Setting the Stage for a Successful Sale

What's the best way to help your home make a glorious first impression on would-be buyers? Real estate experts agree that “staging” (also called “fluffing”) your home to show it in the most favorable light is well worth your time and effort.

Beyond the pre-sale cleaning and organizing you would expect to do, successful staging includes strategically arranging objects and furniture, adding decorative touches and more. Here are a few tips from the pros to help buyers make an immediate emotional connection with your home:

Add a pot of fresh blooming flowers to the entryway (yellow is a very welcoming color)
Open blinds to show off nice views. A vase on the window sill plays down less attractive views
Add throw pillows, a soft lap blanket, candles and a candy dish for a cozy living room
Use a soft bedspread, quilt, pillows and a throw rug to turn a bedroom into a relaxing retreat
Set your dining room table with dishes, placemats, wine glasses, etc.
Banish television sets, computers, kitchen and bathroom appliances from sight
Don't forget the garage! Make sure surfaces are clean and neat. Store tools and gardening products to make room for cars.
Whether you do the staging yourself or have your home fluffed by a professional, one Chicago-area expert confirms that homes that are staged often sell 75% faster and for 3%–6% higher than the asking price!

Update to Predatory Lending Law

Update to Predatory Lending Law

From the Pioneer Press, May 15, 2007--A third section of the new predatory lending law was signed by Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty this past Monday night. This latest regulatory crackdown comes as the Twin Cities area (along with the rest of the nation) endures a wave of home foreclosures thought to be caused, at least in part, by mortgage fraud. The new law goes into effect Aug. 1.

Under this latest addition, anyone who helps commit mortgage fraud (defined as knowingly misrepresenting or omitting important information in the lending process) commits a felony that is punishable by up to two years in prison. Violators also must pay restitution to their victims. Victims of dishonest mortgage lending or inflated home appraisals also will have the right to sue violators for damages and other costs – something that’s been nearly impossible in the past.

The previous parts of this bill were signed into law over the last month and include a section on requirements for becoming a mortgage broker, approved training hours, and a crackdown on the use of “no documentation” loans.

Use a Buyer's Agent When Purchasing Your Home

Purchasing a home is a big step, and a big decision. The average person spends around 1/3 of their income on their home. The home that you choose has a big impact on your life, and can have a big impact on your finances, as well. It always surprises me when Buyers attempt to "go at it alone" because of the possibility of mistakes. A good Buyer's Agent is invaluable to a Buyer, and can be the difference between a wonderful transaction, and a nightmare.

With apartments staging a big comeback as an investment class, even rundown "problem" buildings are becoming more desirable to would-be rehabilitators

With apartments staging a big comeback as an investment class, even rundown "problem" buildings are becoming more desirable to would-be rehabilitators, as the cooling of the condo craze boosts demand and rents for multihousing properties.

Rosemount: 290-Acre Development Proposal Seeks Several Private Streets

Acron's development proposal raises questions. Some Rosemount City Council members raised the question of public vs. private streets as they reviewed Arcon Development's proposal, east of the Bloomfield neighborhood. The issue was only one of a few discussion points regarding the 735 housing units, which includes a new location for District 917, and 50 acres of commercial land along County Road 42 on both sides of Akron Avenue.

St. Paul: Stepping Up Effort To Remove Blighted Homes

St. Paul: Stepping Up Effort To Remove Blighted Homes
St Paul has removed 11 blighted and unsafe homes so far this year, and many more demolitions are on the way. Neighbors on Jessamine Ave. are cheering the move in one North End neighborhood but some housing advocates are saying the city should not be tearing down homes in affordable housing neighborhoods. Says neighbor Linda Clark as she watched from across the street, "I'm glad they're getting rid of these abandoned houses. Put something nice where people want to live." In February Mayor Chris Coleman announced "Invest St. Paul", a broad, multimilliion-dollar neighborhood revitalization program focusing on Frogtown, Dayton's Bluff, the North End and the East Side