Minneapolis is known as the "City of Lakes" and nothing exemplifies it as much as its famous "Chain of Lakes". With 5 million visits each year, it is the most popular destination in the Minneapolis Park System. Its 13.3 miles of trails connect 5 city lakes and encircle Lake Harriet, Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles... they even have separate pedestrian and bike paths. It's hard to find a time when the paths aren't streaming with walkers and bikers out enjoying this treasure. Thanks to the forward thinking of the early park system's ambitious plans to preserve the city's natural beauty, the Minneapolis Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway is America's most important urban scenic byway. Its 50 miles encompass seven byway districts, interconnecting with each other as well as other trails t... 09/23/2012

The national market for foreclosed homes remains strong. According to foreclosure data firm RealtyTrac, foreclosure activity increased 1 percent in August as compared to the month prior, climbing to just above 193,500 units nationwide. 1 in every 681 U.S. households received some form of foreclosure filing last month where a "foreclosure filing" is any one of the following foreclosure-related events : A default notice on a home; a scheduled auction for a home; or, a bank repossession of a home. Default notices climbed in August which indicates that more U.S. homeowners are falling behind on payments. However, for the 22nd consecutive month, the number of bank repossessions fell. This suggests that lenders are reaching alternative outcomes to foreclosure more frequently, and with more su... 09/18/2012

Beginning as soon as next week, new, mandatory mortgage fees will push mortgage rates higher throughout Minneapolis and nationwide. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are raising their respective "guarantee fees". Guarantee fees are fees that mortgage-backed securities providers charge to lenders for mortgage-related services including the bundling, selling and reporting of mortgage-backed bonds.   Guarantee fees are also used to insure providers against credit-related losses.   As announced by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, effective for all conforming loans delivered to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, beginning November 1, 2012, guarantee fees will be raised by an average of 10 basis points per loan.   Conforming mortgages already average close to 30 basis points in guarantee fee per loan.   ... 09/07/2012

3843 Aldrich Ave. N will be on the NeighborhoodLIFT tour (www.neighborhoodlift.com). Open houses this weekend will be from noon to 5:00 this Friday and Saturday, September 7th & 8th. See 3843 Aldrich Ave. N here: http://www.tourfactory.com/907691  Information about the Neighborhood LIFT program can be found: www.neighborhoodlift.com Here is news clip from Fox9 News:http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=a3223ab3-0b57-443c-8cc4-6b5d8780ce58 Recent press: City of St. Paul PSA: http://youtu.be/Bin7Dsg2QMw   Star Tribune: http://www.startribune.com/business/167731595.html?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed&refer=y  St. Paul Pioneer Press: http://www.twincities.com/stpaul/ci_21419868/wells-fargo-gives-9-million-boost-housing-programs  KARE-TV: http://mms.tveyes.com/Play... 09/06/2012

I'm sure we can all agree that the highest and best use of the Internet is cat videos. In acknowledgement of that fact, the Walker Museum of Art in Minneapolis* sponsored the Internet Cat Film Festival last weekend. Their screening event had a live audience of more than 10,000. From among a huge number of submissions, the little gem below, Henri 2, Paw de Deux, was awarded the Golden Kitty as the Best Internet Cat Video. I doubt you'll disagree with their decision. And in case you want to completely wreck your chances of being productive today, or just need a break, here's a link to the full set of the films that were screened at the Festival: More Cat Videos Than You Can Shake A Stick At I particularly recommend Les Chats Ninjas, I Am Maru 4, and Talking Cats Play Pattycake, but I'm su... 09/05/2012

Located on the western edge of downtown Minneapolis, International Market Square (IMS) design center is Minnesota's largest renovated building. This former Munsingwear factory was in a location just edgy and funky enough to hint of Manhattan when it was renovated in the 1980s and was a hit with designers from the start. This historic building is also a Green Building, and has earned the prestigious ENERGY STAR designation from the Envirnomental Protection Agency. They currently save annual energy consumption equal to the amount of 218 households per year. Open to both the home/commercial design community and the public, IMS has more than seventy showrooms, studios, shops, galleries and restaurants... and is also the site of many special events in its dramatic 8-story atrium. Looking for... 08/26/2012

Park Vista Lofts will be the newest Mill District Loft and Condo development in a number of years and will be done by Shamrock Development who is one of the largest builders in the area. It's ideally located overlooking Gold Medal Park and will be kiddie corner to Bridgewater Lofts. Walking distance to the Guthrie, Stone Arch Bridge and all the amenities that the Minneapolis Mill District has to offer. Visit our site for other Mill District Lofts and Condos. Park Vista is expected to offer about 150 homes and will be 12 stories high when completed. (Park Vista Lofts Minneapolis video link.) 08/24/2012

The Smack Shack is considered to have some of the best lobster rolls in the country and will be a welcome addition to the North Loop neighborhood in downtown Minneapolis. It will be located across the street from Black Sheep Pizza which was just voted the 7th best pizza place in the country and The Loop Restaurant. Down the street is Bewhiched and Bar La Grassa which are all great dining options. It's one of the draws for North Loop condos and lofts residents to the growing neighborhood. For more informaiton on the area or moving to the area feel free to contact me. 08/24/2012

Wordless Wednesday - That Tells a Story..... This is a vendor at the Minneapolis Farmer's Market. Can't you just see a story in what he does as a farmer?                          Hats off to all farmers in this country working hard to supply our food.             08/21/2012

Have you noticed any foul odors in your basement that you just can't get to the bottom of?  It might be sewer gases coming in to your home.  Every plumbing fixture needs to be equipped with a trap, which is basically a dip in a pipe that water fills up.  This water sitting in the trap is what prevents sewer gases from coming in to your home.  The photo below shows a "P-trap" - this is the type of trap you'll find below sinks, showers, and bath tubs. Toilets have their own built in traps, and so do floor drains.  The trap on a floor drain is located below the surface of the floor - the photo below shows a floor drain as seen from the side. The problem that home inspectors often find in basements is that floor drains or other plumbing fixtures in the basement never have any water flowing ... 08/21/2012

The market for newly-built homes remains strong. As reported by the U.S. Census Bureau, July featured 502,000 single-family housing starts nationwide on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis, marking the fourth straight month during which single-family starts posted north of one-half million. The last time this milestone occurred was in the four months ending April 2010 -- the last month of that year's federal home buyer tax credit. A "housing start" is a home on which construction has started and the rise in single-family housing starts is yet one more signal to buyers in Minneapolis and nationwide that the housing market has likely put its worst days behind it. Home builders, it appears, agree with that sentiment. Last week, the National Association of Homebuilders reported builder ... 08/20/2012

08/19/2012

08/19/2012

Should you lease a new car, or should you buy one? Like most financial questions, the answer depends on your situation. For some people, leasing a car presents distinct economic advantages. For others, buying a car is the way to go. Here's the important highlights: Leasing allows you to drive a car that may be "too expensive" to purchase Leasing puts you in a new car, with the latest safety features and gadgets, every few years Buying a car means that you have no mileage limits, and can sell at any time For many people, it concludes, buying a car is preferable to leasing one, with a notable exception being those people who can claim their car or truck as a tax deduction. Be sure to check with your tax advisor if you plan to take that route. However, for another group -- homeowners and a... 08/15/2012

The Witch's Hat Water Tower that pierces the skyline along I-94 near the University of Minnesota is the symbol of Prospect Park, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Minneapolis and one of its best-kept secrets. Its hilly, winding streets, diverse architecture, progressive residents and proximity next to the University of Minnesota remind me of St. Anthony Park... not far away and next to the University's St. Paul campus. Both are very special, unique neighborhoods... but Prospect Park will also soon have the benefit of also having its own stop on the new Central Corridor Light Rail Transit line connecting Minneapolis and St. Paul. Originally a commuter suburb connected to the cities by street car line, the new LRT will also connect it to its roots. Pratt School and Community Center is at... 08/14/2012

The Midtown Greenway is an amazing 5.5 mile former railroad corridor cutting across south Minneapolis that was turned into a barrier-free bike and pedestrian trail. It extends from the lakes area between Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles all the way to the Mississippi River at W River Parkway and E 27th Street. When the Milwaukee Railroad built this major rail corridor in 1882 it was on the southern fringe of Minneapolis, but now it cuts through the heart of south Minneapolis paralleling Lake Street and serving a very ethnically and economically diverse community. In 1912 the rail line was placed in a trench below street level between Hennepin and Cedar Avenues. Today this makes the Greenway the quickest way to travel east-west across the city without the annoyance of street traffic..... 08/14/2012

80 U.S. metropolitan markets are showing "measurable and sustained growth" this month, according to the National Association of Homebuilders' Improving Market Index. It's good news for the economy and good news for housing. The NAHB's Improving Market Index is meant to identify U.S. markets in expansion. It's a composite of the three distinct data sets which, as a group, present a more holistic view of a given city's growth : From the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the IMI tracks employment figures From Freddie Mac, the IMI tracks home price data From the Census Bureau, the IMI tracks single-family building permits The home builder trade group compiles this data and, in order for a given metropolitan area to earn the label "improving", the area must meet two specific growth conditions. Fi... 08/09/2012

According to Underwriters Laboratories, clothes dryers are responsible for approximately 15,000 home fires each year.    It's not hard to believe.  Improperly installed and improperly maintained clothes dryer ducts are one of the most common issues that home inspectors find, but it's not that difficult to keep your clothes dryer safe.  Today I'll discuss dryer duct installations and maintenance. Installation In Minnesota, the installation requirements for clothes dryer ducts can be found in Section 504 of the Minnesota Mechanical Code.   I won't go over all of the requirements, but I will mention a few of the items that most people have questions about. Dryer duct length - the maximum allowable length for a clothes dryer duct is 25'.  Each 90 degree turn in the duct is worth 5', and eac... 08/06/2012

Oh What A Special Day Today Is!  Did you know,... We have another special birthday today!Yes!And I will give you a few hints as to who it is. Let's see; she is talented beyond belief, she has a very (perhaps that should be capitalized) sassy & fun sense of humor, ~ and ~ is one of the best friends one could hope for! Have you figured it out yet? Yep!That's right, who else could I be talking about?None other than our very own ActiveRain Superstar (and seriously, if you haven't subscribed to her blog posts yet you are truly missing out!), Shar Sitter!And in honor of her special day, I say we give her business a little Google Boost!  Let's get clickin'!       Now, here's the tricky part.  In order to give her website a Google +, you have to google her business as though you are searching f... 07/21/2012

Do I Have a Problem? No...Seriously! Home Staging Minneapolis MN Maybe I don't want you to answer that but I really do think I have a problem! I have been really busy lately. Super Busy. Especially with vacant home stagings. So one day last week I was packing for another Vacant Home Staging job and I was picking out throw pillows for the sofa, chairs, benches, bed, etc. You get the picture.      I was going up and down the 4 aisles of throw pillow shelving in my warehouse (one aisle shown above) when all of a sudden I was like "Oh gosh...I am almost out of pillows! My shelves are almost empty! What will I do?" For some reason I decided to count how few pillows I had left as my stock had never been this low.  Guess the number....No Really...Guess?? 7 remaining?  16 Remaining?? Nope...102... 07/12/2012