You have to take a look at this wonderful condo I just listed. Minutes from the mega mall and the airport. Close driving distance to both downtowns. If you don’t need it, please pass it along. This is a steal.
Sometimes it’s so hard to find information when you need it. 
How do you maintain the different components of a house? What’s going on in the real estate market? How can I make the most energy efficient improvements to my home? What’s the latest in mortgage and tax information? Do I need to buy different insurances for my home? These are all great questions to be answered. Check out House Logic.
HouseLogic is a free source of information and tools—from the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®—that can help you make smart and timely decisions about your home. With content covering home improvement, maintenance, taxes, finance, insurance, and even ways you can get involved in and enrich your community, HouseLogic can help you increase and protect the value of your home by helping you make confident decisions.
For more localized information about your real estate market, contact me today. I have access to information about your area, even your block! Relying on zillow.com and other real estate based websites is a mistake. Their information is only as good as the agents who participate in such websites. So, the information is very limited. Contact me, a local professional for information on Minneapolis homes for sale, or homes for sale in Minneapolis areas like Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet. I also have lots of information on downtown Minneapolis lofts for sale and homes for sale in the Western suburbs of Minneapolis.
Susan Hofflander is a seasoned real estate professional, providing real estate consultations for home buyers and sellers in the Twin Cities since 1994. Susan specializes in homes for sale in Lake Calhoun/Lake Harriet, Minneapolis, Plymouth, MN, Minneapolis Western Suburban Cities and Downtown Minneapolis Lofts.
Have you ever dreamed of living downtown? The hustle and bustle of people, nightlife, cultural activities, trendy restaurants and bars, sporting events, the works. Not to mention being able to walk to so many things and not have to rely on a car or even, in the nice weather, public transportation. I believe the Twin Cities are finally starting to catch on and catch up in the public transportation realm. We have the Northstar Railway from Big Lake to downtown Minneapolis. Then, there’s the light rail going up the Hiawatha corridor. There are still buses that connect Minneapolis to St. Paul and all of their surrounding suburbs. So, now that we know we can get around, there is no reason not to live the dream.
It’s always been a fantasy of mine to live the high life of an independent (and independently wealthy) woman in a downtown condo with a fabulous view. Many young people are making their homes in one of these places with exquisite views of downtown Minneapolis or St. Paul, views of the river and the falls, or views looking East or West of the City for miles. But, it’s not just for singles anymore. Many young married couples are engaging in this life style before the kids come along. And, many retiring baby boomers are looking for a new experience once the kids are grown and gone or once they have fulfilled their suburban dream. Some folks that live in small town areas are even purchasing downtown Minneapolis lofts for sale as something called an “urban cabin”. That allows them to come to town to go to the Guthrie or a Minnesota Opera production at the Ordway, or grab a Wild game at the X-Cel or enjoy the brand new Twins stadium on a wonderful spring day.
This article elaborates on the theme of families living a downtown loft. There are certainly more educational opportunities available these days in downtown areas to make it do-able.
Looking for information about downtown Minneapolis lofts and condos? You’ve come to the right place! Contact me today to get more answers to your specific questions.
Susan Hofflander is a seasoned real estate professional, providing real estate consultations for home buyers and sellers in the Twin Cities since 1994. Susan specializes in homes for sale in Lake Calhoun/Lake Harriet, Minneapolis, Plymouth, MN, Minneapolis Western Suburban Cities and Downtown Minneapolis Lofts.Are
If you’ve been living in the Twin Cities of Minnesota for any length of time, you’re quite aware of where you want to go to see the best Christmas light displays. In St. Paul, there’s beautiful Rice Park across from the Ordway and the St. Paul Hotel. They always do a fabulous job. And, of course there’s the amazing Holidazzle Parade that takes place each year in downtown Minneapolis. This year, it runs Thursdays through Sundays until December 20th, starting at 6:30pm.
In St. Paul, there’s the Grand Meander. The main shopping event with bargains galore happened on December 5th, but the lights are a sight to behold. Don’t miss it. Minneapolis still boasts the Santaland Holiday Show, held in the now Macy’s (formerly Marshall Field’s, before that, Daytons 
I’m still bitter) downtown store on Nicollet Ave. It’s a huge animatronic holiday display that the Daytons store started over 50 years ago!
Finally, I think I like to just hop in my car and drive around the Lake Harriet and Lake Calhoun neighborhoods of Minneapolis. Or bundle up warm and walk around those lakes in winter. The lights shining on the lake are so beautiful. Stop for a hot chocolate along the way in Linden Hills. Personal holiday displays on homes in the Lake Harriet or Lake Calhoun areas are the best!
Let this article be your guide to finding more information on light displays for St. Paul and Minneapolis areas.
Contact me today to get a closer look at any homes for sale in the Lake Harriet or Lake Calhoun neighborhoods of Minneapolis.
Susan Hofflander is a seasoned real estate professional, providing real estate consultations for home buyers and sellers in the Twin Cities since 1994. Susan specializes in homes for sale in Lake Calhoun/Lake Harriet, Minneapolis, Plymouth, MN, Minneapolis Western Suburban Cities and Downtown Minneapolis Lofts.
Well, it’s about time we have some good news in the housing market. The S&P/Case-Shiller home price index reports home price increases in 17 of the 20 most watched housing markets. Topping the list, MINNEAPOLIS HOMES FOR SALE! Minneapolis housing market saw a 3.2% increase, more than any other of the most watched housing markets nationwide. Still declining, Las Vegas, Charlotte and Cleveland.
So, how much longer are you going to wait for our market to “hit bottom”. As is often written here, if you wait for the media to report it, it’s already happening. Prime example, readers! The media is reporting that our Minneapolis housing market is leading the nation in price increases. Hmmmm, couple that with the tax incentives offered to ALL home buyers of homes for sale in Minneapolis neighborhoods, like Lake Calhoun, Lake Harriet, or other Minneapolis cities like Plymouth MN, Maple Grove Mn, and any downtown Minneapolis lofts for sale, it seems like it would be important to get your ducks in a row to start your property search process, like, yesterday.
Read on for more details on the 20 important housing markets being tracked by S&P.
Contact me right away to find out how to get started!!! Have a house to sell? Give me a call to set up your appointment for a free market analysis.
Susan Hofflander 763-438-7249
Susan Hofflander is a seasoned real estate professional, providing real estate consultations for home buyers and sellers in the Twin Cities since 1994. Susan specializes in homes for sale in Lake Calhoun/Lake Harriet, Minneapolis, Plymouth, MN, Minneapolis Western Suburban Cities and Downtown Minneapolis Lofts.
We are experiencing an unprecedented time in real estate history with the HUGE wave of short sales and foreclosures since 2006/2007. There are so many overextended mortgagors out there, it almost seems like this tide (more like a Tsunami) will never end. Are there people who went in to risky mortgages even in the face of a financial picture that would never sustain that mortgage? Yes. Were there unscrupulous lenders who took advantage of people who didn’t really know what they were getting in to? Yes. Was there major mortgage fraud that occurred because of such lax lending standards that only required the borrower to fog a mirror to render them eligible for a mortgage? Yes.
But, are there people out there now who are under the pressure of extensive medical bills, or sudden unemployment or other situations beyond their control that prevent them from being able to honor their original commitment to their lender by making their full payments on time? A resounding YES!!! With unemployment numbers at around 10%, there are many people who want to do the right thing, but can’t afford it. A short time ago, these same circumstances may have led people to borrow against the equity in their homes to “fill in the gaps.” But, the decline in the housing market has caused many home owners to become “upside down” in their mortgage. That means they owe more to the mortgage company than their house is worth. So, there is NO equity to draw from.
Lenders are not doing their part to make this debacle any easier. They are holding too many cards. They are receiving tax payer money to assist them to meet their financial obligations. And yet, many of the lenders feel no obligation to pass the stabilization along to the homeowners/taxpayers who provided for payment of this money. So, they enjoy this allowance and yet will not adhere to any requirements to ease the hardship of their clients. Why must they be forced to do so? Why do we have to hold their feet to the fire to get them to do the right thing? Astounding really.
Read this article for more info on how the current administration is implementing programs to hold the lenders accountable for this lack of compliance.
Need some suggestions on your alternatives? Give me a call or contact me today.
Susan Hofflander is a seasoned real estate professional, providing real estate consultations for home buyers and sellers in the Twin Cities since 1994. Susan specializes in homes for sale in Lake Calhoun/Lake Harriet, Minneapolis, Plymouth, MN, Minneapolis Western Suburban Cities and Downtown Minneapolis Lofts.
Housing sales are up for the 16th consecutive month, year over year. That means homes have been selling in increasing numbers every month. As a matter of fact, home sales for the month of October are up 34% over what they were on October of ’08. Why is this important to you? Why is it valuable information for sellers and buyers of homes for sale in Minneapolis, whether they are homes for sale near Lake Harriet or Lake Calhoun; homes for sale in Plymouth or Maple Grove? Because this information tells us where we’ve been, where we are now and how far we have to go to get to an evenly balanced real estate market. Prices are somewhate stabilized, but they are decidedly lower than they were at the height of the market in 2005. At that time, median home prices were somewhere around $220K. Now, they struggle to stay at $175K. So, while the lower end of the housing market, price wise, is selling very well, the middle and high end homes are remaining on the market longer and experiencing more significant dips in price.
This video will provide all the current information as of November 2009, including info about the tax credit changes.
Do you have a house to sell in Minnneapolis near Lake Calhoun or Lake Harriet, or in the Western suburbs of Minneapolis? You need to call a 15 year expert of the real estate industry who is up on the latest in technology and real estate trends, but can give you the benefit of long term perspective.
Contact me today!
Susan Hofflander is a seasoned real estate professional, providing real estate consultations for home buyers and sellers in the Twin Cities since 1994. Susan specializes in homes for sale in Lake Calhoun/Lake Harriet, Minneapolis, Plymouth, MN, Minneapolis Western Suburban Cities and Downtown Minneapolis Lofts.
| 11/17/2009 | ||
| 6:30 pm | to | 8:00 pm |
From his experience of owning 15 rental properties, Ryan O’Neill will teach you a concrete, non-infomercial way to build wealth through real estate. This seminar will be a one and a half hour presentation in regards to wealth building through real estate. There is no charge at all, no contracts you sign with us, no consultation fees, no hidden agenda. The seminar simply will be an excellent opportunity for you to learn more about our process: how you get pre-approved, what type of low-down loan product to choose, and then how we step you through the process of finding the home and helping you get it rented out. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced investor, this will be a great chance for you to learn more about how you can build your long term wealth through buying real estate. Our team leader, Ryan O’Neill owns 15 single-family homes, and our mortgage coach Rob Bonahoom has over 20 properties. All of us have experienced the benefits of real estate, and we’re excited to share a free seminar with you on how you too can get into the game (or continue on).Susan Hofflander is a seasoned real estate professional, providing real estate consultations for home buyers and sellers in the Twin Cities since 1994. Susan specializes in homes for sale in Lake Calhoun/Lake Harriet, Minneapolis, Plymouth, MN, Minneapolis Western Suburban Cities and Downtown Minneapolis Lofts.
What’s the difference? So many people ask me that question. In some contexts, they are interchangeable. A condo is easily defined as an “apartment” that is part of a Common Interest Community (an association) that an individual can purchase. So, in that instance, a loft IS a condo. But, when it’s time to examine what type of condo a buyer might prefer, that’s where the subtle differences come in to play. 
Some buyers like the finished walls and ceilings, with doors on all of the rooms and a clearly defined living room, dining room and kitchen. This would indicate a more conventional preference, more like a traditional apartment feel. When we talk about a loft, the expectation changes. A more open floor plan is the norm, with few or NO doors on rooms, walls that don’t go up to the ceilings, and sort of all-in-one type rooms that encompass the living/dining/kitchen “area”. Lofts in Minneapolis or any other city would suggest a much more modern, almost industrial atmosphere with exposed pipes, metal banisters and cement floors.
Minneapolis Condo / Loft Projects Other differences would include the type of buildings and areas in which we would find these styles. The apartment style Minneapolis condos are more likely to be found in the Mill District (i.e. Carlyle, River West) or right downtown (The Ivy, Skyscape, Grant Park) and mostly in highrise type buildings. Whereas the Minneapolis lofts are found in the Warehouse district (i.e. Rock Island, 5th Avenue, 710-720-730), St. Anthony Main (i.e. Flour Sack Flats, Cobalt), and peppered throughout the neighborhoods like Longfellow and Uptown and are usually in low rise buildings of 5 stories or less.
Exceptions to the Rules
Exceptions to every rule! Crossover exists in the styles and the areas. A couple of examples are The Bridgewater and The Zenith which are in the Mill District. They are lower rise buildings but kind of tall (9 or 10 stories). They are loft-like AND apartment-like in that there are some open spaces, but several defined walls and rooms with doors. There are bargains to be had in Minneapolis lofts as you will read in this article in Kiplinger’s.
Finding your way through the myriad of projects is overwhelming! Contact me today to be your guide through this process
