|  Purchasing a Home, Real Estate News, Resources to Hire Professionals

The Six Resources You Must Use When Buying a Home

Here are the top six resources you should use to make buying a home easier and enjoyable.

1. A Wants vs. Needs Checklist

First determine what price, location, size, and any special features your new home must have. Then you can hone in on your favorite properties by searching for additional features that you would prefer.

2. A Mortgage Payment Calculator

What do you want your monthly mortgage payments to be? We have an easy mortgage payment calculator you can use to find out how much you can afford for a home. This tool takes into account the length of th...

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 |  Financial, Home Maintenance, Home Organization, Purchasing a Home, Real Estate News, Resources to Hire Professionals, Selling a Home

Seven Things You Must Do When Relocating

Anytime you relocate to a new area, whether it’s a city just a few miles away or across the country, you face a unique set of challenges.

The housing market, the transit, and even the weather may not be what you’re used to. Planning your move can be difficult, too, since you need to coordinate when, where, and how you’ll be moving your belongings to a new area.

Because moving to a completely new area means learning about a new housing market and a new community, we wanted to share a few helpful relocation tips to make it a much easier experience for you.

1...

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 |  Home Maintenance, Horticulture/Environment, Purchasing a Home, Real Estate News, Resources to Hire Professionals

The Top 5 Home Features That Save Time and Money

Everyone wants to save money on energy bills every month. But did you know that having today’s popular energy-efficient features in your home can also save you time and stress when you sell your home?

More and more first-time home buyers are searching for homes in the area, so there is more of a demand for move-in ready homes or homes with certain features.

As Millennial Magazine notes, what buyers are looking for in a home include open f...

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 |  Financial, Purchasing a Home, Real Estate News, Resources to Hire Professionals, Selling a Home

Be Informed: Agency and Agency Relationships

The term “agency” is used in real estate to help determine what legal responsibilities your real estate professional owes to you and other parties in the transaction.

The buyer’s representative (also known as a buyer’s agent) is hired by prospective buyers and works in the buyer’s best interest throughout the transaction. The buyer can pay the agent directly through a negotiated fee, or the buyer’s rep may be paid by the seller or through a commission split with the seller’s agent.

The seller’s representative (a...

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April is Fair Housing Month!

 |  Community Events, Financial, Purchasing a Home, Real Estate News, Resources to Hire Professionals, Selling a Home

The month of April is a very important time for real estate professionals all across the nation.

Why? This is in the month that we celebrate the anniversary of the passing for the Fair Housing Act and recommit to the goal that inspired the legislation.

For those of you who may not know, the fair housing act essentially eliminated housing discrimination and created equal opportunity in every community.

And, as you might imagine, it’s a critical piece of legislation for anyone interested in buying property in the Minneapolis Area.

A Closer Look at the Fair Hou...

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What a Home Inspection Should Cover

 |  Home Maintenance, Purchasing a Home, Real Estate News, Resources to Hire Professionals, Selling a Home

Home inspections will vary depending on the type of property you are purchasing. A large historic home, for example, will require a more specialized inspection than a small condominium. However, the following are the basic elements that a home inspector will check. You can also use this list to help you evaluate properties you might purchase.

For more information, try the virtual home inspection at www.ASHI.org, the Web site of the American Society of Home Inspectors.

Structure:  A home’s skeleton impacts how the property stands up to weather, gravity, and the earth. Struct...

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Pros and Cons of Going Condo

 |  Purchasing a Home, Real Estate News, Resources to Hire Professionals

Condominiums and townhouses offer an affordable option to single-family homes in many markets, and they’re ideal for those who appreciate a maintenance-free lifestyle.   But before you buy, make sure you do your legwork.   These are some of the important elements to consider:

  • Storage.   Some condos have storage lockers, but usually there are no attics or basements to hold extra belongings.
  • Outdoor space.   Yards and outdoor areas are usually smaller in condos, so if you like to garden or entertain outdoors, this may not be a good...
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Questions and Answers: What is Carbon Monoxide?

 |  Home Maintenance, Resources to Hire Professionals, Safety
Every year far too many individuals lose their lives to carbon monoxide poisoning.  This year there there have been a number of fatalities, both locally and state-wide.   Carbon monoxide detectors should be in every home.  Batteries should be replaced twice a year (with those fire alarms!) when you adjust your clocks.
The following publication is presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
<...
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Ice Dams ~ A Refresher

 |  Home Maintenance, Resources to Hire Professionals, Safety

Many homeowners in Minnesota are all too familiar with ice dams.   This is the ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents proper drainage of melting snow.  The resulting water can back up behind the dam and cause extensive damage to a home by leaking into the walls, ceilings and insulation.  This can also result in mold and mildew within the home.  Ice dams occur due to temperature fluctuations above and below the roof line over an extended period of time.  The following has been prepared by one of our Community Resources, Rayco Construction located in the Twin C...

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Lender Checklist: What You Need for a Mortgage

 |  Financial, Purchasing a Home, Real Estate News, Resources to Hire Professionals
  • W-2 forms — or business tax return forms if you’re self-employed — for the last two or three years for every person signing the loan.
  • Copies of at least one pay stub for each person signing the loan.
  • Account numbers of all your credit cards and the amounts for any outstanding balances.
  • Copies of two to four months of bank or credit union statements for both checking and savings accounts.
  • Lender, loan number, and amount owed on other installment loans, such as student loans and car loans.
  • Addresses where you’ve lived for the last...
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