Carl was upset when he heard that a dryer fire broke out in a local apartment building, costing many occupants their home    Minneapolis, MN--Recent news reported a clothes dryer fire in an apartment building causing serious damage and leaving occupants homeless.  Thankfully, there were no injuries, but many people lost everything they have.  "Most upsetting is the fact that this could have easily been prevented," said Carl Hein, owner of Dryer Vent Wizard, servicing the Twin City area of Minnesota.   Carl Hein, owner of Dryer Vent Wizard recently attended landlord's association meeting, where he set up a display to demonstrate dryer vent safety.  He brought samples of proper and improper dryer vent material and explained how using the wrong type can create a fire hazard.  "Dryer vents ... 10/04/2008

Don't let your dryer start a fire; keep your home safe and sound.  Dryer Vent Wizard professionally inspects and cleans clothing dryers for homeowners and in commercially-owned buildings. Poorly maintained dryer vents cause fire hazards and cost substantially more to operate.         Why Dryer Vent Cleaning is so Important! •·                     Dryer vents clogged with lint cost $18-24 more per month. •·                     There are 15,500 fires every year caused by dryer vents. •·                     Dryer manufacturers recommend you clean your dryer vent every year. •·                     Regular dryer vent maintenance prolongs the life of your dryer.   Our services include: •·                     Dryer vent cleaning •·                     Dryer vent repair •·                     D... 10/04/2008

A friend who lives in Phoenix sent me this snippet from her local business news. "A new study shows the Phoenix area continues to be one of the hardest-hit housing markets in the nation. The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city housing index fell a record 16.3 percent in July from a year earlier, the largest drop since its inception in 2000. Prices in the Phoenix area dove 29 percent on an annual basis. Only Las Vegas, with a 30 percent drop, fared worse than metro Phoenix. Prices in the 20-city index have plummeted nearly 20 percent since peaking in July 2006. A similar 10-city index has fallen more than 21 percent since its peak in June 2006. Both indices measure the largest metro areas in the country. For the fourth straight month, no city in the Case-Shiller 20-city index saw annu... 10/01/2008

09/29/2008

Reduce Your Maintenance Expenses Ease Your Maintenance and Building Improvement Issues Extend the Life of Your Property Asset   With our current clients such as Starbucks, T-Mobile and McDonalds HandyPro can help you too!   With over 10 years experience, HandyPro Facility Services is an affordable, full service repair and improvement company for building owners and managers.  If you're frustrated with your search to find quality contractors for the smallest repair or the largest improvement for your building, Handypro can provide a solution.   Handyman and Maintenance Service Roofing Plumbing Electrical Carpet Paint ...and many more, just ask   Offering cost effective services to maintain or enhance your asset.   If you have a building maintenance need and would like more information or... 09/29/2008

As a frequent blogger on the 35W river project, I had to be one of the first people to cross the new bridge. My wife and I went to pick up my car at Orr Auto in Eden Prairie yesterday morning. 35W was a few miles further but we went that way and crossed around 7am, about 2 hours after the bridge opened. I brought my daughter to the airport the morning of July 31st 2007. There was quite a bit of construction on the bridge that day. one lane in each direction was closed. Little did I know that we crossed the bridge for the last time. Anyway, I thought you might enjoy a few pictures my wife took as we crossed the bridge once again open.   09/19/2008

Installing a new water faucet is not the plumbing nightmare it used to be.  These days, new faucet installation may only require an adjustable crescent wrench and a little physical flexibility when working under a sink.  The most difficult part for the handyman is often removing the old faucet.    The single-handle kitchen faucet with a sprayer attachment is the most commonly used type.  Many common faucets used are Delta and American Standard faucets.  The handyman tips offered in this article also apply to bathroom faucets, which usually come with a new pop-up stopper assembly to match.   Looking up from under the sink, you will see the sprayer hose to the left and a faucet mounting bolts with a wide washer and nut.  Between the two mounting bolts are three copper connections; the hot... 09/19/2008

Two weeks ago I visited Loring Park in Minneapolis to take some photos for one of my listings that is two blocks away. It was a great afternoon, and I got some wonderful shots.  I didn't arrive until 2 pm, so I had to work around the sun. An easy way to do this, I have found, is to take photos from under trees, so that the sun is blocked out by the leaves and branches. Your own natural camera hood if you like. Each of these photos was taken under a tree...the second photo I let the tree branches become a natural border, which frames Saint Mark's in the background.   09/17/2008

Handyman HandyPro Services:   We provide Professional, Honest Handymen to complete everything on your To-do List.  Our list of services includes over 1600 categories including: Carpentry, Plaster & Drywall,  Acoustic Ceilings,  Grout Tub, Fix Leaky Faucet, Home Warranty/Maintenance,  Paint Home,  Caulk Bathtub, Replace Locks,  Garage Doors,  Cabinets & Countertops, Fix Running Toilet,  Repair Squeaky door, Install Molding and Trim, Security Services,  Stained Glass, Door Repair/Install, Wall Repair,  Painting Kitchen,  Insulation,  Concrete & Masonry, Repair Gutters,  Remove Wallpaper,  Replace Ceiling Fan, Caulk Awnings and Siding, Install Shelves,  Organizers,  Ceramic Tile, Window Well Covers, Replace Bathroom Fan, Draperies, Blinds and Shades, Glass & Mirror, Decks, and much more ju... 09/08/2008

Just a quick "flash in the pan" for everyone interested in local real estate values.  We always here about the wholesale decline of home values, when in fact that's simply not the case.  In reality Buyers are able to be far more discriminating and while that leads to declining vales in some areas, other areas are in fact rising.  Average stats in no way reflect the actual value of your home.  To find out the value of your home, contact me for a free Market Analysis based on comparable sales in your price range, neighborhood, and property type.   Minneapolis, MN Neighborhood Average Sale Prices *** These statistics should NOT be used as a basis for valuation of specific properties.  Value estimates need to be based on data specific to the property type and recent sales of similar propert... 09/03/2008

The great news for those who are considering franchising is that the franchising world offers tremendous variety in terms low cost franchises and home based franchises. When people think about franchising, they normally think about quick service restaurants, hotels and other store front franchises.  Although these can be good business opportunities, they are also some of the more expensive franchises.  At the other end of the spectrum, you can find quite a few low cost franchises and home based franchises with investments of less than $100K. One of the great advantages of low-cost franchises and home based franchises is that they require minimal fixed expenses. Home based franchises obviously have no rent and very little overhead often leading to a faster break even.  In addition, low c... 09/01/2008

They began as a local handyman service; now they are opening up franchises across the US as their popularity grows for being honest and dependable    Minneapolis, MN - They began as a local handyman service, HandyPro Handyman Service, Inc. of Plymouth and they are expanding, opening franchises across the US.  There is consumer demand for honest, affordable handyman services for the small repair jobs.  HandyPro is expanding, opening up franchises across the US.  One recent franchise was awarded to Collin Dickey, who will be servicing the Minneapolis area.   HandyPro opened its first franchise in Ann Arbor in March 2001.  They also have franchises in Michigan, Texas, Louisiana and Hawaii. HandyPro specializes in handyman services, small repairs and maintenance jobs for homeowners and comm... 08/24/2008

HandyPro has made customer satisfaction their number one priority since opening business 1996    Minneapolis, MN--Having a professional bring new life to home improvement projects, fix-it jobs, and the occasional ‘honey-do' tasks is the main appeal of HandyPro Handyman Services, Inc. servicing Hennepin County and surrounding areas in Minnesota. Owner Collin Dickey has made customer satisfaction his number one priority since purchasing his franchise.   Collin believes that homeowners deserve to have work done on their homes by honest, experienced, and reputable people. That's why it is important to gain the trust and respect from every customer. After all, HandyPro contractors are invited guests into people's homes and they take that responsibility very seriously.     HandyPro employees ... 08/24/2008

After attending our worship service at Constance Free this morning, we headed down to the Metrodome today. The Twins were playing the Mariners for the final game of the series. The Twins had won the first 2 games and started out with 5 runs in the bottom of the first. As we have seen though, no lead is safe against the Mariners. The Twins kept building the lead to 8-0 and then the Mariners started their comeback. They scored 4 times with 3 home runs, ending Glen Perkins night in the 6th. Justin Morneau hit one himself in the bottom of the 6th off the right seats. The Mariners kept fightng and pulled up to 10-8 in the 8th when Joe Nathan came in with the bases loaded and 2 outs. He recorded the out and finished with a strong 9th as the Twins won 11-8. To add to the all american day, we s... 08/17/2008

HandyPro is a professional handyman service - "The Handymen You Can Trust".  We are a licensed residential contractor, carry full liability and Workers' Comp insurance and are bonded.  We strive to offer our quality services in a flexible fashion to meet the needs and budgets of our customers.  We do a great deal of business with both residential and commercial customers.    Services provided - HandyPro does a broad range of services including all types of carpentry, drywall and repair, painting, light plumbing repairs, ceramic tile, doors, locks, windows, etc.  We have licensed electricians and plumbers we work with when needed. Rates - Generally we give fixed price estimates for most jobs.  If we are doing a number of smaller jobs which are difficult to estimate, we may give a range o... 08/17/2008

It's nice being able to drive into downtown Minneapolis on a Monday, late morning, and have the road mostly to yourself. You sure don't see this in any of the other major U.S. cities. I love approaching the city from the south...you get a really great shot of the cityscape. For a photo I took while downtown, see my other Minneapolis Real Estate Blog. 08/16/2008

Built in 1913 by the Minneapolis Parks Board, the hill on which the tower stands was purchased in 1906 to increase water pressure to Prospect Park. It occupies the highest natural land area in Minneapolis. City engineer and Norwegian architect Frederick Cappelen designed the structure and gave it some Gothic flair by topping it with a Witch's Hat roof covered in green tile. Easily known as the Witch's Hat Tower, the building stands 107 feet high and grants visitors some amazing views of the Minneapolis skyline and surrounding neighborhoods. When driving east on I-94 from downtown, you can see the "hat" peeking out of the trees. The tower was decommissioned in 1952, with plans for tearing the structure down in the works. Thankfully, when local neighbors got wind of the plan, they lobbie... 08/16/2008

Rent To Own - New Construction Townhome 2828 Aldrich Ave. S. #7, Minneapolis, MN 55408 View Map RENT TO OWN! Open House Sunday, July 27th from 1-4. $1,700/month with the option to purchase. Beautiful, modern new construction townhome available. 1 Bedroom + den, 2 bathrooms, underground secured heated parking, gorgeous upgraded amenities include wood floors, fireplace, Valcucine cabinets, quartz counters, ceramic tile floors, stainless steel appliances vaulted ceilings, private patio and much more. This new home is completed and available to move in immediately. Please stop by on Sunday, July 27th from 1-4 to view this home. Details Asking Price: $1,700/month Sq. Feet: 1,250 Bedrooms: 1+de Bathrooms: 2 # of Floors: 2 Garage Size: 1 Year Built: new Contact Info Mende Symington Dir 952-48... 07/27/2008

Lake Nokomis is located just southeast of downtown Minneapolis and has always been a desirable place to live in the Minneapolis area. It's origins began from glacial activity which created a shallow depression, forming a marshland after the glaciers receded. The current 210 acre lake was originally named Lake Amelia in 1819, with its current name of Nokomis being given in 1910. In 1907, the lake only measured a maximum depth of 5 feet, but after a century of dredging, the current lake can go anywhere from 15 -33 feet deep in spots. Residents love the area not only for the great neighborhoods surrounding the lake, but also for the recreational features Lake Nokomis provides. With almost three miles of walking paths, two beaches, a community center, softball fields, canoeing and sail boat... 07/26/2008

Oh, Summer.  In the last two weeks, we've been enjoying truly remarkable weather: low to mid 80s for high temperature, mid to upper 60s for the overnight low.  We've had low humidity, bright sunshine - just gorgeous! The time for this weather is perfect, as the annual tradition, Aquatennial Festival in Minneapolis.  This event first took place in 1940.  Right away in 1941 the event was proclaimed the Northwest's greatest summer festival.    Throughout the years, Aquatennial has attracted participation of various celebrities.  In 1958, Vice President Richard Nixon served as the Grand Marshal.  In 1957, Bob Barker hosted the live TV game show "Truth or Consequences", which broadcast live from the Southdale Shopping Mall.  In 1978, Percy Ross, millionaire and philanthropist rode in the Tor... 07/25/2008