer are typical inside city-served areas. Acreage outside the city can use wells, septic systems or other service arrangements, so utilities should be confirmed by address. |
| Waterdiffers | Town of Keystone municipal water inside the limits, drawn from town wells, with no violations on its current record. Parcels outside the town limits are on private wells. | City of Edgemont municipal water. Rural parcels are on private wells. | City water inside the Spearfish limits. Acreage outside the limits runs on a private well or a rural water district.Read off the townwide utility pattern in the guide. The service address controls, so confirm the provider before you write an offer. |
| Sewerdiffers | Confirm with the town before you rely on it. The town operates public works, but I have not been able to verify from the public record whether it runs a collection system or which parcels it reaches. Outside the limits, expect private septic. | City sewer inside the limits, with private septic on rural parcels. | City sewer inside the Spearfish limits, private septic on acreage outside them.Read off the townwide utility pattern in the guide. The service address controls, so confirm the provider before you write an offer. |
| Short term rentalsdiffers | A 2 percent municipal lodging tax applies to transient stays. Whether a separate short term rental ordinance exists is not clear from the public record, so confirm with the town in writing. | Edgemont is not a tourism town. Short-term rental demand here is work crews, hunting season and Rally traffic passing through, not visitors staying to see something. | The city studied rules in 2023 and 2024 and maintains an official short term rental page. Verify the current ordinance first. |
| Schools | |||
| School districtdiffers | Hill City School District 51-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. | Edgemont School District 23-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. | Spearfish School District 40-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. |
| Daily errands | |||
| Groceriesdiffers | Nothing full service in town. Hill City is the closest small grocery and Rapid City is the real shopping, about 25 minutes northeast. | Small-town grocery and convenience in Edgemont, with Hot Springs about 35 miles east for more. | Full-service grocery options in town include Walmart, Safeway and Lueders Food Centers. |
| Healthcarediffers | No clinic in town. Monument Health Custer Hospital has a 24 hour emergency department, and Rapid City has the larger hospital. | No hospital in town. Fall River Health Services in Hot Springs is a 25 bed critical access hospital with a 24 hour emergency department. | Monument Health Spearfish Hospital and outpatient clinics are in town. |
| Recreationdiffers | Mount Rushmore is past the town boundary, the 1880 Train runs from the Winter Street depot, and Custer State Park and the Norbeck Scenic Byway are close. | The hundred-year-old city park, the campground, the Elk Mountains and open country in every direction. | D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery, Black Hills State University events, and Terry Peak and Deadwood a short drive south. |
| Mapped subdivisions | |||
| Outlines on filediffers | No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet. | No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet. | 25 mapped outlines, 13 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls. |
| The trade | |||
| Housing and patterndiffers | An 1883 mining camp turned tourism town at the gateway to Mount Rushmore, 240 residents and millions of visitors. | A working BNSF crew-change town founded in 1890, at the far southern edge of the Hills below the Elk Mountains. | A university town with a walkable middle, growing fast enough that new construction has moved to the edges. |
| What you gaindiffers | Nightly rental demand runs about as high as anywhere in the Black Hills, if the rules and the covenants check out for the specific property. | More town per dollar than anywhere else in the region, with its own school district and city utilities. | A downtown you can walk across, Black Hills State and Spearfish Canyon out the back door, on city water and sewer. |
| What you give updiffers | A seasonal town with no school, no grocery and no clinic, and a housing stock where half the doors are dark in winter. | A hundred miles from Rapid City, 35 from a hospital, with two unresolved questions hanging over the local economy. | The highest median sold price of the region's higher volume markets at $475,000 across 199 sales, and Rapid City is 53 minutes on the interstate with the Ellsworth gate 68. |
Where it sits
Regiondiffers
- Keystone
- Central and Southern Hills
- Edgemont
- Central and Southern Hills
- Spearfish
- Northern Hills and I-90
Countydiffers
- Keystone
- Pennington County
- Edgemont
- Fall River County
- Spearfish
- Lawrence County
Jurisdictiondiffers
City versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work.- Keystone
- Incorporated town of Keystone, with unincorporated Pennington County on the surrounding hillsides.
- Edgemont
- Incorporated city of Edgemont, with Fall River County outside the limits.
- Spearfish
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground.
Corridordiffers
- Keystone
- US 16A
- Edgemont
- US 18 and SD 471
- Spearfish
- I-90
To downtown Rapid Citydiffers
- Keystone
- About 25 minutes northeastDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Edgemont
- About 100 miles northeastDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- Spearfish
- 53 min, 47.8 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
To Ellsworth AFBdiffers
- Keystone
- About 40 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Edgemont
- About 110 milesDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- Spearfish
- 68 min, 57.0 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
Winter drivingdiffers
- Keystone
- Black Hills elevation on canyon roads, and a town that empties out for the season. Iron Mountain Road and the scenic routes are not winter commuting roads.
- Edgemont
- Cold semi-arid country with a recorded low of 40 below. US 18 is the lifeline and it is a long way to anywhere in a storm.
- Spearfish
- Chinook winds off the hills are a genuine feature of winter in this corridor.
Housing and lots
Typical pricediffers
- Keystone
- About $618,000 average sold, but only 9 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $618,449. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 9 closed sales, small sample.
- Edgemont
- About $155,000 average sold, 13 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $155,285. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 13 closed sales.
- Spearfish
- $400k to $600kMedian sold $475,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 199 closed sales.
Housing agediffers
- Keystone
- An 1883 mining town, so genuinely old stock alongside newer builds and cabins.
- Edgemont
- An 1890 railroad town, so mostly older stock, with about a quarter of units vacant at the 2020 count.
- Spearfish
- Older stock in the middle, edge subdivisions built 1996 to 2023
New constructiondiffers
- Keystone
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
- Edgemont
- None underway
- Spearfish
- New construction remains active on the edges of town, including areas such as Sky Ridge and other newer developments.
Acreagediffers
- Keystone
- Some acreage, mostly platted town lots
- Edgemont
- Acreage parcels are common here
- Spearfish
- Acreage is available around Spearfish, primarily on surrounding Lawrence County ground rather than in the city core.
Typical lotdiffers
- Keystone
- Small and steep in town, larger on the surrounding hillsides outside the limits.
- Edgemont
- Town lots inside the limits, ranch scale outside them.
- Spearfish
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions.
Covenants and HOAdiffers
Covenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel.- Keystone
- Few plats here carry recorded covenants
- Edgemont
- Few plats here carry recorded covenants
- Spearfish
- Recorded covenants on some plats, none on others
Utilities and rules
Utility patterndiffers
- Keystone
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- Edgemont
- City water and sewer inside the limits
- Spearfish
- City water and sewer are typical inside city-served areas. Acreage outside the city can use wells, septic systems or other service arrangements, so utilities should be confirmed by address.
Waterdiffers
- Keystone
- Town of Keystone municipal water inside the limits, drawn from town wells, with no violations on its current record. Parcels outside the town limits are on private wells.
- Edgemont
- City of Edgemont municipal water. Rural parcels are on private wells.
- Spearfish
- City water inside the Spearfish limits. Acreage outside the limits runs on a private well or a rural water district.Read off the townwide utility pattern in the guide. The service address controls, so confirm the provider before you write an offer.
Sewerdiffers
- Keystone
- Confirm with the town before you rely on it. The town operates public works, but I have not been able to verify from the public record whether it runs a collection system or which parcels it reaches. Outside the limits, expect private septic.
- Edgemont
- City sewer inside the limits, with private septic on rural parcels.
- Spearfish
- City sewer inside the Spearfish limits, private septic on acreage outside them.Read off the townwide utility pattern in the guide. The service address controls, so confirm the provider before you write an offer.
Short term rentalsdiffers
- Keystone
- A 2 percent municipal lodging tax applies to transient stays. Whether a separate short term rental ordinance exists is not clear from the public record, so confirm with the town in writing.
- Edgemont
- Edgemont is not a tourism town. Short-term rental demand here is work crews, hunting season and Rally traffic passing through, not visitors staying to see something.
- Spearfish
- The city studied rules in 2023 and 2024 and maintains an official short term rental page. Verify the current ordinance first.
Schools
School districtdiffers
- Keystone
- Hill City School District 51-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Edgemont
- Edgemont School District 23-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Spearfish
- Spearfish School District 40-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Daily errands
Groceriesdiffers
- Keystone
- Nothing full service in town. Hill City is the closest small grocery and Rapid City is the real shopping, about 25 minutes northeast.
- Edgemont
- Small-town grocery and convenience in Edgemont, with Hot Springs about 35 miles east for more.
- Spearfish
- Full-service grocery options in town include Walmart, Safeway and Lueders Food Centers.
Healthcarediffers
- Keystone
- No clinic in town. Monument Health Custer Hospital has a 24 hour emergency department, and Rapid City has the larger hospital.
- Edgemont
- No hospital in town. Fall River Health Services in Hot Springs is a 25 bed critical access hospital with a 24 hour emergency department.
- Spearfish
- Monument Health Spearfish Hospital and outpatient clinics are in town.
Recreationdiffers
- Keystone
- Mount Rushmore is past the town boundary, the 1880 Train runs from the Winter Street depot, and Custer State Park and the Norbeck Scenic Byway are close.
- Edgemont
- The hundred-year-old city park, the campground, the Elk Mountains and open country in every direction.
- Spearfish
- D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery, Black Hills State University events, and Terry Peak and Deadwood a short drive south.
Mapped subdivisions
Outlines on filediffers
- Keystone
- No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet.
- Edgemont
- No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet.
- Spearfish
- 25 mapped outlines, 13 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls.
The trade
Housing and patterndiffers
- Keystone
- An 1883 mining camp turned tourism town at the gateway to Mount Rushmore, 240 residents and millions of visitors.
- Edgemont
- A working BNSF crew-change town founded in 1890, at the far southern edge of the Hills below the Elk Mountains.
- Spearfish
- A university town with a walkable middle, growing fast enough that new construction has moved to the edges.
What you gaindiffers
- Keystone
- Nightly rental demand runs about as high as anywhere in the Black Hills, if the rules and the covenants check out for the specific property.
- Edgemont
- More town per dollar than anywhere else in the region, with its own school district and city utilities.
- Spearfish
- A downtown you can walk across, Black Hills State and Spearfish Canyon out the back door, on city water and sewer.
What you give updiffers
- Keystone
- A seasonal town with no school, no grocery and no clinic, and a housing stock where half the doors are dark in winter.
- Edgemont
- A hundred miles from Rapid City, 35 from a hospital, with two unresolved questions hanging over the local economy.
- Spearfish
- The highest median sold price of the region's higher volume markets at $475,000 across 199 sales, and Rapid City is 53 minutes on the interstate with the Ellsworth gate 68.
Commute figures are driving times off peak, from the community guide each card links to. Median sold prices come from the MLS, and each figure carries its own source, window and closing count, because Sturgis, Spearfish and the northern hills report through a different MLS than Rapid City. Under five closings there is no median, and the price row says so. Five to nine closings carries a small sample note. School districts follow the official boundary for the address, and the district office is the only place to confirm an assignment. Short term rental lines are summaries. Read the guide and the current ordinance before you count on rental income.
The filters use these definitions: under $400k is the MLS sold figure for the town, a median where one is published and otherwise the average sold, comes in under $400,000; close to ellsworth is 25 minutes or less to the Ellsworth main gate; close to rapid city is 20 minutes or less to downtown Rapid City; short commute is 15 minutes or less to either downtown Rapid City or the Ellsworth gate; new construction available is the guide establishes active or limited new construction; acreage available is acreage is common or present in the guide; city water and sewer is city water and sewer across the community; smaller market is fewer than 100 closed single family sales in the trailing twelve months; more rural is acreage is common, or water and sewer are not municipal throughout; established housing is the guide classifies the housing stock as established, meaning largely pre 2000; newer housing is the guide classifies a meaningful share of the housing stock as 2000s or later.
Every row here is a townwide summary and a single parcel can read differently. Buyer due diligence should include verifying water and sewer service, school assignment, recorded covenants and HOA obligations, rental rules, legal access, insurance availability and which jurisdiction inspects and permits the work, for the exact address. Confirm with the city or county, the utility or district, the school district office, the title company and your insurer as applicable.
Last updated August 2026
Want to talk through the tradeoffs?
Two towns can look identical in a table and feel nothing alike on a Tuesday night in February. Call or text and tell me which rows above are the ones you cannot live with, and we can work the list down from there.
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Send the address and we can talk it through. The details that change from one property to the next are jurisdiction, water and sewer, the school the district assigns, covenants, road maintenance and the rest of what never shows up on a listing.
