Twin Cities Real Estate

Have Short Sales been Thrown a Safety Line?)

I have felt that short sales are drowning in a sea of processing and one hand not knowing what the other hand has been doing.  In my market of Minneapolis, agents do not like listing short sale properties.  I happen to be certified in short sales, so I have my share of short sales to get closed.  Many agents in Minneapolis do not like to show short sales.  They feel the wait is too long and they want to get paid and not go through months and several offers before it is pay day.  Short sales in my area are like telling someone, do you want to date my cousin?

There are press releases that state the administration is directing banks to put short sales as a priority.  In fact come April 5th money is going to be offered to parties that participate in short sales.  I say, safe your money.  There are not enough dollars out there to make short sales go more effectively.

Take one of my sales.  Like many short sales it has two mortgages. You go to the first loan and attempt to work with them.  This offer was submitted to Bank of America on December 28,2009.  Now March 17, 2010 it still has not reached a negotiator.  That negotiator then has to work with the investor.  The purchase agreement is redefined by the bank.  Then the bank says they will reduce the commission paid to Realtors.  I guess spending hours and hours on the phone listening to their terrible music, being told they don't have a document I have sent them twice, stating information over and over, and trying to keep a property from going into foreclosure Is not worth much to a bank.  Talk about cutting off the hand that feeds you!

My job is not over.  I go through this process again with the second bank.  They can be a bit easier as they realize if it goes into foreclosure they will get nothing. 

I know these people on the phone have a terrible job and they are paid little.  Some are doing this from a foreign country and must deal with my terrible sense of humor.  It is the bank that is at fault.  Their greed of creating mortgage products that were doomed to fail, giving second mortgages removing all equity from the property, and not being prepared for the collapse puts them in a bad light, so they transfer all the fault to the sellers and Realtors.

Would someone please throw me a life line?  I don't see how the housing industry can ride this out without the system being repaired.  The flood of short sales in Minneapolis is not going away.  It is growing as more home owners see their savings go away and the only solution is to get out from under the mortgage payments.  Wake up elected officials.  Your constituents back home are in trouble and no one at the other end of the phone is able to help them.  If anything, get better music for us to listen to as we endlessly hold for a voice that tells us how very sorry they are that they cannot help us.

March Madness in Minnesota

I know everyone knows about March Madness.  I have even seen ads for the fast food chains that are playing on the idea of March Madness.  In early March we have phase I of March Madness and it has nothing to do with basketball.  It has to do with the Boy's High School Hockey Tournament.

 

Remember, Minnesota is the state of hockey.  Our little boys start skating as they start walking.  Parents flood their back yards and make their own rinks.  Kids put a net on the driveway and use in-line skates to practice shooting.  I once showed an unfinished basement and on the concrete blocks I saw all these black marks.  I came to realize the kids were shooting pucks in the basement.  My first job out of college was teaching English in Duluth, Minnesota.  I had a 9th grade boy who slept through my first period English class.  I called his parents in for a meeting to discuss the problem.  His parents explained to me that his team had indoor ice time at 1:00 am so naturally he was tired at 8:05 am.  I discussed this with my principal.  He wanted to know what my problem was.  After all it was for hockey!

 

We live for this week when schools from all over the state come to play in the state hockey tournament.  As long as a city can lay a sheet of ice, they have a team that competes.  Many don't make it to state, but we have some small schools up on the Canadian/Minnesota boarder that give the big city school a run for their money. 

 

Hockey is a sport where the boys first learn to skate on a pond or lake.  They play pick-up games at the park rink.  In the beginning all they need is a pair of skates and a stick.  Many don't have official pucks but perhaps a tennis ball.  They will skate when it is below zero and a wind chill.  In the end they don't feel their toes or their fingers, but they love hockey.  It gets more organized as they get older and more experienced.  Then they get into real equipment which is expensive, indoor ice, and demanding coaches.  Parents haul them to practice, games, one on one coaching, and traveling tournaments.  A real hockey player will skate year round and play in summer leagues.  Not only do they want to go to state, but they want to go to one of the hockey colleges around here.  Minnesota grooms many of the skaters that play college hockey.  For a few the dream of skating for the NHA is real.

 

Hockey is not just for our high school boys.  We have a girls' high school hockey tournament.  The parents of these kids skate on their own teams.  For several years I went and watched my son-in-law skate on an adult team.  Some states may have football in their blood, but here in Minnesota it is hockey.  By the back door of many a home you will see many sticks and several pairs of skates.  Those equipment bags are large and you don't ever want to smell one.  As a parent of a boy starting to skate you learn what breezers are, how to not die when your son asked for his "nut cup", and you don't lose your stomach when you hand him the mouth guard. 

It is a most exciting week of madness in Minneapolis this week as we watch our boys soon to be men skate and pass a puck up and down a sheet of ice.  You bleed for the goalie and his parents and you cheer for the kid who scores.  Hopefully in the end we all say. "good game."

Potholes

In Minneapolis we have potholes..  In fact you can listen on the radio to pothole alerts.  When I am driving a client around I have to warn them not to attempt to drink their coffee.  It will end up on their chin and not in their mouth.  The ruts are really something this year and you get tossed around in your car as you drive around.  This is not true only for the city streets.  You find potholes on freeways and everywhere.

I was listening to a Minneapolis city engineer and he said this is the worst he has seen the streets be in 15 years.  Does that make us feel better? No.  Usually, they do not try to fill the potholes until after April 1st.  They could not wait that long this year as the broken chunks of pavement were causing accidents.  I have heard one of the reasons we have had it so bad this year is due to all the sunny days in February.  The sunshine was absorbed by the asphalt, softened the tar, and the tires of the car broke up the street.  Now the snow is melting and we are having rain in Minneapolis.  The holes are filling with water and this accelerates the damage.  The water washes away loose particles of the road surface. 

I did a little research to see if only us in Minneapolis have this problem.  I guess people all over have potholes, they just call them something else.  I learned kettle can also be a pothole.  In the Western part of the United States they call them a chuckhole.  I don't care what name you give them, they are a pain.  I drive by service stations and they have pothole specials for wheel alignment.  It goes to show one persons problem is the next persons' reward.

For those of you looking for the Loch nest monster, there is rumor he is living in one of the deep potholes in Minneapolis.  Children walking to school have been warned to stay away from the potholes as they might never be seen again.  Dogs have been walking with their masters and have had to start dog paddling!  If it gets warm real fast here in Minneapolis the mosquitoes will have new breeding ponds.  I wonder if they will find walleye in the potholes.  This is not joke.  We are the state of 10,000 lakes and that many potholes.

If you are coming to visit bring along your waders.  I think you will find them useful.

STYLISH FUN IN AN OLD NEIGHBORHOOD

Buyers will drive with me through the neighborhoods of SW Minneapolis that were built in the late 1940's and 1950'S.  They will tell me they look old and too small.  Look again my friends, you need to get in them and be impressed.

I just brought on a new listing in the Armatage neighborhood and it is fun and stylish.  the owners took the post WWII expansion and made it the first choice house for young buyers today.  The first floor was opened up and gutted.  Now there is a great room that opens to the dining room and then to the kitchen. 

  
 
  Hardwood floors are everywhere on this floor.  The Kitchen has custom cabinets made from wood from the Pacific northwest.  There is even a drawer that pulls In and out to feed the family pet.  Granite counters and stainless steel appliances are present.  The glass tiles that form the backsplash are most impressive.  Two bedrooms and an update bath are on this floor. 

Upstairs is the master suite of all suites.  The knotty pine paneling is gone and drywall with recess lights are present.  Built-in drawers were put in all the cavities of this room.  A bath with marble and limestone give you the appearance of a spa.  The walk-in closet has a window and a door with frosted glass to keep the room from getting to dense. 

     

The lower level is guided by stir lights.  Once down you will find painted drywall, recess lights, a limestone, gas fireplace, built-in custom cabinets for storage, an office, an entertaining room, and a media area.  Then you do have the laundry, storage , and utility room.  Come spring you can enjoy the stamp concrete patio and sidewalk and hundreds of plantings. 

You want new tilt-in windows and mechanics? You will find them on this property.  What a joy it is to represent a house that is redone and says YES! to the buyers of today.  The neighborhood cannot be beat.  It is a mixture of singles, families and those who came after the war. Get ready buyers to stop looking and go ahead and take this home.

Jane Paulus, REALTOR, CDPE

Short sales and foreclosure specialist in the Minneapolis area

952-924-8776

Minneapolis is a Sweet City

Minneapolis has never been lacking for chocolate.  We have some fine, small chocolate companies in Minneapolis. If you are going to have cold winters, then you need the chocolate to help you build up your fat layers to stay warm.  Just Kidding.  We are not fat.  We play outdoors and work all those calories off.

 

Abdallah Chocolates has been on the corner of Lake Street and Hennepin in Minneapolis since 1909.  Albert, the founder, had a copper kettle he filled with the best ingredients he new.  He was an ambitious immigrant from Tripoli and had a new Swedish wife.  Both of them knew there was a growing demand for fine confections.  That chocolate is still made today and we eat it up.

 

Dragonfly Chocolate at 211 Washington Ave N. Is a private company that is made up of one employee in Minneapolis.  Made by hand the most perfect chocolate is created from Cacao Beans. His candies are sold in stores in Minneapolis or on line. There are no air bubbles in these chocolates. 

 

Chocolat Celeste is a small chocolate shop and factory that makes candies that awakens your senses.  Handmade truffles, bags of English toffee, and bars of chocolate wait for you to be tempted to buy them.  You will never be disappointed indulging in these rare items and making them a memory for life.

 

Custom Chocolate makes chocolate into thousand of shapes.  You can customize theme novelties for weddings, parties, corporate promotions, anything.  They take chocolate and make it  3D.  If you are going to eat chocolate, you might was well have it personalized.

 

Just Truffles hand-dips each truffle without preservatives and is wax-free.  This is a source for sumptuous, sensual, and  pleasure. They suggest you indulge yourself with one of their truffles and a glass of port for an ultimate desert.

 

February 2nd See's Candies will be coming to Minneapolis.  This manufacturer has been in the western United States.  Now they are dipping their toe in the Midwest.  They produce unusually high quality candy.  Mary See, the mother of the founder, has been the image this candy has had for years.  There is a cult like following for the chocolates, so its new location coming to Minneapolis by Valentine's Day is perfect.

 

When you come to see us in Minneapolis, leave your chocolate at home.  We have some fine samples for you to try here. 

Staying Nice

I was in New Hampshire for a family wedding this weekend and was flying back as the Vikings were playing the Dallas Cowboys.  I would stop and ask people if they knew the score, and they would say, "Who cares?  It's the Vikings."  Oh, I had forgotten I was in Detroit.  I guess they don't think nicely of the Vikings who resided in my city, Minneapolis.  I knew as I was boarding the plane that the Vikings had nicely won, but I stayed nice to the men around me making remarks.  You see, you can have more fun being nice at times like this than being cruel.  I tried to tell you last week that I thought those Cowboys might have to get on their horses and get out of Dodge.

So--this weekend the Vikings leave Minneapolis and go south to New Orleans.  They trade dome for dome.  It will be loud in there, but loud is the middle name of the Vikings.  After all, Vikings blow those awful horns, so noise does not bother them.  Saints fans, bring it on.  You have the tough Vikings and then you have the sweet Saints with their fleur-de-lis.  Really, don't you think our purple men will eat those white and gold guys up?  Their mascot is Gumbo the dog.  A dog winning against a Norseman with horns.  I think not.  We call our mascot Ragnar.  He shaves his beard with an ax.  Don't mess with the dude.  Our fight song is Skol, Vikings.  It is original and catchy.  Yes, the Saints have "When the Saints Go Marching In" but not original just to them.  Zygi Wilf owns the Vikings. What a name! Tom Benson and his wife own the Saints.  Right there the names say it all.

Okay--you need some more proof as to how the Vikings are going to win.  DEFENSE.  I don't think it will be a high scoring game, but the Viking's defense will take them to the Super Bowl. 

Yes--we are playing on the road and our road record is poor.  You know what they say, "Records are made to be broken."  Our big guys will pack their gear, special "blankies" and will meet the strangeness of the hotel and a different city with niceness.  They will stay nice until late afternoon, and then the saying, "Nice guys finish last." will rule. 

This is Minnesota, Wear Purple

Everything is lined up for a win for the Minnesota Vikings.  First, they are playing in their own dome stadium in Minneapolis. That means climate control.  Plus, the building is so loud when it is filled with Minnesota fans.  I personally cannot sit through a Viking game in the dome without getting a headache. 

Secondly, the Viking mascot of a hairy guy with horns will scare any Cowboy away.  Aren't cowboys the clean all American guys in our society that find stranded calves and respect women.  This Viking eats calves raw and I don't want to think what he does to women.  So we have a scare factor here.

Thirdly, we have our dancing girls who are wholesome yet sexy.  The Cowboys will be busy eyeing them and forgetting about the football.

Fourthly, have you met the Williams boys?  If those Cowboys like bulls, then they have a pair in the front line they will face often.  I don't know how much meat they pack, but I don't want to be the quarterback under them.  Jared Allen is on one mission.  To sack the Cowboy quarterback.  The buy looks so nice in interviews, but I know he has another side to him.  Defense will show those guys from the West why Vikings who claim Minneapolis are so tough.  They bath in frozen lakes.

My fifth point is our offense.  Adrian Peterson (what a name for a Minnesota player,) we call him A.P. eats up yards like we eat Sweet Martha Cookies at the Minnesota State Fair.  Sidney Rice and Chester Taylor rather get their hands on pigskin than any horse skin.  Then there is our old man Brett Favre.  He plays with his mind and his body.  Brett will tease those Cowboys until the fourth quarter.  Then those Cowboys will be looking for the fastest way back to Texas.

We will certainly miss EJ. Henderson who is injured.  I know those teammates will play for a win for him.

Those of us living in Minneapolis and the state say, "This is it. Do it boys." Let's forget all the times you get on national T.V. for the big game and fall on your faces.  Let's forget how you have let us down so many times.  Let's forget how we always love you though you don't get us to the big dance.  This will be different.  We'll be saying to those people from the Lone Star state,'Ya  all go home now and thanks for coming."

Give Us Moisture in Minneapolis

One of the side effects of having sunny, blue skies with cold weather is very dry skin.  There is little moisture in the air and then the heat that we run constantly to keep us warm, makes our skin even drier.  You can run a humidifier, put your face over steaming hot water, but you still  feel the pain of dry skin.

 

They say necessity is the mother of invention, and this is true for several home-grown companies that have created moisturizers for people who live in Minneapolis.  These are not costly remedies for dry skin, but relatively cheap alternatives manufactured in the state.  Thymes and Caldrea sell products that can be purchased on line or in gift shops. 

 

The two products often used by those of us who live in Minneapolis are Amlactin and Vanicream.  They are free of common irritants and scents.  Dermatologists find these creams to help those of us living in this dry climate at a smaller cost than other creams.

 

Can you imagine taking off you black socks and having a cupful of dry skin flakes come with them?  It happens here in Minneapolis.  I feel like a horse rubbing against a tree as I back-up to the door jam and scratch my back.  Dermatologists do tell us to take shorter showers, cooler showers, less soaking baths, and to rub on lots and lots of lotion without drying off to try to keep the moisture in our skin.  Picture a resident of Minneapolis standing wet but lathered in lotion in their 65 degree bathroom.  That is me. 

 

I never complain when it is humid in Minneapolis.  I figure my skin is drinking its fill of whatever.

Car Chunks

If you have to ask what a car chunk is, then you don't live in Minneapolis. 

 

A car chunk is what you get under the wheels of your car when the snow gets kicked up when driving.  It becomes a solid mass of ice and snow.  If you don't get rid of it, it will rub against the tire and you will wear the treed down.  Plus ,the sound is miserable. 

 

We get rid of them by kicking them with our shoes.  In doing so we can break our toes.  I am not kidding.  My husband always says to use my heal, but I don't listen to him.  My shoes have the famous "salt" look of Minneapolis shoes.  The salt that is dropped on the street so we don't skid is absorbed by the snow and then is absorbed by the leather on our shoes.  It is a nasty look and you try to get rid of it as soon as you can.  I don't advise spitting on the shoe, but some people do.

 

You can go through a car wash, but that is the easy way to get rid of them.  You do want them off or they will drop off in your garage during the night as the warmth of the garage allows the chunk to drop off.  You go through the parking ramps and parking lots of Minneapolis and see large chunks on the ground.  They are not very attractive.  I think I should start chunk throwing contests just to find a useful use for these things.  So------now you know that those of us who live in Minneapolis have car chunks.  Come July they will be a passing memory.

Mixing Preschoolers and Old Schoolers

 

Southwest Minneapolis is blessed with a no generation gap center for caring for preschoolers and senior citizens.  Mt. Olivet the largest Lutheran Church in the U. S., built this free standing center to combine the needs of people at both ends of their lives.  it is called Mount Olivet Day Services and Monday through Friday from 7 am-6pm it promotes the educational, social, intellectual and physical development for children.  At the same time it assists seniors with the joy of living life during your senior years.  It gives a break to caregivers of these seniors.

 

You will find these "kids" singing and dancing together.  They celebrate birthdays.  Some of the kids have many more candles on the cake than others.  The young ones entertain the older ones with their energy and laughter.  The kids get to see the world through some very wise eyes.  It really is a win win situation for all.

 

This mixing of young and old demonstrates the caring that goes on in Minneapolis.  We are a city that adopts children at a large rate, special needs children are accepted in classrooms, and our immigrant population is large for a quiet, Midwestern town.  Our corporations give generously to the community and with love and caring hands make this a wonderful Minneapolis to live in.