Twin Cities Real Estate

Over Stored

Have you recovered from Black Friday and all the shopping you did this past holiday weekend?  Perhaps you have come to the conclusion that there are too many places to shop.

 

The United States is over-stored.  Jennifer Waters, the Chicago Bureau chief for Market Watch, spoke last week and I listened to her.  What she said is that we might be upset to hear about certain stores closing, but the reality is that the stores are not failing there are just too many of them.  This is not news to the retail industry.  They knew this day would come.  When the economy was bursting with money, the stores could handle their large numbers.  Now that the economy is in a slump, the truth of the number of stores is hitting home.

 

Daniel Gross from Newsweek magazine wrote about how bad the retail culture is.  He calls it a carnage.  Developers do not stop.  By the end of 2008 34 million new sq. ft. of retail will have been created.  The saturation of certain stores, such as Starbucks, has been scaled back.  Shoppers might have to drive a little farther to satisfy their thirst. 

 

Judith Levine authored "Not Buying it: My Year without shopping." She sites that there are 159 million sq. ft. of vacant stores in the United States.  That is like 5.5 miles or six times the size of Monaco.  Her theory is that the bombardment of advertising has wounded the shopper and they don't have the strength to get out and shop.  The backlash to all this advertising pushes the people to buy less.

 

Get prepared, you might have to watch the football game this Super bowl as the number of ads will be pulled back.  The creative ads that we waited all year for are projected not to be there this year.  Already the automotive company that sponsored Tiger Woods has stopped the contract with him and now he'll have to drive a car other than his Buick. 

 

Don't worry the malls you have loved to walk will not be graveyards.  It is estimated that once the slump is over Americans will come back and shop.  You can't take away our desire to buy the shinny objects in the window.  The stores might not look the same, but they will be there for our dollars.

Welcome Home

 

Fewer of us traveled on this the busiest holiday of the year.  The economy had many of us stay home.  The lower gas prices, tempting air fares, and good weather did not have many of us stray more than 50 miles from our homes. 

 

I say, "Welcome home'" to those of you who traveled  There is nothing better than pulling up in front of "your" place and realizing how wonderful it is.  It may not be perfect but it is yours.  You know where the steps creek, how the refrigerator hums, how to jiggle the handle on the toilet, and the comforting groan of the furnace as it turns on.  Your bed is your own.  The pillow feels so good.  The cat is sleeping up by your head and the dog is curved right where your leg bends. 

 

Adventuring away is exciting.  I never know if it is the real trip or the planning that makes it so much fun.  I do know I am a home body.  I can only choose between chicken and fish so many times.  I hate sleeping in a hotel and hearing the guy next to me at 6:00 AM use the bathroom.  I want my toast right out of the toaster and not cold on a plate.  I like looking out my kitchen window and seeing the birds at the feeder.  It might not be a classic sight that people take pictures of, but it is my special sight. 

 

Home is the best.  I feel that way until I have to do the laundry from the trip.

OK, Now You Can Put Up the Lights

 

Thanksgiving has come and gone,and I feel it is okay to hang the outside Christmas decorations.  I know many will say we need to conserve this year, and it is best not to decorate for Christmas. Please, can't we cut back a little but still enjoy.  Is not the message of this holiday, hope?Cannot our lights be a beacon to show us there is a future.

 

If you do not continue some of your usual habits at Christmas, you will wreck the economy even more.  Boy Scouts need you to buy their trees to fund their programs.  We can't put them out of business.  If you don't send Christmas cards, then the postal carriers will be reduced in numbers.(Email is not the way to say ho,ho, ho.) Not attending musical programs, plays, and other special Christmas traditions will just make things worse.  The Guthrie will be putting on a "Christmas Carol" weather we like it or not.  We need to support those actors and other people involved in the production. 

 

I agree we all need to get conservative in our spending.  It is not possible for everyone to participate like they used to.  Still, if everyone did one event the season would not be so bad.  What will those limo drivers drive their customer past if you don't hang lights, have the plastic Rudolf shinning bright, and make your place look as close to "Joe's Bar and Grill" as you can?  Make a list of all the people who will be effected if you dig yourself in a hole and not come out until all this has past.

 

This is not the first or the last of our troubling times.  Do not forget we are Minnesotans.  We know how to bear wind chills, push cars out of snow drifts, make that tatter tot casserole stretch to feed a few more, and how to reach out to others.  We need not fear the present as we know what it is.  We cannot lose sight of what we have by being scared.  Climb that ladder, freeze your fingers as you hang those lights, try to make Rudolf stand on frozen ground, keep the holiday spirit so those going by will be embraced by it and spread the spirit too.  I know we can do it. 

Baggies, Tin Foil and Plastic Bowls

 

If you did not host Thanksgiving yesterday, then you have a large supply of Baggies, you have not run out of tin foil, and all your plastic bowls have matching lids on them.  The leftovers have their own art of how they are stored away and kept air tight for the next meal, the next meal, and all those meals to come.  There does come a day when the celery with the cheese spread on it just does not look healthy.

 

My family after the fourth day will ask for pizza.  They crave anything that does not have a cranberry on it.  I cannot pawn that last piece of pie on anyone.  I hear they have all taken in too many calories.  All those dishes they had to snitch a bite of before the dish got to the table are now boring.  I hope they are not too boring as in just four weeks we'll have fresh everything for Christmas. 

 

Hands off the wish bone.  It is not dry enough to make the wish.  I myself am wishing for more of the same.  I love it all.

Houses Make Thanksgiving Happy

 

So many times when I help buyers buy houses, they talk about the family and friends they want to have over at holiday time.  They select properties based on the several times a year they have these gatherings.  I also have sellers who tell me they cannot sell the family home as who would hold the family dinners?

 

Buyers object to a house for too many steps and Gramps could not make it up and into the house.  The kitchen is too small ,and they could not have the cousins in there to mash the potatoes and stir the gravy.  They need the fourth bedroom and second full bath for relatives to use when they spend the night.  The dinning room could not hold 24 people.  The basement is not large enough for the big screen t.v. to watch the football game on.  They have to buy on"this" side of town as Mom and Dad won't come if they are forced to cross the river. The concerns don't stop as they dream of this house, and the holiday traditions they will establish in it

 

Parents just are not ready to sell the house that they raised the family in.  The major reason is they need this big house to have the kids and their kids over for the big holidays.  Each year they go through the same rituals as to who will sleep in whose room.  Old baby cribs are pulled down from the attic so babies can nap.  Leaves are put in the table to squeeze everyone in the dining room, as they want her to feel like this is still her home.

 

Time for a reality check everyone.  Buyers, you are buying a house for everyday living and not a house for 3-4 times a year.  Perhaps you serve buffet style, ask guests to have their food ready and not use the kitchen for preparation, have relatives stay with other relatives or in a hotel,and  buy where you want to live. The relatives will come and their threats are only threats.  To try and find a house for 3-4 times a year is not wise.  Select a house for your budget and your needs.  Friends and relatives will be happy to just be with you.  It is not the brick and motor of your place, it is you that makes the holiday.  Believe me, after all my holiday meals I doubt if one guest could tell you what the center piece looked like.

 

As a parent who held the big, family home for many years so the kids could come home, I so much more enjoy going to their places.  They work hard for their place and want to be the one hosting the holiday.  They like having their children in their own environment so the little ones don't get fussy.  Our children are causal and want a casual holiday.  They don't get why anyone would own dishes that can't go in the dishwasher.  I learned to let go and let the next generations start traditions.  How healthy is it to hold onto a family life that is no longer there?  My children do not love me less ,and I have not lost any memories.  What I gained was a new relationship with my husband, less stuff to keep, and started my next phase of living.  There is a great life after children.  Sell the house and see what the future holds for for you.

 

We think the house makes the holiday but is it the people within it that make the holiday.  Happy Thanksgiving.

Holiday Food Shopping

 

Those of us in charge of the Thanksgiving feast never learn.  We know it is the fourth Thursday of November, yet we wait until the Wednesday before to do our shopping.  Really, will the food be that much fresher waiting until 24 hours before preparation?  I think not, but still I wait.  I think secretly I like the feel of all those people around me and the carts charging into one another as we seek out the evaporated milk.  I never buy evaporated milk but now and Christmas.

 

What puzzles me is that I can shop for the entire meal in the same amount of time as the woman who is bringing just a few dishes to the meal.  What is with shoppers who stroll, pick up many items off the shelf and study them and then put them pack, and then go to check-out with 10 items in their cart!  If you go on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, then be a pro at shopping.

 

The debate over fresh, frozen, or free range turkey should have happened weeks ago.  I always advise reserving the bird.  With so many stores in town, it still seems the case can be bare when you go to reach for your Tommy Turkey.  It is not easy to thaw that creature in a manner of hours, and it is not wise to cram him in the microwave to rush things.  Buy the pumpkin pie.  Go ahead and pass it off as your own.  They are fussy and not worth the effort.  Plus, I find the guests go for the French Silk pie from Perkins anyway.  I always find fresh whipped whip cream a necessity.  My brother says, "Hey, if you do that I can't take the can and shoot it in my mouth." He turned 60 this year.  Grow-up, brother. 

 

Shopping is bad enough, but the evil thing to do is haul it into the kitchen and put the food away.  The family can sense when you are pulling up,and they become invisible.  It is worthless to call ahead as that just makes them take off.  Once everything is organized for making the dishes, I suggest leaving the kitchen and do what makes you happy.  I put on classical music and read.  This is how I prep for the marathon of cooking.  It is much like the runner who has their ritual before the race.  The only thing is when the runner gets to the starting line no kid yells from the t.v. room, "Hey Mom, when are you going to have dinner ready tonight?"

Holiday Food Shopping

 

Those of us in charge of the Thanksgiving feast never learn.  We know it is the fourth Thursday of November, yet we wait until the Wednesday before to do our shopping.  Really, will the food be that much fresher waiting until 24 hours before preparation?  I think not, but still I wait.  I think secretly I like the feel of all those people around me and the carts charging into one another as we seek out the evaporated milk.  I never buy evaporated milk but now and Christmas.

 

What puzzles me is that I can shop for the entire meal in the same amount of time as the woman who is bringing just a few dishes to the meal.  What is with shoppers who stroll, pick up many items off the shelf and study them and then put them pack, and then go to check-out with 10 items in their cart!  If you go on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, then be a pro at shopping.

 

The debate over fresh, frozen, or free range turkey should have happened weeks ago.  I always advise reserving the bird.  With so many stores in town, it still seems the case can be bare when you go to reach for your Tommy Turkey.  It is not easy to thaw that creature in a manner of hours, and it is not wise to cram him in the microwave to rush things.  Buy the pumpkin pie.  Go ahead and pass it off as your own.  They are fussy and not worth the effort.  Plus, I find the guests go for the French Silk pie from Perkins anyway.  I always find fresh whipped whip cream a necessity.  My brother says, "Hey, if you do that I can't take the can and shoot it in my mouth." He turned 60 this year.  Grow-up, brother. 

 

Shopping is bad enough, but the evil thing to do is haul it into the kitchen and put the food away.  The family can sense when you are pulling up,and they become invisible.  It is worthless to call ahead as that just makes them take off.  Once everything is organized for making the dishes, I suggest leaving the kitchen and do what makes you happy.  I put on classical music and read.  This is how I prep for the marathon of cooking.  It is much like the runner who has their ritual before the race.  The only thing is when the runner gets to the starting line no kid yells from the t.v. room, "Hey Mom, when are you going to have dinner ready tonight?"

Green Bean Casserole

A woman by the name of Dorcas Reily, an employee of Campbell Soup Company's test kitchen, created the Green Bean Casserole that is now deemed the"mother of all comfort food."  It is estimated that 30,000,000 households serve this dish at Thanksgiving.  It is the number one side dish served at Thanksgiving. 

 

The casserole was invented in 1955.  Mrs.. Reily was given the task to increase the sale of Campbell's soup. She had a B. S. Degree in Home Economics from Drexel University.  What she did was create a quick and easy recipe based around two things that most Americans had on hand.  She selected Cream of Mushroom Soup and green beans.  It had to be easy and this dish is easy.

 

In 2002 Mrs. Reily appeared at the National Inventor's Hall of fame in Akron, Ohio and donated the original, yellow, 8 x 11 recipe card with the following recipe on it:

Ingredients:

canned green beans

Cream of mushroom soup

milk

French friend onions

salt and pepper

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine the milk and mushroom soup in a two quart casserole dish

Stir in green beans and half of the French fried onions

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes

Top with the remaining French friend onions and bake for an additional five minutes

Allow to cool briefly, then serve and enjoy

 

This recipe card sits with Enrico Ferni;s invention of the first controlled nuclear reactor and Thomas Edison's light bulb and phonograph. Something as serious as this recipe that sits with these inventions in the hall of fame should not be messed with.  I should know.  I have tried to bring this 1955 recipe up-to-date by adding fresh mushrooms, bacon, cheese, bell peppers, soy sauce, or nuts, and my brother-in-law has informed me hands off!  I guess nothing as perfect as the Green Bean Casserole should be altered.

 

During these trying times I do feel every table needs this comfort dish to help us through the day.  After all, you never know who will win the football games later in the day.

 

 

 

Cordially,
The Paulus Team
952 924-8776

I always think of myself as being safe. When driving or walking I have felt safe. The Minneapolis Police Departments passed this onto me, and I wanted you to know about it.

 

"WARNING FROM POLICE: THIS APPLIES TO BOTH WOMEN AND MEN.  BEWARE OF PAPER ON THE BACK WINDOW OF YOUR VEHICLE.  NEW WAY TO DO CARJACKINGS.

 

Get this-- You walk across the parking lot, unlock your car and get inside.  You start the engine and shift into reverse.  You look in the rearview mirror to back out of your parking space, and you notice a piece of paper that is obstructing your view.  Like all of us you would do the following: 1: put the car into park 2) unlock your doors 3) leave the car running and 4)go to the back of the car to remove the piece of paper.  As you reach the back of your car, the carjacker appears out of nowhere and jumps in the car and drives away.  Some victims have been nearly run over during this drive away.

 

It does get worse.  Your car contained much information about you.  Your whole identity information could be in the purse, wallet, or backpack that were in the car.  After massive Christmas shopping the loss might be felt in gifts gone.  They have the keys to your house on the car key ring and they have information as to where you live from identify cards in your wallet. 

 

It is best to make sure your doors are locked, honk to let people know you are backing out, and get out of there.  Let the police know you were put into this compromising situation.  When possible, always park in a spot where you have pulled into the parking spot and can pull ahead rather than back out when leaving.  Be smart and stay safe.

 

I encourage you to share this information with others.  It shows we don't live in Mayberry any longer.

Alleys and Driveways

Monday I was reviewing with a seller the value of their property.  Her house was in Southwest Minneapolis where most garages are placed back by the alley.  Her property had the garage out front and a long driveway.  She insisted that her house was worth more due to the fact it was on a driveway.

 

My point to her was that in the suburbs a house on an alley would be seen as a negative.  The majority of the houses are built with driveways.  The concept is to have a wide surface for parking or playing.  The garages are attached to the house for convenience.  In the city they are a by-product of the barn.  The barn never would have been put next to the house, therefore  there is green space between the two.  It all depends on where the house is located.

 

I was raised in a suburb, raised my family in a suburb, and now live with Charles in Southwest Minneapolis.  I love the alley system and my short driveway to the garage.  I don't miss shoveling and shoveling.  For 22 years I lived in a house with a long driveway that turned to a side loading garage and had so much surface to maintain.

 

The major point I made to this seller was that her property had a single garage that could not become a two car garage due to side yard setbacks.  That is where the value difference was.