U.S. Home Talk

Mini Claps And Major Upgrades For A More Valuable Home

Most home improvement advice sounds like a blank check. We wanted a list that’s grounded in what buyers notice first, what inspectors flag, and what actually changes how a home feels the moment you pull up. From siding and exterior paint to new windows, doors, and even a simple garage door upgrade, we break down curb appeal moves that can make a 35-year-old home look nearly brand new in photos and in person. If you’re staying in your home longer, these are the upgrades that can...

Tinfoil The Windows And Call It Science!

Your house can be perfectly fine and still feel impossible in a humid heat wave, then your electric bill shows up and makes it worse. We get real about what drives air conditioning costs up in the first place, especially when the heat index climbs and the air feels heavy the second you step outside.

We walk through practical, homeowner-tested ways to stay comfortable for less: creating shade with trees, “clothing” your windows with blinds and curtains to block solar heat, and using thermostat schedules so you are not...

Your house is not “messy,” it’s overloaded and that’s a different problem with a different fix. We dig into decluttering tips that work in real homes with real schedules: setting a clear goal, starting small, and building a repeatable routine so you stop cycling between panic-cleaning and re-cluttering. If you have ever sworn you’d “do the whole house” and then quit halfway through a closet, this conversation is for you.

We talk through the biggest traps we see all the time in real estate and everyday life: buying storage bins before you purge, creating a “maybe pile”...

The story of the 2026 housing market isn’t hiding in a national headline, it’s living in your local inventory, your neighborhood price band, and what buyers are doing right now. We’re sharing a mid-year real estate market update from two Midwest vantage points: Sioux Falls and the greater Sioux Empire, plus the Twin Cities metro. If you’ve been waiting for prices to fall, or you’re unsure whether the second half of the year is worth jumping into, this conversation brings the numbers and the real-world context together.

We get specific on the stats that shape...

Your favorite home style is never just a “look” it’s a set of tradeoffs you live with every day. We’re Marcus and Jason Walgrave, and we’re breaking down America’s most popular architectural styles with a real estate lens, comparing what we actually see on the ground in Sioux Falls, South Dakota versus the Twin Cities in Minnesota. If you’re buying a house, selling, investing, or planning new construction, this helps you spot the details that affect value, function, and long-term upkeep. 

We run through Colonial Revival symmetry, mid-century modern lines, and why Craftsman homes...

A burglar rarely “targets” a home the way people imagine. Most of the time, they notice a signal, an easy opening, a dark house, an uncut lawn, a patio door that looks forgotten and they take the chance. So we get concrete about home security and share anti-burglary tips for sellers and homeowners that you can actually use, whether your place is listed, sitting vacant, or you are simply heading out of town.

We start with the outside: property maintenance that makes a home look lived in, not empty. Then we talk about the human layer of safe...

Rent keeps rising, and it can feel like your housing payment disappears the moment you send it. We dig into a different way to look at the decision: what if your monthly payment could help you build wealth, buy you more freedom, and give your family real stability over time?

We walk through the most important benefits of homeownership in plain language, starting with the money side. We talk about potential tax benefits like mortgage interest write-offs (and why even high-net-worth buyers sometimes take a home loan), plus the long-run power of home price appreciation. Then we...

The mortgage world is full of “common knowledge” that quietly costs buyers time, money, and confidence. We sit down with Jason Walgrave and Marcus Walgrave to pull apart eight of the most persistent mortgage myths and replace them with what actually happens when a lender underwrites a real loan in today’s market.

We start with the big one: you do not need 20% down to buy a house. We talk through real low down payment options like VA loans, USDA Rural Development (yes, “rural” can be closer to the metro than you think), FHA at 3.5% down, and convention...

Credit doesn’t just decide whether you get approved for a mortgage, it quietly shapes what you pay and what options you have long before you’re house hunting. We talk through the real ways a credit score shows up in everyday life, from home insurance pricing to employment checks, and why waiting until you “need” credit is usually too late.

We get practical with a set of habits that can improve your FICO score without games or gimmicks: keeping older credit cards open to preserve credit history, avoiding repeated hard inquiries from store card offers, and managing...

Your summer utility bill is not just about the weather, it is about the small decisions that stack up every single day. We sit down and build a simple, realistic plan for lowering electricity and water costs while still keeping your home comfortable through Minnesota heat swings. If you have ever wondered whether an HVAC tune up is worth it, how often you really should replace an air filter, or why one sunny room turns into an oven, we get into the details that actually change the numbers.

We walk through practical home energy efficiency moves you...

You can have an 800 credit score, real money for a down payment, and steady cash coming in every month and still get told “no” because your tax returns do not tell the story lenders want to see. We dig into the mortgage reality behind that disconnect and explain why “not W-2 friendly” does not mean “not mortgage ready.” If you are self-employed, paid on a 1099, or building a rental portfolio, there are home loan programs that may fit better than the standard conventional loan playbook.

We walk through bank statement loans and how lenders use business deposits to estimate...

Foreclosure talk is back, and we keep hearing the same scary line: “foreclosures are rising.” We slow that down and look at what “rising” actually means when the market is coming off near record lows. If you’re a homeowner feeling squeezed by higher property taxes, rising homeowners insurance, or the general cost of living, the most important move is not panic, it’s clarity: where do you stand on equity, what are your timelines, and what options do you still control?

We also dig into recent reporting on a scaled-back borrower assistance program and why changes like tighter...

A home doesn’t lose value only from big problems. It can lose momentum from tiny signals like a dark bedroom, a sticky front door, or that one unfinished project you’ve stopped noticing. We pick up our first-time home seller to-do list and focus on the practical home selling tips that change how buyers feel in the first 30 seconds and how your home looks in the listing photos that get them to book a showing.

We get into what’s worth doing before you list, starting with deep cleaning that actually moves the needle: carpet shampooing, polish...

Take Down The Naked Painting And Wash The Siding!

Most sellers think the big wins come from granite and gadgets. We think the real wins happen earlier, when a buyer walks in and instantly feels two things: this home is cared for, and moving in will be easy. We share a first-time home seller to-do list built for real life, from what to put away to what to fix so you do not lose a great offer over a totally preventable issue.

We get specific about personal items and privacy, including how modern real estate...

You can spend a fortune “fixing everything” and still wonder why your sale price didn’t jump the same amount. That frustration is exactly what we tackle as we answer a question we hear constantly from homeowners getting ready to list: what home repairs do you actually have to do before selling, and what repairs simply make the sale smoother and faster?

We talk through the real world difference between mandatory obligations and smart preparation, including what sellers must disclose on a property disclosure statement and why “working condition” is the baseline buyers expect for roofs, HVAC, windows, a...

Your home is on the market, the photos look fine, and yet… no offers. That’s not “bad luck” when buyers are out there paying $50,000 over asking. We get real about the uncomfortable truth: if a listing isn’t moving in a competitive real estate market, something in the listing strategy is working against you.

We walk through the biggest reasons a house doesn’t sell, starting with the one nobody wants to hear: price. Even a near-perfect home can need a pricing adjustment when it backs up to a busy road or has a nearby eyesore that buyers...

New build or existing home? That one choice can change your monthly payment, your weekends, and even how you feel when you pull into the driveway. We talk through the real pros and cons of new construction vs existing homes, using what we’re seeing across the Minnesota Twin Cities real estate market and comparing it to the Sioux Falls market where pricing and build options can look very different.

We dig into why modern new construction floor plans often live better than older layouts, how bigger windows and improved window technology can deliver light without killing en...

Mortgage rates swing on headlines, but the real story is how those swings change buyer behavior and competition. We map out why a brief jump into the mid-6% range can create a short window where your offer has a better shot at getting accepted. 
• mortgage rates moving from high 5s toward mid-6s and starting to trend back down 
• buyers hitting pause on affordability while pre-approvals keep stacking up 
• why spring markets create the most competition and how a slowdown helps buyers 
• Sioux Falls market indicators including pending sales and the under-$600k split 
• Florida price v...

The lawn is a lawn and a lawn is needed when you want a lawn so it should be green? What about a lawn that is a lawn and isn't green? That's bad. So green lawn. The lawn is a lawn and a lawn is needed when you want a lawn so it should be green? What about a lawn that is a lawn and isn't green? That's bad. So green lawn. The lawn is a lawn and a lawn is needed when you want a lawn so it should be green? What about a lawn that is a...

Hiring a realtor isn’t a formality—it’s a high-stakes decision that shapes your money, timeline, and stress level. We break down the exact questions that separate seasoned pros from well-meaning amateurs, starting with the biggest filter of all: full-time commitment. Markets move fast, and so should your agent. You’ll hear how experience shows up in the details—clean contracts, sharp pricing, quick pivots—and why reps across hundreds of deals matter more than a glossy bio.

We also dig into credentials and what they signal today. ABR, SRS, and broker status can still reflect added skill...

These things are some of the keys to success in the market right now. 

You can always find U. S. Home Talk and connect with the hosts and the community at their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/U.S.HomeTalk/ or at our website, USHomeTalk.com

What are some tricks you can employ to get the house you want in a market that is moving fast!?

You can always find U. S. Home Talk and connect with the hosts and the community at their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/U.S.HomeTalk/ or at our website, USHomeTalk.com

here are the reasons you always want a home inspection. 

You can always find U. S. Home Talk and connect with the hosts and the community at their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/U.S.HomeTalk/ or at our website, USHomeTalk.com

When will things turn from a buyers market to a sellers market? What will that look like?

You can always find U. S. Home Talk and connect with the hosts and the community at their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/U.S.HomeTalk/ or at our website, USHomeTalk.com

What is going on with mortgage rates?

You can always find U. S. Home Talk and connect with the hosts and the community at their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/U.S.HomeTalk/ or at our website, USHomeTalk.com

Why should you want to build instead of buy an existing home?

You can always find U. S. Home Talk and connect with the hosts and the community at their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/U.S.HomeTalk/ or at our website, USHomeTalk.com

You won't believe what home trends are on the way out, and what new things are on the way in!

You can always find U. S. Home Talk and connect with the hosts and the community at their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/U.S.HomeTalk/ or at our website, USHomeTalk.com

How does the Federal Reserve Bank policies impact your home loan rate anyway?

You can always find U. S. Home Talk and connect with the hosts and the community at their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/U.S.HomeTalk/ or at our website, USHomeTalk.com

Jeremy Deysach from Credilife joins us to educate on how credit scores work. 

You can always find U. S. Home Talk and connect with the hosts and the community at their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/U.S.HomeTalk/ or at our website, USHomeTalk.com

How did 2025 shake out in the end?

You can always find U. S. Home Talk and connect with the hosts and the community at their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/U.S.HomeTalk/ or at our website, USHomeTalk.com

Thinking about starting a real estate side to your portfolio? Here are some tips!

You can always find U. S. Home Talk and connect with the hosts and the community at their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/U.S.HomeTalk/ or at our website, USHomeTalk.com

Foreclosures are possibly rising. Is there any reason to be concerned?

This is our last show for 2025! Have a great Christmas and New Years holidays! 

See you in 2026!

You can always find U. S. Home Talk and connect with the hosts and the community at their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/U.S.HomeTalk/ or at our website, USHomeTalk.com

What do you stand to gain by waiting to buy? Do you gain anything?

You can always find U. S. Home Talk and connect with the hosts and the community at their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/U.S.HomeTalk/ or at our website, USHomeTalk.com

What's on the way out as we end the year?

You can always find U. S. Home Talk and connect with the hosts and the community at their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/U.S.HomeTalk/ or at our website, USHomeTalk.com

Last week had a bunch of interesting insights and stats... This week there's even more mind benders. 

You can always find U. S. Home Talk and connect with the hosts and the community at their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/U.S.HomeTalk/ or at our website, USHomeTalk.com

There are some stats in this episode that will absolutely blow your mind. 

You can always find U. S. Home Talk and connect with the hosts and the community at their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/U.S.HomeTalk/ or at our website, USHomeTalk.com

Tips and tricks to make it through the colder months, and save some CASH while you do!

You can always find U. S. Home Talk and connect with the hosts and the community at their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/U.S.HomeTalk/ or at our website, USHomeTalk.com

How does the FED changing interest rates impact the mortgage market? Will it impact your home purchase plans?

You can always find U. S. Home Talk and connect with the hosts and the community at their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/U.S.HomeTalk/ or at our website, USHomeTalk.com

Buying new, buying used, what's the real upside of each?

You can always find U. S. Home Talk and connect with the hosts and the community at their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/U.S.HomeTalk/ or at our website, USHomeTalk.com

What are you doing that helps and hurts your credit? Do you even know?

You can always find U. S. Home Talk and connect with the hosts and the community at their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/U.S.HomeTalk/ or at our website, USHomeTalk.com