Working on a Short Sale in Minnesota

Let me tell you, working with a bank on a short sale sucks.There, I said it. Whew, I feel better...but I am sure it won't last long.For the past three weeks, I have been trying to keep a deal together with a client of mine. We finally had an offer submitted and quickly sent it

The Wonderful World of Foreclosures

One of the luxuries agents have when showing vacant homes is that you never quite know what you are going to find when you open the front door. I have a few clients that are looking at investing in some foreclosed homes around the Lake Nokomis area, so needless to say, I have shown quite

Can You Get a Deal from a Short Sale?

Quite simply, the answer is yes. While some banks are still having trouble stomaching taking a huge loss, many others are realizing the necessity of getting homes off their books, or keeping them off there in the first place. I am seeing many more short sales sold at low prices.Take, for example, a home that

Are Buyers Spoiled?

For the last few months, I have been working on and off again with several buyers, which is keeping me really busy. However it is proving difficult to find a home that each of them likes. Now, trust me, we are finding homes that are fantastic, but it seems buyers want the cake and to

After New Construction – Part 1

Many of you might have followed my series, Confessions of New Construction, which focused on my experiences while building our new home this last year. Now that we are moved in, the new phase of owning a home is beginning. My new series, while short, will highlight some of the things many people don't think

More Real Estate Education

The next two days I will be in at CRS class furthering my education on real estate topics. The class is called "Creating Wealth Through Real Estate Investing". Today was pretty much a numbers crunching game, because let's face it, investing in real estate is all about the numbers. Emotions should be checked at the

Don’t Pick Your Home Based on Schools

When ever I speak with a buyer client who has children, the most important question they want answered is whether a home is in a good school district. Because of fair housing laws, the question is a difficult one to answer. As real estate agents, we can't steer people to only one neighborhood, but have

Getting to Know the Area

This last weekend I had the pleasure of viewing homes with one of my clients in from out of state. We spend two days going between new construction and currently owned homes. A little less than half the homes were vacant, two being short sales and facing foreclosures. When I called the listing agents, they

New Loan Program Offered

The Minneapolis Advantage Loan Program - Great News for Minneapolis Home BuyersThe Minneapolis city council has recently approved a new loan program for buyers who purchase a single-family dwelling, or duplex, in Minneapolis neighborhoods that have experienced higher than normal levels of mortgage foreclosures. The program offers a $10,000 zero percent interest loan that is

Showing Home Etiquette

One thing that surprises buyers that come to the Twin Cities to look at homes is the house etiquette they must abide by. The number one rule is that upon entry, buyers and agents must remove their shoes before they venture further into the home.I have had many question the reason, but it is definitely