Kirk Stauss & the Stauss Realty Team: Okoboji, Iowa
Private & Virtual Home Tours in Okoboji and the Iowa Great Lakes
Private home tours in Okoboji are where a listing becomes a decision, and for buyers who can’t be here, a live video tour with an agent who knows what to point the camera at can do much of the same work: the shoreline, the dock, the water, the systems and the street.
NAR policy, Iowa Great Lakes Sanitary District & U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024
Overview
What are private and virtual home tours, and how do they work around Okoboji?
A private home tour is a scheduled showing with your own agent, and a live virtual tour is the same walkthrough streamed to you by video, with your agent holding the camera and answering questions. Both are tours under national real estate rules, so they start with a short written agreement between you and your agent. Around the Iowa Great Lakes, a good tour covers more than rooms: the walk to the water, the shoreline and dock, the slope of the lot, the condition of the systems, the road and the neighbors. Stauss Realty arranges Okoboji home showings and live video tours of homes, condos, cabins and lots across Okoboji, Spirit Lake, Arnolds Park, Orleans, West Okoboji, Wahpeton, Milford, Lake Park and Spencer.
About a third of Dickinson County’s homes are held for seasonal use, so many of the buyers who tour here live hours away. Some fly in for a weekend of showings; some buy a condo after a live video tour and see it in person at the walkthrough. Both work, as long as the tour is built to answer the questions a photo gallery can’t.
Touring is part of our buyer’s agent services. If you’re buying from a distance, our second home buying services cover the rest of the long-distance process.
What’s Included
What does a private or virtual tour with Stauss Realty include?
The short answer: six things. A showing plan, private in-person tours, live video tours, a look past the house, a second look when it matters, and help turning a tour into an offer.
A showing plan
Homes grouped by lake and town, scheduled around your visit, with the deal-breaker questions (sewer or septic, year-round or seasonal, dock situation) asked before you drive over.
Private in-person tours
Your own agent at each showing, pointing out what matters on that property and taking notes on what you liked and what you’d need to check.
Live virtual tours
A live video walkthrough on your phone or computer: rooms, closets, the mechanical room, the view from the deck and the walk to the dock, with your questions answered as you go.
A look past the house
The shoreline and dock, the slope to the water, the road, the neighbors, boat traffic in the bay and the drive to town, because the setting is half of what you’re buying.
Second looks
A second visit at a different time of day, or in a different season if timing allows, to see the evening sun, the weekend traffic or how the place handles the cold.
From tour to offer
Comparable sales pulled for the homes you like, an offer written with the inspection contingencies a long-distance buyer needs, and remote signing where your lender and closing attorney allow it.
Ways to Tour
How do private tours, live virtual tours and listing videos compare?
The short answer: a private tour shows you the home as it is, a live virtual tour shows you what you ask to see, and a listing video or 3D tour shows you what the seller chose to show.
| Factor | Private in-person tour | Live virtual tour with your agent | Listing video or 3D tour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who controls it | You and your agent | You direct your agent’s camera | The listing side |
| What you can check | Everything: smells, sounds, water clarity, slope, light | Most visible items, by asking | Only what was filmed |
| Counts as a tour under NAR rules | Yes | Yes | No |
| Best for | Final decisions and the walk to the water | Screening homes from a distance, or buying remotely | Narrowing a list before you schedule |
| What it can miss | Little, if you take your time | Odors, noise, temperature, true color and scale | Anything off camera |
Source: NAR, Written Buyer Agreements 101. Since August 17, 2024, an MLS participant working with a buyer must have a written agreement before touring a home, in person or by live virtual tour; listing-broker marketing videos are not tours.
Want to tour from where you are?
Tell us which homes. We’ll schedule live video walkthroughs and show you the parts photos tend to skip: the mechanicals, the shoreline and the view from the dock.
Tour Checklist
What should you look for when touring a lake home near Okoboji?
The short answer: the water, the shoreline, the systems, the season, and the setting: things listing photos rarely show.
| What to look at | What to ask or check on the tour | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| The walk to the water | Slope, stairs, how far the dock is from the house | It decides how you’ll use the lake, and how easy it is with kids, grandparents or gear |
| Shoreline and dock | Sand or rock shore, riprap or seawall, dock length and hoists, water depth off the end | Docks and hoists on public water must be permitted by the Iowa DNR, and Class 1 permits don’t expire unless modified or transferred, so a sale means the permit needs to be put in the buyer’s name. Ask about the current permit on the tour |
| Sewer or septic, and water | Ask whether the home is on the sanitary district sewer or a septic system, where the sump pump drains, and the water source | A private septic system needs a time-of-transfer inspection before the property transfers. Inside the sanitary district, about 75% of private sewer lines have some issue, so the district recommends a sewer-line scope and a sump pump inspection before you buy |
| Year-round or seasonal | Heat source, insulation, where the water lines run, any winterization routine | A three-season cottage and a year-round home are different purchases |
| Light, noise and traffic | Which way the deck faces, boat traffic in the bay, road noise, weekend activity | Sunsets, quiet mornings and a busy summer bay all show up in daily life, and in resale |
| The mechanicals | Age of the furnace, water heater and roof; signs of moisture in lower levels | These are items that commonly come up in inspections and negotiations |
Sources: Iowa DNR dock permits; Iowa Admin. Code r. 567-69.2 (time-of-transfer inspections); Iowa Great Lakes Sanitary District property owner’s guide. A tour is not an inspection; hire a home inspector for the property you choose.
Before You Tour
What should you know before touring or buying from a distance?
The short answer: five things. The written agreement that comes before a tour, what video can’t show, how an offer protects a remote buyer, lead paint in older homes, and how Iowa handles remote signing.
A written agreement comes first
What this means for you: expect a short agreement with your agent before the first showing, even a video one.
Under NAR policy effective August 17, 2024, an MLS participant working with a buyer must have a written agreement before touring a home, including live virtual tours. The agreement sets out what the agent will do and how they’re paid, and its terms are negotiable. Watching a listing broker’s posted video doesn’t count as a tour.
What a video tour can’t show
Odors, noise, temperature, the true size of a room, the exact color of the water and how steep the stairs feel. On a live tour, ask your agent to describe what the camera misses, open closets and mechanical rooms, run water, and walk the route to the dock in one continuous shot.
Buying a house sight unseen, protected
What this means for you: if you buy without seeing it in person, the contingencies do more of the work.
Keep a home inspection contingency with enough time to act on the findings, add septic and well testing where they apply and a radon test on every home (Iowa is entirely EPA Zone 1), and plan to see the home in person, or by live video, at the final walkthrough before closing.
Older homes and lead paint
Dickinson County’s median home was built in 1979 (Census ACS), so many homes you tour will be older than 1978. For those, federal law requires the seller to disclose known lead-based paint and give you an opportunity to test, worth knowing before you fall for a vintage cottage.
Remote signing in Iowa
Electronic signatures are widely used in Iowa transactions, and Iowa’s notary law (Iowa Code chapter 9B) has allowed remote notarial acts, using communication technology that lets the notary and signer see and hear each other, since July 1, 2020. Confirm your lender’s and closing attorney’s requirements early, since some documents may still need a particular signing method.
Sources: NAR, Written Buyer Agreements 101; Iowa Code ch. 9B (notarial acts); EPA lead-based paint disclosure rule; Iowa HHS radon program; U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 (table B25004) and table B25035. General information, not legal advice.
What to Expect
How does touring homes with Stauss Realty work?
The short answer: four steps. Plan, tour, compare, and decide.
Plan
Your list and budget, the written buyer agreement, mortgage pre-approval, and a showing schedule built around your visit or your time zone.
Tour
Private showings in person, live video tours from wherever you are, or a mix, with the shoreline and systems covered at every stop.
Compare
Notes, photos and comparable sales for the homes you liked, and a second look at the front-runners if timing allows.
Decide
An offer priced on evidence, with the inspection and testing contingencies sized to the property and to buying from a distance.
Why Stauss Realty
Why tour lake homes with a local Okoboji agent?
The short answer: because a local agent knows what to point at: the shoreline, the dock, the systems and the setting that a listing can’t show.
The team’s background and approach are detailed on the About Stauss Realty page, with client words on the testimonials page. No specific future outcome is promised.
Lake-savvy tours
The walk to the water, the shore and the dock covered at every lake home.
Video that answers questions
Live tours driven by what you ask to see, not a scripted video.
Local context
Which bays are busy, which roads are quiet, and what each town is like in winter.
Distance-ready
Local legwork for buyers who live elsewhere, and remote signing where your lender and closing attorney allow it.
Your Agent
Who is Kirk Stauss, and how does he tour buyers through Okoboji homes?
The short answer: Kirk Stauss is the broker and founder of Stauss Realty, with an office in Okoboji, and has helped people buy and sell on the Iowa Great Lakes for nearly 30 years. He and a team of lifelong locals tour buyers through homes, condos, cabins and lots across nine communities in and around the Iowa Great Lakes, in person and by live video.
Who is Kirk Stauss?
A local broker who knows these lakes house by house.
- Broker and founder of Stauss Realty, The Gold Standard
- Office at 1003 Hwy 71 South in Okoboji
- Nearly 30 years of Iowa Great Lakes transactions
What does Kirk do on a tour?
Shows you what matters on that property.
- Plans showings by lake and town
- Leads private in-person tours
- Runs live video tours for remote buyers
- Pulls comparables for the homes you like
Who does Kirk tour with?
Buyers near and far.
- Families touring on a weekend visit
- Out-of-state buyers touring by live video
- Second-home buyers comparing lakes and towns
- Relocating buyers who need town context too
- Condo buyers comparing buildings
What touring problems does Kirk help solve?
The ones that show up after the offer.
- A view that looked better in photos than in person
- A dock or shore nobody looked at closely
- A three-season cottage toured in July and bought for January
- A busy bay mistaken for a quiet one
- A remote purchase without enough inspection time
What does Kirk specialize in for tours?
Lake-market showings.
- Lakefront homes on West Okoboji, East Okoboji and Big Spirit
- Condos and townhomes around the lakes
- Cabins, cottages and lots
- Live video tours for out-of-area buyers
Why tour with Kirk Stauss?
Local experience you can check before you commit.
- Broker and founder of Stauss Realty, with an office at 1003 Hwy 71 South in Okoboji
- Nearly 30 years helping people buy and sell on the Iowa Great Lakes
- A team of lifelong locals who know the lakes, the towns and the seasons
- A 4.9-star Google rating, verified September 2026
On Tour
What do we show you on a tour?
The rooms, yes, and the light, the finishes, the water and the walk to the dock.
Okoboji
A beamed ceiling and windows toward the lake: on a tour we check which way the light falls and when.
Questions
What do buyers ask about touring homes?
The short answer: yes. A private tour is a scheduled showing with your own agent, who plans the route by lake and town, points out what matters on each property and keeps notes for you. Since August 17, 2024, NAR policy requires a short written agreement between you and an MLS agent before the first tour, in person or by live video, and its terms are negotiable.
The short answer: it’s a real-time video walkthrough of a home led by your agent, on your phone or computer, where you direct the camera and ask questions as you go. It counts as a tour under NAR policy, just like an in-person showing, while a listing broker’s posted video does not.
The short answer: inside the Iowa Great Lakes Sanitary District, yes. The district strongly recommends scoping the main sewer line before buying and reports that about 75% of private sewer lines have some issue that may cause a backup; the private line is the owner’s responsibility. It also recommends a sump pump inspection, since sump pumps can’t drain into its system. On a private septic system, Iowa requires a time-of-transfer inspection instead.
The short answer: test every home. In the Iowa Radon Survey reported by Iowa HHS, 71.6% of Iowa homes tested above the EPA action level of 4 pCi/L, and the entire state is EPA Zone 1. Run the test during your inspection period; Iowa sellers must disclose known radon tests and results and give buyers the Iowa radon fact sheet.
The short answer: yes, and some buyers do, especially condo buyers who live far away. Use live video tours to see what you ask for, keep a home inspection contingency with enough time to act on it, add septic and well tests where they apply and a radon test, and walk the home in person or by video at the final walkthrough before closing.
The short answer: odors, noise, temperature, the true scale of rooms, the exact color of the water and how the stairs to the dock feel. Ask your agent to describe what the camera misses, open closets and mechanical rooms, run water, and walk to the dock in one continuous shot so nothing is skipped.
The short answer: the walk to the water, the shoreline and dock, the slope of the lot, whether the home is on sewer or septic (and whether to scope the sewer line), the water source, whether it’s built for winter, which way the deck faces, boat traffic in the bay, and the age of the furnace, water heater and roof. Then hire an inspector for the home you choose.
The short answer: it depends on distances and how long you spend at each, but a planned day grouped by lake and town is far more productive than crisscrossing the region. We schedule around your visit and ask the deal-breaker questions in advance so tour time goes to homes that fit.
The short answer: yes. Touring in fall or winter shows you how a home handles the cold, what the bay looks like after docks come out for winter, and how quiet the road is. Ice hides water depth and clarity, so ask for summer photos of the shoreline. If you first see a home in summer, a second look in another season, in person or by video, can be worth it.
The short answer: usually. Electronic signatures are widely used, and Iowa Code chapter 9B has allowed remote notarization using real-time audio and video since July 1, 2020. Your lender and closing attorney decide which documents can be signed remotely, so confirm their requirements early.
The short answer: it’s a good screening tool, but it shows only what the listing side chose to film. Follow it with a live video tour or an in-person showing where you control what you see, and keep your inspection contingency either way.
The short answer: yes. We tour condos and townhomes, cabins, lakefront and in-town homes, and lots across the Iowa Great Lakes. For condos we also point you to the association questions; for lots, the buildability questions. Our condo buying and sales page covers the association side.
In Summary
A good home tour answers the questions photos can’t. Around Okoboji that means the walk to the water, the shoreline and dock, sewer or septic, the water source, whether the home is built for winter, and the setting: light, noise and boat traffic. Private in-person tours and live virtual tours both count as tours under NAR policy, so since August 17, 2024 they start with a written buyer agreement. For buyers who live elsewhere, live video, strong inspection contingencies and Iowa’s remote signing and notarization rules make buying from a distance practical.
Private Consultation
Plan your Okoboji home tours, in person or by live video
Send your list, your dates or your time zone. We’ll plan private showings or live video tours and make sure each one covers the water, the systems and the setting, not just the rooms.
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