Throwback Thursday: The Apple of my Eye  We had a wonderful package arrive in the mail today, a shipment of 20 Haralson Apples from Aamodt's Apple Farm in Stillwater, MN.  We lived in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area of MN for about 2 1/2 years, quite a few years ago, and often went to the charming town of Stillwater, on the St. Croix River between MN and WI. There were some neat shops and restaurants there and we also discovered the area orchards.  In particular we grew to love Haralson apples - they have been hard to find elsewhere, even when living in apple country in suburban Boston (while we can go pick apples in Julian CA in the mountains an hour from Carlsbad, they just don't compare) so every now and then we order a box as a treat. Aamodt's also has Honeycrisp apples which are also... 10/08/2020

   The name, Stillwater just sounds tranquil and inviting, doesn’t it? The city, Stillwater Minnesota was named for the still waters of the St. Croix River that separates the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin. This vibrant area has roots deep in Minnesota history. In fact, Stillwater is often referred to as the birth place of Minnesota.  Those deep roots are just one of the things that drawn over 18,000 people to life in this historic community. Here is a top ten list of reasons why Stillwater is such a great place to live: #10-Eclectic Shopping. An afternoon stroll down Stillwater’s Main Street is full of eye candy! With dozens of shops with unique and antique wares, it is like visiting a museum or history center but with an opportunity to buy!  #9-Local Police and Fire. The city is p... 04/28/2017

  All real estate is locale and that is very evident in the 2017 Stillwater housing market. In the eastern Washington County community of Stillwater, MN there is an abundance of housing options available. This is quite a contrast to many parts of the metro where there are few homes available for sale. New listings are up a whopping 70% compared to January/February 2016. And the supply of inventory is also up considerably. The over 3 month supply of home is up nearly 39%.  The average sales price of a home sold is also up a bit, coming in at $312,963 compared to $295,331 in early 2016. Homes are currently bringing in an average price per square foot of $137 which is down quite a bit from the $147/sq ft that homes in Stillwater commanding last year at this time. Like most other north and... 03/20/2017

Turn-of-the-century architecture,  20th century rather than 21st that is, is often sought after by the nostalgic home buyer. Vintage homes, circa 1900, were often designed and constructed with unique rooms, window sizes, dormers, front & back porches, nooks & crannies, cedar closets and hand crafted woodwork. Finding an affordable vintage home to purchase that  is rich with authentic details intact can be challenge. Sometimes homes fall into disrepair and many larger homes have been re-imagined into multi-family homes and duplexes over the decades. Sometimes the search for an affordable historic home can take the home buyer across the Twin Cities metro area from Summit Avenue in St Paul to homes along the up on the hill in Stillwater. Vintage homes are sprinkled throughout  quaint neig... 09/08/2015

Living in Stillwater Minnesota just sounds peaceful, doesn’t it? The city was named for the still waters of the St. Croix River that separates Minnesota from Wisconsin and has roots deep in Minnesota history. In fact, Stillwater is often referred to as the birth place of Minnesota.  Those deep roots are just one of the things that drawn over 18,000 people to life in this historic community. Here is a top ten list of reasons why this Stillwater is such a great place to live: #10-Antique & Eclectic Shopping. An afternoon stroll down Stillwater’s Main Street is full of eye candy! With dozens of shops with unique and antique wares, it is like visiting a museum or history center but with price tags!  #9-Local Police and Fire. The city is proud to have its own police force as well as a profe... 06/29/2015

When I started in the real estate business over 15 years ago, my very first clients was young couple with 2 school aged daughters looking for a home that could accommodate the girls’ grandma living with them.  They wanted an “in-law” suite which was very hard to find at the time because few single family homes were designed for multigenerational living.  In the past few years, this is a much more common request. Many of today’s home buyers look for housing to accommodate two, three or more generations in one home. Not only do they want to bring aging parents/grandparents into the home, some families have grown children back from college or with children of their own, moving back to the family home to reduce expenses or have more childcare options. Siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles and o... 06/23/2015

 Large Lot for Sale in Stillwater, MN 11x Everett Street North, Stillwater, MN 55082 $109,000 Large lot on the North Hill Walking distance to downtown Stillwater Wide enough lot to allow an attached garage! Build your new dream home in a neighborhood with that old charm of the historic Stillwater district! View this lot on Google Maps! School District: Stillwater School District 834ISD 834 ranks among the highest-performing school districts in the state. Features:   Medium Tree Coverage Survey and Survey Stakes Platted Paved Streets Curbs & Sidewalks Storm Sewer     Available Utilities:   Electric Natural Gas City Water City Sewer Telephone Cable TV   Call Ryan for More Info!Ryan Bretzel Mobile: 612.750.4887Ryan@TwinCitiesHomeSearch.com www.TwinCitiesHomeSearch.com 05/20/2015

Updated & Well-Maintained Home Located on a Quiet Cul-de-sac in Stillwater, MN 5 Bedroom/2 Bath ~ 3 Bedrooms on the Main Level In-Ground Heated Swimming Pool with Deck Awesome 3-Season Patio Room/Sunroom ~ Great for Pool Parties & Entertaining Well-maintained home on quiet cul-de-sac. Awesome 3-season sunroom for pool parties. In-ground heated pool with new heater and winter cover and newer liner. The patio room/sunroom is convenient to the pool and great for pool parties, gatherings, and entertaining. The patio room has vaulted ceilings, kitchen cabinets, sink, refrigerator, ceiling fan, and more. Step outside onto a new paver patio in this beautiful, fenced backyard that is great for relaxing or entertaining. The pool has a diving board, deck, new heater, and new winter cover. The poo... 12/17/2014

Welcome to 618 Myrtle Street West in Stillwater, MN Victorian era home built by a wealthy prison guard in 1873. The home has been renovated and updated to be functional for today's busy lifestyles. The new kitchen includes cherry cabinets, granite countertops, and slate floors. The home also has a large and updated master suite. Most of the home has maple hardwood floors (the kitchen, dining room, and 1/2 bath have stunning slate floors & the upper bath has its original oak floor). This private oasis has been professionally landscaped and is almost ½ an acre with paver paths, paver patio, gazebo and low-maintenance perrenials. RARE finds in a historic home: a large 3-car garage, 14 X 32 carriage house, and 37 X 20 X 6 kennel/fenced area. This sun-filled home has 10' ceilings, is full of... 09/03/2014

A recent study of many large and small mortgage lenders found that lenders (and /or borrowers) are being careless with personal and financial data.   The study found that nearly 70% of surveyed lenders encouraged faxing sensitive data and more than 40% were given the option of sending information by postal mail and only 12% offered a SECURE PORTAL.     “When asked why a secure email portal was not offered to applicants several of the surveyed lenders responded that it was a matter of what the customer was most comfortable with.”  One anonymous lender told survey takers that less-than-secure practices were easier for lenders as well as customers.   The suggested options for getting documents to me so I can review and pre-underwrite your file are listed below in the preferred order:   1. ... 07/12/2014

I have always loved the look of ivy growing over a trellis and marveled at the beauty of home covered in vines. But when is a creeping ivy just too much of a good thing?  This photo of a store front in Stillwater, Minnesota shows this ivy almost completely covers the brick. One has to wonder whether the vine growth could be damaging the bricks underneath. So, what do you think? Is it divine or time to de-vine this building?  10/03/2012

Are you looking for Stillwater homes for sale? Recent MLS statistics show that transactions are up significantly over last year. Whether you are a Minnesota first time home buyer, moving up from a previous home or an investor, today is a great time to be looking for a home in Stillwater. With a combination of record low interest rates and reduced property values, housing payments haven’t been this affordable in decades. You will want to understand the 3 basic types of properties listed for sale. Foreclosures in Stillwater Foreclosures often represent a great value for today’s home buyer. When a bank owns the home they want to sell it quickly as they are responsible for maintenance, utilities, and property taxes There is a lot of competition from home buyers today when a foreclosure come... 03/08/2012

First Time Homebuyer Real Estate Stillwater MN      Stillwater, Minnesota and surrounding communities like Oak Grove Heights and Bayport do have opportunities for the first time homebuyer. Well priced single family homes and townhomes can be found throughout the area. With home prices averaging $116/square foot compared to $90/sq foot in other eastern metro communities, it may take some searching. But deals can be found for first time homebuyers who are diligent in their home search.   In the eastern Washington County community of Stillwater, MN new listings and average sales price were the only real estate indicators with a significant year to year change from 2010 to 2011. New listings were down nearly 21% from 662 in 2010 to 518 in 2011, while closed sales were up by less than 1%. Th... 02/26/2012

Home Sales Statistics Stillwater MN 2011       In the eastern Washington County community of Stillwater, MN new listings and average sales price were the only real estate indicators with a significant year to year change from 2010 to 2011. New listings were down nearly 21% from 662 in 2010 to 518 in 2011, while closed sales were up by less than 1%. The average sales priced dropped just over 5% to $246,480, down from $260,161 in 2010. Homes are bringing in an average price per square foot of $116 which is much better than other communities in the northeast Minneapolis/St. Paul area but still down a bit from $120/sq ft that homes in Stillwater were getting on average in 2010.  Like most other north and east metro suburbs, sellers are getting just over 90% of their asking price; also down ... 02/14/2012

One increasingly common mortgage option in Stillwater for home buyers is available through lenders who offer loans guaranteed by the Veteran's Administration. This type of financing has increased nationally by about 20% over the last couple of years due in part to the increasing number of our veterans returning from the service. Additionally with the loss of other options for zero down payment loans in Minnesota, the VA offers a benefit that offers eligible buyers a unique opportunity to buy their home with no down payment. Many veteran home buyers misunderstand the fact that they may use their VA financing benefit multiple times. As a result veterans do not necessarily need to be a first time buyer in order to use their VA benefit. This can be a perfect solution for veteran's who own h... 08/17/2011

Stillwater Rental Homes: Should I Rent Or Buy A Home? If you are looking for Stillwater rental homes, pause for a couple of minutes and consider the difference in renting homes versus buying one. Since it is more expensive today to rent homes than to buy one isn’t it at least worth it to consider saving some money by buying Minnesota real estate? Stillwater rental homes, of course, typically have the advantage that you can get be released of a lease arrangement in about one year's time. I want you to remember that this advantage comes at a cost, however, , in that your rent payments will often times exceed those of a house payment. In addition, the security deposit for the rental may actually be more than the entry cost required for buying a home when considering all of the down payment... 08/16/2011

We're mid-way through the summer, and you may be wondering if you've missed your best chance at finding a home in Stillwater, Minnesota. The answer is "no"! It's true that many home owners list their homes for sale in the spring, because many buyers want to be moved into their new homes well before school begins. But there are other advantages to finding homes for sale later in the summer! Good deals on the "leftovers" If you're looking at "old" (i.e. initially listed in April or May) listings, it's very probable that the price on the homes are finally at the level they should have started at. If they didn't sell when listed, it's possible that the sellers priced them too high. Meanwhile, April and May buyers moved on to others homes and bought, leaving perfectly good homes on the marke... 07/07/2011

If you are selling or plan to sell your river front home in Stillwater, MN, you know that there’s been plenty of bad news in the housing industry to go around for the past few years. And although we’re not ready to jump up and down and declare the beginning of a huge upswing, it’s good to note the hopeful signs on the housing market horizon. There were fewer home sales closed in Minnesota in May 2011 than one year ago (down by nearly 17%). However, the number of pending sales was up 13.2%, and the number of new listings was also up 10%. These numbers are good indicators of progress moving forward. As well, the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors (MAAR) reported that distressed properties made up 41.8 percent of pending sales during May for the Twin Cities 13-county area. That’s sti... 06/15/2011

The World Didn’t End on May 21st, but the Twin Cities Real Estate Rapture is Coming Soon! The dreaded Double Dip is upon us! Are you a little bit curious about what comes next? If you don’t currently own and are looking to buy a home, you may be tenting your fingers together, putting on your best Mr. Burns impression and saying, “Eeeexcelent.” If you own a home, whether you need to sell or not, you may be asking yourself, “What happened to the American Dream of home ownership?!” Maybe you also added a few expletives… You probably heard that the Twin Cities (or as the rest of the country calls us: Minneapolis) recently had the largest drop in home values in the country. Every listing I represent called and told me about it the next day, as if I was under some self-imposed media blackout!... 06/08/2011

If you’re considering buying a home in Stillwater, Minnesota, or selling your Stillwater house, there are many reasons why getting a quality inspection should be on your to-do list. This recent interview with a seasoned home inspector sheds light on why a careful home inspection protects both buyers and sellers. As Mr. Johnson notes, an inspection is far more than the cursory “inspection” that potential buyers perform when evaluating whether a home might work for them. A professional home inspection involves looking at a home through multiple magnifying glasses – looking for heating issues, plumbing issues, structural issues, water damage issues, etc., etc. Most buyers are aware that a quality home inspection can potentially save them from being stuck with expensive home repairs. But wh... 05/17/2011