Only two blocks long, the Milwaukee Avenue Historic District is Seward Neighborhood's shining star. This group of small homes built between 1884 and 1890 was the first planned workers' community in Minneapolis, attracting immigrants working in the nearby railroad yards and other industries along Hiawatha Avenue. Built in similar style on quarter-sized lots with no front yards, these homes have more of a rowhouse feel. In 1970, after decades of neglect, the City of Minneapolis planned to raze these homes along Milwaukee Avenue. Thanks to activist neighborhood residents, the area was instead rehabilitated. Houses were preserved and the street was turned into a bike and pedestrian mall creating a unique sense of community and the Milwaukee Avenue Historic District. The Milwaukee Avenue Hi... 01/08/2012

It's been a while since I wrote but I'm back in the mood as the spring real estate market begins taking hold in the Edina and Minneapolis housing market.  As a native Twin Cities guy I am huge fan of winter and took some time off from writing to just enjoy the holidays and the season.  The weather has been unseasonably warm, a blessing and a curse, but its time to start talking about the real estate market in Edina and Minneapolis! During the 'off season' we still succeeded in selling and buying a good number of homes with our home buyer and home seller clientele.  We handled some short sales which seem to be getting a little easier to transact (finally) here in the Edina and Minneapolis real estate market.  Our sellers found some success in alternative marking techniques via Facebook a... 01/06/2012

  I know every day all of us are bombarded with an endless amount of blogs on the web relating to all sorts of specific subjects.  Bear with me as I take you back to detail my blogging history.     Back in the mid 2000s real estate blogging was a relatively novel idea and SEO for real estate agents was still in its infancy.  There were a few little known platforms out there called blogger and wordpress which one could create a reasonable blogs in short order and give someone not only presence on a particular subject on the web but authority from google.  My first forray into the blogging world was a simple wordpress blog using nothing more than my name for the URL: www.benganje.com.  The objective of the site at the time was to give users access to every Minneapolis condo project site o... 01/06/2012

5 Tips for Getting Your Minneapolis Condo or Loft Rented Fast and for Top Dollar The rental market in Minneapolis is hot right now with a vacancy rate of just 1.5% so it is a good time to maximize how much you can get for rent on your Minneapolis condo or loft. Despite the low vacancy rate there are still some tips that will ensure you get the most rental income. 1.) Treat the transaction the same as you would if it were for sale: Too often owners take a very different approach to preparing the home for rent than they would if it were for sale. Get it cleaned, de-clutter, touch up paint and stage it. If you want a high quality renter and one that may stay for more than a year make them not want to leave as soon as they walk in. 2.) Quality Photography: If you are renting out a Minneapol... 01/01/2012

Minneapolis Condos and Lofts for Rent - Minneapolis has undergone a dramatic shift in the housing market in the past couple of years. For a variety of reasons and in just 2 years the residential vacancy rate has dropped from 7.3% to 1.5% (2nd lowest in the nation behind NYC.) There has been a real move from people to come back into the city from the suburbs for reasons such as cost of transportation, not wanting the long commutes, but a big reason is the quality housing options. People seem to be testing the city and trying it out so not everyone is buying, but many are looking for Minneapolis condos and lofts for rent. Add in the fact that our unemployment rate is relatively healthy compared to the rest of the country and there is still a fair amount of relocation and we have an under ... 01/01/2012

There are endless varieties of Condos and lofts for sale in Minneapolis. There are so many varieites, styles and neighborhoods that its not easy to narrow down exactly what you are looking for. The best first step is to consider your budget and not only how much you qualify for, but more importantly how much you are happy spending each month. In the last few years as home prices have come down we've noticed buyers being even more cautious about spending too much on a home. Years ago when buyers were looking for Condos and Lofts for Sale in Minneapolis they were banking on appreciation. A good real estate agent will tell you that the money is made on the purchase NOT the sale. That means that when you are now looking for Condos and Lofts for Sale in Minneapolis it is important to 'buy ri... 12/28/2011

Need a quick snack recipe and I mean quick? Plus it is yummy!! I made these for my Christmas plates but they would be fabulous for a New Year's Party, Super Bowl Party or anytime during the year. Cinnamon Pretzels! It is such a nice surprise when you think you are biting into a regular pretzel and then find the taste of cinnamon and sugar! Delicious. Put them in a Decorative Tin and they would make a wonderful Hostess Gift as well.    Ingredients: 2/3 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup sugar 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 pound package small pretzel twists Directions: 1. In a large roasting pan stir together oil, sugar and cinnamon. Add pretzels; toss well to combine. Bake, uncovered in a 300 degree F oven for 30 minutes, stirring twice. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in an airtight container. M... 12/28/2011

        Christmas just isn't complete without a trip to the 8th Floor Auditorium at Macy's.    Now in its 48th year, the display is located in the 8th floor auditorium of the Macy's store in downtown Minneapolis.       This year's theme is "A Day in the Life of an Elf," which chronicles the lives of Santa's little helpers at the North Pole.                       The annual holiday display is free and the event runs through Dec. 30th. I will be heading to the Auditorim right after attending the Holidazzle Parade outside on the Nicollet Mall. And of course a gingerbread cookie with Santa to end the evening.....                   12/17/2011

Macy’s Holidazzle Parade, now in its 16th year, lights up the Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis, MN at 6:30 PM Thursday through Sunday, through Dec. 23.      A sense of excitement and suspense comes over the thousands of people lining the street when the street lights are darkened. The music starts, necks are strained to look down the street to see the floats adorned in every color coming toward you. Everything in the Parade is lit up....even the Marching Bands!           Floats of Story Book Characters such as Peter Pan are always a hit but my favorite......     The Christmas Bulbs!! They make me smile every time I see them! So if you haven't been to the Holidazzle Parade in Minneapolis yet what are you waiting for? With the warm temperatures this weekend it is the perfect time to... 12/16/2011

What do you love to do? Can you do what you love and bless others at the same time? I love to read, knit and bake. I take the love of knitting and make prayer shawls for those in the hospitals, nursing homes or just someone needing a pick me up gift. I take my love of baking and turn it into a blessing for others during the holiday season by providing plates of cookies during Christmas Caroling to those that are shut-in. After being sung to, each person is handed a plate of homemade cookies. Let's follow my day recently: Bright and early in the morning with my pastry chef outfit and my cup of coffee, I am ready to go with my very clean kitchen island and heavy duty mixer. (Don't I look just like Vanna White??).                     A couple hours later.....look what my friend Patty has d... 12/13/2011

Fact or Fiction?  No Fiction here.  The data below clearly shows that there are actual improved median sales prices in certain neighborhoods and at certain price points.  The info sparks chart below clearly show higher median sale prices on home sold in January of 2005 increased by approximately 14% since then.  Yes increased median sales on homes price above $599,900.  Homes priced between $449,990 and $599,900 basically held there own in the Ecco Neighborhood in Uptown Minneapoils and median sale priced homes between $290,000 and $449,900 also held their own during the last seven years.  Only homes priced under $200,000 dropped in median sales price (mostly condos in this bracket).   12/13/2011

Solve the Puzzle: The almighty _ O _  (it's not what you think) Here's a couple of hints: * It's all powerful * It's all knowing * It's fair and just as long as you follow the rules and contribue financially each month. Okay, it's an easy one, clearly we are talking about: The almighty H O A as in Home Owners Association. When you live in a CIC (Common Interest Community) you are like going to be governed and have to abide by the rules of the HOA. If you live in a Minneapolis Condo, loft, townhome or even some single family developments you'll want to get very familiar with your HOA. A couple things you need to know: * Your HOA can foreclose on your home if you fail to pay the association dues. Not paying creates a hardship on the entire community as the funds are pooled to pay for the ... 12/13/2011

When working with clients who are selling Minneapolis condos the education component of the conversation is extremely important. As Realtors who deal daily in the current market conditions and who have an understanding of where things should be priced to sell today we run up against a couple of issues. Selective Perception is a powerful psychological tool that we ALL use in our daily lives. You just have to look at the polarization with our current political structure and the inability for our Gov't to find common ground as both sides use information to make their case by using the same data. Sellers, naturally, do the same thing. If, for example, we are speaking with a client who wants to sell their Minneapolis condo in the 710 Lofts building in the North Loop we can use current market... 12/06/2011

This has been and continues to be a very difficult market for many home owners especially those who would like to sell. There is one group of sellers who have a great opportunity to not only wipe out  potential losses on the sale of their home, but possibly make money as well. That group is the move up buyer. Meaning, a seller who will be purchasing a more expensive home than their current one. Sounds crazy, but I'll explain. Say you bought your home for $200,000 and your market is down 10% so it's now worth $180,000. That's a $20,000 loss. Now, consider this seller is now looking to buy a home that WAS worth $400,000, but can now be purchased for the same 10% discount. That's a $40,000 savings. $40,000 savings - $20,000 loss = a $20,000 net gain. Let's take it one step further and look... 12/04/2011

The Coffee Shop Northeast is one of those intimate coffee shops that immediately makes you feel at home... like you are already part of the neighborhood. I met new clients there on Thursday night just as I had met another client there a few weeks ago. I was again struck by the 'Cheers' feel of this neighborhood hub... very friendly and welcoming, a place where you go not just for coffee and food but also for comaraderie and to get a pulse on what is happening in the neighborhood. They've got it right when they say they serve coffee~treats~food~ LOVE! Thursday evening was December 1st, Johnson Street shopping night. As I walked towards the coffee shop I was greeted by the dazzling, colorful displays in A Bag Lady on the corner... and when I arrived at The Coffee Shop Northeast I was deli... 12/04/2011

Washburn Lofts | Building of the Week | Minneapolis View Current Washburn Lofts for Sale. The Washburn Lofts are one of the premier buildings in all of Minneapolis and is ideally located in the historic Mill District on the Mississippi River Front. There is an open-air walkway and staircase that allows Washburn lofts residents easy access to the Mississippi River, Stone Arch Bridge , Stone Arch Lofts and the biking and walking paths at the rivers edge. It's a boutique building that offers just 22 homes over 9 stories and heated underground parking. The main level provides a warm, but private entrance to the building where you'll find a large amusement/community room with river views, a kitchen and fitness center. At the Washburn Lofts you'll find exclusively high-end, luxury homes that ... 12/02/2011

Beginning December 1st, 2011 I will be accepting applications for the updated HARP (Home Affordable Refinance Program) guidlines.  The word needs to get out about this program because it allows folks that might have issues with appraisal value a way to refincne their mortgage into a lower rate and save those same folks a lot of money on the monthly payments.   Here is a quick video about the HARP program and some of the guidelines. LTV up to 125% ---  No Limit on the CLTV! Incentives for going with a 20 year fixed or 15 year fixed loans More common to get an Appraisal Waiver or limited appraisal review No seasoning on Bankruptcy's or Foreclosures with some limitations Loan must have originally closed on or before 5/31/2009 Cannot currently have monthly mortgage insurance to c0ntinue to ... 11/28/2011

Minneapolis Condos for Rent Minnesota residents are a unique breed. We deal with inclement weather for a at least half of the year and though  we deal with it well once Thanksgiving hits the real estate market, buying, selling, renting it all slows down. But, it doesn't stop, not completely. Since Minneapolis is home to many fortune 500 companies as well as other active businesses our unemployment rate currently hovers around 6%, well below the national average of closer to 9%. As a result we still have many people moving in and out of the city for job related reasons and looking for Minneapolis condos for rent. Many residents would prefer Minneapolis condos for rent vs. an apartment or a single family home: The Pros of renting a Condo: The Home Owners Association is responsible for mos... 11/28/2011

Attitude of Gratitude and her name is Keely. When I read about the Attitude of Gratitude contest regarding someone that gives so much I knew immediately who that person is.....meet Keely. Keely works for a non-profit called Midwest Challenge as the Director of Admissions and Administration. Keely runs the intake for the men coming into the programs who are homeless, coming out of treatment or coming into the work release program while in their last 2 - 6 months of incarceration. As any non-profit employee she wears many hats, works around the clock and is under paid. But do you want to know the best part? She goes out of her way to make the men feel special. Check out this Thanksgiving Spread she organized last week for the men and their families. Some of these men had not had Thanksgiv... 11/27/2011

Minneapolis Real Estate | Truth In Housing If you're getting ready to sell Minneapolis real estate then you'll likely have to have a Truth In Housing (also called a TISH for 'Truth In Sale of Housing.) The types of properties and sales below are covered by the ordinance: Types of residence Types of sales Single-family housesDuplexesTownhousesFirst-time condo conversions Sale by ownerSale by real estate agentReal estate agent-assisted saleContract-for-deedOther title transfer Note that Minneapolis condos do not requite a Truth In Housing inspection. A Truth In Housing inspection is done to ensure that homes meet a minimum standard. It is different and not as thorough as a buyer inspection. A couple important things you need to know about the inspection: It's recommended that you have the... 11/26/2011