The state capital. The Cathedral District. Highland Acres. Riverwood. These aren't just names on a map — Terry Stevahn spent nine years living in Highland Acres and has 34 years of transactions across every neighborhood in ZIP 58501.
About Terry
Terry Stevahn, Inc. has held a continuous real estate license in North Dakota since 1992 — more than three decades without interruption in this specific market. He operates under Century 21 Morrison Realty, the dominant brokerage in the Bismarck-Mandan area, an office that has produced more REALTOR® of the Year candidates than any other in the region.
His 2024 production totaled 81 transactions and $21,468,906 in volume — distributed across the full price spectrum from entry-level to upper tier, not concentrated at a single price point. That spread reflects how genuinely he knows this market across its full range.
Approximately 90 percent of his business comes from returning clients and direct referrals. That ratio has held for 15 years.
Central & East Bismarck — ZIP 58501
ZIP 58501 is where Bismarck began and where it still anchors. The North Dakota State Capitol — a 19-story Art Deco tower completed in 1934 and the tallest building in the state — stands at the center of this ZIP, surrounded by more than 4,600 state government employees who make central Bismarck the region's dominant employment hub. The Cathedral District, named after the Art Deco Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, contains some of the oldest homes in the city, with properties dating to the 1880s that carry architectural character newer construction simply cannot replicate. Highland Acres is where Terry lived for nine years — an established urban neighborhood with mature trees, a neighborhood elementary school, and the kind of settled community cohesion that only accumulates over decades.
Market Insights
Central Bismarck is not a single market — it's a collection of distinct neighborhoods, each with its own price tier, buyer profile, and history. Understanding which neighborhood a property sits in, and what that means for valuation, inspection approach, and carrying costs, requires the kind of depth that only comes from decades of transactions across all of them.
Unlike developing north Bismarck where special assessments on new construction can reach $35,000+, established central Bismarck neighborhoods often carry lower or fully paid-off assessment balances. This can meaningfully reduce the real monthly cost of ownership compared to newer areas at the same purchase price.
A Cathedral District property from 1910 requires understanding how original construction interacts with decades of renovation — and where deferred maintenance creates risk. Terry evaluates these properties differently than turnkey new construction, which protects buyers from surprises discovered after closing.
With 4,600+ state government employees working in central Bismarck, demand for housing in ZIP 58501 is anchored by stable public-sector employment. Government workers relocating to or within Bismarck consistently target this ZIP for its proximity to the Capitol complex.
Central Bismarck spans from entry-level condos near $120,000 to properties above $1,000,000. The majority of active transactions fall in the $275,000 to $550,000 band. That range means buyers at multiple price points have real options here — and sellers need pricing that reflects their specific neighborhood, not the ZIP average.
Terry spent approximately nine years living in Highland Acres. When he describes how that neighborhood feels to live in across North Dakota's full four-season cycle — the morning routines, the school drop-off, the winter commute, what the streets actually look like in March — he is speaking from direct residential experience. That kind of firsthand knowledge cannot be replicated from a data query, and it shapes every conversation he has with buyers considering this area.
Why Terry Stevahn
Terry's knowledge of central Bismarck goes to the subdivision and street level. When a buyer asks whether a home in Riverwood is priced appropriately compared to a comparable in Grand Prairie Estates, he answers from direct transactional experience in both locations — not from running a data query.
"I am a guide and an educator first. My job is to make sure that whatever decision a client makes, they are making it with their eyes completely open and their genuine priorities understood."
His 2024 production of 81 transactions totaling $21,468,906 reflects activity distributed across the full price spectrum of this market — from entry-level to upper tier. That distribution is evidence of genuine market depth, not specialization at a single price point.
~9 years of firsthand residential experience in one of ZIP 58501's most established neighborhoods.
81 transactions across all price tiers — not concentrated at one end of the market.
Sustained for 15 years. Clients send people they care about — the clearest signal of consistent outcomes.
Century 21's client-rated award for eight consecutive years — across hundreds of transactions.
Common Questions
ZIP 58501 includes a wide spectrum — from historic Cathedral District homes dating to the 1880s, to mid-century Highland Acres properties, to newer construction on the east side. The majority of active transactions fall in the $275,000 to $550,000 band, with entry-level condos near $120,000 and upper-tier homes above $1,000,000. That range means buyers at multiple price points have genuine options here.
Central Bismarck is where the jobs are. The state government employs more than 4,600 people in the city. Sanford Health and CHI St. Alexius Health operate major hospital campuses here. Bismarck State College and the University of Mary are also located in or near ZIP 58501. The central ZIP places buyers within minutes of virtually every major employment center in the region.
The Cathedral District is one of Bismarck's oldest and most distinctive neighborhoods, named after the Art Deco Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. Some homes date to the 1880s, with many built in the early 20th century. It offers architectural character that newer construction cannot replicate. Buyers drawn here value history, mature trees, and downtown proximity. Terry evaluates older properties through a different lens — understanding how original construction interacts with subsequent renovation and where deferred maintenance creates risk that newer homes simply don't carry.
Established neighborhoods in central Bismarck often carry lower or fully paid-off special assessment balances compared to developing areas in north Bismarck where new construction assessments can reach $35,000 or more. This is one of the financial comparisons Terry walks every buyer through before any offer is structured — because the assessment balance directly affects the real monthly cost of ownership, and it's rarely visible in the listing price.
Terry lived in Highland Acres for approximately nine years. When he describes how that neighborhood feels to live in across North Dakota's full four-season cycle, he is speaking from direct residential experience — not a property description. That firsthand knowledge shapes how he evaluates and prices properties there, and it means the conversations he has with buyers considering that area are grounded in something more than comparable sales data.
Terry's office is at 1142 W Turnpike Ave in Bismarck — his license, his brokerage, and his entire 34-year career are rooted in this market. He has personal residential experience in Highland Acres, transaction history across every price tier in ZIP 58501, and a 90 percent referral and repeat client rate sustained for 15 years. His 2024 production of 81 transactions totaling $21,468,906 is verifiable, and his ND Real Estate Commission license #2289 has been active and in continuous good standing since 1992.
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