Answers, without the sales pitch.

That depends far more on your own timeline than on a headline. What I can give you is current data for your specific situation: what comparable homes have closed for in the last 90 days, how long they sat, how far off list they finished, and how much inventory is competing at your price point. A $350,000 home in Rapid City and a $1,000,000 home in Piedmont are in different markets in the same month. Ask me for the numbers on your price band and neighborhood and I will send them without a sales pitch attached.

Two conversations, in this order. First a lender, so you know what you can actually borrow and what the monthly number looks like with taxes and insurance included. Then me, so we can turn that number into a list of neighborhoods and property types that fit. From there it is showings, an offer, an inspection period, an appraisal, and closing. I walk first-time buyers through each step as it arrives rather than dumping the whole process on you at the start.

It varies by loan program, and it is usually less than people assume. VA loans can be zero down for eligible buyers, USDA can be zero down in eligible rural areas, FHA and conventional programs have their own minimums, and some buyers put much more down for payment reasons. I am not a lender, so I will introduce you to two or three local lenders who can price your specific scenario, then we shop within what the approval actually supports.

Yes, and it is not a formality here. In active price ranges around Rapid City, Box Elder and Summerset, well-priced homes can gather offers quickly, and an offer without a preapproval letter reads as unfinished. Preapproval also protects you from falling for a house that is above what you want to spend.

It varies enormously by price band and by town rather than across the region as a whole. Entry price points near employment centers move fastest. Acreage, mountain properties and higher price points reach a smaller pool of buyers and typically sit longer. Rather than generalize, I will pull days on market and list to sale ratios for your exact price range and area before we write anything.

Yes, and a large share of my buyers do. Live video walkthroughs of every candidate home, honest notes about what listing photos do not show, local inspectors you can call directly, and digital signing for everything. Many of my purchases close before the buyer has ever set foot in the state. See my PCS to Ellsworth guide for how that timeline usually runs.

New construction gets you current systems, current energy performance and a builder warranty, and around the northern hills corridor there is a lot of it. Existing homes get you established landscaping, known neighborhoods and often more square footage per dollar. The thing buyers underestimate on new construction is that the builder's contract is the builder's contract, and having your own representation during that process costs you nothing on most builds. I would rather be at that table with you.

It depends on what the association actually does and what it prohibits. Buyers should always review covenants and HOA documents, including the dues, the reserve picture and the rules on rentals, outbuildings, RV and trailer parking, fencing and exterior changes. Some buyers want the maintenance handled and the standards enforced. Others discover after closing that the shop they planned is not allowed. Either outcome is fine as long as you knew going in.

Full MLS search lives on my dedicated home search site, which is linked throughout this one, and my own current listings have their own pages. This site is where you will find who I am, how I work and the guides in the journal. Listing information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed, and all properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal.

Plan on three buckets. Commission is negotiated between you and your brokerage and is agreed in writing before the home goes on the market. Closing costs for a seller here typically include title insurance, a share of transfer and recording fees, prorated property taxes and any owed HOA dues. Then there is preparation, which can be nothing or can be paint, carpet and repairs. On most Rapid City and Black Hills sales the non-commission line items land in the low single digits as a percentage of price, but the only number that matters is the one on your net sheet. You can see how I prepare and market a home on my selling page. I build that estimate before you list, so you see your likely proceeds at several price points rather than one optimistic figure.

Well-prepared homes in the most active price ranges around Rapid City, Box Elder and Piedmont often go under contract within a few weeks, then take another 30 to 45 days to close depending on financing and inspections. Acreage, mountain properties above Lead and Deadwood, and higher price points reach a smaller pool of buyers and reasonably take longer. Preparation and pricing move this number more than anything else, and I will tell you honestly if a target price is likely to add months.

Closed comparable sales first, adjusted for condition, location, lot and age of the major systems. Then current competition, because you are priced against what a buyer can walk through this weekend. I bring you the data and my recommendation, you make the call. I wrote a full breakdown of how pricing works here on my home value page.

The short list is almost always paint, flooring where it is worn, lighting, landscaping cleanup, and anything that reads as deferred maintenance from the curb. Roof condition matters more here than in many markets because of hail history, so documentation on a recent roof is an asset. I walk the home with you before we spend a dollar and separate the work that returns money from the work that only returns aggravation.

In this region I usually say yes. Either the result is low and you hand a buyer a recent report, or it is elevated and you install a system on your schedule, with your contractor, at your price, instead of during a buyer's contingency deadline. My radon guide explains why elevated results are common here and why they are routinely solvable.

Staging definitely helps in a lot of cases, and whether your specific home needs it is a conversation we have together after I walk it with you. The goal of preparation, staging and photography is the same one: we want to provoke a feeling. Buyers buy the feeling, then they justify it with the specs. I go through this in more detail on my selling page.

Higher price points get a launch rather than a listing. The property is prepared before it goes live, the photography is curated to the home, and the advertising is aimed at relocating and second-home buyers rather than at everyone. You also get reporting on what the marketing is actually producing. I wrote the full walkthrough in how I market a luxury listing.

Both orders work here and both carry risk. Selling first gives you certainty about proceeds and strengthens your next offer, at the cost of arranging interim housing or negotiating occupancy after closing. Buying first is smoother to live through and harder to finance. We map your specific numbers and timeline before you commit to an order, and there are contract tools on both sides that reduce the exposure.

It becomes a negotiation with more information in the room. Options generally include the buyer bringing additional funds, a price adjustment, meeting in the middle, or challenging the appraisal with better comparable sales when the file genuinely missed something. Which one fits depends on your contract terms and both sides' motivation, and I will tell you where the leverage actually sits rather than guessing.

Yes, with attention to the lease. Existing tenancy generally travels with the property, showing access has to be arranged reasonably, and the pool of buyers narrows to investors plus owner-occupants willing to wait. If the property is used as a short-term rental, the rules in some towns matter even more, because rental rights do not transfer everywhere. My short-term rental guide covers which towns those are.

The VA itself does not publish a minimum credit score. Individual lenders set their own overlays, and in this market I regularly see approvals in ranges that would surprise buyers who assumed they were out. Because that threshold varies by lender and changes over time, the useful step is a conversation with two or three local lenders who close VA loans around Ellsworth Air Force Base every month, and my PCS to Ellsworth guide walks through the rest of the process. I am not a lender and cannot approve financing, so I will make introductions and then structure your offer around whatever the approval actually says.

Typically lender fees, an appraisal, title work and title insurance, recording fees, prepaid interest, and the setup of an escrow account for taxes and insurance if you escrow. Your lender must give you a written loan estimate early, and that document is the number to plan around rather than any percentage I could quote you. Seller-paid closing cost help is a negotiable term, and whether it is realistic depends on the property and how competitive the situation is.

Buyer representation is agreed in writing between you and your agent before we tour homes, and how it gets paid is negotiable, including whether the seller side contributes. I go through the agreement with you line by line before you sign anything, and you will know the number in advance rather than at the closing table.

There are state and program-specific options that some buyers qualify for, including first-time buyer programs, and eligibility depends on income, price limits and the loan type. Terms and availability change, so rather than quote current rules I connect you with lenders who originate those loans regularly and can tell you within a phone call whether you fit.

I do not require either, and I have seen both close cleanly. What I care about is whether the lender answers the phone on a Saturday, whether they understand VA appraisal timing near Ellsworth, and whether they have closed in this market before. In a competitive situation, a listing agent who recognizes your lender's name is worth real money to you.

Hail is the most common severe weather risk in this region from late May through August, and insurers price accordingly, so roof age and roof condition affect both premium and insurability. Get an insurance quote during your inspection period, not after. I ask about roof age and documentation on every home I show for exactly this reason.

Earnest money is the deposit that shows a seller you are serious, held by a neutral party and credited to you at closing. Whether it is at risk depends entirely on the contingencies in your contract and the deadlines attached to them. I track those deadlines for you, and I will tell you plainly before any of them pass.

It protects against defects in the ownership history of the property, things like recording errors, liens, or claims that surface after closing. In this region I pay particular attention to easements and access, especially on rural parcels where a recorded easement is the difference between legal access and a neighbor's goodwill. Title questions are for the title company and an attorney, and I make sure the right questions get asked in time.

Yes. Even on new construction, even in a competitive situation. An inspection is the cheapest information you will ever buy about a home. I review every inspection with my clients, we separate the safety and system items from the cosmetic ones, and then we decide what is worth raising.

Yes, and I do not treat it as optional here. Our granite geology puts these counties in the EPA's highest radon potential zone, so elevated tests are common and mitigation is routine work for local contractors. A high result is a negotiation item, not a deal killer. The full explanation, including how a 48 hour continuous monitor test should be run, is in my radon guide.

4 picocuries per liter, written 4 pCi/L. At or above that level the EPA recommends taking action, and there is no threshold considered entirely risk free. My radon guide covers testing and mitigation in more detail.

Beyond the general inspection: radon almost always, sewer scope on older homes with mature trees, septic and well testing on any rural property, roof evaluation given hail history, and a structural or foundation review when the general inspector flags movement. On mountain and canyon properties I also want a look at drainage and any retaining structures.

We decide what actually matters, then negotiate. Common outcomes are a repair request, a credit at closing, a price adjustment, or accepting an item as known. What I will not do is send a shotgun list of every line in the report, because that tends to produce a defensive seller and a worse outcome for you.

You can, and I will explain exactly what you would be accepting before you do. There are stronger ways to make an offer competitive that do not put you in a house blind, including timeline terms, deposit structure, and how the appraisal and financing terms are written. I would rather win you a house you still like in year three.

Residential sellers in South Dakota generally complete a written property condition disclosure, and it is an important document to read carefully rather than skim. It reflects what the seller knows, which is not the same as everything that exists, which is why the inspection still matters. Legal questions about disclosure belong with an attorney, and I will say so rather than guess.

It is a negotiated term, and in this market it usually gives you enough time to complete the general inspection plus specialty testing and get contractor quotes. On acreage, I ask for more time up front, because well testing, septic inspection and county record checks simply take longer than a two hour walkthrough of a house in town.

Water, waste and access. That means the well, its depth, recovery rate and a current water test; the septic system, its age, size and whether it was permitted; and legal access, meaning a recorded easement rather than a neighbor's goodwill on a gravel road. Add winter maintenance, since some roads are not county plowed, plus utility and internet availability, fire mitigation and any covenants on the parcel. My acreage guide goes deeper on each of these. I walk through all of it during due diligence and bring in local inspectors and well and septic contractors on every acreage transaction.

We test flow and water quality, pull the well log where one exists, and confirm the well is properly permitted. If the property is on a shared well, the shared well agreement is a document I read line by line, because it governs your access to water permanently and it travels with the land.

Age, tank size relative to the bedroom count, whether the installation was permitted, and current condition from a septic-specific inspection rather than the general one. A mismatch between bedrooms and system capacity is common where an addition was built without a system upgrade, and it can also cap what you are allowed to do with the property later.

Ask before you fall in love with the view. Roads in the Hills can be county maintained, privately maintained by a road association, or maintained by nobody in particular. We confirm who plows, what any road association dues actually cover, and whether access is recorded in writing. A beautiful property with disputed access is not a beautiful property.

Not automatically. Buildability depends on zoning where zoning exists, on utility and septic feasibility, on access, and on covenants. Several counties around the Hills have no county zoning at all, which sounds like freedom and mostly means the constraints are physical and private rather than governmental. I ask the county about the parcel, and buyers should always review covenants and HOA documents before writing.

It varies parcel by parcel, sometimes dramatically within the same road. Fiber has reached parts of the region, other areas rely on fixed wireless or satellite. If you work from home, treat connectivity as a due diligence item on par with water, and verify service at the exact address rather than the town.

Plan for it rather than worry about it. Defensible space around structures, driveway access adequate for emergency equipment, roofing and siding choices, and insurance availability at the specific address are the practical items. Local fire districts publish mitigation guidance, and insurers will tell you quickly how they view a parcel.

They can be separated from surface ownership on some parcels, and it is worth knowing what conveys. The title commitment is where this surfaces, and it is a question for the title company and, if it matters to you, an attorney. I flag it during review on land purchases rather than letting it appear at signing.

Sometimes yes, sometimes no, and the answer changes at the city line. Rapid City now requires city registration under an ordinance adopted in December 2025, unincorporated Pennington County requires a Vacation Home Rental license, Hill City and Custer restrict new short-term rentals in residential zones, and Deadwood prohibits them in residential zones outside a short Rally window. My short-term rental guide lays out the whole region town by town.

In Hill City and in Custer, no. Existing rights in residential zones do not transfer on sale, and in Custer grandfathered conditional use permits expire when the property sells. That means rental history in the listing is not the same as a rental right you will own. Ask this question in writing, about the specific parcel, before you write an offer.

Generally unincorporated county land, where several counties in this region have no zoning and no rental ordinance, so private covenants and state requirements do most of the governing. Flexible is not the same as unregulated, and the state layer still applies everywhere. See the Custer, Spearfish and Lead and Deadwood guides for how different neighboring jurisdictions can be.

Renting 10 or more days a year requires a South Dakota sales tax license, and lodging licensure through the state Department of Health also applies. Build the state, tourism and municipal tax lines into the pro forma from the start, and confirm current rates with the state, because rates and rules change. I laid out the rules town by town in my short-term rental guide.

Yes. Private covenants can prohibit what a city permits, and in newer subdivisions this is the constraint that catches investors most often. Covenants show up in the title commitment rather than the listing, so they need to be read during the contingency period, not after closing.

Rally week compresses an unusual amount of lodging demand into roughly two weeks each August, and pricing during that window is unlike the rest of the calendar. What I tell investors is to underwrite the property without it. If the numbers only work during Rally, the numbers do not work.

For many investors, more sense than they expect, because the regulatory picture is far simpler and the demand around employment centers and Ellsworth Air Force Base is steady year round. I will run both scenarios on a property so you are comparing actual numbers rather than a story about nightly rates.

I identify the jurisdiction for the exact parcel, contact the city or county about that specific address, pull the covenants out of the title commitment and read them, ask the permit transfer question in writing, and set the due diligence timeline so you can still walk if an answer comes back wrong. Ordinances change fast in this region, so I verify current rules rather than relying on what was true last year, and none of it is legal advice.

Yes, and it is a significant part of my practice. As a Military Relocation Professional I work around report dates rather than ideal timelines: remote video walkthroughs, digital signing, commute notes from the gate, inspector referrals you can call directly, and offers structured with VA appraisal timing in mind. Many of these purchases close before the buyer ever sets foot in South Dakota. Send me your report date and price range and I will put a shortlist together. The community guides cover commute times from the gate town by town.

Box Elder for the shortest commute, east Rapid City for a balance of drive time and amenities, and Summerset, Piedmont or Black Hawk for newer construction roughly 20 to 25 minutes from the gate. Rapid Valley comes up constantly for its price point. Every one of those areas has sold homes in the last 90 days.

Douglas School District 51-1, not Rapid City Area Schools. That is the single most common mix-up I correct with incoming buyers. Attendance boundaries do not follow city lines in this region and can differ parcel to parcel, so confirm the assigned schools for a specific address with the district before you make a school-driven decision.

It depends on your window here and your finances, and I will give you a straight answer either way. The relevant local factors are your published housing allowance against a real monthly payment including taxes and insurance, how long you expect to be at Ellsworth, and how the resale picture looks in the price band you would buy in. I have told plenty of clients to rent for a year.

VA appraisals have their own timeline and minimum property requirements, and sellers here are generally familiar with them. What matters is that your offer is written so those timelines do not weaken your position, and that we know in advance which property conditions could create a repair requirement. That is where an agent who writes VA offers regularly earns the fee.

Yes, and it happens constantly here. Live video walkthroughs where I open every closet and point the camera at the things listing photos hide, an inspector you speak with directly, and digital signing throughout. You should never feel like you are guessing about a home you have not walked.

As soon as you have orders, even before the report date is firm. Sixty to ninety days out is the sweet spot: enough time to get preapproved, shortlist neighborhoods by commute and budget, and schedule a house hunting trip if you can take one.

That depends on your commute, your budget, and how much land and quiet you want. I wrote a guide for each of the thirteen towns I work most, plus a practical towns guide that compares them side by side, and a piece on the smaller towns nobody asks about. Tell me how you actually live and I will tell you where to start looking.

Snowfall varies enormously by elevation, and that is the single most useful climate fact in this region. Rapid City averages roughly 48 inches a year while Lead averages well over three times that, and the two towns are less than an hour apart. The foothills corridor running toward Hot Springs runs warmer in winter thanks to chinook winds. Where you buy changes your winter more than any other decision.

Hail is the region's most common severe weather from late May through August, and it is the hazard I actually budget for with clients. It affects roof age, insurance premiums, and sometimes insurability. Roof documentation is one of the first things I ask a listing agent about.

They vary by district, and each of my community guides covers the district serving that town with published ratings from Niche and GreatSchools. The important warning is that attendance boundaries here do not follow city lines and can differ parcel to parcel, so confirm assignment for the exact address with the district.

The regional economy leans on healthcare, Ellsworth Air Force Base and the defense sector, tourism and hospitality, education, construction and trades, and ranching and agriculture on the prairie edge. Rapid City is the commercial hub for the region, and Spearfish, Sturgis and Belle Fourche anchor the north.

Rapid City Regional Airport serves the region with commercial service, and for most of the towns in my guides it is a 20 to 60 minute drive. Frequent travelers should look at drive time to the airport as part of the commute math, especially from the southern and western hills.

In town, plenty of people manage without it. On a canyon road, a steep private drive or an unplowed gravel road, most residents want it, and winter tires matter more than badge on the tailgate. If you are looking at a property with a long or steep driveway, drive it in bad weather before you decide.

Custer State Park, the Mickelson Trail, Spearfish Canyon, Terry Peak for skiing, Angostura and Pactola for water, plus hunting, climbing at the Needles, and thousands of miles of forest road. The reason people put up with a longer commute here is usually parked in their garage or hanging in their entryway.

No, South Dakota does not levy a state individual income tax, and for people relocating from higher-tax states that changes the household math meaningfully. The tradeoff is that local government and schools lean more on property and sales tax, so compare total household tax rather than one line. My property tax guide walks through the details.

Each county has a Director of Equalization who values property at market value, and your bill is that assessed value against the combined levies of the county, the municipality or township, the school district and any special districts. There is an appeal process through the county with real deadlines, so read the assessment notice when it arrives. I wrote a full breakdown in my property tax guide.

It is a classification for a primary residence that reduces the school general fund portion of your levy, and yes, you have to apply for it with the county after you buy. It is not automatic and nobody at the closing table files it for you. This is the single most missed step I see, so I remind every buyer at closing.

Because levies differ by jurisdiction, and the school district portion is usually the largest piece. A home in Rapid City and a similar home in Summerset can carry different bills at the same price, and Box Elder sits in Douglas School District 51-1 with its own levy picture. I pull actual current figures for each specific parcel rather than estimating from a percentage.

South Dakota has relief and assessment freeze programs, including ones aimed at older homeowners, homeowners with disabilities, and disabled veterans and certain surviving spouses. Eligibility depends on factors such as age, income and disability status, and these are application based with annual deadlines. Check current specifics with your county and with the South Dakota Department of Revenue at dor.sd.gov.

Charges on a parcel for improvements such as street, water or sewer work, or annual charges from a special district. They appear on the tax bill and can run for a set term of years. In newer subdivisions they are worth asking about specifically, and I check the county records and the title commitment for them during due diligence.

South Dakota property taxes are paid in arrears, so at closing taxes are prorated between seller and buyer and title handles the calculation on the settlement statement. If you escrow, expect your lender to review and adjust the escrow account within the first year after purchase.

Property taxes and insurance, utilities that swing with elevation and winter, any HOA or road association dues, well and septic servicing on rural property, snow removal on a long driveway, and a maintenance reserve with roof life in mind given hail history. None of this is tax advice, and your own tax advisor should weigh in on your situation.

The whole Black Hills region, from Sturgis where I grew up to Hot Springs where I have listings, plus Rapid City, the northern hills corridor, Spearfish, Belle Fourche, Hill City, Custer and the smaller towns around the edges. My community guides cover thirteen of them in depth.

ABR for buyer representation, SRS for seller representation, CRS for advanced residential practice, MRP for military relocation, CLHMS for luxury home marketing, and SFR for short sales and foreclosures. The plain-English version of each one is on my about page. They matter less than results, but they are why I know the questions to ask in situations most agents see rarely.

Fast, and you get me rather than an assistant. Call or text 605-490-2040, or email roy@henryroyrealestate.com. If you are on a PCS timeline or working across time zones, tell me and we will set a rhythm that works.

Yes. I work the whole range, and the first home someone buys tends to be the transaction where good representation matters most. Nobody gets a different level of attention because of price.

Yes, and I give you more than one name so the choice stays yours. Lenders who close VA loans here monthly, inspectors who will answer your questions directly, well and septic contractors for acreage, radon mitigation contractors, and roofers who understand hail claims in this region.

I can connect you with an agent in that market through my referral network and then coordinate the two timelines so you are not carrying two payments or sleeping in a hotel. That coordination is a real part of what I do for relocating clients.

I describe properties, places, amenities and rules. I do not describe who lives in an area or who would fit in a neighborhood, and I will not steer you toward or away from anywhere on that basis. If you ask me a question I cannot answer for that reason, I will tell you why and point you to public data you can review yourself. More on my fair housing page.

Me. My full name is Henry Roy Ulrich, and around here everyone calls me Henry Roy, which is the name on the sign. On some review platforms you will see the listing under Henry Ulrich. Same person, same license, same phone number.

Call or text 605-490-2040, email roy@henryroyrealestate.com, or send a note through the contact page. Tell me your timeline, your price range and what you are trying to accomplish, and I will come back with something useful rather than a sales pitch.