Cafe Ena Restaurant Review

Cafe Ena is locally owned and operated by restaurateur Hector Ruiz who also recently opened Rincon 38, a small Tapas bar and restaurant on Grand Avenue S. Cafe Ena offers a culinary fusion of Latin American flavors with plenty of Delicious choices on the menu. The service was excellent and the food was even better! Our table started with a Ceviche appetizer, a traditional South American ceviche of fish, shrimp, calamari, and scallops in a cilantro-Aji sauce, topped with pickled red onions.

Our main courses consisted of a South American style curry dish, a goat cheese omelet, and a plate of shrimp sauteed in a delicious sauce I can not pronounce. All plates were cleaned and we were all very satisfied! At the end of our meal, Chef Hector sat with us and we shared a few laughs. We were lucky enough to get a short business lesson from such a successful entrepreneur! If you are in South Minneapolis and feeling hungry, Cafe Ena is a must try! http://www.cafeena.net/

Written by: Brad Novy

Bidding With Multiple Offers: The Smart Way

Most real estate markets are picking up and the Minneapolis market is no exception. The housing affordability index is high and home buyers have been waiting to jump into action. With the shortage of good inventory however, there are more buyers than suitable properties, and we are seeing some multiple offer situations.

Multiple offer situations can cause buyers to make hasty and sometimes irrational decisions. The first piece of advice for buyers is to relax, take a deep breathe, and don't worry too much about the other offers. There will be some competition for the house, don't let it pressure you into making an offer, especially if you're not ready. You might find that you will have to write an offer sooner than you thought. If you are comfortable with the house and the situation, move forward.

Only pay what the house is worth to you, and only pay what you are comfortable paying. You don't know what the other offer or offers may be, they could all be "low ball" offers! There are many different scenarios that could happen and you may be the most attractive offer for many different reasons. Focus on the negotiation of your offer, don't worry about the other buyers, you aren't working with them, you are working with the selling agent. If you are serious about the house, put your best foot forward with your earnest money deposit. It shows the buyers you mean business!

Final piece of advice. If you finally find the house you have been looking for and you have to compete with other buyers, you don't want to have any regrets. Would you like to find out that you missed by $500 dollars? would you have paid $1000 more to get it? If you don't end up with the house, at least you know that you gave it your best effort.

Written by: Brad Novy

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!





Donate Your Gently Used Books!

The Family School Committee of the Early Childhood Family Services Advisory Council is collecting gently used books to distribute to families. Children’s books*, magazines and cookbooks may be dropped off at the following ECFE sites:
Early Childhood Learning Center
5800 149^th Street West
Apple Valley, MN 55124

Rahncliff Learning Center
2030 Rahn Way
Eagan, MN 55122
*Please do not include books with small pieces or batteries.
Deadline for book collection: May 2, 2012.

Planting for Clean Water Workshops

Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) in conjunction with area cities, watershed management organizations, and Dakota County will be offering "An Introduction to Planting for Clean Water." This free workshop will be held in various cities throughout Dakota County, including Apple Valley on Thursday, April 5, from 6:15 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.The presentation will focus on native gardens, raingardens, and native plant shoreline stabilizations. Attendees will be invited to attend more in-depth design workshops later in the spring. To register for this free workshop, contact the SWCD at 651-480-7777 or visit their website.

Dakota County Community Development Agency Hosts Foreclosure Information Session

If you are facing foreclosure, information is your most valuable resource.  The Dakota County CDA is hosting a free seminar on Thursday, March 22nd from 6 to 7 PM covering general foreclosure information, the forclosure process and possible foreclosure alternative options for homeowners.  The session is being held at CDA’s office located at 1228 Town Centre Drive in Eagan.  The CDA is a local government agency serving the community and residents of Dakota County.
After the presentation, certified housing counselors will be on hand and individual appointments.  Pre-registration is requested. To pre-register, please call the CDA’s foreclosure intake line at 651-675-4555.

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

My DIY Project- Creating a Playroom

My husband and I are converting a little used room in our home to a playroom for our daughter.  At 15 months old, our very active little girl's "stuff" has taken over every corner of our home.  She has learned to put away her things with some prompting so the time may be right to give her an organized space to contain some of her fun. 

Due to our crazy schedules, we had one day last weekend to get started and now this upcoming weekend to finish.  The room is a carpeted 11 x 12 room with no closet or overhead lighting.  It has two windows and French doors opening up to the hallway. 

First, we (I am using the term we loosely, as my husband did all of this part of the project) emptied the room and pulled up the carpet and the baseboard trim.  We sealed the subfloor to take care of any residual effects from our pets.  Below is a picture of the room right now. 

After a couple of days of shopping around, we purchased new flooring.  Just three or four arguments later, we decided to go with a wood laminate flooring. This is an inexpensive option that is should be easy to clean up spills.  For under $300 for the materials, we would be fine upgrading in the future as our needs for the room change.   

I'll let you know how it goes this weekend with pictures of the finished room.

Renovation Savings with Remodel Card

I was fortunate to have a chance to sit down with the owners of the Remodel Card to find out if my clients could benefit from their service. Olov Strole and Chad Commers provide contractor-style discounts on home improvement products for homeowners using their Remodel Card. As this article in the Star Tribune mentions, tough economic times mean more homeowners are interested in remodeling projects but have less access to credit or home equity. I also find many of my clients purchasing vacant or foreclosed homes have projects they want to do right after purchasing the home.


Olov and Chad explained that their buying service called Remodel Card allows members to purchase products at reduced prices from two dozen retailers. Many of my clients are doing just one project at a time, such as new flooring or new appliances. They explained that the average savings on projects so far has been an average of 29%. Here is our conversation on YouTube.  They have a discount right now on the membership so if you ae considering a project, check it out now.

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!

Fall Harvest

Fall is our favorite time of year at JAM Realty. Wells Fargo and the MN Zoo have paired up to offer family friendly activities every weekend in October.

Each weekend they will feature a live band and have crafts, face painting and fall themed demonstrations (spinner and apple press demonstrations). There is also an animal themed scarecrow alley, a hay maze and milking demonstration. The activities are free after you pay your admission into the zoo. Hours and times for the events can be found here.

http://www.mnzoo.org/events/Events_harvestweekend2011.asp

Fall Clean Up!

Fall Clean Up!

Attention Apple Valley Residents! Fall clean up day is upon us again. Common household goods can be disposed of at a nominal fee. You can bring your goods to the Central Maintenance Facility (6442 140^th Street, West Apple Valley) on September 24^th from 8am-1pm.

A list of accepted materials:

-Car tires: $5 ea., semi tires $10 ea., tractor tires $25 ea. -Furniture: Recliner, sofa, love seat $10 ea.

Hide-a-bed $20 ea., wooden chairs $5 ea. -Scrap metal: $7 minimum - small items (bikes, propane tanks)

$10 minimum -lg items (lawnmowers, grills, snow blowers) -Home remodeling debris: Volume based ($40-45/pickup load)* -Carpet and padding: $1/sq. yd. (provide approx. dimensions) -Mattresses and boxsprings: $10 ea.; Baby mattresses: $5 ea. -Miscellaneous: Volume based ($25-30/car load; $40-45/pickup load)*

*Price varies depending on volume/weight

Free Flu Shots

Kohl’s department store and Children’s Hospitals and Clinics will offer free flu vaccines this weekend at the Apple Valley Kohl’s store. Kohl’s awarded Children’s with a grant to create the Kohl’s and Children’s Influenza Prevention Project, which includes giving flu vaccines, and offering educational assemblies in schools.

The vaccines will be available this weekend in Apple Valley and other cities around the metro including Roseville, Owatonna, Blaine and Maplewood. Head to the Apple Valley Kohl’s on Friday September 9^th from 4 to 8pm and Saturday September 10^th from 11am -4pm for your free vaccine.

http://www.childrensmn.org/web/images2/200140.jpg

Multiple Offers- Strategies for Success in Homebuying

So you have found the ONE- the home you can see yourself living in, where you will entertain your friends and family, where you will labor over improvement projects and celebrate holidays. Wait! Someone else has found it too. Even though it is a buyer's market in many respects, some areas and price ranges are seeing multiple offers on homes.

If you are going to be searching in a high demand area or price range, you need to take a few key steps before you look at homes to give yourself the highest chance for success. First, get pre-approved for a mortgage. By pre-approved I don't mean that you have just ran some numbers on an on-line calculator or talked to a relative who is in the banking industry. You will want to choose a reputable lender and do a mortgage loan application. To identify homes to consider, you need to know what your price range is and what loan programs you are qualified for; some properties are not eligible for all loan types. By figuring out the financing first, you to be ready to act quickly if you find a home and another party is interested.

Next, make sure you are working with an experienced Realtor that is familiar with your area and price range; you will be relying on their expertise to write a competitive offer. Buyers often do not take this step seriously enough. Buying a home is usually one of the largest financial transactions of your life. Take the time to find a trusted professional to assist you.

If you have viewed a number of homes and find one that really stands out in price, location, quality or features chances are someone else will notice too. You may have pictured yourself negotiating the deal of the century on the home but if another party is interested, you will need to adopt another strategy if you want to make it yours.

Typically if there is more than one interested party in a home in Minnesota, the listing agent will set a deadline for buyers to submit their "highest and best" offers. "Highest" is obviously referring to the highest price you are willing to pay for the home. Think this over carefully. While no one wants to pay more for a house than what it is worth, each buyer may have a different sense of the home's value. Your best bet is to consider comparable sales and decide what you are willing to pay. Homes that sell in multiple offers may be priced lower than the competing homes to ensure a quick sale. They very often sell above the listing price. You may have no idea what the other parties are offering which is frustrating to many buyers. Remember, the other parties are in the same situation. Submit an offer for the most you are willing to pay; another way to look at it is the amount that if another party is willing to pay any more than you, you can accept losing the home and continuing your search.

In writing your "highest and best" offer, "best" refers to the terms of your offer. To compete with another offer you want to have terms that would be desirable to a seller. For example, if the home is vacant, the sellers might prefer a quick closing date. Other areas the seller will compare between offers are seller concessions, contingencies, financing and earnest money. Your Realtor will be able to advise you on presenting the best possible offer.

Remember, you are searching for a place to call home. Don't get discouraged if you end up competing with other buyers for the right place. That just means you have good taste in homes!

Twin Cities Real Estate Outlook

In a report out from The Minneapolis Association of Realtors covering the Twin Cities 13 county metro area, February figures appear dismal but is the market as dire as the numbers indicate? Pending sales were down 12% and the median sales price was down $17,000 from February 2010. It is important to note that last February buyers were driven by the tax credit so the comparison is not really an "apples to apples" comparison. I see the increase of 8.6% in pending sales from January 2011 to February 2011 as a positive sign. The commentary in the report also points out short sale inventory with offers on it are not counted in the pending sales statistics. It will be interesting to see how March numbers play out. For detailed information about your area and price range, contact me.

Jacqueline A. Knauf, RE/MAX Results