Terapak Realty might not have mammoth orange "For Sale" signs or commercials with yodeling, yet the Brady Street company remains an active player in Milwaukee's competitive real estate game.

Since 1994, Norm Terapak and his small, hardworking staff have sold scores of homes, mostly in the Riverwest and East Side neighborhoods, without advertising anywhere except in The Yellow Pages.

"My philosophy of doing business is to specialize in a small geographic area where I can do a better job for my clients by working efficiently," says Terapak. "I will go out of the area for past customers and clients, but my preference is working the East Side/Riverwest market."

Originally from Indianapolis, Terapak lived in Riverwest for more than 10 years and still owns property in the neighborhood. Although currently a resident of the Brady Street area -- he and his partner Rosemary Sandretto, also a Terapak broker, live above the business -- his commitment to Riverwest remains strong.

"There is a lot of positive energy in Riverwest and I can see much more respect for it than a few years back," he says. "The only reason we don't still live in Riverwest is because we find having our residence above our office a sensible lifestyle."

Terapak Realty, located at 1693 N. Humboldt Ave., currently employs four brokers and two support staff, and Terapak doesn't see his business getting much larger. "Things are going pretty well the way they are," he says.

Terapak says the benefits to buying or selling a home with a smaller real estate company include the opportunity to work with a hands-on staff with more detailed knowledge and a deeper commitment to each individual listing.

He also strongly reccommends that anyone who buys a rental property, either through Terapak or another agency, attend the City of Milwaukee's free Landlord Training Program. Graduates of the two-day program learn code compliance tips, how to write strong rental agreements, legally screen tenants and recognize drug activity.

"Laws and regulations are numerous, and without the guidance that this program provides there are bear traps waiting for the novice property manager," says Terapak

Overall Milwaukee's real estate market has been appreciating six to eight percent annually, according to Terapak, who also says that some neighborhoods -- and many lower-priced properties -- have appreciated much more.

"As long as lower interest rates are here we should see continued appreciation," he says. "It may cap off at the top, but it would take a long, hard recession to slow things down."

For more information, call (414) 273-4363 or go to www.terapakrealty.com