This is good news if you currently live in Minneapolis or St Paul and another good reason to move to the Twin Cities if you don’t!

According to Men’s Health and Women’s Health Magazines (January / February 2009 issues) here are the rankings:
Best Cities For Men 2009
St Paul, MN ranks #2
Minneapolis, MN ranks #10
Best Cities For Women 2009
Minneapolis ranks #6
These rankings are based on Health data, Fitness, Quality of Life Variables including crime rates, air quality and job growth (30 variables total).

I have live in both cities – they each have their own great qualities. Although they are called the Twin Cities, they are very different from one another. Want to learn more? Give me a call!

Jen McKinnon
Realtor / Investor
AGENT REFERRAL NETWORK
Member of The MN Real Estate Team
612.384.1073
jen[at]mnrealestateteam[dot]com

So, I was in a suburb south of the Twin Cities doing a showing today on a great property, in a high demand neighborhood and we found that the disgruntled sellers had taken a number of things from the property before they moved out.  They had gone into forclosure and apparently got mad at their lender so before they moved out they took all of the appliances, light switches, door knobs, smoke detectors, the water softener and even the kitchen sink!

Luckily, the bank will be taking care of replacing most of these items except the appliances.  It turns out that they replace anything that could be hazardous if not replaced and anything that FHA lenders would require the home to come equipped with.

Unfortunately, this is not uncommon for  home sellers who are in a bad situation with their lender.  They become angry at the situation and take it out on future home buyers.  I guess the home seller figures that since they are not making any money at the sale of their home, they are going to make it harder for the bank to sell it too.  Too bad…all this does is continue to drive the poor market situation that is driving down prices.  This house is most likely worth close to $400,000 but is listed at under $300,000.  Great for a future buyer but bad for the Twin Cities housing market and home values.

I wonder where the sink ended up…..

Jen McKinnon
Realtor / Investor
612.383.1073
jen[at]mnrealestateteam[dot]com

Real Estate Investing 201 Seminar – North Minneapolis Foreclosure Bus Tour – Saturday, December 6th, 12 PM

Every day we get asked where the best deals are for investors in the Twin Cities area. Hands down we have to say North Minneapolis. For several years now, the majority of North Minneapolis has been going through a transformation. Crime is down, rental demand is strong, foreclosures are high, and good deals are everywhere. Nice properties in nice parts of North Minneapolis are selling for $49,900, $39,900 and even $19,900, and they are cash flowing a few hundred dollars a month. We have put together a program for new and seasoned investors to capitalize on this perfect storm of investing and buy up properties that sold for up to $200,000 just years ago. Our team has assembled real estate agents, a general contractor, leasing agents, property managers, and the financing to make this a rare turn-key investment.

If you have ever been interested in the great opportunities in North Minneapolis, let us drive you around. This is a rare bus tour where we will drive you around the areas, show you both rehabbed houses and for sale properties. The tour will leave at noon on Saturday, December 6, from nearby Robbinsdale and will take approximately 2-3 hours. We handle parking, finding the properties, and logistics. You simply sit back and listen and see how so many investors are taking advantage of these great deals. Because of limited seating, a reservation is required. Contact us now!

Call me at: (612) 384-1073 or use the seminar registration form to get signed up today!

Real Estate Investing 101 Seminar – Tuesday, December 16th, 6:30- 8PM
From his experience of owning 15 rental properties in the Twin Cities, Ryan O’Neill (owner of the MN Real Estate Team)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.

Jen McKinnon, the Twin Citites Real Estate Gal, owns 3 investment rental properties.  2 Duplexes in St Paul and 1 Single Family Home in North Minneapolis.

Call me at: (612) 384-1073 or use the seminar registration form to get signed up today!