Home, Sweet Home: Real estate tips from the experts

That's the contention of United Real Estate Solutions' Barb Kimmel, Century 21's Barb Maxon and Woodland Realty's Anita Small, who all participated in a recent roundtable discussion on Sioux City's real estate market.

"First-time home buyers are really taking advantage of this extended period of low interest rates," said Maxon, a Realtor with more than 30 years experience.

"In addition, sellers are selling their homes for as close to their asking price as possible," Kimmel, a top-producing agent, added.

"The bottom line is that people are getting more house for their dollars," said Small, who is involved with both real estate and home construction. "That's good news for everybody."

Still, it's difficult to find the "perfect" house when there doesn't seem to be much of a surplus.

According to Maxon, there are currently 434 local listings. That's down from the 618 listings from just five years ago.

Likewise, the average cost of a home has risen from $153,000 in 2010 to today's $180,000.

"The typical family home will be in that $150,000 - $200,000 range," Kimmel said. "That's what everybody seems to want."

Yet Small said a person's expectation isn't always a realistic one.

"People want perfection," she said. "That comes with a cost."

Small calls that the "HGTV effect."

"Homebuyers see these real estate shows on television but (the shows) don't truly represent the local market place," she said. "Real estate's a lot more challenging than the TV shows portray it to be."

This is why Maxon recommends buyers to consider the real estate as a team activity.

"It's always best when we're working in tandem with bankers, closers, home inspectors, you name it," she said. "It's important to have everyone on board."

That stands to reason, Kimmel said, since buying a house is typically the largest investment a person will ever make.

"You can't underestimate the importance of a home to a person," she said. "It's where they'll raise their family and live their lives."

In Sioux City, a typical person will spend at least seven years in a house. That's a little longer than the five-year stay in other parts of the country. 

"Midwesterners tend to stay put longer than usual," Kimmel said. "But, eventually, a family will grow or a job change will require moving. Then, it's time to hit the housing market again."

Maxon said a relatively low unemployment rate and industry expansions into Sioux City have helped the real estate market. 

"I think it's a sign that the economy is improving," she said. "We seem to be going in the right direction."

The same might be said of the three Realtors participating in the round table.

Maxon, Kimmel and Small have all had at least 25 years each in real estate. In addition, all three remember a time when a female agent was considered a "novelty."

"We used to be in offices full of guys," Kimmel said. "Now, the women outnumber the men."

Small speculated that's because women buy (and sell) based on emotion.

"It's definitely a soft-sell approach," she said, "but we know what will appeal to the ladies."

In the end, Maxon said purchasing a house should never be considered a daunting task.

"Everybody wants to buy their 'dream home,"' she said. "There are plenty of people in the industry who want to make the experience as pleasant as possible."