Curb Appeal

How important is curb appeal when trying to sell your home? VERY IMPORTANT! Did you know the majority of buyers will not get out of their car if they do not find your home’s curb appeal visually attractive. Addressing your home’s curb appeal is critical when trying to sell your home. Here are some easy & inexpensive ways to help spruce up your curb appeal…

Adding colorful seasonal plants to existing flower beds.
Purchasing new house address numbers and a mailbox.
Installing a new door with glass inserts.
Placing a new welcome mat and a grouping of potted plants at the entrance.
Installing lighting along your driveway or sidewalk.

Multiple Offer Mania!

The Simply Home Group is seeing multiples of multiples!  Many of our agents have been in many multiple offer situations over the past few weeks.  Is the Twin Cities market finally heating up?!  We think so! 

Many of our buyers and sellers have participated in multiple offers, some with story-tale endings and some with less than ideal endings.  Our local market is extremely competitive right now.  With inventory declining by over 30% since last year at this time, buyers are having a hard time finding the right place to call home.  We have buyers looking for homes for sale in Minneapolis, Saint Paul and several Twin Cities suburbs so if you are thinking about selling, give us a call at 612-963-7205.

Well-kept, move in ready homes are in high demand so if you are thinking about moving, please call for a no-obligation consultation.  We would love to meet with you to discuss current market values in your neighborhood and crunch the numbers to see if a move could be in your future.  You may take a hit on your current home but larger homes with larger price tags are taking a larger hit and you can reap the benefits!  We understand that many homeowners are underwater and have a team of experts to help so please don’t hesitate to call.  We can answer your questions and connect you with the right resources.

The market is heating up!  Do you want to be part of it?  Contact the Simply Home Group!

A recent news clip from our local Fox 9 news: Best February in 5 Years

Whose Market is it Anyway?!

With the housing market improvements that we have seen over the past few months, it makes us wonder… Is it still a buyer’s market?  Or are we trending toward a seller’s market in the Twin Cities?  Check out The Skinny from the Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS® to see who is winning the battle:

Based on the most recent market stats from the Regional Multiple Listing Service (MLS), we are entering a balanced market for the first time in seven years!

Fence Riders – Is It Finally Time to Sell Your Home?

The most recent statistics from the Minneapolis Association of Realtors is bound to make potential home sellers smile, as we’ve finally got good news for you!  It’s been a long dreary slide of depreciation in the real estate market, but all indications are pointing to brighter days.  With interest rates hovering around 4%, and housing affordability at the highest levels we’ve seen this millennium, the market is becoming flooded with home buyers.  With additional buyer pressure on the existing inventory of homes, buyers are starting to see the end to their powerful grip on the market.

The following statistics compare February 2012 to February 2011:

Sellers will be happy to know there are 27% fewer homes on the market.  Our current number of homes for sale is our lowest since January of 2004.

A balanced market by definition has 5-6 months of inventory. This number is arrived at by taking the number of homes for sale, divided by the average monthly pending sales from the last 12 months. This is a very important statistic in gauging the balance of the market.  The current supply is at 4.6 months, and it hasn’t been this low since 2005.

We’ve seen a 10% decrease in market time, which puts us at a pre-2007 levels.

Even though we have fewer homes on the market, we had 23% more closed sales this February, the most closed sales in February since 2006.

We had 34% more homes in Pending status (homes with accepted purchase agreements waiting to close), the highest amount in February since 2005.

The short and sweet of it is:  Fewer homes for sale + more buyers in the market = a great time to sell your home!

Curious where your home value is currently sitting?  For customized statistics on YOUR neighborhood, contact the Simply Home Group!

Monthly Skinny: Febuary 2012

Where has the Twin Cities real estate market been and where is it heading? This monthly summary provides an overview of current trends and projections for future activity. Narrated by Emily Green (2012 President, Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS®), video produced by Chelsie Lopez

Freshen Things up for Spring!!

By Minnesota standards, this winter has been extremely wimpy.  But that doesn’t mean that spring fever won’t hit!  Maybe you’re already itching to get going on some of those home improvement projects.  It might be too soon to start your outside tasks, but why not get started on the inside?   Whether you are fixing your home up to sell, or simply needing a change of scenery, a fresh coat of paint can do wonders!  No budget for fix-up projects?  The Simply Home Group can help – read on…

Most counties in Minnesota have a Household Hazardous Waste collection site.  Stay with me here.  Did you know that many of these sites have a “reuse” area where you can pick up free paint, home improvement products, and even fertilizers?  The inventory is always changing, and you never know what you’ll find.  We suggest calling your county to verify program availability, locations, hours, and eligibility requirements, (many times you must be a resident of the county).  Click on the links below to be directed to your county’s Household Hazardous Waste website.

And if you are fixing your home up to sell – make sure to give us a call!  We can provide many other ideas to get your home in “showing condition”!

Anoka County:

http://www.rethinkrecycling.com/residents/household-hazardous-waste-drop-sites

Chisago County:

http://www.co.chisago.mn.us/government/environmental-services/waste-disposal-and-recycling/household-hazardous-waste/

Dakota County: http://www.co.dakota.mn.us/EnvironmentRoads/RecyclingZone/Additional+Services+at+the+Eco-Site.htm

Hennepin County: http://www.hennepin.us/portal/site/HennepinUS/menuitem.b1ab75471750e40fa01dfb47ccf06498/?vgnextoid=68a95d0a674a3210VgnVCM20000048114689RCRD

Ramsey County:

http://www.co.ramsey.mn.us/ph/hw/household_hazardous_waste_collection_sites.htm

Washington County:

http://www.co.washington.mn.us/info_for_residents/environment/environmental_center/

or check out Rethink Recycling for more information: http://www.rethinkrecycling.com/residents/household-hazardous-waste-drop-sites

A summer filled with delicious surprises…

Do you like surprises?

Join a local CSA and pick up a sizeable box of delicious local vegetables picked at the peak of freshness and delivered to a drop site in your neighborhood. You never know exactly what you will receive but you can count on the freshest local produce each and every week! Explore different vegetables and cooking styles while creating delicious, nutritious meals filled with healthy vegetables grown right up the road! Big River Farms, our CSA just north of Stillwater, MN, sends a brief newsletter with tried-and-true recipes featuring the seasonal fare in your weekly box so each week brings a few surprises and new ways to explore with delicous and nutritious local food.

Become a member and enjoy the bounty of your fellow members and friends hard work. You can volunteer your time by sharing your green thumb (or lack of) to nurture the gardens and harvest the fare at a local CSA farm. Or simply pick up your weekly bushel of goodness at a neighborhood drop site and enjoy healthy and nutritious meals all summer long! A summer filled with weekly surprises….what a fun and local way to get your Recommended Daily Allowance …nurture the planet and nourish your family!

To learn more about Community Supported Agriculture in the Twin Cities, Minnesota and Western Wisconsin and CSA farms in the area, visit Minnesota Food Association or Land Stewardship Project. Visit Simply Home Group for more information about housing and life in the Twin Cities.