I've been touring a ton of homes lately, previewing for clients, and doing the open house thing.  It's been awesome to see the quality of homes hitting the market this spring.  I think that is the biggest change in the market in Edina and Southwest Minneapolis I've seeing.  Really well designed remodels, clean homes, and solid marketing info is more and more common. Kudos to the sellers and Realtors out there today.  Two things contributing...fewer bank foreclosures and short sales, and fewer bad Realtors.  It's kinda like evolution, the strong have survived and the herd is healthier for it! Lot's of my clients are excited this spring, buyers are ready to get in the market, and sellers are too.  But I keep telling everyone the same thing, "The market isn't as excited as you are."  We ar... 03/28/2012

Are you underwater on your mortgage? Is your loan serviced by Fannie Mae and did you take it out prior to 6/1/09? If so, get in touch with me as I now have access to the Fannie Mae version of the Obama program to help homeowners who owe more than their house would appraise for refinance and take advantage of the lower rates! 03/27/2012

  Remembering Minneapolis Real Estate Agent George Doerr   In 1972, my parents purchased a Kenwood area home at 1800 Knox Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55403. The seller was Oswald Taylor, who was a relative of the Peavey Milling family.  His listing agent at that time was George Doerr, who became well-known as a trusted name in the real estate industry in the Lowry Hill and Kenwood real estate marketplace. George was a tremendously successful agent who later opened his own Minneapolis real estate firm, George Doerr & Associates.  George and Mary Doerr were neighbors and friends of my parents.  And shortly after my father died in 1989, George listed and sold my parents' home. Like many of the pedigreed homes in that part of Kenwood, just east of Kenwood Park and two blocks from Mount Cu... 03/25/2012

Is It Okay to Have a Favorite Child?? Home Staging Minneapolis, MN   I think we all do, don't we? We just must not admit it out loud. We may think it.....or maybe speak it in private as a deep dark secret to someone we trust but is it okay? I know I have a favorite child. But then I will have a different one tomorrow. It changes. Is it based on what they do that day? If they were perfect? Or even more lovable in their imperfection?? Well I had a favorite child experience recently. Here she is...yes, a she. Born decades ago but then totally stripped down in her imperfections and made new. Look at her bones, her jewelry.....oh that beautiful Back Splash tiled jewelry.     I know the clothing made all the difference. From beautiful but plain in her gray dress:         To absolutely stunnin... 03/07/2012

 Finding a Minneapolis condo for rent in the current market is proving to be tough for most renters out there.  With vacancies less than 1% and getting tighter the market is truely in need of inventory.  How bad is it in Minneapolis for leasing?   Last weekend we had agents and buyers going through our rental listings--why? They had interest in making offers on our listings for rent as the for sale inventory in Minneapolis simply didnt have what they were looking for in a condo. Say What?   Thats right, buyers have such little inventory in the Minneapolis condo market that they are turning to listings for lease.     Over the past few years the amount of listings for sale in downtown Minneapolis has gone from well over 500+ listings to a few hundred consistently in 2011.  Now its the end... 02/22/2012

I Was On the Radio Last Night! Home Staging Minneapolis MN. It was so fun even though I was soooooo nervous all day. I prayed a lot and had a lot of people praying for me including my AR buddy Laura Baker from Wisconsin. AR Realtor and Artist Ellen Caruso from New York was texting and supporting me. I felt all their support and I had so much fun!           It was the Jim Gibb’s Home Show which airs simultaneously on 1280 AM ‘The Patriot' and 980 AM 'KMMS'.   For an hour we discussed Home Staging and he also chatted with a Realtor about the real estate market.   Jim even said he would like to have me back every couple months! Woo Hoo! I see a broadcasting career in my future. Ha….just kidding.   So it was good for me, I am sure will be good for my business and very, very good for the Hom... 02/19/2012

Bookmen Stacks is the modern rendition of the sister building Bookmen Lofts that was a warehouse conversion in 2004. Bookmen Stacks is a more contemporary, new construction condo building that offers a very different, modern style. The layouts offer a minimalist approach and feature concrete floors, exposed duct work and floor to ceiling windows. Almost all of the homes here have downtown Minneapolis skyline views and private balconies. Other highlights include individually controlled heating and cooling units per unit, a media box system for cable satellite and cat. 5 data outputs, front loading washer and dryer, a beautifully landscaped front courtyard, rooftop exercise room and common outdoor terrace with downtown views. Bookmen Stacks has been a popular destination for urban dweller... 02/15/2012

Bookmen Lofts is a warehouse loft conversion that was completed in 2004 and is located at 525 N. 3rd Street, Minneapolis 55401 in the North Loop neighborhood also commonly referred to as the warehouse district. Bookmen Lofts has a classic brick exterior, large windows and a variety of floor plans to meet the needs of a variety of preferences. The interior of these homes provide desirable loft stylings such as concrete floors and exposed columns and brick walls. Bookmen Lofts building amenities include a shared fitness room, business center, heated underground parking and professional associaion management. Being located in the North Loop provides Bookmen Lofts residents with a wide variety of entertainment options. It's Just a short walk to Target Field, the Light Rail, popular restaura... 02/15/2012

801 Washington Lofts is a boutique New York style loft building located at 801 Washington Avenue North, Minneapolis. This is in the popular North Loop (also known as the warehouse district) neighborhood of east downtown Minneapolis. 801 Washington Lofts is an art lovers paradise and features a 3 story shared atrium that houses pieces from local artists. The building also does public art shows several times a year. 801 Washington Lofts offers a variety of floor plans first level live/work spaces with large, garage style doors that open up to either the front or back of the building. The top level lofts are 3 levels and some have their own private roof top patios. All the lofts features high ceilings, wood floors, exposed brick and large windows. The building shares a common green space o... 02/13/2012

With January under our belt, I'm glad to announce, the Real Estate market in Edina and Southwest Minneapolis is really improving and shows signs of real recovery. "Recovery" is a work I'm careful about using.  For the past 5 or 6 years we've encountered waves of new crises, foreclosure crisis, bank crisis, credit crisis, economic crisis... crushing any recovery at the time.  But strong fundamentals continue to fuel a strong Real Estate market in Edina and Southwest Minneapolis. January has been beautiful in the Twin Cities, maybe it's the weather, or the good employment numbers, or the fact that people simply can't wait any longer to buy a home.  In any case buyer activity is growing.  Coupled with declines in listing activity, the result is improved inventory levels. What does that mea... 02/07/2012

Zillow, Trulia and Realtor.com are what are known as 3rd party aggregators which means they are not the originating source of the listing data they advertise. Instead, they pull feeds from all over the internet and a lot of that info is inaccurate. That is a secondary point, however. The main point is that Edina Realty, one of the largest real estate brokerages in the Midwest has halted all syndication to these 3 sites. They killed the feed. That means Edina Reaty’s listings are no longer found there. Edina Realty holds around a 21.5% market share of listings in MN and Western WI. So, if you are looking for Minneapolis real estate, you need to look in a different place then these aggregator sites or risk never finding the house you were meant to. The only home finding websites that work... 02/04/2012

Schedule a Showing/Request Info Free List of Foreclosed Homes For Sale What is your home worth? Minneapolis Homes for Sale Search Homes, Condos and Lofts for Rent Prior Lake Homes for Sale Lakeville Homes for Sale MN Search All Lofts and Condos for Rent Search all Properties for Sale Danny Dietl iMetro Property 612-306-6676 danny@imetroproperty.com MLS#: 4110718 Licensed In:MN Information valid for the date of this posting only. Please contact us for the most current information and status of this property. 9008 36th AvenueNew Hope, MNScan with your smartphone & take me with you. Description Features Photos Maps & Local Schools Solid walkout rambler with 3 bedrooms $ Click for current price3 BEDROOMS1 BATHROOMS (1 full) 1478 Square Feet Solid walkout rambler with 3 bedrooms on the main... 01/30/2012

If your working with an Realtor already, they should have some lenders that would analyze the specifics of your financial situation appropriately. Planning ahead and educating yourself on all aspects of this investments is a very good idea. Make certain you are being represented by an agent that deals with short sales and foreclosures as well as investment properties. Ask them questions such as: have you listed bank owned properties and short sales? How many homes have you sold in the past year 5 years 10 years etc and how many homes they show to they're average buyer. Do they work nights, weekends etc. Do they own any rental properties themselves. These are just a few tips, call or email me privately and I will be glad to give you the complete low down on what you should be doing ahead... 01/28/2012

If you buy well in any market, you're usually going to be ahead of the game even if the market doesn't play out the way you think or hope it will. I've found networking to be extremely important for multi-family homes. There are a lot of investors with huge portfolios that are often ready or willing to sell some or all of there properties to use that money for other investments. Because they have tenants in the properties and placing them on the MLS will often be too inconvenient for themselves and the tenants they will often settle on a very aggressive price as long as it is convenient for everyone. 01/28/2012

Do you have a dream for the future? Let me tell you a story..... My story starts last October when I was asked to "write down 50 things you would do if nothing could stop you" as part of a Home Stager Trainer's Class. So that night I gave it serious thought..... If nothing could stop me, if I had no barriers what would I do??? Hhmmmmmm... #1 On My List: To start a Non-Profit that would decorate homes or spaces for women who were coming off the streets and out of abusive situations. As Nate Berkus says "Your home should rise up to meet you". I believer that is for everyone...no matter what your situation or where your "home" is. Home could be a women's shelter where you feel safe for the first time in years, a subsidized housing project that is all your own, or one room in an apartment s... 01/28/2012

  For an agent who handles plenty of business from the web I am beginning to see a clear trend in the Minneapolis real estate market that started to surface in the middle of 2011 and continues into 2012: the buying process is taking longer as move in ready and distressed inventory is evaporating from the market.    This blanketed statement does not apply to every niche real estate market across our country but in the areas that have begun to see significant decreasing inventory this statement holds true from a number of reasons.  As many of the housing metrics were showing improvement, this change was also supported by the experiences I’ve had and the stories I have heard from many other agents in our market. In our local market:  Inventory dropped year over year by almost 30%!   The in... 01/27/2012

Bassett Creek Lofts Bassett Creek Lofts is located in the North Loop which is also known as the ware house district of downtown Minneapolis. The North Loop has gone under many changes in the past decade or so with the construction of many new condo buildings including a number of condo conversions like Bassett Creek Lofts which was converted in 2003. In its past life it was a manufactoring plant built in 1917. The conversion makes Bassett Creek Lofts an attractive option for urban dwellers with its true loft feel and amenities like balconies, large windows and functional living spaces. Bassett Creek Lofts is also pet friendly, offers heated parking, a shared fitness center and shares access to the office building where C. McGee's Deli is located. This gives it a unique set-up in the Min... 01/23/2012

    If you happen to be driving around the Minneapolis Lakes Area keep your eyes peeled for dumpsters sitting the streets.  They are a clear signal that an owner is either in the midst of a rehab on an old house or about to tear down an aged property and begin to build a Minneapolis new construction house.    There are different types of buyers coming to the market to buy this type of property.    Plenty of Minneapolis condo and loft owners are in need of larger homes as they have a bun in the oven or already have a few kids and are in need of more space for their growing families.  These buyers have grown accustomed to downtown urban living along with plenty of storage and good layouts.  With increased expectations most of the current inventory within these areas do not nessesarily mee... 01/22/2012

The number of housing markets showing measurable improvement nearly doubled in January, with the addition of 40 new metros to the Improving Markets Index put out by First American and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The index tracks housing markets that are showing signs of improving economic health based on three independent datasets – employment growth from the Labor Department, home price appreciation from Freddie Mac, and single-family housing permits from the Census Bureau. The index identifies metropolitan areas that have shown improvement from their respective troughs in employment, home prices, and housing permits for at least six consecutive months. The following 40 metros were added to the Improving Markets Index this month: Florence, Alabama Tuscaloosa, Alab... 01/20/2012

Here they are ladies and gentlemen, the first home sales of 2012 in Edina and Southwest Minneapolis!  It was an impressive start to the year with 11 homes sold in Edina and Southwest Minneapolis, however, the highest sale price was only $675,000 for this Minnehaha Parkway 4 bed, 3 bath home in Lynnhurst. One home sale in Edina that caught my attention was this Kellogg listing which sold for $340,000.  This could be a new tear down opportunity.  While this particulat part of the neighborhood isn't the most active for in-fill or replacement housing it is right on the edge of some of the hottest spots.  Given the location and price, this could easily go either way, tear down or move in as is. That's all for now.  Good luck to everyne going back to work and or school today.  Happy Monday! C... 01/09/2012