Saint Paul Real Estate Blog 
Twin Cities Home Construction Up This Winter
Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 7:10pm. 194 Views, 0 Comments.
Homebuilders in the Twin Cities are keeping busy this winter compared to last year. Builders filed 177 permits to build a total of 202 housing units in February. That was an increase of 65% and 71%, respectively, over February of 2009, when builders filed 107 permits to build 118 units.
Between December through February, builders in the Twin Cities have filed 626 permits to build about $207 million worth of residential housing, according to the Builders Association of the Twin Cities Keystone Report. During those months a year ago, builders filed just 392 permits for less than $147 million in construction.
"Anecdotal reports from builders confirm that there are area families out looking and buying new homes in the past two months," association President Gary…
Spring Parade of Homes(sm) and Remodelers Showcase(sm)
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 at 7:00pm. 384 Views, 0 Comments.
Last fall, the Builders Association of the Twin Cities combined its two fall events: the Parade of Homes, which features new construction houses, and the three-day Remodelers Showcase, featuring remodeled kitchens, additions and owner's suites. It was the first time the two shows were linked.
Now, the Builders Association of the Twin Cities is combining the two events again for the Spring Parade of Homes Tour. This year's event features 366 model homes in 83 communities throughout the Twin Cities. Prices range from $129,900 for a home in Elk River to $2.4 million for an estate in Credit River Township. Most of the houses are in the $200,000 to $300,000 range.
That is with purpose, too. Ever since the shaky economy and tighter financing hit the real estate…
St Paul Private School Ends Nearly 120 Years of Educating
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 at 6:06pm. 141 Views, 0 Comments.
After more than a century of educating the minds of Saint Paul children, St. Bernard's High School will close at the end of the school year.
School leaders blame financial troubles for the closing. Like many inner-city Catholic schools, St. Bernard's has struggled the past 15 years to stay afloat. It closed its grade school last year.
German and Austrian immigrants who settled in Saint Paul's North End neighborhood founded St. Bernard's parish in 1890. They opened the grade school the next year. By 1957, a growing student body and demand prompted the opening of St. Bernard's High.
The neighborhood changed over the years as families moved to the suburbs. Fewer residents choose Catholic private schools and growing competition from charter schools were also…
Home and Patio Show 2010
Friday, February 19th, 2010 at 4:00pm. 174 Views, 0 Comments.
The Home and Patio Show is back at the Saint Paul RiverCentre! This show features hundreds of exhibitors and has the best and most respected local resources for all home and garden needs. Find what is needed for new spring and summer gardening, home renovation, landscaping, building, decorating, or green projects. There's also a kids' potting table, bulb sale, and opportunities to consult experts through Ask the Gardener!
The show opened Thursday and will be open through Sunday. The cost is $9 for adults and $2.50 for children ages 6 to 12. Younger kids have free admission!
What $169,900 Buys in Saint Paul's Payne-Phalen Neighborhood
Thursday, February 18th, 2010 at 7:50pm. 183 Views, 0 Comments.
Here is MLS # 3881499
This home features beautiful built-in bookcases, gleaming hardwood floords, and a cozy, wood-burning fireplace in the family room.
The updated kitchen is often filled with lots of natural light. The bedrooms are generous and the master bedroom has a walk-in closet a 3/4 bathroom.
This home and it's beautifully landscaped yard could be yours for just $169,900!
Don't forget that time is running out on the first time home buyer $8,000 federal tax credit! It applies…
Are You a Minnesota Snowbird or Do You Know One?
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 at 10:30pm. 189 Views, 0 Comments.
Calling all snowbirds who have flown the coop to warmer climates for winter: Minnesota needs you to fly back home by April 1 for the 2010 U.S. Census. The reason is that Minnesota residents can't simply fill out the census form they get at their winter home. The forms are geo-coded to each address, meaning that filling out a form in Arizona will count toward that state, not Minnesota. And this year, the state has a lot riding on the census.
"If even a fraction of Minnesotans miss this opportunity, we could easily be left with only seven representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives," State Demographer Tom Gillaspy said in a news release. The State Demographic Center estimates that fewer than 3,000 people could be critical for Minnesota to retain its…
Saint Paul & Minneapolis Among Leaders for Residents' Well-Being
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 at 9:44am. 158 Views, 0 Comments.
Of the nation's 52 largest metropolitan areas surveyed in 2009, the Twin Cities Metropolitan area ranked 4th best in the nation in terms of well-being, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. San Jose, Calif., Washington, D.C., and Raleigh, N.C., were 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. San Francisco was 5th. That's a lot of coastal cities, but we know that one reason the Twin Cities are great is because we experience all of the seasons here in full force without the earthquakes or the hurricanes.
This Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index defines large cities as those with a population size of 1 million or greater. Interviews were conducted with more than 353,000 Americans during 2009, asking individuals to assess their jobs, finances, physical health, emotional…
Saint Paul and Minneapolis CityLiving Program Revived
Friday, February 12th, 2010 at 6:09pm. 177 Views, 1 Comments.
St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak have jointly announced $41 million in new funding for the CityLiving Program. CityLiving helps first time homebuyers purchase homes in either city.
The CityLiving Program offers below-market interest rates on mortgages as well as down payment and closing-cost assistance. In order to quality for the funding, homebuyers’ household income cannot exceed $92,290 and the purchase price for a single-family home can’t be greater than $276,870.
"We have an opportunity for people to invest, to get a good deal on an interest rate, get some assistance with a down payment, and get back into the cities," said Coleman. "It's a win-win for the potential homeowner, first-time homebuyer, and it's certainly a great…
I-94 from Downtown Saint Paul & Downtown Minneapolis to be Repaved
Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 11:59pm. 274 Views, 0 Comments.
The stretch of Interstate 94 between downtown Saint Paul and downtown Minneapolis will get a repaving makeover. The 2-year project will begin this summer.
Crews will complete the $45 million project in two phases, beginning this year with the east section between Hwy. 280 to near John Ireland Boulevard.
The west section, from Hwy. 280 to near 6th Street in downtown Minneapolis, will be done in 2011, said Todd Kramascz, spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
Crews will remove the top layer of I-94's pavement and lay down new asphalt, while also making improvements to curbs, gutters and guardrails. The shoulders, often used by buses during rush hours, also will be improved.
The 12-mile stretch of road is one of the busiest in Minnesota. It…
Never Too Old to be a First Time Home Buyer
Thursday, February 4th, 2010 at 10:24pm. 261 Views, 0 Comments.
Fewer than 1% of first-time home buyers in 2009 were more than 75 years old, according to the National Association of Realtors. But as the population ages and life expectancy gets longer, the number of older home buyers will increase.
Hank and Verna Schmiess are not your typical first time home buyers. He was 89 and she was 84 when they bought their first home last year - a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo in New Brighton. After thoroughly going over their finances and determining it was cheaper for them to buy than rent, they carefully laid their plans to finally make the plunge into home ownership.
Though they hadn't had many reasons to buy before, they were priced out of the market when they did finally want to buy. Originally from North Dakota, they moved to…
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