Price Gains Lift Homes Above Water

Rising home prices helped lift 1.7 million homes above water in 2012 according to a report released by real estate data and technology firm CoreLogic. As of December 31st, one in every five homes were still underwater. CoreLogic believes that another 5% increase in home values would lift an additional 1.8 million homes into positive equity. Home owners who were thinking about selling held off because of their negative equity positions, this forced our inventory to minuscule levels, and in turn helped home prices rise. Now that we are seeing the prices go up, we should see an upswing in inventory, as previously underwater home owners are more prone to sell.

Written by: Brad Novy

Attitudes, Seafood and the Cupid Shuffle

I had an experience a couple of weekend ago I wanted to share.  My husband saw a commercial for a steampot of seafood.  As soon as our daughter woke up from her nap, we were off to Joe's Crab Shack.  We hadn't eaten there before but obviously the commercial had done its job and we arrived hungry for a big bucket of seafood.  We made our order, put our bibs on and were eagerly awaiting our meal when a couple arrived.  They were seated in the adjacent booth much to the interest of our two year old; she used her booster seat to stand up and peer over at them.  The friendly server stopped by but before she could greaat them, the customer loudly announced, "I do not like seafood!"  My husband and I locked eyes and stifled our laughs.  I am sure the server was thinking, "Lady, you walked into the wrong place," but instead she politely pointed out the Out of Water and Shore to Please sections of the menu.  Ok, crisis adverted... or so we thought.  When her ribeye was delivered, she promptly complained and the server had to call in the manager for reinforcements. 

As this scenario played out, I realized how expectations and attitudes affect our experiences. This place is fairly transaparent by using the words Crab and Shack in the name.  If you desire a bucket of seafood like we did, you have found the place.  Fitting for a place touting itself as a shack, they use a roll of brown paper towels as napkins; this is not a fine dining experience but they do offer live dancing by the servers for your entertainment. 

This customer walked in hating seafood and nothing the server could do would make this lady's experience enjoyable.  There is an Olive Garden across the parking lot and many other restaurants within the immediate area.  She not only made the choice to walk in the crab shack but she actively made her next hour miserable and ruined the time for her dinner guest, the server and anyone within ear shot.

I hope more people choose to accept each situation for what it is and approach experiences with a good attitude.  Its amazing how much fun you can have with melted butter dripping off your chin watching your daughter clap along to the waitresses doing the Cupid Shuffle.  Even if you aren't willing to have a good time, remember everything you do affects other people and at any time some little eyes may be peering over at you.   This is a good lesson for me to keep in mind- maybe a good attitude can make my spring cleaning fun!





Everything you need to learn the Twin Cities real estate market.

The Minneapolis Association of Realtors website offers a very unique tool to help people learn about the real estate market of the twin cities. This tool is great for everyone from home buyers and home sellers, to real estate investors, to individuals who just want to learn more about the market. This tool is appropriately called, "The Thing".

"The Thing" lets you search for information on any part of the metro area you wish. It really has every metric you could think of. Click here to learn more about the real estate market using "The Thing"

Valentine's Day Party!

 

Valentine's Day is just two weeks away! Do you have any plans yet? Take your pre-schooler to ECFE's Valentine's Day party on February 9th, from 10A.M. to 12P.M. The cost is $5 per child ($15 cap). Some of the activities will include arts and crafts, face painting, and temporary tattoos! Refreshments will be available. This is a great opportunity to spend some quality time with your child, and get to know other parents within the school system. Click here to register.

Parade of Homes Remodelers Showcase: 14101 Friday Lane, Apple Valley

The Remodelers Showcase(SM) is a bi-annual home tour of newly remodeled homes in the Twin Cities area. The Showcase is sponsored by BATC Remodelers(SM) and the Remodeling Council of the Builders Association of the Twin Cities, and is the largest showcase nationally.

On Friday, March 30th meet the James Barton team and talk to the designer who made this homeowners dream come true!

Wine and appetizers will be served while touring this stunning home. To get a sneak peak at the home, you are able to view the virtual tour here.

14101 Friday Lane, Apple Valley
Friday, March 30th
5:00 to 7:00 pm

Endangered Asian Wild Dogs Exhibit Opens At Minnesota Zoo

Looking for something new to do or see while the kids are on winter break?

No matter how many times you've been to the Minnesota Zoo, starting Friday you and your family can see a new exhibit of Asian wild dogs, called dholes (pronounced "dohlz").

The zoo is the third in the U.S. to exhibit the animals, according to a news release.

The endangered dhole is found in China, India, Russia and Thailand; about 2,500 are left in the wild, the release says. The growth of Asia's human population contributes to their endangered status, causing habitat loss and lack of prey, as well as disease.

More information about dholes is available on the Minnesota Zoo website. You can check out more photos on the zoo's Facebook page.

The Minnesota Zoo is open normal hours throughout the new year's holiday and into 2012—9 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week.

Is It A Good Time To Buy?

Buyers often ask when is a good time to buy, and one thing I always tell them to look at is housing affordability. This housing affordability index measures housing affordability for the Twin Cities region.  An index of 120 means the median household income was 120% of what is necessary to qualify for the median-priced home under prevailing interest rates. A higher number means greater affordability. The past months housing affordability index was 256, which increased 10.3% from the previous month. That means the median household income has 256% of what it takes to qualify for their next dream home. Of course, every buyer has different circumstances. It may be time to sit down with a professional to determine if now is the right time for you to buy!

Our Favorite Lunch Spots In Apple Valley, MN

Here are a few videos we made at our favorite lunch spots in the Apple Valley, MN/Eagan area.  We are not professional video-graphers but these should give you a quick look at our recommended restaurants.  If you are interested in other information about the Apple Valley, MN area we are always adding new videos to the Around Town section on our YouTube channel.

Enjoy! Restaurant & Bar

Ring Mountain Creamery & Cafe

Panino Brothers Food & Beverage

Valley Diner

Listing Your Home During The Holidays: Do or Don't?

As we enter this holiday season, I thought I would address the debatable act of listing/keeping a home on the market during this oh so important time. Many consumers, and real estate professionals alike, may agree that listing your home during the holiday season can be a mistake. Sellers are extremely busy during this time, and having your home on the market will certainly not make you any less busy. Some may also think that since sellers are so busy, buyers must be too, therefore why add to all your already mounting stress by listing your home, when it may not even attract any buyers!

Well that's one viewpoint, and here's mine (along with many of the top agents throughout the country):

• So what if there are less buyers searching around the holiday time! If everyone agreed with the above message, there would also be less listings. This means that there are fewer options for buyers and lower competition rates for your home. Quite a few individuals have vacation time they need to use up toward the end of the year, and save it for time around the holidays. Extended time off definitely gives buyers plenty of time to view homes, especially the serious buyers. Did I mention, buyers searching around this time, tend to be more serious, rather than buyers just starting to look? These serious buyers give you a much better chance of getting a deal on your home closed!

• People relocate from all over the country, all year long. If they have to relocate from Orland to Minneapolis, they don't get to say, "I'd like to wait until next spring to move." They go where they're told, when they're told, and they'll need a new home when they do. That home will not be yours, if it isn't on the market.
  

• I do understand keeping your home show ready during this time could be a hassle (especially with little ones around; see previous post). Not a problem. You would most likely be cleaning your home to have company over any way right? Well there is something you can check off your list! Clean your house once, and make it a habit to keep it nice and tidy after that, which should include help from everyone living in the home. Now your all ready for showings, and your guests! Never be afraid to ask your agent for help as well. After all, it is their job to get the highest possible return for your home, and that can only come when your home is showing at it's best, and it's cleanest. Worried about showings at inconvenient times? You can have your agent set up customized showing instructions, around the dates and times you choose you would like to allow or not allow showings.

• Now you sold your home (oh no...), and you don't want to move around the holidays! Not to worry. One of your terms in the purchase agreement, can be the closing date. This tends to be flexible, and one would assume that the buyers wouldn't like to move around holiday time either.

There are always two sides to a story, and definitely different view points. But let me ask you this: If you want to sell your house, how would you expect to do that by keeping it, or taking it off the market?

Its Been One Year - Here's What I Have Learned!

Today is my daughter's first birthday. It has been an incredible year of learning, laughter and adjustments for me. My daughter is truly the most amazing gift. In honor of her, I thought I would take this opportunity to share what I have learned over the last year as it pertains to real estate.

First of all, sellers with children have my highest admiration. I pride myself on being a good housekeeper but my home could not be shown to a prospective buyer on anything less than a full day of scrubbing, organizing, catching up on laundry and dishes. I have no idea how sellers contain the "stuff" that comes with having one tiny extra person in the home!

As far as desired features in a property, I have definitely changed my tune. Open floor plans are no longer on the top of my list. What I wouldn't give right now for doors to close off space that can't be entirely child proofed and to have smaller rooms that can contain a very curious child. An entire level of hardwood floors may look great but I now envision the many falls and tears of a newly walking baby when I see them. Stainless steel appliances are no longer a sleek and stylish amenity but a display fingerprints that appear faster than I can wipe them off. I am already dreading the day she discovers that the loft provides a perfect opportunity to play her favorite game of dropping things and watching them fall.

This first year was definitely an eye opener and I look forward to the adventures ahead!

Halloween Fun!

Looking for something to do this Halloween weekend? There are plenty of themed events in the south metro area, and close to you! Here are a few of my personal favorites:

Valleyscare Halloween Haunt

Trail of Terror

Frightmares at Buck Hill

Halloween at the Art Park

Follow any of the links above for more information!

Live On Youtube!

Over 5 million people have found and subscribed to a friend's channel on Youtube. 5 million? Wow! Now, does that statistic include you? Youtube is the second most visited site on the web, making it a beacon for literally any topic your heart desires. The JAM Team at RE/MAX Results has taken note of that statistic. We have created a Youtube channel that is both informational, and fun! Looking for our listings? You'll find them! Looking for information about your area? You'll find that too! Looking to throw a rocking halloween party? Why you will find everything you need to make that happen! Personally, I would just like some simple decorating ideas that I can easily complete myself, so I've made that information accessible to all as well. Subscribe to our channel today, and keep up to date about what the JAM Team has to offer!

Follow the link below:
http://bit.ly/jtyou