Hello Everyone,

If you are an airman being transferred to Ellsworth Air Force Base in the Black Hills of South Dakota or know of someone who is going to be stationed here there is ALOT TO LOOK FORWARD TO in our area.

First of all we have some really great Schools here.  The AFB is located in Pennington County in Box Elder, which is just 5 miles from Rapid City and has one of the highest rated schools in the state.  This school is the Douglas School System with elementary to high school facilities.  I have had clients that wanted to move out of Rapid City and into Box Elder just so their kids can go to school at Douglas.

You will enjoy the hunting the state has to offer, if you are into that sort of thing.  South Dakota is the Pheasant Capitol of the World, but you can also enjoy deer, elk, ducks, grouse, prairie dogs and many others.  Hunting is a year-round sport in South Dakota. Hunters have access to nearly 5 million acres of public land. Upland game, waterfowl, small game and big game dominate the fall hunting seasons. Predator hunting fills the winter months, while spring signals the start of turkey hunting and the second season for light geese.

There are winter sports to enjoy as well in the Black Hills. We have two ski slopes near Lead and Deadwood.  They provide tons of fun if you enjoy downhill skiing.  From bunny slopes to black diamond runs.  If you are more into snowmobiling we have that too. Snowmobiling has really come of age in the Black Hills with the development of a 350-mile network of marked, mapped and groomed snowmobile trails. Although snowmobiling is permitted on most parts of the 1.2 million acre Black Hills National Forest, the trail system has elevated the Black Hills into national prominence as one of the nation's top snowmobiling destinations.

Next to the ski slopes is the city of Deadwood .   Perhaps you have been watching the HBO tv series or rented the DVD's but Deadwood is a fantastic place to eat, enjoy music, gamble or just have family fun.  The entire city of Deadwood is a national historic landmark. In Deadwood you can ponder the truth at the foot of Wild Bill's grave in Mount Moriah cemetery, tour the Adams House, pan for gold in the Broken Boot Mine, choose from various guided tours, or take a self-guided walking tour into the past that puts the Wild West into perspective.

If you are looking for some help in finding a home rather than living on base, I would be happy to help.  You can check out my Buyer's Tips with helpful hints on

Overview of the Buying & Selling Process

If you want some help in financing a home I can recommend a great guy by the name of Ken Jones of Journey Mortgage in Rapid City, SD.  He is very familiar with VA loans, is ex-military, ex-Realtor and now loves getting people and families into their own homes.  Check out my BAH GUIDE to see how much home you can buy in the Ellsworth AFB and Rapid City, South Dakota area.

I know you will enjoy your tour here.  I have sold ALOT of homes to retired Air Force folks who knew when they were stationed here that they would be coming back to live.  It is a great place and we welcome you.

Thanks and enjoy...............Duane Hosek in the Black Hills of South Dakota  www.duanehosek.com