Here are some tips on nice and affordable neighborhoods to check out and where to meet people if you are relocating or moving to the Twin Cities:

(As read in Mpls/St Paul Magazine - July 2008)

Columbia Heights

• Affordable homes on tree lined streets
• Alot of parks, trails, mini lakes and quick access to Minneapolis and St Paul
• Family friendly neighborhoods with a diverse demographic

St Paul’s Desnoyer Park

• A lesser known gem of a neighborhood in west St Paul that bumps into the Mississippi River and is right across from Minneapolis
• Downtown Minneapolis is 3 miles away and Downtown St Paul is only 5 miles
• Mostly middle to upper class professional residents and a mix of families and empty-nesters with low turnover rate on homes
• Very low crime rate

Windom Park in Northeast Minneapolis

• Tree lined streets in an up and coming area of Minneapolis that still retains it’s feel of the older generation
• Close to bus lines and downtown Minneapolis
• More yard space than typical city lots
• Alot of restaurants and shops popping up

Inver Grove Heights

• Only 20 minutes from downtown St Paul and 30 minutes from downtown Minneapolis
• A variety of residents from young families and older empty nesters
• Tight knit community with plenty of activities and community events

Here are some great websites that are dedicated to helping you meet new people:

www.imnotfromhere.org

www.newcomersclub.com/mn.html

www.booksandbars.com

www.openbookmn.org

www.cscsports.com

www.meetup.com

Have real estate questions?  Want information about other neighborhoods in and around the Twin Cities?  Ready to buy a home in the Twin Cities?

Reach out to:

Jen McKinnon

Realtor/Investor

AGENT REFERRAL NETWORK

Member of MN Real Estate Team - #1 team in MN 2006,2007 & 2008

612.384.1073

jen[at]mnrealestateteam[dot]com

Have you ever wondered if an inspection is worth the money? 

I just had a closing on a property in Cottage Grove where my client saved himself time, money and stress by having a licensed inspector go through the house before finalizing the purchase agreement.  Although this Cottage Grove home was in good overall condition, the inspector noticed many things that the average consumer does not notice like faulty or lack of Ground Fault Indicators, Reverse Polarity of wiring and loose shingles within the nooks and crannies of the roof.

With the inspectors report in hand, we were able to go back to the seller and negotiate fixes to be completed before the closing - we did the final walk thru today and everything was taken care of.  Again, this saved my client from having to do the work himself and ensured that he was moving into a more sound and hazard free house.

Qualities of a good inspector:

• Can fit your inspection in within 3 days (typical inspection contingency timeline on a purchase agreement).
• Shows up prepared with all needed equipment and works throroughly yet efficiently.
• Offers explanations to you during the inspection.
• Allows you to ask questions during the inspection.
• Takes thorough notes and promptly records them.
• Takes photos of any issues of concern for documentation.
• Promptly gives you a copy of an inspection report for your records.

So, what about the Truth in Sale of Housing report (as required in St Paul and Minneapolis)?  Won’t that tell me everything I need to know?

This report is filled out by private evaluators that are licensed by the respective city.  These reports are based only on visual inspections but do not guarantee the condition of the home’s components or fixtures.  Also, and importantly, these evaluators are not required to ignite heating systems, get up onto the roof or inspect other areas that are difficult to access.   The reports are typically advisory in nature and not as thorough as a private home inspection - although Minneapolis does have a “required repair” list at the end of the report since 1999.

Bottom line, should you hire a licensed inspector in the Twin Cities and what can you expect?

• Home sellers are more willing to accept a purchase agreement contingent on an inspector.
• You can utilize the inspector’s findings (like my client did) to leverage repairs or reductions in purchase price.
• The Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement or Alternative only gives you information that the home seller knows about or can recall during the time that they owned / occupied the property.
• You will learn alot just by following the inspector around the home.
• A thorough private home inspection will last approximately 3 hours and cost you about $350.

Here’s a home inspector that I have worked with and highly recommend:

Win Home Inspections

Steve Stalock

952.891.4455

Although, you can do a home inspection on your own, I highly recommend hiring a professional home inspector to each and every client of mine and anyone looking to purchase a home.

Jen McKinnon

Realtor / Investor

AGENT REFERRAL NETWORK

Member of the MN Real Estate Team - #1 Real Estate Team in MN 2006,2007&2008

I live in this lovely and popular neighborhood of St Paul, MN and what follows, is some history and statistics about the area I call home.

Many of the homes in this neighborhood are single family, owner occupied homes but this neighborhood has a great history that starts back in 1880. The Macalester College Board of Trustees bought farmland outside of St. Paul and divided it into houses and the campus of Macalester College. It evolved into a farming community and then into what was considered a commuter “suburb” and now is now what you see today - a lively, bustling community of families and neighbors who care about their homes, businesses and eachother.

Macalester-Groveland is bordered on the north by historic Summit Avenue. To the south are Randolph Avenue and Highland Park. The Mississippi River makes up the west border and Ayd Mill Road the east. One of the most popular streets in St Paul, Grand Avenue, runs east and west through Mac-Groveland. 

Mac-Groveland has 2 major institutions of higher education.  Macalester College and The University of St. Thomas.  The St. Paul Seminary is also located in Mac-Groveland.

Many of the neighborhood homes in Mac-Groveland were built before 1940. Larger homes in the neighborhood feature Tudor, Prairie Style and Colonial Revival architecture.  With many of the Mac-Groveland homes built in the 1920’s and 30’s, the Arts and Crafts bungalows are still prevalent throughout the neighborhood.  These St Paul homes boast beautiful woodwork, built in buffets and character that is hard to come by in newer neighborhoods.  However, new construction and remodeled homes, town homes and condominiums are also available if you are looking for something newer.

The two public, neighborhood elementary schools in Macalester-Groveland are Randolph Heights Elementary and Groveland Elementary.  Mac-Groveland also has a number of private schools, including Saint Paul Academy and the Summit School.

One thing I love about living in Mac-Groveland is easy access to all of the neighborhood restaurants and shops.  For casual atmostphere but great food, look no further than The Groveland Tap and The St Clair Broiler.   Good Italian can be found at Carmelos or for great American cuisine and a more upscale atmostphere head over to The Heartland.  There are also numerous neighborhood coffee shops such as Brewberry’s and Coffee News.  Great Grand Avenue finds within Macalester Groveland are Shish, Italian Pie Shop and Homemade Pizza.   Shopping ranges from eclectic gift shops to specialty stores - one of my favorites is Gypsy Moon on Randolph.  The neighborhood also features the Grandview Movie Theater, a Whole Foods and the Mississippi Market.

Macalaster-Groveland Real Estate Statistics
Median Sales Price 2007:  $280,000

Average Sales Price 2007:  $325,737

Price Per Square Foot 2007:  $192

Sales Price % Change from 2006:  +0.7% and from 2001 +40.1%

Please contact me with more questions about Macalester-Groveland (or other) great St Paul neighborhoods!

Jen McKinnon

AGENT REFERRAL NETWORK

612.384.1073

jen[at]mnrealestateteam[dot]com

Whether you are looking in St Paul, Minneapolis or anywhere else, before you buy a home or start looking to buy, it’s crucial to know what price range you are comfortable purchasing.

The last thing you want to do is spend alot of time looking at homes and then when it comes time to make an offer, you get cold feet because you realize you are spending more money that you are comfortable with.

Questions to ask your self:

• What is my monthly budget?
• What is my monthly income?
• Remember you will have to pay for insurance, heat, electric, water, trash and gas on top of the mortgage payment.  These bills need to be factored in too.
• Not to mention the “nice to have” amenities at home like phone, cable, internet….

If you can work through all of this with your lender (I recommend Cornerstone Mortgage at www.mnhomeloan.com in advance, you will save yourself alot of time and stress.

It’s always better to do a little research up front so that you can feel good about your purchase later!

Jen McKinnon

AGENT REFERRAL NETWORK

Member of MN Real Estate Team - #1 Real Estate Team in MN 2006,2007&2008

612.384.1073

jen[at]mnrealestateteam[dot]com

1. Contact a Reputable Mortgage Lender

This is a MUST.  Yes, it’s a ”buyer’s market” but even in the Twin Cities,  you will have a hard time making an offer (much less getting it accepted) without a pre-approval letter from a reputable mortgage lender.  

Meeting with a lender will tell you many things:   

• what type of loan you should be looking at
• how much of a mortgage you are comfortable with
• how much of a loan you qualify for
• what price range you should look at for your new home

2. Determine what is important to you in a home (besides price point)

• location (narrow it down to 2-3 cities / areas)
• how many bedrooms and bathrooms do you need?
• garage, off street parking, size of yard?
• square footage, basement, one level, split level, two story?
• what are your “must haves” vs “nice to haves”

3.  Find a reputable and licensed Realtor in the Twin Cities or near the area that you want to buy a home in.

• Ask friends and family who they have used in the past
• Find someone that you feel comfortable working with - you will spend alot of time together!

4.  Have discussions with your Realtor to “get on the same page” about what you are looking for in a home.

• Make sure your Realtor listens to you
• Clarify to make sure everyone is “on the same page”

5.  Build the rest of your Real Estate Team (besides your Lender and Realtor) 

• Professional Home Inspector
• Title / Closing company
• Insurance Agent

6.  Get out and start seeing homes!

7.  Make an offer (don’t be afraid to take the plunge)!

8.  Negotiations / Counteroffers may occur at this point

9.  Offer is accepted! 

• Schedule the home inspection (usually within 3 days)
• Schedule Title / Closing (usually done by your Realtor)
• Contact your Insurance Agent to get your binder together

10.  Work with your team (lender, title / closing company, insurance agent and Realtor) to get all paperwork together and finally…….

11.  Show up on time to the closing

• Sign your name alot
• Collect the keys to your new home!