From the category archives:

Real Estate

Get Smarter: Ignore the National Real Estate Market and Use Local Tools

by Alex Stenback 12.22.2011

I’ve been telling you for a while that there is no such thing as a “National Real Estate Market” and that if you really want to understand what is going on, looking at the local picture (wherever local happens to be for you) is crucial. Call it confirmation bias if you will, but here’s an [...]

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8 Healthiest Housing Markets: Minneapolis-Saint Paul Metro Tops The List

by Alex Stenback 11.08.2011

Builder Magazine (A trade publication) is out with a report which is getting much tout in local real estate circles because it names Minneapolis- Saint Paul as THE healthiest housing market. [ The source article is of annoying the page-view pumping variety (list spread out over multiple slow to load pages) so we'll link instead [...]

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Mixed Signals: Good and Bad Signs for Twin Cities Real Estate Market in September 2011

by Alex Stenback 10.13.2011
Thumbnail image for Mixed Signals: Good and Bad Signs for Twin Cities Real Estate Market in September 2011

Let’s check in with the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors, who just published the September 2011 numbers.  Press release here: “Without any government stimulus, the Twin Cities housing market continued to take small yet noticeable strides toward recovery in September. Sellers listed 5,562 new homes on the market, down 16.8 percent from last year. Buyers entered [...]

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Why You Can Ignore The Case-Schiller Home Price Index

by Alex Stenback 09.27.2011

Standard and Poor’s Case-Schiller Home Price Index for July  is making headlines today, as it does every month.  Cutting to the Chase, locally, the results the Twin Cities were: – Prices rose slightly from June to July this year. – Year over year, the index showed about a 10% decline in prices. – Were are back at [...]

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MN Property Tax Changes: Up for Everyone?

by Alex Stenback 09.23.2011

As the font of knowledge for all things real estate, I bring to your attention an article from MPR  which unpacks the recent changes to Minnesota property taxes. For those just picking up on this issue, quick background:  Earlier this summer, while everyone was distracted by the govt shutdown, the legislature eliminated something called the market [...]

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The Federal Govt and The Housing Market: Where do we go from here?

by Alex Stenback 09.01.2011

Federal Reserve Governor Elizabeth Duke gave a lengthy speech today regarding the still-ailing housing market, and put forth a handful of solutions worthy of consideration. Anyone looking for clues as to future policy possibilities should read the entire statement (which is available at The Fed website.) But I read this sort of thing so you don’t [...]

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Born Again: How Long Do You Have to Wait After a Short Sale, Bankruptcy, or Foreclosure?

by Alex Stenback 08.26.2011

(click image to biggify) At nearly 4 years (and running) into the real estate downturn, one question we still hear all the time is: “When will I be able to buy a home again if I go through a foreclosure, short sale or bankruptcy”  With that in mind, the chart above illustrates the standard waiting [...]

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Twin Cities Real Estate: Inventory Improves, and Why You Should Ignore Prices (sometimes)

by Alex Stenback 08.11.2011

The most excellent data-miners over the the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors have released their monthly housing report.  As always, packed with meaty information on the Twin Cities Housing Market. Of particular note is an inventory situation that seems to be improving.  From the press release: “The 24,328 active homes on the market represent 18.8 [...]

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Agent Beat™ : 7 Quick Questions with Ken Carpenter

by Alex Stenback 08.09.2011

For this week’s Agent Beat™, we chatted with Ken Carpenter, of RE/MAX Results in Plymouth.  Truly one of the good guys on the local real estate scene, Ken and his 3-person team (filled out by a full time assistant and a buyers agent, Svitlana Pashko) sold 62 homes in and around Plymouth and the Western suburbs in [...]

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