Hot Springs, SD Home for Rent

At the southern gateway to South Dakota's Black Hills, Hot Springs is a city of around 3,400. Named for several sites considered sacred by the Native Americans, the area was once known for its health resorts. Today, people are more frequently attracted to its relatively mild weather — it's in the so-called Banana Belt, an area with warmer winters than the rest of the region. "Of all the communities in the hills, we're more arid," says Cathy Sotherland, a broker with The Real Estate Group. "We don't get as much snow – it's a really temperate climate." With easy access to campsites, hiking trails and other open-air activities, Hot Springs appeals to nature lovers. Sotherland says new homeowners are frequently former tourists, attracted to lower real estate prices than the region's average. "When those people retire, they often come back," she says. "We're seeing a lot of retirees and baby boomers moving in." In the city's center, homes are on a grid pattern of roads. Lots are typically a quarter acre or smaller, with backyards that end in alleys with sheds and one-car garages. Early 20th-century Cape Cods and bungalows are typical of the area, generally priced between $90,000 and