We make a lot of decisions that add to our expenses and detract from our enjoyment derived from them.  Buy new tires for the car, and trade it a week or month later.  The short time enjoying the new tires cost you $5 to $20 or more a day, and the trade in value is substantially unaffected.  Remodel the kitchen or bathroom just before you put the house on the market.  The upgrades may affect the sale price, but you received almost no benefit from them other than return of some of the cash outlay.  The same improvements made a couple years ago would likely have the same effect on sale price, along with your couple years of use and enjoyment. The day of realization is often the day a home owner decides to put the house on the market.  The objective analysis of the agent or the staging cons... 04/05/2013

If you're looking for a home in Minnesota, this state requires certain levels of performance from licensees who are representing their buyer clients.  Before performing any acts as your representative, a buyer's broker agreement must be in place.  Acting as your representative includes offering counsel, advice, or suggestions to you with regard to the purchase of real estate, as well as negotiating the actual offer. Without a written buyer broker agreement, an agent has no responsibility to do anything on your behalf other than to not lie to you.  The agent may even have responsibilities to someone else, like the seller.  A signed agreement demands a higher level of conduct and performance from your agent.  It demands that the agent act always on your behalf and in your exclusive intere... 02/25/2013

During the period since the housing crash, there have been a lot of folks who were waiting for prices to finish their plummet.  They waited and waited.  Eventually many got tired of sitting on the fence and made a commitment to upgrading their lifestyles.  Few regretted their decisions, and many were financially rewarded for their procrastination. Today's fence sitters are a different breed entirely.  They know that there will be a better opportunity at a lower price.  They just keep sitting there, watching as all the better deals appear in their rear view mirrors.  Fact is that, if you haven't made that life style upgrade yet, it's probably going to cost you more.  Home prices are rising, not rapidly but definitely going up.  In a rising market, a delayed decision effects the need for ... 01/17/2013

If one could attempt to find a silver lining in the antics of our elected do-nothings, perhaps we could say that they are in total agreement that the other side is to blame.  Unfortunately, that will not make the lives of 300 million people better. A month ago, I wrote that it was not realistic to expect action from a group of people who specialize in failing to act.  Now, some folks are even claiming that it will be good if we merrily sail off the cliff at midnight.  Financially, we will not be better off because the do-nothings fail again to put together some meaningful legislation.  The gang of thieves we call Congress plus president don't even seem clever enough to do what the Minnesota legislature did -- use a few accounting tricks to claim the issue is solved.  We are victims of t... 12/30/2012

Live Animals at Christmas Eve Services at Hosanna! Lutheran Church, Lakeville, MN   Look out....you may get spit on! You are just never sure what the camel may do during Christmas Eve Service at Hosanna! Lutheran Church in Lakeville, MN.    This is the third year that the Stable's sights and smells are there for you to experience as you worship, just as it was the night Christ was born.    Camels, donkeys, ducks, goats, ducks and more. It may be a noisy night but perhaps it was for Baby Jesus as well.      There are NINE worship services to fit your travel or family tradition schedule:  Christmas Eve Worship Services at Hosanna! Lutheran Church, Lakeville, MN Sunday, December 23 • 2, 4, & 6 p.m.Monday, December 24 • 12, 2, 4, 6, 8, & 10 p.m. A very blessed Christmas to you and your fami... 12/16/2012

It may be more exciting than watching paint dry or even the NHL cancel another few games.   The it is of course the latest spectacle in Washington.  The folks in charge of the national do-nothing alliance are now exerting maximum effort to claim that the other side is not working hard enough to avoid the rapidly approaching fiscal cliff. If the do-nothings actually fail to reach any type of a deal, 2013 will greet almost all of us with substantially higher taxes and mandated cuts to numerous government programs including defense and Medicare.  The purpose of the budget agreement that comes due at year's end was to ensure that both sides would be compelled to avoid its implementation and work toward a better solution.  It was an official do-nothing solution, designed with the stated inte... 11/30/2012

Lakeville MN Housing Trends Nov. 2012 Real estate market data for Lakeville MN Dakota County provided by the Stradcutter Team, High Pointe Realty As you've probably read for the past few months, the Twin Cities housing market is improving and Lakeville MN is one of the communities that is mirroring this improvement. Let's look at some of the important parts of this chart. In November 2011, we had a 5.5 months supply of homes. A typical real estate market inventory is in one of three sectors. The first is a buyer's market where there's lots of inventory and is typically a 7+ month's supply of homes. A 3-5 month's supply is considered a "balanced" market and anything under 3 month's supply is concidered a seller's market because of tight inventory.  Overall the Twin Cities housing market ... 11/29/2012

Investing in real estate income property has been one way people have accumulated wealth over the decades.  You can make money in several ways if the winds of fortune blow your way.  There are a number of ways to postpone paying income tax on a portion of rental income, which means that there will be more to spend now and pay later.  Yes, you can use a strategy to possibly avoid paying some tax altogether, but it involves dying which to my mind is a rather unpleasant way to save money.  Along with possible tax avoidance, there are benefits associated largely with borrowing money and leveraging it to create wealth.  When you borrow to pay for any investment, you hope to offset the interest charged with the money earned on that investment.  Some of the income from rental property will pay... 09/09/2012

I LOVE MY JOB....I LOVE MY JOB! Oh yah.....oh yah..... Home Staging Minneapolis MN Isn't that the goal. Yup....quick sale. Love it!  I first staged a vacant home for this investor that sold in 3 days with multiply offers so he had me stage this one as well. This one didn't go so well. It took 5 whole days!  Ha....okay.....I think they are happy with that.  The investor did a fabulous job in rehabbing this home. Take a look....                 Now I got to add the glitz and glamour to wow the buyer......               I love my job, I love what I do, and I love success stories!    Need some help with your property? www.RoomsWithStyle.com   Originally Posted at: Rooms With Style Blog - Home Staging Minneapolis Mn    Looking for a Talented Home Stager in your area? Here are just a few: Kat... 07/17/2012

First time buyers are sometimes surprised when I tell them that it's not my job to sell them a home.  As their buyer's representative, the only selling I do is when I am charged with selling my clients' offer to the current owners.  As buyer representative, it's my responsibility to help my clients find the best property that comes closest to meeting their wants and needs.  The next task is to do accurately determine the market value of the property, followed by doing all possible to negotiate on their behalf to obtain the best price and terms possible. The buyer's broker agreement mandates the level of my service and the commitment to place my clients and their interests ahead of all others, including myself.  We are fortunate to live in a state where there is really no half way in buy... 05/18/2012

When folks want to fire their landlord, there are a few early thoughts that usually come to mind.  First is the joy of just thinking about getting rid of Mr. Landlord and his draconian restrictions on their lives.  Next comes the realization that buying a first home is an unbelievably huge financial commitment. Then follows the decision to go for the lifestyle upgrade. After a few trips through cyberspace surfing the local market, it's time to get down to the business of making the dream a reality.  Where does one go for guidance in taking that first step?  The best way to start is to find a reputable buyer agent who will agree to work exclusively on your behalf.  We'll save suggestions for finding that buyer representative for another time, but let's first consider money matters and wh... 05/11/2012

Yes Irene..that's what I said! Free paint on Saturday! Who says there is no such thing as a free lunch paint anymore.  All day Saturday at your local ACE HARDWARE store they are giving away a quart of free paint to introduce a new premium paint found exclusively at ACE called Clark+Kensington.  Only a quart you say?? Hey...if you are picking out paint colors for a new room you need a quart to test it out on various walls so this is perfect.   Or if you are like me and have been putting off painting an ugly pine bookshelf you can paint it now for free as all you need is one quart. Or maybe you have a small table, bench or chair that needs a fun color??   See how many things you can do with a quart of paint! Clark+Kensington has the primer already included so I won't even have to prime my... 05/02/2012

Lakeville is progressing nicely in its return to housing market stabilization.  According to information provided by the Regional Multiple Listing Service of Minnesota, there are currently 270 homes listed for sale in Lakeville.  In the first four months, 230 homes have been sold with another 109 with accepted offers in the process of going to closing.  The sold home total compares favorably to the year to date totals for the same period in 2011, when 205 homes were reported sold.  That's about a 12% improvement year over year. If you're thinking about making 2012 the year of the fired landlord, it's better to begin your search for a Lakeville home sooner rather than later.  Investors are aggressively buying in the most economical price categories, and consumers searching for starter ho... 05/02/2012

Lakeville doing well in 2012 Last year we reported that home sales in Lakeville, MN were heating up in the first quarter. Compared to last year, inventory is down and sales are up substantially.  On March 31, 2011, total homes for sale in Lakeville totaled 338.  In comparison, there are now 270 homes for sale.  In perspective, there are about four homes available for purchase today for every five that were available last year at this time. Even though available homes for sale are trending significantly lower year over year, more homes have been sold.  Total homes sold in Lakeville in the first quarter of 2011 were 145 compared to 156 already reported closed this year.  Since there is often a slight delay in reporting closed sales, there may be an upward revision to the current totals.  ... 03/31/2012

A prospect contacted me yesterday with a question about a listing I had sent her.  At her request, our previous contacts were only by email.  Our conversation revealed that she had been dealing with a brother of a friend who is a real estate agent and also an investor.  She indicated that the agent was not particularly responsive, and that she felt that he and she may be searching for similar property for himself.  She does not have a buyer agency agreement with this agent. I asked her if he had asked her to enter into an agency agreement with her, and the answer was no.  That is not surprising given the possibility that they both may be looking for the same house.  My suggestion to her was that, if she wanted to continue to work with the other agent that she ask him to sign a buyer age... 03/25/2012

Lakeville Market Update March 15, 2012 Lakeville, MN is in the process of a successful spring buying season.  With total residential sold units running well ahead of 2011 and more optimistic employment numbers, demand could have an upward effect on sale prices this spring. According to data supplied by the Regional Multiple Listing Service of Minnesota, there are currently 276 active residential listings in Lakeville.  88 sellers have accepted offers that are pending closing, and 131 homes have been sold since the beginning of 2012.  Year over year, this represents an increase of about 26% over the 104 homes sold in 2011 in the same time period.  Although the sales trend is good news for sellers, there may be some disappointed Lakeville first time homebuyers who have been waiting for th... 03/15/2012

Tonight, most of us will need to move our clocks forward an hour, and that means we will lose an hour of our lives, sort of.  While Daylight Saving Time will give us an extra hour to tour homes after work and to do whatever else requires that it be done before sunset, it also takes away an hour of bed rest for most of us.  It's considered by most to be a reasonable trade off. Time is a commodity that is irreplaceable, almost.  The almost part exists in the one hour that we will lose tonight and actually get back in a half year.  It is the only time that will eventually be replaced in like kind. When we have children, we have them for eighteen years, more or less.  After that, they are gone forever, not as individuals who we will love forever, but as children.  Their childhood has expire... 03/09/2012

According to a Gallup report as cited in 24/7 Wall Street Wire, Hawaii is the happiest state, followed by North Dakota and Minnesota.  In aggregate, employment, health, longevity, and education point to these three states as the happiest. The report makes for entertaining reading, but it probably does little to enrich the status of the folks who live in the top rated states.  Pondering the effects of this data on the average citizen, it's not likely to make anyone happier or less happy, except during the time they are reading the report.  We seem to be presented with more and more data in the form of ranked lists almost daily.  Fact is that a low unemployment rate is almost meaningless to someone who can't find a job.  A low poverty rate  and high average income mean little to persons l... 03/05/2012

The Lakeville Area Chamber of Commerce has announced their ninth annual Landscape Home Expo and Consumer Showcase.  It will take place on March 17, at Lakeville North High School.  This is a great event to research all your needs for home improvement projects and services.  Over 150 exhibitors will be featured.  Hours are 9:00AM to 3:00PM, and admission is free.  03/01/2012

Year Over Year Permit Fees Take Huge Jump According to information reported in the Dakota County Tribune, Lakeville building permits for the month of January were for a total valuation of just over $6.6 million, compared to about $2 million in January, 2011.  Most of the increase was in single family homes, and that adds support to the sentiment that we may be beyond the bottom of the housing depression. Sold homes data also suggests that we are rapidly exiting the worst of the housing depression in Lakeville.  According to the Regional Multiple Listing Service of Minnesota, there were 55 January closed residential sales in Lakeville, which compares to 37 in 2011.  With a year over year increase of almost 50% in January, it's hard to imagine anything but good days ahead for the housing ... 02/11/2012