Guns, Ammo and Dead Animal Heads. Storm Lake, IA has many homes with owners who hunt. Many deer, turkey, pheasant and other critters can be found on walls in this town. It can be problematic when listing a home that is owned by an avid hunter.
I don't show properties with guns out in the open, many Buyers have children with them, some guns are small enough to disappear. I am not comfortable showing a property that I know has guns and I know Buyers feel the same way. Dead animal heads are great if you hunt, but there are some people who are appalled at the sight of one and then there are others, like me, who it doesn't bother. Just as some cultures will not buy a home in which someone has died, some will not even go into a room with a hunting trophy.
How do you handle listings that have lots of trophys, guns in sight and ammunition laying around.
We have several local developers in Storm Lake and Newell continuing to work on new home developments and subdivisions, we have a number of investors working on flips and rentals, and we have a number of big developers vieying for the opportunity to put up some mega properties to help ease the local rental housing needs. Unfortunately, it looks like all the big developers are planning to put up low income housing (we need good, clean, rental housing across the board) but with the need at the several hundred units level and going up, every new rental clean good rental is a welcome addition.
Blu Skyz Properties LLC is one of the smaller companies that has made a significant difference in the current market. They have a number of properties in Newell, Iowa and are working on an old boarding house facing Storm Lake.
Check out the videos of the remaking of a vacant old property into an updated 7-plex.
Video 1 - Storm Lake IA Rental Remake - The BEAST
Video 2 - Storm Lake IA Rental Remake - Clean Sweep
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It is January in NW Iowa, Storm Lake to be exact. So far this year we have had 2 snow falls, both slight compared to our usual massive accumulation. The good weather has helped keep the Storm Lake MLS active and Storm Lake homes and surrounding area homes selling. I just got back from the Storm Lake MLS new property tour and we had several new listings to go through, that makes me smile. We had a good year in 2011 and it looks promising for 2012. We are planning to bring on fulltime office staff and we have have a few more big changes coming that should positively impact the Storm Lake and surrounding area real estate markets. Those changes involve growth, new services, better client/customer services, and a few surprises!
No pun intended! Our brokerage has had a good year with an increase in sales by 11% over 2010. Part of the growth was and will continue to be the work we are doing with Blu Skyz Properties LLC (BPSLLC) in residential and commercial development in both Storm Lake and Newell Iowa.
Our average days on market also rocked at 76 compared with the average of 141! Thank you to all our clients who helped make this growth possible. We work for YOU!
2012 will have a lot of surprises -
Service Animals are not Pets. They have jobs to do and are trained to do those jobs. They are the legs, arms, alarm system, and much, much more to many people all across America. This case has gained national interest. A town next to the one I live in has made big headlines recently by insisting a service dog be removed from the city limits. The town of Aurelia, Iowa has a ban on Pit Bull dogs and mixes that contain Pit Bull. There is a petition going around concerning this case. Weigh in, I have, there's a link to the petition below, it is number 6.
Lots of chatter, and ink on this topic in the local area, but also in the entire country. Check out some of the articles and sites.
1) Hearing set in Aurelia Iowa - Ban on Service Dog Case https://www.google.com/search?q=aurelia+iowa+pit+bull&num=100&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-US&rlz=1I7ADFA_en&prmd=imvnsu&source=univ&tbm=nws&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=B2H7TpibIsqBgAfRkPCyAg&ved=0CEIQqAI
2) Aurelia Iowa Pit Bull Ban Leaves retired police officer without a service dog http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=6&ved=0CFIQFjAF&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fnews%2Faurelia-iowa-pit-bull-ban&ei=B2H7TpibIsqBgAfRkPCyAg&usg=AFQjCNH8TveNKajWPER33JSNgCMq0vcZbA
3) Disabled Police Officer and Vet required to say goodbye to his service dog Aurelia Iowa http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=8&ved=0CGEQFjAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fchicagoist.com%2F2011%2F12%2F22%2Fiowa_towns_pitbull_ban_forces_retir.php&ei=B2H7TpibIsqBgAfRkPCyAg&usg=AFQjCNEeUGAA2MMRJKD0jEFH0_XDIdmg5w
4) Disabled man says goodbye to his service animal - Aurelia Iowa City Council requires the animal be removed from the man's home http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=9&ved=0CGgQFjAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ktiv.com%2Fstory%2F16387641%2Fupdate-aurelia-ia-man-reunites-with-service-dog&ei=B2H7TpibIsqBgAfRkPCyAg&usg=AFQjCNGes6fyCqtXNMDr777GxR-YmqJK5A
5) Hearing set in Aurelia Iowa over allowing a disabled man to have his service animal in the town of Aurelia http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=14&ved=0CIkBEBYwDQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.court.us%2Fidar4187177%2Fhearing_set_in_aurelia__iowa__pit_bull_case___sioux_city_journal.htm&ei=B2H7TpibIsqBgAfRkPCyAg&usg=AFQjCNHyaoE3xv7eTBIEH0TMz0eIisnHUg
6) Petition to allow retired disabled police officer to keep his service dog - http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=17&ved=0CJ8BEBYwEA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.change.org%2Fpetitions%2Faurelia-ia-city-council-a-disabled-retired-chicago-cop-is-being-denied-pit-bull-service-dog&ei=B2H7TpibIsqBgAfRkPCyAg&usg=AFQjCNGfhJR9WdW8BM0xu1vXF_BvyFl-dw
As realtors, we know that service animals have a very different standing when it comes to housing, especially rentals. But this case should bring clarification to more states that don't have clear rulings protecting these animals and the people who depend on them.
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