September 2008 
There are 14 blog entries for September 2008.
2008 Minnesota Solar Tour
Tuesday, September 30th, 2008 at 10:45pm. 373 Views, 0 Comments.
If you haven’t decided what you want to do yet this weekend and you have an appreciation for earth-friendly home improvements, you could be in luck. The 2008 Minnesota Solar Tour may be the perfect event for you. Put together by the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society (MRES), the Minnesota Solar Tour is a self-guided, public tour featuring 70+ exemplary homes, businesses, and institutions that have incorporated renewable energy into the design and operation of their buildings.
This is an excellent opportunity local residents to find out how their neighbors are lowering their energy bills, creating energy independence, and taking their own personal steps toward addressing global warming. This event also offers people who are interested in solar and…
Tips for First Time Home Sellers
Monday, September 29th, 2008 at 8:12pm. 429 Views, 0 Comments.
Last week, I wrote some do’s and don’ts to help first time home buyers prepare to buy their first home. Last week, there were tips specifically for selling a home during the fall. Yesterday, I started providing information for sellers, specifically about tips for selling a vacant home. Today, I’d like to address first time home sellers. Newness to the home selling process and a lethargic real estate market could make anyone balk at the prospect of selling a home for the first time. Here are some tips particularly for people who may be selling a home for the very first time.
Tips to Sell a Vacant House
Sunday, September 28th, 2008 at 10:19pm. 722 Views, 0 Comments.
Last week, I wrote some tips for first time home buyers. Specifically, things they should do and shouldn't do when preparing to buy a home. But buyers are only part of the equation, sellers are another big part. This week, I’ll talk about some tips for people who are trying to sell homes. I’ll start with the subject of vacant homes, since there are so many homes which have been foreclosed on or whose owners got too impatient to wait for it to sell.
After years and the real estate business, I can say that the idea a home is sitting vacant while it is on the market is almost an immediate turn-off for potential buyers. Often their imagination runs rampant with ideas of an unkempt yard, scarred walled, filthy floors, possibly even stolen wiring and copper…
The Como Park Neighborhood of Saint Paul
Thursday, September 25th, 2008 at 1:23pm. 764 Views, 0 Comments.
Como Park is in the northwest area of St. Paul real estate. It is bordered on the north by Hoyt Avenue and Larpenteur Avenue and on the south by the Burlington Northern Railroad tracks and Maryland Avenue, with Snelling Avenue making up the western boarder and Dale Street the eastern boundary. Known as St. Paul's Garden District, Como Park is primarily a residential and recreational neighborhood. The neighborhood is centered around Como Lake and its large parks.
At the beginning of its “modern” history, Como Park was settled as farmland in the mid 1800's. Como Lake was named in 1848 and was incorporated into the city of St. Paul in 1854. Real estate developer Henry McKenty believed the Como Park area would make a great resort, which lead to…
Fall Landscaping Duties
Wednesday, September 24th, 2008 at 11:05pm. 552 Views, 0 Comments.
So it’s fall and you’re trying to sell your home. Though you hope you won’t be living in your current house for much longer, this is not the time to completely shirk your fall landscaping duties. Not only is there the chance the home doesn’t sell before next spring, but all the work you put into making it look good shouldn’t just go to waste. Do what you can to preserve it for the potential buyer of your home. Here are some of the most basic things you should do to prepare your landscaping, gardens, and lawn for the winter. not selling
Take care of your lawn. Fall is the best time to fertilize because our northern lawn grasses resume active growth when nights get cooler and longer. Applying fertilizer now and a second time in mid-October to early…
Home Selling Tips for the Fall
Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 at 11:33am. 443 Views, 0 Comments.
Yesterday was the autumn equinox and the first official day of fall. Summer, which is traditionally the best season for selling homes, has ended by calendar standards. This tends to be the time of year when the housing market starts to slow down, with fewer homes selling. There are some steps which can be taken in order to increase the appeal of your home to potential buyers. If your goal is to sell your home this fall, take these tips into consideration:
1. First Impressions. Selling a home in autumn has its own particular complications. Green lawns, colorful flowers, and bright sunny days: In the summertime, it’s easy to make a house look good. Though the fall red, orange, rust, and yellow colors are beautiful, it’s when the leaves fall that…
First Time Home Buyer Don’ts
Thursday, September 18th, 2008 at 7:43pm. 532 Views, 1 Comments.
Earlier this week, I wrote a little bit about some things that first time home buyers should do when they are preparing to buy a home. As there are many things you should do to increase your chances of becoming a first time home owner, there are also things you should not do as well. Here are some of the don’ts for people considering purchasing a home.
Don’t switch jobs. Mortgages are very large loans. Because they are putting up the money, lenders like to see a steady job history. Getting a new job during the loan approval process could raise some red flags which affect your application. In most cases, career changes jobs will not affect your ability to qualify for a mortgage loan, however if you are qualifying for any specific types of loans because…
Saint Paul’s Courthouse Reopens
Tuesday, September 16th, 2008 at 7:24pm. 434 Views, 0 Comments.
After three years, federal employees returned to work on Monday at the newly renovated Warren E. Burger Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse. Among the renovations made to the building located at 316 N. Robert Street are the addition of four new courtrooms, a brighter public lobby, and state-of-the art security enhancements. The improvements are intended to make the building more accessible to the public and update security to 21st century standards, all the while preserving the elegance of the courtrooms and the building. The renovation project cost $70 million.
Inside, the interior lobby is airy and filled with natural light. Some courtrooms are brand new, others refurbished. In all, the building now has 10 district courtrooms and about 180…
First Time Home Buyer Dos
Monday, September 15th, 2008 at 10:44pm. 440 Views, 1 Comments.
If you’re considering purchasing your first home, there are some things you can do to increase the chances your loan is approved and at a reasonable interest rate. Here are some “to do’s” for people considering buying their first home or their next home.
Do make sure that you take the time to educate yourself about what the home buying process involves. Knowledge is truly the key to having a smooth transaction. The more familiar you are with the process of buying a home, the more easily it will go. Absorb as much information about home ownership as you can. There are many educational seminars offered by government programs or even by real estate agencies which will tell you a lot of the information you need to know.
Do make sure that you have…
Saint Paul Real Estate Market Analysis for August 2008
Thursday, September 11th, 2008 at 5:50pm. 607 Views, 0 Comments.
Oh would you believe it? New listings for homes fell in Saint Paul, Minnesota, for yet another month in a row during August, according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors’ Market Update for 100 Twin Cities Communities. Throughout the month of August, there were 553 new listings in the City of Saint Paul. In August of 2007, there were 641 new listings, which is a drop of about -13.7%, about the same as July's drop of -13.6%. The Como / Como Park neighborhood of St. Paul experienced the largest decrease in new listings at -32.5%. The Merriam Park was the only neighborhood of Saint Paul to experience an increase in new listings in August compared to last year. Listings there rose 6.7%.
For St. Paul’s posted new listing for January through…
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