No rate change this week from the Fed

The Federal Open Market Committee met this week and as anticipated, left interest rates alone. Mortgage rates had been dropping in September until the past week or so. In the past week, they have started to trend upward slightly. The Fed’s comments were basically that they felt job gains have remained solid along with unemployment.

Wednesdays Unplugged – Pork Chops with cranberry-maple pan sauce

” The chief cause of problems is solutions.” ~ Eric Sevareid NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It’s my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian ‘Quote Cup’ passed on to me from my grandmother. I.

Q&A: “Should I test for radon if the home already has a radon mitigation system?”

When a home already has an active radon mitigation system, is it even worth testing for radon? That’s a great question. To answer that, allow me to share a quick story. Back when I answered the phones and did all of the home inspection scheduling for Structure Tech, I used to be in the habit.

New Fall 2017 Buyer and Seller Guides are here… download your free copy!

Are you thinking about buying a home? The process of buying a home can be overwhelming at times, but you don’t need to go through it alone. You may be wondering if now is a good time to buy a home… or if interest rates are projected to rise or fall. The free eGuide.

Breakfast, breakfast everywhere, where to stop today? 6 of our favorite breakfast stops

Breakfast in the Twin Cities is fabulous… and John is a breakfast lover so we stop often! We are constantly criss-crossing the metro and try new places whenever we can to see what we can discover. There are so many fabulous breakfast stops it would be impossible to make a complete list of our favorites.

Staging Bookshelves

Staging bookshelves when you are selling your home, especially if they are built-ins, are very important. If the bookcase is jammed full, all the prospective buyer will see is stuff. There eyes will be drawn to the all the items and miss the rest of the architectural features of the room. .

Ready for “Surban” living? Where you can find it in the Twin Cities

The demand for walkable urban neighborhoods has been strong for years, but the newest trend is shifting to SURBAN living… a suburban area with the feel of urban living, including walkability, great restaurants/coffee shops and great retail. Not only Millennials, but also downsizing 55+ are drawn to this new wave of growth for the same.

The Equifax breach – now what?

There has been a lot of media attention on this breach at Equifax. Unfortuantely it seems to be happening more and more. My daughter just got a letter in the mail that her debit card may have been compromised so they were sending a new one. I have had that happen more than once. So.

Wednesdays Unplugged – BLT Salad with Buttermilk-Parmesan Dressing

“Once you stop learning you start dying.” ~ Albert Einstein NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It’s my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian ‘Quote Cup’ passed on to me from my grandmother. I share.

Window safety film testing video

Dustin and I made a video discussing window film, hazardous locations for glass, and options for making a home safer. If the video doesn’t appear above, please click this link to see it: https://youtu.be/Igkq7bQoZkY Conclusions: If you have standard glass in a hazardous location, do something to make it safer. Either replace the glass with tempered.

9 tips to help you deal with multiple offers

There has been a shortage of homes for sale all year and multiple offers have become the norm. As I experienced my day frittered away by putting together a multiple offer I took that as a sign to share some tips again… multiple offers aren’t going away. The seller isn’t legally obligated to let you.

5 mid-century modern homes for sale under $500k

Keeping you up-to-date on Minnesota mid-century modern homes to buy. Here are five Twin Cities mid-century modern homes for sale under $500,000 as of 9/10/2017. Contact us if you would like to see any of them… or want to find more, we can help! 200 Crestview Drive N, Maplewood – 4BR/4BA – 3,536 sq ft.

The Best Tips For Seniors Who Are Looking To Make A Move

Thanks to Guest Author, Jim Vogel of ElderAction.org, for today’s post Buying a new home is a huge process, and for seniors who have lived in their current home for years or even decades, it can be overwhelming. There are so many things to think about, including financing, finding the right movers for the job, packing.

How long should you keep financial and personal records?

If you are like many people, you have drawers and boxes filled with old financial and personal documents that you have diligently saved over the years. The good news is, you don’t have to keep most documents forever. Put document shredding on your annual ‘cleaning’ list. Below are some guidelines of how long you should.

Four Money Habits That Will Help You Save a Down Payment

Are you ready to buy a home? It is an exciting prospect but can be scary too. This is probably one of the largest financial transactions you will make. There are some things to consider – one of them is the down payment. What can you do to save money faster? Here are some habits.

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