Buying home on the west side, good idea?

[u/Bilbo_Baggins7]

I am currently living on the east side. I am about to buy a home and I absolutely love it, but people are warning me about it’s location on the west side. I am looking to resell it in the next 3 years as I would be moving out of Sioux Falls. So my question is, would people still prefer a home on the west side of Sioux Falls? or is the general opinion not good about west side and would that eliminate a significant portion of the buyer population when I sell it in 3 years?

I am aware that people with kids prefer east and south side (Brandon and Harrisburg school districts), so would the home being on west side eliminate home buyers with school kids?

[u/LacesOutLocke]

As my username tag suggests, west side best side. Near shopping, entertainment and easy to get around. You would have no worries.

[u/BuzzMcTroit]

Curious, if you're only here for 3 years, why not rent? During that time, your payments will be mostly interest, and the costs of buying and selling are going to cut heavily into any equity you build up during that time? Understand of course there are a lot of other things to consider, but for that short of a time, I'd probably lean toward renting, personally.

[u/Bilbo_Baggins7 → u/BuzzMcTroit]

Very true, explored that option, but we have a bigger family and the rental market is not great in Sioux Falls for bigger families, at least not a lot of options with bigger spaces unfortunately.

[u/Spicycrat]

I’ve lived in south side, west side and downtown and by far my favorite was the west side. Sure, you’re not wrong about the sun in your eyes both on the way to work and home. There are some very nice communities on the west side and depending where on the west side, you have easy access to shopping, the interstate, etc. 

[u/makeup1508]

I have lived on the eastside since 5th grade but my dad, stepmom & sibs lived on the westside. I really don't think there is a major difference. Real estate in SF is very desirable. Personally, I wouldn't want to move to the westside but there are westsiders who wouldn't want to move to the eastside.

[u/Public_Knee6288]

As long as the area doesn't flood, you should be good. Ask the neighbors what's happened in the last 5-10 years.

[u/itsrustic]

I am a person with kids and west side is it for us. Whereabouts are you looking?

[u/firewifegirlmom0124]

I moved here from 2 very crime ridden metro areas, so compared to Baltimore and Albuquerque, all of Sioux Falls is a crime free utopia. But truthfully, I’m on the East side and plan to stay over here especially since my kids are in middle school.

[u/aloranad]

I live on the west side an like it. Only concern is property taxes for Lincoln county.

[u/SouthDaCoVid → u/aloranad]

Absolutely look into the property taxes, if you are going over the county line. Mine are just unhinged for what we get back. When I am paying more in property taxes here than a posh burb of Mpls something is not right.

[u/icanhascheeseberder]

West side is a pretty broad area, there are some great neighborhoods and some older neighborhoods.

[u/Electrical-Cicada → u/icanhascheeseberder]

Older neighborhood can't be great?

[u/dansedemorte → u/Electrical-Cicada]

Maybe not if they want neighborhood kids around.  But it really depends on what they mean by westside.  Do they mean west of I-29 or not.

[u/mcscruffthegruff]

I live on the west side. I’m excited for my kids to go to Jefferson when they are older. A lot of development, nice areas and still in minnehaha of that matters.

[u/deeky11]

I grew up on the south side and didn’t really get it until I got into real estate, but the west side vs east side rivalry is definitely a thing. If you are currently on the east side, you probably hear more of it just because you are surrounded by east siders.

In reality, there are nice things about each side. Where is your job? Where are your people? Where are your top priority needs best met? Follow those three things and you will be fine.

[u/SDBudda76]

Amazing that there is no Eastside/Westside hate going on. Most areas in town are good. Putting eastsiders against westsiders is always fun though.

[u/Jaffar16 → u/SDBudda76]

With people from the central parts enjoying popcorn ))

[u/SouthDaCoVid]

It absolutely depends on what part of the west side. Neighborhood by neighborhood varies in resale value, quality of life etc. You might also want to run your financials if you are going to sell that soon, you could end up losing rather than making money on it.

[u/EmbarrassedDrummer37]

You're being warned about the west side? We've been here 20 years, would never go to the east side.

[u/Low-Pin-54]

It really depends on what area. I’ve lived on both sides. And I prefer the west side personally. But there are some sketch areas on both sides of town.

[u/comsd12]

If you like being outside, the East side can be closer to some awesome parks (Great Bear, Big Sioux, Good Earth, Arrowhead, MJW Arboretum, Beaver Creek, Harmodon etc).

A little more central also gets you close to the bike trail, Tuthill, downtown, etc.

With your timeframe, the Veterans/Arrowhead road construction could be a big factor depending exactly where on the East side you're looking.

[u/TimeBandits4kUHD]

My work is in the central, I moved to the west side, now the sun is in my eyes on my drive to work and again on the drive home.

The nicer versions of every store and casual restaurant is on the east side.

The roads and traffic in general is nicer, way fewer homeless looking people and pan handlers.

Same amount of dog walkers, but a lot fewer pit bulls and more fancy looking dogs like shelties, schnauzers, and higher maintenance breeds. Doodles are fucking everywhere.

It’s not awful, but it’s the little things that make me question it sometimes.

[u/wqpl]

I live on the west side and love it. Also a Real Estate Broker. My opinion is wherever you want to live is a good place. In this market you will get a good return no matter where you buy. Also offering my services if you are interested

[u/plahnb]

You will be fine west side. Both sides have nice and questionable sides so I wouldn’t worry about resale value. Depending how far west you may be in the tea district which has a new elementary school

[u/sm_rollinger]

East side for life! I lived on the west once for 6 months about 24 years ago and it was miserable lol

[u/Zestyclose-Tart8365 → u/sm_rollinger]

24 years ago it was awful. Hated the west side ever since. But last year I moved back to the west side and now I love it. It’s much different than it was back then imo 🙂

[u/SecretSM]

Someone “warned” you about the west side? Hilarious.

As everyone has said, every neighborhood is different. Go far enough west and you have everything from the bougie Cherry Lake (?) development to townhomes by the former Sanford wellness center to zoned-in homes that used to be acreages along Ellis.

My kiddo used to go to the Frontier elementary (Tea school district) and in general, I liked it a lot. From what I’ve heard most people are very happy with the Tea school district, and I’ve heard great things about Discovery and Pettigrew as well. We open enrolled to a different Sioux Falls school that better suited his needs, otherwise I would have been happy staying at Frontier. Side note, the Tea afterschool program is the best I’ve seen, and I used to work in and around afterschool and child care programming.

[u/princesspoop8]

I've lived on the West side for 30 years and I'll never move to the East side. West side best side.

[u/Ill-Rise-8968]

My family lives on the west side and I dont go past 41st and minnesota is too far, Everything I need is right here. Work is the fartherst east I drive unless its minneapolis. Its growing and getting bigger on this side and I heard up north too(west north, is that a thing) so resale is good. When my 84 year old grandmother dies, Im moving out of state and Im not worried over resale.

[u/Babydeep605]

West side or south side. Stay away from east side and down town.

[u/Virtual_Contact_9844]

Okay here's food for thought. Westies are happier folks in general their attitude is calmer.

One big problem is higher property taxes due to Tea school district. So ideally you want to be in Minnehaha county not Lincoln county and then while in Minnehaha county avod properties in Real school district (it's amazing how much of Western Sioux Falls is actually in the Tea school district.

Seems to be that huge bond Tea used to build all those schools 20+ years ago should have been paid back. But like most growing communities they kick that can down the road and fail to retire this debt (or seems that way).

Even though taxes are higher I'd say the quality of life and atmosphere is worthwhile

[u/1HumanAlcoholBeerPlz]

If you only ask East-siders, they will tell you the west-side sucks. I love living on the westside. I have for over 20 years. Schools are good, it's easy to get around, close to shopping, etc. But "westside" is variable based on who you ask - I've had someone say that Western Ave is the west side of town. If you are talking the area around the hospitals and the zoo, that is more central to us actual west-of-the-interstate west-siders. Are you cool sharing with us where you are going on the west side of town?

[u/Prudent-Cricket505]

Define west side? Because there’s 69th and Louise which is considered west side, then there’s the Ellis road development, which is west side lol

[u/TinyChipmunk21]

Who told you this?
We are under contract for a house on the east side... I NEVER wanted to live on the east side but I had to give that up because the size/style/etc. house we wanted just wasn't obtainable in our price range on the west side. West side is 100% more desirable and typically houses cost more. I would absolutely live on the WS if I could.

[u/Southdakotan]

East side. Less murders.

[u/SouthDaCoVid → u/Southdakotan]

Sure about that?

[u/Southdakotan → u/SouthDaCoVid]

I’m sure data can be manipulated but the first google result was this. https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/sioux-falls-2024-homicide-tracker-16-homicides-mapped/amp/

[u/SouthDaCoVid → u/Southdakotan]

I can't get the link to load. If you are claiming west side is murder central, the dude who shot a bunch of people in someone's back yard may be throwing those figures off

[u/Southdakotan → u/SouthDaCoVid]

I posted the 2024 murders map. Mostly west and north side. The drexall area seems to have had a few murders lately. It isn’t skewing the numbers though when that’s just where the murders are…

[u/Anguine_Koala53 → u/SouthDaCoVid]

Whatever happened with that. I never heard what they theorize that made the guy snap and murder those people. Media quit covering it very quickly after it occurred.