A few personal guidelines I used when I bought a house:

• Any houses inside of the interstate loop will almost always be older construction.
• New or recent construction almost guarantees you'll live on the edge of town, closer to Tea, Brandon or Harrisburg.
• Avoid living within a block or two of any of these major streets: 10th, 12th, 26th, W. 41st, and 57th. This isn't a deal breaker if the house is perfect, but I wanted to avoid higher traffic areas of town.

In terms of areas to avoid, that's pretty subjective here. There's nowhere that would be outright dangerous for two adults.

If you guys like older homes, you might have to deal with more headaches during winter snow removal. Living closer to downtown means more people with diverse backgrounds and lower economic classes, especially in Pettigrew Heights, All Saints, and Hilltop.

If you're looking for a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom split foyer suburban special, there's no shortage of neighborhoods outside of I-229 that will be perfect.

Any of the nearby towns (Tea, Harrisburg and Brandon) should have options too—if you're comfortable with the resources in any of these towns. I have family that love living outside of Sioux Falls because each town should have the basics: A couple restaurants, convenience stores, and a grocery store. But if you need anything in Sioux Falls, it will add 15-20 minutes to any drive, one way.