Sharlene Hensrud's (shensrud) Blog

Most Americans apparently think the ideal age for buying your first home is 28, according to a new Bankrate.com report. While that may be the ideal age in theory, the median age of actual first-time homebuyers was 32 for the second year in a row, according to the National Association of Realtors....

It’s hard to miss the distinctive new cantilevered building at the corner of Larpenteur and Cleveland in St. Paul. It may be easier to miss that this is the University of Minnesota’s fabulous new new Bell Museum of Natural History. But don’t miss it… it is beautiful, amazing and wondrous!We visit...

School districts are often top on buyer’s checklists if they have kids, but there are more things to consider than school district if kids are in your present or future. Nevertheless, since school districts are top on the many lists let’s start there.School DistrictsKeep in mind that great school...

I had a recent closing with a family relocating to the Twin Cities from England… they saw their home in person for the first time right before closing! She said people thought they were crazy buying their new home sight unseen, but they are scientists and work all over the world… they have lived ...

Last month average sale price was higher than list price for the first time on record. This month it is even a little higher, at 100.3%.  Keep in mind this is the average so not every property sells for a price higher than list price… but consider yourself lucky in this market if you are not in a...

Wondering whether you should list your home for sale this year? I just talked to a woman last night who said she heard the market is starting to slow down. That may be, but the biggest cause of the market slow-down isn’t lack of buyer demand, it is lack of inventory!What I think is the biggest in...

Have you been thinking about downsizing? Tired of steps and taking care of the yard and rooms you don’t use? Dreaming about a townhome but worried there aren’t any on the market right now?The link below is to some town homes currently listed for sale by various real estate brokers in Northstar Re...

Summer seems to brings out questions about simplifying for people who own multiple homes, especially in retirement. Do you sell the lake cabin? sell your primary residence? sell your winter home?I am working with sellers right now who own a townhouse in the metro area, and have also owned a lake ...

I confess to being an ice cream snob, and am always seeking out handcrafted ice cream. When I read that Sweet Science Ice Cream was opening a real brick-and-mortar storefront this summer at Keg and Case Market at 928 W Seventh Street in St. Paul we made a special trip to check it out last weekend...

People who haven’t sold a home in decades are sometimes afraid to sell because of all the taxes they fear they will have to pay… over $100,000 is a lot of capital gain!Not everyone knows that most home-sale profit is now tax free. If you have lived in your home for two of the past five years befo...