We recently held a very special event in regards to something that I will never, ever take for granted - our great customers! Whether you bought or sold with the Brookings Home Team, we really appreciate your business and wanted to thank you. And what better way than a free movie!?

So, on November 11th, the Century 21 Brookings Home Team - Janean Caugherty, Rena Berg, myself and the rest of our team - invited everyone to a free showing of The Grinch for our Customer Appreciation Event at Brookings Cinema 8. We handed out more than 150 tickets to go with numerous boxes of popcorn and cups of soda for everyone's enjoyment. 

The movie wasn't the only thing we had going on during the event. We were also able to support the local Brookings…

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 Every Monday Morning at 8:15am, join me on my Facebook page as I sit down with a local lender, and do a live interview and talk about a Mortgage Tip that may help YOU with your next Real Estate Purchase. 

This morning I sat down with Justin Froiland from Fairway Mortgage. Listen as he explains why waiting to buy a home might cost you more money in the long run.  You can reach Justin at 605.695.1429 or justin.froiland@fairwaymc.com.  His office is located at 412 5th St., Brookings SD 57006 or on the web at www.BrookingsMortgage.com 

 

 

The Cost of Waiting to Buy a Home

 

- Hey good morning everybody. It's Shane here with Brookings Home Team powered by Century 21. It is Monday and behind the scenes, we are getting ready for this…

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I know, I know. Thanksgiving is barely in the rear-view mirror and you're digging into Black Friday shopping already. But, this weekend is a common weekend to break out the Christmas decorations. The weather is even cooperating a little bit. So, for those of you getting outside to string Christmas lights on your house, here are 9 tips to help you out. Also, I won't judge if you want to do your best Clark Griswald impression or if you're just happy to get one string on your house so you aren't the only home looking dark on your street. To each their own! Now, let's dive into those tips...

1. Safety First! - Winding up in the emergency room is the last thing you want to do this weekend, or any weekend for that matter! So, avoid the holiday black and…

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Every Monday Morning at 8:15am, join me on my Facebook page as I sit down with a local lender, and do a live interview and talk about a Mortgage Tip that may help YOU with your next Real Estate Purchase. 

This morning I sat down with Andrew Jallo from Dacotah Bank. Andrew explained the differences between Annual Percentage Yield and Annual Percentage Rate.  You can reach Andrew at 605.692.8600 or Andrew.Jallo@dacotahbank.com.  His office is located at 1441 6th St., Brookings SD 57006 or on the web at www.dacotahbank.com.

 

 APY versus APR

 

- Good morning everybody, Shane here from the Brookings Home Team powered by Century 21. Before I forget, happy Thanksgiving, it's turkey week. No, I don't have a turkey next to me but I am the…

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HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM THE BROOKINGS HOME TEAM

 

We're less than a week from Thanksgiving! It's a time for families to gather, enjoy turkey and other classic fixings, maybe watch some football, maybe prepare for Black Friday shopping, or take part in some other tradition during this time of year. If your Thanksgiving tradition involves gathering at your home, your energy bill might be getting a heavy workout. More people coming in and out of the house while the South Dakota temperatures are slowly getting colder can have a big impact. Between the extra charging of digital devices and other gadgets and the oven running non-stop, there is going to be plenty of reasons for your electrical bill to go through the roof. So, I thought I'd share a few…

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Every Monday Morning at 8:15am, join me on my Facebook page as I sit down with a local lender, and do a live interview and talk about a Mortgage Tip that may help YOU with your next Real Estate Purchase. 

This morning I sat down with Barb Adelaine from BankStar. In honor of Veterans Day, Barb explains the benefits of using a VA loan, if it's applicable to your home-buying process.   You can reach Barb at 605.696.8562 or barb.adelaine@bankstar.com.  Her office is located at 1301 6th St., Brookings SD 57006 or on the web at www.ebankstar.com 

 

What is a VA Loan?

- All right, hey, good mornin' everybody. Shane here, from the Brookings Home Team, powered by Century 21. Got Barb here from BankStar, it is not Monday, it is Tuesday. Since you…

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In a previous post, I covered the basics of homeowners insurance. But what else does your insurance policy cover other than the house itself? 

1. Outbuildings, landscaping and hardscaping. 

Just because it's not attached to your house, doesn't mean it isn't covered (in some form) by your homeowners insurance policy. Outbuildings, such as barns and sheds, landscaping, or hardscaping, such as fences, can be covered by up to 10% of your policy amount. Sometimes, plants can even be covered by up to 5% of your policy amount. Follow up with your insurance company for more details as some of these might have exclusions for specific causes of the damage. 

2. Damage or loss of personal belongings. 

Your policy should also cover your family's…

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Every Monday Morning at 8:15am, join me on my Facebook page as I sit down with a local lender, and do a live interview and talk about a Mortgage Tip that may help YOU with your next Real Estate Purchase. 

This morning I sat down with Emmy Lebert from Dakotaland FCU. Today, Emmy talked about the different types of verifications needed throughout the process of buying a home, and why each one is important.  You can reach Emmy at 605.697.5922 or emmyl@dakotalandfcu.com  Her office is located at 2423 6th St., Brookings SD 57006 or on the web at www.DakotalandFCU.com

 

 Types of Verifications 

 

 

- Hey, good morning, everybody. Monday morning, 8:15 on the dot. It means it's our Monday morning mortgage tip. I've got Emmy here from…

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Every once and a while I get asked about homeowners insurance. "What all does that cover?" Some things may seem obvious, but there are certain things that don't fall under the policy that might surprise you. Let's take a look at what is and isn't covered.

 

First off, there is a basic homeowners insurance policy that covers your home and possessions if they're destroyed or damaged by these things:

  • Fire

  • Lightning

  • Windstorm (not always available in hurricane zones)

  • Hail (not available everywhere)

  • Explosion

  • Riots

  • Civil commotion

  • Aircraft (or things falling from aircraft)

  • Vehicles (or things thrown from vehicles)

  • Smoke

  • Vandalism (excluded in some…

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