As Halloween approaches, and you plan for trick or treaters to visit your home, you may be thinking about getting more candy. It might be to replace the candy that you had already purchased for trick or treaters but ended up eating yourself. You may be frantically thinking that you need to make a costume for your child because Halloween is almost here. You may be thinking about many different things—but not really thinking as much about black cats—even if you own one.
Black cats are often associated with Halloween. What color cat does a witch have? You really never see one with a gray tabby—they are typically black.
There are more male black cats than female black cats. As a result of their genetics, black cats also typically have beautiful yellow/golden eyes.
Black cats have a very long history in folklore—some of which lends itself to Halloween. However, some of the folklore regarding black cats may be different from what you think.
You may know that the ancient Egyptians worshipped all cats and black cats. They felt they embodied gods. Cats were also revered because they kept their food stores safe from mice and rats. In ancient Egypt, the penalty for accidentally killing a cat was death.
Meanwhile, Scottish folklore indicates that a black cat’s arrival to a home indicates prosperity. Black cats are considered good luck in most of Britain and Japan.
In some countries, like the United Kingdom, a black cat crossing your path is considered good luck. I remember my Scottish grandfather telling me that it was good luck if a black cat crossed your path going from left to right—but bad luck if it was going from right to left. That superstition regarding the direction the cat is walking is also held in Germany. I wonder what it would mean if a black cat is pacing back and forth?
In most of Europe, a black cat is a symbol of bad luck. In the middle ages it was believed that witches could disguise themselves as black cats. As a result, black cats were considered to be feared in much the same way as witches. Black cats were also associated with death in much the same way a raven would be—as a bad omen. As a result, black cats were persecuted in Europe and mass killings of black cats took place. They were persecuted along the same lines as people suspected of witchcraft.
This same problem of persecution took place in America, particularly in the 1600’s when there were witch trials.
If you are fortunate enough to own a black cat, you know that all those superstitions are wrong—except maybe the positive ones.
For much of my life I have had a black cat. Sadly, my black cat, Ringo, passed away in 2019. He was very unique. He enjoyed fetching (he would initiate it) and would sometimes collect his cat toys and put them all in one spot. I suspect that he was working on communicating with aliens and that his death may have just been that his alien transport body had become exhausted.
Another bit of black cat trivia, Black Cat Appreciation Day is August 17th. The day was created by the artist, Wayne H. Morris, who creates artwork with cats (mostly black cats). The date was chosen to honor his sister, June, who had passed away at the young age of 33—just two months after her black cat Sinbad had died at the age of 20.
With Halloween approaching, there is some concern that people are more prone to abusing black cats on and around Halloween. If possible, I recommend keeping your black cat inside your home during this time. I would always keep my black cats inside on Halloween just to be safe—and to provide a warm greeting in the home to trick or treaters.
Perhaps you need a bigger home so you can have more cats (black or otherwise)
Have a happy and safe Halloween!
Protecting Black Cats

First-Time Home-Buyer Programs that can help you achieve home ownership

Are you looking at Rapid City homes for sale and have finally decided that it’s time to stop looking and buy?
If you are looking at purchasing your first home, there are many factors that go into determining how much you can afford. The best way to find out for sure is to meet with a qualified lender who can give you a better idea of what you may be able to purchase. If you would like, you can call me and I will gladly direct you to an experienced lender.
There are also first-time home buyer program available in South Dakota that are designed to make it easier to own a piece of the American dream.
South Dakota first-time home buyer programs have income requirement guidelines that vary, depending on the county that you are in.
More information on first time home buyer programs in South Dakota can be found at the South Dakota Housing Development Authority website. The website includes such information as the maximum priced home that you can purchase through the program as well as other possible restrictions—but it is a great program!
There are also some additional programs that can help first time home buyers, such as the Grow South Dakota Housing program.
It may be possible to purchase a home with little to no money for a down payment.
There are also government-backed programs such as FHA or VA (for qualified military or veterans) that require little to no money down and have more flexibility when it comes to your credit score.
If you need assistance in the process, reach out to me and I will gladly help you!
Lustron Homes – Ahead of their time!

At the height of the pandemic in 2020, I had the opportunity to purchase a home that many people would have overlooked. It was an odd home. It was built in 1950 and is basically an all-steel house. All steel? Well, almost. Let me first give you a little bit of history.
After World War II there was a severe housing shortage. Soldiers were returning to the states but there weren’t enough homes available. If you think about it, during the war almost all resources were diverted to the effort for the war. Any able-bodied man was fighting in the war. New construction? Well, that pretty much ground to a halt for several years. Not to mention that one of the first things that soldiers wanted to do on leave or after returning from war was kiss their wives…and things progressed from there. You may have heard about Baby Boomers.
With this housing shortage there were many ideas being floated around. One man was looking at acquiring steel to build all steel gas stations. He was told that the government’s focus was on housing. He then saw an opportunity and quickly pitched an idea for an all-steel home. His name was Carl Strandlund.
The homes were not going to be just all-steel, they would be enameled steel. That’s the same type of steel and finish that your appliances have.
Relying heavily on secured government funding for start-up costs, the new company—called Lustron—acquired the use of airport hangar in Ohio to create a massive automated assembly line of parts to build steel homes. The assembly line stretched for several miles.
Strandlund had been working at building all steel hamburger stands (White Castle) and all steel gas stations. To make this project successful he pulled in numerous architects and designers. They worked to create a massive distribution center east of the Rockies.
The first few homes were custom. They were put on display at various locations and had tens of thousands of visitors! Yes, it was amazing! They were considered homes of the future. The all-steel design made for minimal maintenance—designed to create a life of ease for returning soldiers. Ever notice how you don’t need to paint your refrigerator? Well, that was the idea with the homes.
To save space inside, all Lustron homes had pocket doors. Pocket doors are not used often but save a tremendous amount of space. Most Lustron home models had numerous built-ins—pantries, desks, dressers—all designed to free up space in the relatively small homes. They were also considered the first homes designed for people with disabilities—veterans returning from the war.
After some trial and error in figuring out the shipping (which was quite costly), the homes were shipped on a special truck and were designed to be built on site within a few days to two weeks (with the foundation being built on-site already). They all had detailed manuals for assembly of the 3,000 parts.
The company was very meticulous. They tried to make the homes well-built and affordable. One internal discussion involved the steel support beams located in the center of the house. One executive thought it was ridiculous to use enameled steel when the beams would not be exposed to the elements. He was voted down. Everything would be enameled steel. Well, almost everything.
Insulation in between the steel panels was R-19. For 1950 that was very impressive. All the windows were made of strong extruded aluminum frames. They were all casement windows (manufactured by Reynolds Aluminum—you may have heard of the company—or wrapped a baked potato in their aluminum foil).
Interestingly, as far as the plumbing, all of it was copper. Copper is considered better than steel for plumbing—so copper was used.
The steel panels for the outside of the home were made of 20-gauge steel. Basically, strong enough for plenty of wear and tear. Many sinks are built with 20-gauge steel (though 18-guage is a little more durable for a sink). The home was designed to never need painting.
The heating system in most models had a unique design. It had a system that would heat the ceiling tiles (which also were steel) and the heat would radiate down into the house. This system was way ahead of its time…but by most reports it didn’t work well in cold weather areas. One of the last models built, the Lustron Newport (which I have), was built with a gas forced-air furnace.
When completed, the homes were nearly indestructible. Each home weighs approximately 12 tons. They were designed to be fire proof and lightning proof.
The layout of each home was well-thought out. It was efficient and maximized the use of space. The windows were large to allow plenty of natural light.
If you are thinking that these homes were amazing, well they were. In Rapid City there are three Lustron homes. Each has the original enameled steel roof. Our semi-arid climate is pretty much ideal for Lustron homes.
Sadly, by 1950 politics and finances collided. Lustron owed the government lots of money…and suddenly they wanted the money back. Homes could not be produced as fast as they needed to be, even though the factory could create a little over 20 homes a day—they needed to produce significantly more to avoid bankruptcy.
At one point, Lustron had over 20,000 people wanting to buy homes. With government pressure that some people believe was political and went all the way up to the White House, Lustron was forced to file bankruptcy. It was sold for pennies on the dollar.
When an oil CEO was appointed to resume manufacturing at Lustron (after all staff had been let go), he looked at the miles of massive equipment and reportedly said something like, “So that’s where all the money went.”
At the time of its demise, Lustron had manufactured only 2,498 homes.
There are various estimates of how many Lustron homes exist today—ranging from 1,500 to 2,000. My home, a two-bedroom Lustron Newport, is one of only 24 Newports ever manufactured (there are less than 20 remaining). It is also the only one of its kind in South Dakota. As a result of its uniqueness and contribution to history, it is on the National Register for Historic Places as the Cassidy House.
There is a museum in Columbus, Ohio (the Ohio History Connection) that has an entire Lustron home inside it and is a wealth of knowledge about Lustron houses.
With today’s housing shortage, I often wonder if this type of innovation is what is needed to fix the housing shortage.
July 2023 Rapid City and Black Hills Real Estate Market Report

Click here for a link to the Rapid City and Black Hills Real Estate Market Report for July 2023. The average days on the market have leveled off and are comparable to the same time last year. Prices have also seemed to have leveled off and are comparable to a year ago. The real estate market report also includes several interesting articles. Topics include how the six most expensive home repairs, cash-out refinance vs. a home equity loan, things about preapprovals you should know, the Black Hills Events calendar, and more!
As always, if you are looking at buying or selling a home, reach out to me at (605) 593-3759 and I will gladly help you.
June 2023 Real Estate Market Report

Click here for a link to the Rapid City and Black Hills Real Estate Market Report for June 2023. The average days on the market have leveled off and are comparable to the same time last year. Prices have also seemed to have leveled off and are comparable to a year ago. The real estate market report also includes several interesting articles. Topics include how the six most expensive home repairs, cash-out refinance vs. a home equity loan, things about preapprovals you should know, the Black Hills Events calendar, and more!
As always, if you are looking at buying or selling a home, reach out to me at (605) 593-3759 and I will gladly help you.
May 2023 Real Estate Market Report

Click here for a link to the Rapid City and Black Hills Real Estate Market Report for May 2023. The average days on the market have increased significantly compared last year and average prices for all areas have decreased slightly. The real estate market report also includes several interesting articles. Topics include how the spring market is expected to look, the difference between a mortgage lender and a mortgage servicer, can you just walk away from a house you have under contract, the Black Hills Events calendar, and more!
As always, if you are looking at buying or selling a home, reach out to me at (605) 593-3759 and I will gladly help you.
Is Now the Time to Buy a New Home?

Are you wondering whether or not to get into the real estate market? You may be wondering about timing—whether you are looking at buying a home or selling a home. When is the best time to jump in?
First of all, anytime is good. I know you are probably thinking, “You’re a Realtor®, of course you would think any time is good.” So, let me explain.
There are benefits and drawbacks to every time of year. In the winter the market is slower. There are fewer homes on the market and there are also fewer people trying to get them. The pace is a little slower.
If you are buyer during the winter there are fewer people competing for the same property—but there are also fewer properties on the market. Most times, buyers during this time are very serious buyers. If you are selling in the winter, you will have fewer people interested in your home but they will be real buyers—not just people out to view your property because they have nothing better to do.
If you are looking at buying a home, the springtime provides the greatest inventory. You will have the most homes to choose from. It also provides the most competition for purchasing a home. A great deal will be snatched up more quickly….but it may be replaced by another.
Currently, overall home inventory is at one of its lowest levels. This may make it harder to find a home but definitely easier to sell your home at a good price.
Right now, interest rates are still historically low as they are still below 7%. Even though rates are higher than they were a year ago, rates have been trending slightly lower in the past month. We had gotten spoiled by extremely low rates that hung around for a while. By contrast, in the early 1980’s mortgage rates were over 15%! When I purchased my first home in 1993, the first-time home buyer rate was exceptional at that time—at 6.75%. The current rates are still historically good and trending in the right direction. Unfortunately, I don’t think we will ever see rates again below 4%. That is a great reason to consider diving into the market.
If you are looking at selling, low interest rates play a big role. A lower rate means that a buyer can qualify to purchase a more expensive home. That increases your pool of potential buyers.
If you are thinking about moving but are wondering what your home may be able to sell for in the current market, give me a call. I can do a comparative market analysis on your home and provide you with some ideas of what you may be able to sell your home for in this current market.
Spring is a time for new growth and new beginnings. It will get here sooner than you think. Don’t you want to start fresh? Don’t wait—take advantage of the opportunities the current market provides. You can call or text me at (605) 593-3759.
April 2023 Real Estate Market Report

Click here for a link to the Rapid City and Black Hills Real Estate Market Report for April 2023. The average days on the market have increased significantly compared last year and average prices for all areas have decreased slightly. Interest rates have declined recently which should improve the real estate market. The real estate market report also includes several interesting articles. Topics include whether or not the spring is the best time to sell a home, how to declutter your home for better selling, dealing with repairs when purchasing a home, the Black Hills Events calendar, and more!
As always, if you are looking at buying or selling a home, reach out to me at (605) 593-3759 and I will gladly help you.