1522 3rd St NE Minneapolis, MN Click For Listing Website Click For Interactive e-Tour The National Real Estate Stimulus Program is now available to all buyers of real estate in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Now all buyers purchasing any property qualify to receive a cash bonus of one point seven percent of the sales price, up to a maximum of ten thousand dollars. A tax-free cashier?s check is mailed to the buyer after closing and upon receipt of proof of purchase and verification of identity. All buyers qualify for this stimulus program regardless of price range, income, type of real estate or financing. If you are thinking of purchasing a real estate property, you qualify for this real estate stimulus program. For more information on how you can receive your real estate stimulus program bo... 07/17/2008

1522 3rd St NE Minneapolis, MN Click For Listing Website Click For Interactive e-Tour The National Real Estate Stimulus Program is now available to all buyers of real estate in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Now all buyers purchasing any property qualify to receive a cash bonus of one point seven percent of the sales price, up to a maximum of ten thousand dollars. A tax-free cashier?s check is mailed to the buyer after closing and upon receipt of proof of purchase and verification of identity. All buyers qualify for this stimulus program regardless of price range, income, type of real estate or financing. If you are thinking of purchasing a real estate property, you qualify for this real estate stimulus program. For more information on how you can receive your real estate stimulus program bo... 07/17/2008

Ready To Buy? A Minnesota Homebuyers GuideGuide to Home Ownership in MN Knowledge and experience are the keys to successful real estate transactions. REALTOR.com® contains an enormous amount of valuable information, and such data -- combined with the expertise, experience and training of Minnesota REALTORS® like me, can be the essential keys to your success.One of the keys to making the homebuying process easier and more understandable is planning. In doing so, you'll be able to anticipate requests from lenders, lawyers and a host of other professionals. Furthermore, planning will help you discover valuable shortcuts in the homebuying process.Do You Know What You Want?Whether you are a first-time Minnesota homebuyer or entering the Minneapolis real estate marketplace as a repeat buyer, ... 07/16/2008

Minnesota First Time Buyer Realtor for all your first time MN home buyer needs! First time homebuyer program selection for a first time home buyer with grant, gift and down payment assistance for no down payment. Find tips, advice and articles for MN first time home buyer loan program mortgages and help with MN housing grants for a low down payment. For more information about First Time Home Buyer or a loan, and mortgage interest rate, call us first! 07/14/2008

I AM READY TO RUMBLE!!! I am a a member of a very unique fitnes gym in North East Mpls, MN.  It was named one of the top 25 boxing gyms in the country in 2007 by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. It's called UPPER CUT BOXING GYM! 1324 QUINCY ST. N.E., MPLS, MN 612-822-1964 it is owned by Lisa Bauch, a boxer and business person.  I have been a member for 2 years and my 16 year old daughter has been there about a year.  The membership includes young people, old people, professional people, professional boxers, amateur boxers and other assorted workout enthusiasts.  The boxing regiman is the most grueling of all possible courses you can take to get in shape.  ESPN ranked the boxer as the athlete at the top of the total fitness chain.  Take one class and you'll know why. Here's wha... 07/04/2008

I just seen this on the MSN web site.......... A divided Wisconsin Supreme Court says home buyers who feel they have been the victims of fraud by the seller CAN NOT bring civil lawsuits to recover damages. It says.... Dissenting Justice Ann Walsh Bradley says the decision released tuesday means a person selling a home can look the buyer in the eye and LIE about the home's condition and escape legal consequences in civi court. Now this sounds just way off base!!! Does anyone know more details.  I am just about to get my liscence in Wisconsin, and may think twice!! 07/01/2008

Okay, "10,000+ Reasons to Buy a Home" might seem a bit excessive, but in a new housing initiative called Minneapolis Advantage, the city of Minneapolis is offering just that....up to a $10,000 zero-interest, zero-payment loan that's forgivin over a 5 year period (a.k.a. totally FREE after the 5 years are up) to qualified buyers that purchase a home in one of the city's 18 eligible neighborhoods.  Developed in response to the city's rising level of foreclosures, the Minneapolis Advantage loan program is a downpayment and closing cost assistance program to help rebuild the housing market in key neighborhoods (located mostly within the central South and North communities) that have experienced higher than normal levels of mortgage foreclosures. In addition, the Harrison, McKinley, Folwell ... 06/26/2008

I live in an area of Southwest Minneapolis called Linden Hills.  Loved for its history and it's quaint small town feel, Linden Hills is also just 15-20 minutes from Downtown.  People love this neighborhood, and as a result, the property values are pretty high.  The homes are old, some go back to the 1890s, and nearly all have had some remodeling done to them.  Since the early 1990s the number of whole house renovations and teardown to new construction projects has increased dramatically.  Linden Hills is not alone as neighborhoods across the country are in the same boat.  Homes built in the early part of the 1900's were built with craftsmanship unparallel today, and the wood used lasted longer, it was older and denser.   But these old homes have reached the end of their physical lifespa... 06/23/2008

The Remodeled Home Tour is a charity event designed to showcase building & remodeling trends in historic urban neighborhoods of South and Southwest Minneapolis. So far this years tour has homes from some of the areas top firms such as Vujovich, Castle Building and Remodeling, Otogawa Anschel, White Crane, CASE, and more. This years benificiary is Rebuilding Together Twin Cities.  An affiliate of the national Rebuilding Together organization, Rebuilding Together Twin Cities has been preserving and revitalizing homes and communities since 1997. In the Twin Cities alone they have renovated 113 homes, serving 67 elderly persons, 58 persons with disabilities and 50 families with a total of 131 children. Their programs provide opportunities for community involvement and support for an average... 06/20/2008

I remember when Uptown was scary.  When it felt dangerous.  When "punk" kids hung out in front of Calhoun Square with safety pins in their eyebrows, and their faces painted white. It's a lot less scary now.  Maybe it's because and Victoria's Secret and Northface moved in, or because I've grown up.  Maybe it's the high end Condo developments like the Edgewater, and Mozaic.  In any event Upton is now the place to be for everyone, from empty nesters, to Gen Y'er (or whatever generation we're on now). Still "cool" enough (thanks to Ivy, Mac, and Chino Latino) to play host to the up and coming "who's who" crowd, desperate to be seen as "making it".  Uptown is also safe, fancy, and desirable enough to host those of us who have already made it. Now that the market is in turmoil my question is ... 06/19/2008

During this period of market correction, media pundits talk of falling values, and lenders refer to "declining markets" but we all know, real estate is intensely local.  Average market conditions rarely tell the real story of what is happening in any given neighborhood. In this multi part series, close examination of specific price ranges and neighborhoods reveals the "real" real estate market behind the headlines.     In this part, "The Best of The Best" Minneapolis homes over $2 million. There aren't many homes sold over the $2 million mark.  In the past year* there were just 17 sold, (7 of there were in Edina).  I'm specifically looking at home inside the 494/694 beltway.  The most expensive home sold went for $3,550,000 in Edina, and was a stunning 9,500 sq. ft. new construction, 6 ... 06/18/2008

I've been singing the praises of our Twin Cities Real Estate Market for the past month now.  Sign of improvement are all around.  Many areas are still depressed, and others are shining, but the trends are finally headed in the right direct. The Downtown condo market is really showing signs of improvement, and while it's too early still to say for sure, it could be just the news everyone's been hoping for. I love downtown Minneapolis!  Nothing against St. Paul, I've lived in Summit Hill, and still own a condo in Crocus Hill - St. Paul is great - but the single riskiest, and potentially beneficial, development in our real estate market over the past 7 years has been the condo boom in downtown Minneapolis.  People are flocking to Minneapolis (for reasons I can't fully understand, given our... 05/27/2008

The Windom neighborhood is located in south of Diamond Lake Road to the "Crosstown" (Highway 62), and from Interstate 35W to the east, and 62nd Street and Lyndale Avenue to the west.  Windom neighborhood's namesake William Windom was a United States senator from the mid- to late-1800s and also served as secretary of the treasury. The southern portion of the neighborhood houses a sizeable industrial area, about 15 percent of the neighborhood's land.  The rest of Windom is a quite, safe residential community, tucked neatly away from the hustle and bustle of city traffic.  Ironically, one of the largest highway construction projects in our history, the crosstown reconstruction, is occurring along the neighborhoods border.  Windom's community association hosts a Fall Festival in August a po... 05/23/2008

I wanted to wait a few weeks to be sure, but I think it's time to call it, the market has hit bottom! The result of good fundamental market trends (sales activity continues to be reliable, and new listings are coming on the market more slowly) hitting bottom means we'll see improvement in the real estate market in the future.  The graft below showing the total inventory of homes for sale shows that we now have fewer homes on the market today than at this time last year.                       This reduction in the number of homes for sale is in my mind the most important factor to consider when discussing the current market.  The current over supply (a Buyer's Market) is essentially the problem with real estate.  As supply comes into balance with demand, appreciation rates will start cli... 05/21/2008

Soapbox recently posted an article on the valuation of McMansions stating that "bigger houses are not always worth more than smaller houses".  As a Realtor in Minneapolis, working in older urban neighborhoods I witness this phenomena all the time, and commend Todd Huttunen for writing about it. In Southwest Minneapolis, Edina, St. Louis Park and other areas we are experiencing the replacement of old homes with new on a VERY routine basis.  And it's changed the whole game when priced homes.  I am specifically talking about highly prized neighborhoods, with solid historic housing, full of shopping and entertainment options, close to the city, but with safe desirable community.  The original housing in these neighborhoods, doesn't offer many of the elements people desire in their homes, i.... 05/21/2008

Single Family Homes April 2008 SW Minneapolis real estate market continues to improve this spring. April weather in our area was very finicky. Temperatures below average, rain and even some snow (mostly in western and northwestern Minnesota, those areas received 6-12 inches!). Since weekends are usually the time when most people shop for homes, the weather halted that activity a couple of times.As you see, there are many homes that have been on the market for months now. The total market time of currently active listings ranges from 1 day to whoping 487 days, and the average is 154 days on the market. Again, home owners whose homes are currently on the market are seeing an increased showing activity. Our appointment center is noting a significantly higher appointment call volume. Curren... 05/06/2008

Kim Melin | Coldwell Banker Burnet | 952-844-6246 5707 Thomas Ave, Mpls., MN Wonderul new master bedroom and master bath. Turn Key condition! 3 Bdrm Single Family House offered at $278,988 Year Built 1979 Sq Footage 1,752 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 2 full, 1 partial Floors 2 Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size Unspecified HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION Wow!Wait until you see this new beautiful master suite & private master BA!Don't miss the lg walk-in closet!"Wood" flring,ceramic tile,lg yd,updated decor & colors!LL FR c/b a home office or easy entertaining area.Many improvements,newer siding,facia,etc. see additional photos below PROPERTY FEATURES Central A/C Central heat Fireplace Walk-in closet Tile floor Family room Living room Dining room Dishwasher Refrigerator Stove/Oven Basement Washer... 05/02/2008

Kim Melin | Coldwell Banker Burnet | 952-844-6246 5707 Thomas Ave, Mpls., MN Wonderul new master bedroom and master bath. Turn Key condition! 3 Bdrm Single Family House offered at $278,988 Year Built 1979 Sq Footage 1,752 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 2 full, 1 partial Floors 2 Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size Unspecified HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION Wow!Wait until you see this new beautiful master suite & private master BA!Don't miss the lg walk-in closet!"Wood" flring,ceramic tile,lg yd,updated decor & colors!LL FR c/b a home office or easy entertaining area.Many improvements,newer siding,facia,etc. see additional photos below PROPERTY FEATURES Central A/C Central heat Fireplace Walk-in closet Tile floor Family room Living room Dining room Dishwasher Refrigerator Stove/Oven Basement Washer... 05/02/2008

For those of you who like to see major home renovations, including fantastic interior design, make sure to stop by this years American Society of Interior Design (ASID) Showcase Home. Minneapolis is home to the lucky home owner, Pat Fallon, who is moving into the Colonial located at 4300 Fremont Avenue South.Mr. Fallon is the founder of Fallon Worldwide, an advertising firm who had created famous ad campaigns, including the CitiBank ads where identity theft victims talk with voice overs from the people who stole from them. He recently purchased the home, built in 1905, in 2007 for $1.4 Million.The tour is packed full of ways to see the home. Either through cooking events, garden tours, wealth enhancement sessions, or wine & dines, there are many weekly events from May 16th to June 15th ... 04/30/2008

Signs of the BottomThey say you don't know the bottom until you reached it.  Real Estate markets move slowly, however, and the bottom of this market won't come up and slap us across the face, rather it will slowly emerge and turn into recovery over a 2-3 months time.I see the bottom, and feel it as well.  It's clearly visible in the current market stats, and I hear it at open houses, in the calls I receive and in the activity on my listings.The market stats for the past few weeks have been really nice.  New listings are down and pending sales are up.  The Twin Cities real estate market has fit bottom and is poised for recovery!Point 1: Fewer New Listings = Reduction in Supply The number of new listings in 2008 has been dramatically less than last year.  We are still over supplied with m... 04/27/2008