5th Ave Lofts401 North 2nd Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401 The 5th Ave Lofts is newer construction and was completed in 2005.  It resides in the North Loop neighborhood also known as the warehouse disctrict in Minneapolis.  The building blends very nicely with it's conventional and more historic surroundings.  Wide hallways, 10 foot ceilings, climate controlled parking, state of the art kitchens appointed with granite and open floor plans offer it's residents great city living.  There is also a sun deck with grills, party room and a workout facility for the 5th Ave Lofts community to share.  The building is located blocks from both the Mississippi River and the new Twins Stadium, Target Field.  It has the added convenience of a local grocer on the corner as well great restaurants in very ... 02/19/2011

iMetro Mash-Up Video Blog for the week of February 14th, 2011. 02/17/2011

What a fun time I had staging this vacant home in south Minneapolis, MN. It is such a cute house! Staging it with a bit of fun and pizazz only made it better. The living room may have appeared to have an awkward layout but once furniture was in there you could see how well it works. Before the fireplace was lost.....now you REALLY see it!         This is a great home for entertaining since it is wide open to the Dining Room and it has a wonderful alcove in the kitchen for overflow seating or quaint dinners for two or four.         The upstairs Master Suite with a brand new refurbished bath, a sitting area and a huge walk-in closet only makes this home better.         Who wants to work in their Master Retreat? It is a much better area to curl up with a book. Can you bring me another cup ... 02/15/2011

02/11/2011

With so much inventory on the market it often takes a couple trips with buyers to find their perfect house.  Or 5,6,7...trips.  Every once in a while though you'll find the perfecet fit very early on in the process as happened to me recently.  It reminded me to set proper expectations when working with buyer's to let them know that their next house may just be the first house we look at and that's okay!  I took my new buyer out and as we walked around the house I could tell by her reaction that this was the house.  I had previewed all the others and knew they didn't compare.  It had it all, 3,500+ sqft, a pool, updated kitchen, baths, paint, carpet, windows etc. and a prive yard for entertaining.  As we were getting ready to go we looked at each other and I just said "this is it isn't i... 02/07/2011

FHA has become the financing method of choice for many buyer's in our market and even for some that qualify for conventional financing and can do 20% down.  An FHA mortgage may cost a little more both upfront and in the long term, but there are some benefits.  One of the major ones that I think very few buyers are aware of, but is important during uncertain economic times and a struggling job market and that's that FHA will pay your mortgage for up to a year if you have a financial hardship.  That could be extra bit of insurance that could save your financial future.  The other one is that there is still a lot to be said about being as minimally leveraged as possible, even if it means a higher monthly payment, as it allows you to better protect your cash.   My first video blog: http://w... 01/30/2011

The Accredited Staging Professional (ASP) Course from Stagedhomes.com (www.Stagedhomes.com) - the industry leader in Home Staging Training - is coming to MINNEAPOLIS, MN - March 1-3, 2011. This class is being offered for both Realtors and Home Stagers that would like to earn both a professional Accreditation and Designation for Home Staging.  Realtors attend the first 2 days and learn about Home Staging as a listing and marketing tool, as well as things they can do to help their own clients prepare their houses for sale.  They become members of the International Association of Home Staging Professioanls (IAHSP) - the only professional association that serves only Home Stagers and the Home Staging industry, and has standards of membership that begin with education.  No other association ... 01/25/2011

  In his book, Small is the New Big, Seth Godin asks, “How dare you settle for less when the world has made it so easy for you to be remarkable?” On the surface, it’s easy to disagree. Sure, easy for Godin, because he is remarkable. But maybe he means people too often people simply follow the masses , attempting to exceed the existing standards of what is deemed remarkable by others. Maybe to be truly remarkable, you have to achieve according to a different standard. Like former NHL player Lyndon Byers. NHL players are remarkable if they score a lot of goals, or have a long, illustrious career. Lyndon Byers was not a prolific goal scorer, and played in fewer than 300 NHL games. But I remember Byers as much as I recall any NHL player. And I only saw him play one shift. Byers was a defen... 01/19/2011

Right there, in South Minneapolis, plunked in the middle of big snow drifts, is an adorable, affordable and totally rehabbed tiny house.   We've become accustomed to seeing 4000 square foot Minneapolis Garagemahals, but what about that single first time buyer who doesn't want to live in a condo?  Or the couple who wants a convenient budget saving pad near the airport? We're all looking for a bargain, so here is the SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS DEAL OF THE WEEK!This is a fabulous 480 square foot, 1 bedroom, completely new kitchen, bathroom, wood flooring for only $64,900.  That is a teeny, tiny $300 Principle & Interest per month.* (depending on financing) Windows, flooring, plumbing, electric, AND a spacious 26'x8' deck are all new. There's a nook just for washer and dryer.  The home is built at t... 01/11/2011

I just got home from a tiring day; running all over the metro to take "before" photos, appointments, tax forms to pick up, post office, and all of it in bad traffic and slick roads due to a nuisance snow fall. I hadn't had time to check my Blackberry so when I opened my email I was thrilled to find the following testimonial: "Our family decided to turn our unfinished basement into a family room.  We didn't really have a vision for the room - nor did we know how to break up the space,  We thought about getting an architectural designer in - but that was going to cost us $2500 just to hear his thoughts.  That's when we hired Shar - and we are so glad we did!  She sat with us and heard our ideas.  She worked with the company doing the remodel and was our ally in discussions.  She was incre... 01/10/2011

Minnesota Short Sale Negotiator Wanted.  Trademark Loss Mitigation provides no cost short sale negotiations for agents and homeowners in multi-states.  Position can be full or part time.  **Can work from home**. Job Requirements: Must be able to start immediately! We are seeking qualified candidates who have knowledge and/or experience in negotiating and completing short sales. Must have excellent communication skills to be able to effectively and intelligently correspond with lenders and homeowners. **Can work from home**. Qualifications/Skills: · Excellent organizational and follow-up skills. · Attention to detail and excellent follow through. · Able to prioritize, juggle multiple tasks, very organized, flexible and self motivated. · Willingness to pitch-in as team member · Capacity t... 12/19/2010

Whether you choose to market your home yourself or let a professional real estate agent do the work, it is vital that you price your home correctly from the very beginning. Many sellers (and some agents) are tempted to overprice a home when they first put it on the market. They think they might get lucky and actually get the asking price, even though it is more than the house is worth. Or they think that the house will be more appealing later, when it is advertised as “reduced.” The problem with both of those ideas is that you will lose your first and best potential buyers. Let’s assume your house is worth $260,000 but you list it at $280,000. You are literally shutting the door on your earliest and best prospects. How? Most buyers will give an agent all of their search criteria—includi... 12/19/2010

  While I've already written about how to prevent ice dams from happening, I've found that I get far more inquiries about how to get rid of ice dams.   There are plenty of 'hack' methods out there, so I decided to try them out and blog about it. The methods I'm going to discuss involve axes, ice picks, pantyhose, salt, heat cables, and a blowtorch.  Of course, the most effective and safe way of getting rid of ice dams is to hire a professional ice dam removal company. I originally posted this blog almost a year ago, but here in Minneapolis we're currently in the middle of our fourth snow emergency, and I've already seen wicked ice dams all over town.  It's time for a reminder. Axe The most obvious way to get rid of ice dams is to just take a blunt instrument and hack away at the ice dam... 12/13/2010

At the last four home inspections that I've done, every home had frost problems in the attic. Have you checked for frost in your attic yet this year?  If you live in Minnesota or a similarly cool climate, now is a good time to check your attic for frost.   Temperatures in Minnesota have been in the teens lately, which is plenty cool enough for frost to develop in attics.  Once we get a week of sub-zero temperatures, frost will really start to accumulate in attics.  The colder it is outside, the more frost will accumulate in an attic.   If you already have frost in your attic, I can assure you that it's only going to get worse - winter is still two weeks away.   Please excuse me while I digress for a moment.  Who the heck decides when the seasons change?  Yes, I know what the winter sol... 12/06/2010

There’s always something to do in Minneapolis. So why should you move to Minneapolis, MN? Sports. Watching sports or playing sports this is a great place to be. Love the new Twins stadium. Vikings were fun to watch last year, and I’m not a football person. Timberwolves have been miserable, but there’s always hope for next year and the Linx do well. The Wild do ok every year and draw a great crowd.! If you want to play sports Minneapoils is full of parks. There’s a league for everything from volleyball to biking. If you’re into non-competitive stuff, being athletic and active outside happens year-round: fishing, hiking, boating, climbing, Another reason to move to Minneapolis? Art. Again, not just for watching, but for participating. Whatever kind of class or group you’re looking for it’... 12/04/2010

Bryn Mawr is one of the best neighborhoods in Minneapolis. It’s a strong neighborhood—neighbors know each other, talk to each other, enjoy each other. The homes are very well kept—gardens, lawns, and boulevards. And the neighborhood parks are beautiful. Whether you want a small playground for your children, a wading pool, or ball fields—Bryn Mawr has it all. People come from all over the city to enjoy these amenities: kickball, softball, soccer, volleyball, trails, picnic, fishing, beach, tennis courts and gardens. 12/04/2010

After living in the East Calhoun Neighborhood for years, I've noticed many more young Generation Y populations in the area.  Both living and visiting the area on a regular basis.  I've also noticed that the turn over ratio for residences are below the 5% ratio in most Uptown neighborhoods.  That tells me that the people owning real estate enjoy living here and do not plan on moving. Even the Real Estate Sales in Uptown are considerably better than other areas of Minneapolis.  See for yourself here>>> Love to read your more comments about your favorite attraction(s) either in the comment section below or on the Facebook Page "Uptown Minneapolis Neighborhoods" If you're a fan of Uptown, simply "Like" the link below :)  FIND UPTOWN MINNEAPOLIS ON FACEBOOK HERE AND BECOME A FAN   12/02/2010

Final Closing Checklist ­­­____ Keys to the Property ____ Garage door opener Garage door Keypad # ______________ ____ Garbage pick-up day _________________ ____ Recycling Day ___________________________________________ ____ Other instruction about keys, locks or garage ___________________ _____________________________________________________________ ­­­____ Informational booklets, pamphlets or warranties ____ Forwarding address of seller (s) _____________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ____ If known, names of neighbors _______________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____ Are there any neighborhood block parties or events planned ____ U... 11/28/2010

Condominiums in the Twin Cities come in all shapes, sizes, and price ranges. They are popular for a number of different reasons. For people that work or travel often appreciate the luxury of limited maintenance and peace of mind that security monitoring can provide. Others are enticed by the amenities that can include: exercise facilities, pools, party rooms, theaters, concierge, guest suites, underground heated parking, tennis courts, common areas, patios, gas grills, security cameras, hot tubs and saunas. While every condominium development is unique it is important that you work with a professional agent that understands and can help you analyze the positives and negatives of each building and the association attached with it. Making sure the budget is satisfactory to cover any maint... 11/28/2010

Sitting alongside Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles, the Uptown community in Minneapolis offers its residents an exciting and urban experience that can't be found else where in the Twin Cities. Within minutes of the Metro you can enjoy coffee shops, trails, movies, parks, restaurants, music, great bus service, small shops, grocery stores, banks, and pretty much everything else help to make Uptown a great place to live, work, and play…here we boast something for everyone! Live at the Metro and find out why so many consider Uptown one of the premier areas in the Twin Cities! Uptown is also know as the Lakes Area which is a major outdoor recreational destination for Twin Cities residents and visitors. The area is well known for its beautiful Chain of Lakes, Cedar, Calhoun, Harriet, and La... 11/28/2010