River Property Sells Fast | Video

Joel Porter | 8/6/2012

There are 111 single family homes for sale around Bismarck and Mandan and a few dozen of those lots are right on the Missouri River. Despite major flooding one year ago, "For Sale" signs have returned and many river properties are selling fast.

"It was up as high as the bottom of the decks," said Dakota Properties Owner Don Pierce.

Pierce, like many living in Southport, is done thinking about flooding and is simply enjoying the tail end of a pleasant summer on the Missouri.

"Boy, you got that right. We don`t ever want to have to see a sandbag again in our lifetime."

One year after major flooding threatened the development, the boats have returned to the marina. And so has the confidence.

"We expected it to come back, but probably not this fast," Pierce said.

Up and down the streets, "For Sale" signs on both empty lots and existing properties signal a seller`s market.

"And you want to have those properties on the market while it`s hot and blazing like it is right now. So when people come out and they`re looking around your house and they`re on the dock, they can kind of see the full value of the boats in the backyard and how it really works," said Pat Koski with Trademark Realty.

Koski says with the increased demand for housing in the Capital City, even riverfront property, which can list for around half a million dollars, isn`t sitting on the market for long.

"Homes that are over $400,000, typically in Bismarck, take about 90 days to six months to sell, depending on the property. And we`re seeing a lot of those properties go between 60 and 90 days right now in this market."

Koski says home values have jumped 15 percent in the past year. He says spillover from oil traffic is the key reason. And Koski expects another strong year in 2013, especially along the river.

Nancy Deichert of the Bismarck-Mandan Board of Realtors says so far this year, a typical home has sold in about 74 days.

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