Southwest Suburbs

As I was driving yesterday I heard a news report that Hennepin County foreclosures are up 71% from last year.  It is affecting all price points from starter homes to multi-million dollar estates. Ramsey county is very close to the same percentage.There are a mix of things contributing to this inc...

We love our waterfront property here in Minnesota.  Many developments have been created around storm sewer run off ponds and marketed as "lake living".   Now with our hot and dry weather many of these ponds have dried up leaving behind harmful bacteria and awful smells.  How would you feel if you...

Just what is the difference between being pre-qualified and pre-approvedBeing pre-qualification is an estimate of what a buyer can afford based on income and debt provided by the buyer but not necessarily verified. Pre-approval involves an in-depth review of a buyer’s finances. A credit check is ...

 Did you know that Minnesota has more golfers per capita than any other state?  How could that be?  After all we have this image of being a cold, snow covered wasteland.  How could we possible play golf let alone have 480 golf course?Here's a website that you can use to match your skills and pref...

 Summer is in full swing and if you still need to find a place to stay during your summer vacation then check out  these websites for lodging around Minnesota.  There is so much to see and do: 10,000+ lakes, waterfalls, the North Shore, Boundary Waters, State Parks, Mall of America, Mississippi R...

There are some things in the real estate marketplace that a home seller has control of, but let's take a look at some of the things they don't.  There are three categories of  property ownership that compete with the owner-occupied home for sale. They are foreclosures or bank-owned, investor-owne...

Here are a few of the road construction projects going on in our area.  Frive safely and plan on delays as you head out of town for the cabin up north.Hwy 610 in Maple Grove between Hwy 169 & 494 (5 Miles).  Hwy 610 will be a new freeway between Hwy 252 in Brooklyn Park and I-94 in Maple Grove. C...

Do you receive lots of unsolicited junk mail from credit cards, insurance or mortgage companies?  There's a good reason for it!  It's credit bureaus making money "selling" your credit profile to major companies.Here's an example - a major credit card company can buy a list of names based on crite...

It looks like there is a new system available to help combat our "State Bird".   July 18, 2006 – 10:25 PMNew bug misting systems are all the buzzLora Pabst, Star TribuneFour times a day, the automatic sprinklers in Greg Levendoski's Andover yard turn on, but they aren't spraying water -- they're ...

According to Money Magazines 100 best places to live our very own Eden Prairie made it to #10. Blaine came in at 54, and Rochester at 6710. Eden Prairie, MinnesotaPopulation: 60,600Typical single-family home: $300,000Est. property taxes: $3,500Pros: Convenience; sceneryCons: No downtown; long win...