Real estate around Custer generally sells through a bidding window rather than a listed price, and we run those bids through our online auctions from Hermosa SD on the HiBid platform. Buyers register ahead of time, look at the photos, terms and any title or survey documents we post, then bid until the lot closes and the word Sold goes up on the screen. Sellers set the terms with us up front, so nothing about the sale is a surprise on either side.
How does a land or property auction actually work out here?
We start by walking the property with you and talking through what we can and can't answer for buyers — access, water, mineral rights, zoning, easements, the whole list. From there we build the listing with photos, maps and plain descriptions, set open house dates, and publish the terms in writing on the Ramsey Auctions site and on HiBid.
Bidding runs online, which means somebody in Rapid City and somebody in Minnesota are looking at the same parcel on the same screen. When the lot closes, the high bidder signs a purchase agreement and puts earnest money down, and the rest moves through a local title company like any other closing. Buyers should read the terms before they bid, because real estate terms are not the same as the terms on a shop and tool auction in South Dakota.
Why do people around the Black Hills choose auction over a listing?
A few reasons come up over and over. Some folks want a defined end point instead of an open-ended listing. Some have an estate to settle and want the land and the personal property handled by the same crew — that's common with an estate auction in southwestern South Dakota, where there's a house, a shop full of tools, and a few acres all in one place.
And some just like that the market sets the number. On a competitive parcel near Custer, bidders decide what it's worth on that day, in public, with everyone looking at the same information. We can't tell you what a piece of ground will bring or when it'll close — nobody honestly can — but we can tell you exactly how the process runs and what your costs are before you commit. That's the part we put in writing on our sell with us page.
What should a first-time bidder do before auction day?
Get registered early. Registration on HiBid isn't instant for real estate lots, and we'd rather have you approved with time to spare than sorting it out while a lot is closing.
Then do your homework the way you would with any purchase:
Look at the property in person
Come to the open house. Walk the fence lines. Drive the access road in a regular vehicle. Photos are honest but they're still photos.
Line up your money and your questions
Real estate sold at auction is typically not contingent on financing, so talk to your lender first. Bring questions to us — call, email, or start with our FAQ page, which covers bidding, payment and pickup for all our sales.
Who's running this, anyway?
Matt and Dawn Ramsey have run this auction company out of Hermosa since 2018, about 16 miles south of Rapid City, and we handle everything from single items to full estates to land. Same people answer the phone, write the descriptions and help load your truck.
If you're curious what else is coming up, our current and past auctions are all on HiBid, and there's more on how we work over on the Ramsey Auctions blog. If you've got ground near Custer you're thinking about, give us a call and we'll talk it through — no pressure either way.