Robert Vegas Bob Swetz will be in Minnesota Oct 19-26 2016 That's right Vegas Bob will be bonding with his father that just turn 80 years old in September, hanging out with my older sister, cousins, aunts & uncles and some very close friends. The last time Vegas Bob was in Minnesota was around 5 years ago so it will be very fun and exciting.And with the Vikings at 5 wins and 0 losses this year I hope I don't jinx them when they play Philadelphia on Sunday.Vegas Bob will be bonding and driving around Mora, Milacs Lake, Minneapolis, Aiktin, Owatona, Brooklyne Center, Fridley, Minnetonka and Plymouth just to name a few places. GO VIKINGS 10/17/2016

Houses are just tired sometimes and need some new life. That was the case at this property in New Hope, MN.Most of the changes were very light cosmetic things. Paint, flooring and new lighting. The kitchen and bathrooms did however get a full makeover bringing them into the current decade.Take a look! First impressions are key and this is the room you see right inside the front door. Yes the room was painted but the key to this room was exposing the original hardwood floors under the carpet. Having them refinished added extra glam and shine.        Paint and light fixtures are huge when updating a  house. What I want to point out here too is the lack of carpet in the Dining Room. Carpet in a dining area is a dated look and no one wants carpet under a dining room table anymore. Worth cha... 10/05/2016

I love to turn old things into new. If I had more time I would have a blog just on DIY trash to treasure projects. So whenever I do have the time for a project I get so excited.This latest project sat in a corner for a couple years and I finally got it out and finished it. What took me so long? It literally took me about an hour to do.Here's the story of this trash to treasure find:I staged a vacant house a few years back where the homeowner had passed away. The home was built in the 1940s (with a stunning view I might add) and the basement was filled with items the children didn't want. One of the children said I could have whatever I wanted but I did pay her. I just couldn't walk out with her Mother's things for nothing. I found a few true treasures in my eyes.  You know those candle ... 09/12/2016

 The Nokomis Knoll Residential Historic District exemplifies one type of urban subdivision that transformed the rural fringe of American cities in the early 20th century. The District stands today as a reflection of community planning and development practices utilized in Minneapolis from 1922 through 1948. These practices evolved as a direct result of the nationwide emergence of a substantial middle and upper-middle class, whose numbers exploded during the early 20th century.In addition, the District represents the first wave of residential development in this country where individual garages were standard amenities, a nod to the growing number of private automobiles among middle-class families. [See: Automobile Suburbs, 1908 to 1945] Furthermore, houses in the Nokomis Knoll Residentia... 08/21/2016

If a chair could tell a story I wonder what it would say? Especially this chair.  I saw this chair in a house that was going to be remodeled; I was hired to do all the design selections and then stage it. When I saw the chair I knew it was a classic, well made and had been a stunner in it's day. Who had owned it? What stories had it heard?       The house had basically been abandoned after a death and estate issue. I asked the investor if I could have the chair and he said "sure." I called my upholsterer, had him pick it up and I went on a hunt for fabric. It got a new look, face lift, some new guts and delivered back to me all spiffed up.When I went to stage this home I just knew the chair had to go back for one more HURRAH! To say "Here I am back to my full glory!" Here is the chair, ... 08/14/2016

The Stevens Square Historic District provides an overview of apartment designs popular in Minneapolis in the period 1912-1926. A standard Renaissance Revival formula is evident on the exterior of most apartment buildings in the District. Nearly all buildings have dark red or dark brown face brick at the facade, and, except for those at corner locations, most are constructed of a light tan common brick at the sides and rear. [Hennepin County, MN] [ Map ]  08/05/2016

I stage every kind of home. Old, new, renovated, remodeled, big, small and everything in between. That's why my job is so much fun. It is never the same. Ever.Recently I staged a new construction home for a builder. Beautiful home, large home and as always fun to do. Take a look! Huge Office:      Stunning Formal Dining Room with Bling!     And yes, the Great Room is great! Look at that fireplace:            Very large informal eating area. Open concept!        Check out this kitchen. Copper Sink!        Bonus Room great for the kiddos opposite their bedrooms:   HUGE Master Bath:     The Master Bedroom speaks for itself. AAAhhh.......  Hope you enjoyed seeing what's out there in new construction. Always fun to see pictures of great homes. Shar Sitter, owner Rooms With Style Home Staging... 07/28/2016

When I asked a client to give me a list of 10 things he liked about living in Bryn Mawr it didn't take him long to come up with this list!1. Convenience to downtown MinneapolisA neighborhood shaped as uniquely as its character, it is hard to get a location more convenient to downtown Minneapolis than Bryn Mawr. The Penn Avenue entrance to I-394 gives easy access to everywhere. But even better if your destination is downtown, avoid the freeway crush and come in through the back door on Cedar Lake Road to Glenwood Avenue straight to the Farmer’s Market, Target Field and the rest of downtown.2. Great businessesThe corner of Cedar Lake Road and Penn Avenue South is the heart of the business district... it even includes a gasoline service station. Stop in at Cuppa Java and meet the neighbors... 06/29/2016

I'm sure we real estate agents in Sacramento and elsewhere around the country could fill up a book with stories about what happens among our clients when there is a death in the family. The in-fighting and backstabbing can be surreal. The one place, though, that I did not expect to see this sort of thing was in my own family in Minneapolis, but no idea why I would think we're special or exempt from this. We're not any different.In fact, when I paused to reflect, there was more that came up. You can read about this in my personal blog today at this link: The Evil Side Lurking After a Death in the Family. 06/19/2016

Because so many of you shared your stories with me and lent support when I went to Minneapolis to see my dying brother, I feel it's only fair to let you know he has finally died. It happened over the weekend sometime. My sister thinks maybe Sunday, but she's not entirely certain because my brother's wife was rather unclear when she called my sister yesterday. He was in so much pain that the hopsice people came to his house and put him into a semi-coma on Friday. Pumped up the drugs to a point where he could no longer talk.One of the things I managed to do when I was in Minneapolis last week to say goodbye was to try to introduce my brother's wife to a Minneapolis real estate agent from AR, Michael Weiland. She said she was dumping her house as soon as he left it. I imagine that would ha... 06/14/2016

Most of my clients take care of trash and junk removal before I ever meet up with them. Like, a few weeks ago I listed a home in Sacramento in which the previous seller had died in the living room. Her friend, a successor trustee drove up from southern California, called her daughter from Nevada, and then posted an ad on CraigsList. By the time I got over there with the paperwork, trucks were already half-full with dressers, tables, a sofa, etc.It is also easy to rent a dumpster for a day or two and throw away stuff yourself. But that was not an option at my sister's house in Minneapolis. You can read more about that exciting adventure and see my niece clutching a never-used crockpot at this link: Junk Removal is a Rising Business in Real Estate. 06/03/2016

My sister never learned how to install a faucet. I asked if she knew how to change a tire, and she said yes, I remember your advice to stand outside my vehicle and wave. I know how to do many home improvement projects, in part because I enjoy them and in part because I never have to depend on somebody else to make a complete mess of things.I dragged my sister in Minneapolis over to Home Depot yesterday afternoon, after we finished visiting my brother. You can read more in my personal blog today and see the photos at this link: Visit to Minneapolis to Say Goodbye to My Brother. 06/02/2016

In my first two posts in this Curb Appeal series I address Inexpensive Curb Appeal Tips as well as Moderately Priced Improvements. Now I want to address those that are more expensive.Almost everyone needs to do the Inexpensive Improvements if they are selling their home or as regular maintenance while they live in their home. Most home owners will fall into needing to do some of the Moderately priced items as well.Not as many homeowners will need to do the "Big Ticket" items but if the home is a higher end property you may need to do these for selling. Otherwise these are things you would want to do for your enjoyment now that will add value and a larger return on your investment down the road when you sell.Replace Driveway and/or replace sidewalk with pavers:  There comes a point when ... 05/16/2016

On my last post I gave a list of some Inexpensive Curb Appeal Tips. There are some improvements that you will need to make to your home, whether living or staying that will have huge impact and still be reasonable.1) Replace Exterior Light Fixtures: If the fixtures are tarnished, faded or bright brass it is time to replace them. You may even consider increasing the size of the fixture. All too often I see very small tiny light fixtures on large homes. Make a statement!!      2) Replace or Update Shutters: I am needing to replace mine soon too! Over time they begin to fade and the color that was chosen in the 90s may not be the best color now. A more updated style may be a nice upgrade as well. 3) Replace Front Door: In my "Inexpensive Upgrade" post I listed painting the front door but a... 05/11/2016

Homes For Sale Minneapolis St Paul Minnesota Robert SwetzRobert Swetz aka Vegas Bob spent most of his younger years in Minneapolis Minnesota with his parents and hundreds of relatives.Minnesota is called the Land of 10,000 Lakes and actually there are more lakes than 10,000.Here are some photographs of homes with snow and without snow, and the snow has melted and been gone for many months now. The trees are budding, growing leaves and the grass has been turning green for quite some time.Robert spent most of his younger years fishing lakes in Brainerd, Crosby, Aitkin,Grand Rapids, Mille Lacs, Minnetonka and many other areas.The state fish in Minnesota is the Walleye and the photo above was taken at Mille Lacs Lake in northern Minnesota during the winter of course.There are beautiful home... 04/16/2016

When I was a kid growing up in Minneapolis, we spent a lot of our time outdoors at Minnehaha Falls and playing along the Mississippi River. Unlike some people, I find Mississippi easy to spell. In fact, we learned how to spell Mississippi in grade school as a jingle: mis - sis - si - ppi. I still can't spell Connecticut or Cincinnati because there are no jingles, but fortunately I don't have to spell either of those words very often. Many cities, though, were formed along river banks. It's where our Native Americans settled, to be near a water source.Now that I live close to the Sacramento River in Land Park, Sacramento, I find myself intimately familiar with wild skunks. We don't do much with the river except go bike riding along the levee or glance at the water as we drive over Busine... 03/23/2016

People who live in Minneapolis know they have something special, and now there some national recognition of it. A median price of $251,000 makes it reasonably affordable to purchase, and with one of the highest percentage of bikers (The pedal kind) that actually ride their bikes to work! In a recent Realtor.com article, Minneapolis was named the 5th Trendiest and most Affordable City to buy a home in. Read the whole article HERE Search for homes for sale in Minneapolis NOW      Stieg Strand Broker/Realtor, RE/MAX Results Tel: 952.942.4750 | Mobile: 612.490.2121 stieg@results.net | www.mnhomereports.com          Fast way to find out how much ANY home is really worth?  03/10/2016

 Home Prices in Minneapolis 55410 in February 2016  Home Prices in Minneapolis MN 55410 for February 2016Real estate market data for Minneapolis MN 55410 provided by Marzena M. Melby of Coldwell Banker Burnet Realty. Minneapolis Home Prices We have seen flactualtions in home prices in Minneapolis MN 55410 during 2015, but they were mostly increasing due to shortage of inventory. At this point, the real estate market in Minneapolis MN 55410 is fast and do not expect it to slow down anytime soon. If you are considering buying a home you can still find deals on a house in Minneapolis but having a good real estate agent who understands the market is a must. Don’t wait on the sidelines for too long, many of our listings are starting to sell within a few days of hitting the market. As you can... 02/23/2016

 Home Prices in Minneapolis 55419 in February 2016  Home Prices in Minneapolis MN 55419 for February 2016Real estate market data for Minneapolis MN 55419 provided by Marzena M. Melby of Coldwell Banker Burnet Realty. Minneapolis Home Prices We have seen flactualtions in home prices in Minneapolis MN 55419 during 2015, but they were mostly increasing due to shortage of inventory. At this point, the real estate market in Minneapolis MN 55419 is fast and do not expect it to slow down anytime soon. If you are considering buying a home you can still find deals on a house in Minneapolis but having a good real estate agent who understands the market is a must. Don’t wait on the sidelines for too long, many of our listings are starting to sell within a few days of hitting the market. As you can... 02/22/2016

If you are thinking about remodeling or renovating be sure you take the time to think about what is relevant now. Here is a perfect example.... This past summer I updated my kitchen and my last post "New Year. New Face" showed the before and after photos. I am so glad I did the kitchen!  One of the things that was in the kitchen was a built-in desk.      This was something that was hot in the 90's and you saw it in all new construction homes. My home was built in 1999 thus the desk. It looks great at first until you realize no one every sits there and it becomes a dumping ground for everything. See mine?? Major clutter zone! Builders do not put these directly in kitchens any more as no one wants them.  When I was remodeling I took the time to see how much it would cost to convert that d... 02/02/2016