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Maple Grove, MN Real Estate News

By David Kosmecki
(American Pacific Mortgage)
Have you heard the term Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) when looking to finance real estate? You may be wondering what PMI is and how you know when you need to purchase it. These answers can be hard to find among all the real estate jargon you might be hearing lately. Below is the short version of what you need to know. What is Private Mortgage Insurance? Private Mortgage Insurance is an insurance premium required by some lenders to offset the risk of a borrower defaulting on their home loan. When you put down less than 20 percent of the real estate's purchase price, the lender will generally require that PMI is added to the loan. It is usually added into the monthly mortgage payment until the equity position in the real estate reaches 20 percent. However, there may be other options av...
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By Myra Jensen, MN Luxury & Lake Homes - www.LuxHomesMN.com
(BRIX Real Estate)
The reason that your Maple Grove home did not sell is that the market thinks your home is overpriced. As an expert in real estate marketing, we would like to offer you a free review of how the following items could increase the market's perception of the value of your home: Curb appeal Staging (full or partially) Professional quality photographs (this can not be overstated!) Online Marketing to generate leads  (more people interested in buying your home = more demand) Most agents have no idea how to really market a home.  Our experience in successfully selling homes has made us an experts in all areas that are critical in selling your home in this demanding market. Your FREE review will include specific suggestions to help your home stand out from all the other homes in the market and g...
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By David Kosmecki
(American Pacific Mortgage)
There is a lot of misleading and incorrect information about Plymouth real estate short sales. Many people don't have a clear understanding of the purpose of short sales or how they actually work. Essentially, a short sale is when one sells their home for less than the balance remaining on the mortgage attached to the property. The proceeds from the sale are used to repay a pre-negotiated portion of the balance to settle the debt. A short sale can be a solution for homeowners who really need to sell their home but owe more on the mortgage than the home is worth. Understanding the short sale process can help make the most out of a real estate sale. Here are some common myths and why they are false: A short sale damages one's credit record as much as foreclosure: In many cases a short sa...
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By David Kosmecki
(American Pacific Mortgage)
Full Moon Programs - Nightime Adventures Await! Enjoy nighttime adventures under the magic of a full moon. Three Rivers offers a variety of full moon programs for every season. Experience the beauty of the parks at night and see which creatures come out to greet you. Located at Eastman Nature Center Address: 13351 Elm Creek Road Dayton, MN 55369   Time and Date: Monday, 02/25/2013 6:30pm to 8:00pm Reservations required by phone only; all 763-559-6700   Restrictions & Fees Restricted to participants age 6 and older. $5.00 to $6.00    
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By David Kosmecki
(American Pacific Mortgage)
Many times real estate market experts point to the feelings of the nation's home builders as a bell-weather signalling the health of the housing sector. This month's reading indicates that home builders are feeling pretty good. The National Association of Home Builders / Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) for February changed by one point to 46 as compared to 47 for January's reading. Over the last four months, HMI readings have stayed within a three-point range between 45 and 47, indicating a plateau after rising from 25 to 45 in 2012. Housing Market Index Near Highest Levels Since 2006: The good news is that February's reading remains near the HMI's highest level since April 2006, when the HMI reading reached 51. Some builders may be taking a wait-and-see stance in their confiden...
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By David Kosmecki
(American Pacific Mortgage)
Moving everything in your house to your new |**CITY & CITY**| home can be an overwhelming task. You never realize how much stuff you actually own until you try to fit it all into boxes and move it somewhere new. When you are packing up your things to relocate, here are some helpful tips to make your moving experience much easier: Start Packing In Advance: You don't have to wait until the day before you move to start packing everything in your house! As soon as you find out that you are moving, you can start packing the items you don’t often use, such as your seasonal decorations, photo albums and family keepsakes. If you pack a few items per week, you’ll have almost everything packed by the time you are ready to go except for the essentials you use every day. Establish A System: Rather...
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By David Kosmecki
(American Pacific Mortgage)
Buying Minneapolis real estate doesn't just give you a place to live; it can also be a very smart financial move. This is because owning a home can be like having a forced savings account, which you are committed to for the long term. Consistent Saving On Autopilot: Sometimes saving money on our own each month is difficult. It takes a lot of discipline to maintain a consistent savings plan. However, paying your mortgage every month means that you are paying down the principal and working toward eventually owning the property outright. In the early years of the mortgage, the payments will go primarily to the interest on the loan. But over time, the portion of your payment dedicated to principle increases, which accelerates paying off the entire mortgage. Make Yourself Wealthy Instead Of...
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By David Kosmecki
(American Pacific Mortgage)
The National Association of Homebuilders recently released its Improving Markets Index for the month of February. The report attempts to identify U.S. metropolitan areas in which the economy is improving, demonstrating "measurable and sustained growth". 259 U.S. markets are qualified as "improving" this month, a 17-market jump from the month prior and includes participants from all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia. Experts point to improving market conditions in at least one market in all 50 states as a strong indication that the housing recovery is gaining substantial momentum. This increasing momentum may suggest that now may be a very good time to purchase a home. Compared to September 2011, when there were just 12 improving metro market areas, the widespread positive m...
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By David Kosmecki
(American Pacific Mortgage)
How to Save Money on Energy Costs in Your Home: Many communities in Minnesota and around the US are seeing their energy costs increase; sometimes dramatically. Whether you are energy conscious or just trying to save money, there are many steps you can take to lower your Plymouth home bills while helping the environment at the same time. Below are several energy-saving measures to help you save money either in your current house or future residence. Heating and cooling: Keeping your home at a comfortable temperature uses more energy than anything else. To save energy, install a programmable thermostat to adjust the inside temperature when you are not there for long periods of time. Seal windows and doors to prevent air leaks, and close doors and air vents to rooms that are not often use...
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By David Kosmecki
(American Pacific Mortgage)
If you lost your Minneapolis home due to foreclosure, you probably haven't given up on the dream of owning a new home. The good news is that a number of guidelines have changed which may allow you an opportunity to buy that new home sooner than you think. There are a few guidelines that lenders follow to determine when you’ll qualify for financing after foreclosure. Arming yourself with this information may help you qualify again for a mortgage. Foreclosure With Extenuating Circumstances Generally, lenders will take into consideration any extenuating circumstances surrounding the foreclosure on your Minnesota real estate. Was there a death or illness that prevented you from earning money to pay your mortgage? Did you have a job transfer that came with a steep pay cut? Were you severely...
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By David Kosmecki
(American Pacific Mortgage)
Paying off the mortgage on your Minneapolis home faster not only means that you'll be able to enjoy the peace of mind that comes with completely owning your property sooner, but you may also save thousands of dollars in mortgage interest payments over time. Below are seven clever tips to help you get your mortgage payments on the fast track. Save for a large down payment: Make as large of a down payment as you can reasonably afford. The more cash you can put down, the less you'll have to borrow from the bank. This will reduce your monthly mortgage obligation. Read the fine print: When you are choosing a mortgage, ask your lender if there are restrictions related to paying extra principal monthly. Some lenders will charge you for making extra or early payments. Prepay early in the life ...
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By Eric Helmers, Your Trusted Real Estate Source
(Realty Group, Inc.)
Hello!  Today I'm going to try and save Maple Grove, Plymouth and New Hope residents a little time.  As many of you know, the post office in Maple Grove is generally packet to the door and wait times can be long and sometimes seem never ending.  Face it, they have a small branch in a very, very busy city.  The city has far outgrown this post office and they are often short staffed and in some cases you can tell by the temperament of some of the employees. Well, I found a hidden gem for residents living in southern Maple Grove, western New Hope and northeastern side of Plymouth.  The US Postal Service has a fairly new, large, clean post office located just off 169 and Rockford Rd.  I really like using this branch!  It is very clean, seldom has any waiting, has a separate driver lane for ...
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By Eric Helmers, Your Trusted Real Estate Source
(Realty Group, Inc.)
It's that time of year again and the Law Enforcement for Special Olympics Minnesota is hoping you will come out and take the plunge or at least donate to their cause of helping the Special Olympics.  This year the Polar Bear Plunge will take place at Fish Lake Regional Park in Maple Grove Minnesota on Feb. 2.  Residents from all the communities surrounding Maple Grove are encouraged to participate in some way, whether attending the event, donating to the cause or maybe volunteering your time.  So far to date to events scheduled throughout Minnesota have raised $616,349 with over 3169 "Plungers" participating. The Maple Grove Plungers need your help.  So far they have 365 plungers registered who have raised $14,627 in online pledges.  Please show them your support and follow this link to...
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By Eric Helmers, Your Trusted Real Estate Source
(Realty Group, Inc.)
Nearly a year after closing, the old Hennepin County Library site located at the corner of Elm Creek Blvd. and Maple Knoll Way has reportedly been sold to a group who is looking to open a Spanish Immersionldaycare and pre-school. According to sources, a local commercial real estate company facilitated a lengthy negotiation for the property and closed on the sale in late November.  According to public tax records, the sale price of the property was $1.5 million.  The property owners are not immediately confirmed as the property is listed as in Trustee on the county site. This sale is continued good news for the community and helps eliminate another vacant commercial property in the Maple Grove area.  With several other vacant buildings being purchased or renevated in the area, Maple Grov...
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By Eric Helmers, Your Trusted Real Estate Source
(Realty Group, Inc.)
In my market, we have a very diverse set of housing from luxury mega homes, condos, townhomes and farms with everything likely in between.  It's one of the reasons I love the west side.  With this in mind, today I wanted to make sure to remind everyone with an in ground septic system or active wells to make sure and prep them for winter.  I know, this seems like a routine maintenance item but every year there are hundreds of systems that freeze up and are damaged and the cost can be significant to fix or replace a system.  There is also the occasion where new owners of a property may not have be advised by the seller or their agents that this is something they need to take care of each year.   If your planning to sell during the winter months, you may also want to get the system tested ...
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By Eric Helmers, Your Trusted Real Estate Source
(Realty Group, Inc.)
So you decided to move in the fall or early winter.  You either have too much stuff and need to store some of it in a garage or storage facility so you can stage your home or because the home you are moving into needs to be painted, floors replaced or your doing a total remodel.  Undoubtedly one of the calls Realtors doing a substantial amount of business will get from time to time will be the one that goes like this.  Buyer- Hey there, I was wondering if during the inspection, does the inspector look for pests? Agent- It depends... inspectors are not specifically trained to look for pests but they do look for signs of pests like mice droppings, ant trails and in some areas they will look for termites.  Most people if they are really worried about pests will ask to have a separate insp...
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By Eric Helmers, Your Trusted Real Estate Source
(Realty Group, Inc.)
Based on past markets through as long as real estate sales have been tracked, it looks like we may be in for another grand rally in the real estate market.  Based on local prices, demand, recent mortgage rates and an improving economy, we may be at the start of another huge run on housing..  Here are reasons to consider when making your decision of buying. Shrinking Inventories Inventories are declining in most markets in the Minneapolis/St. Paul and surrounding suburbs.  Lack of inventory and an increase in demand could and likely will lead to higher prices in the spring from sellers still trying to catch break even and worried about "giving away" their home in a possibly hot market.   Increasing Prices We have seen increased prices and quicker sale times over the last 6-9 months.  Wit...
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By David Kosmecki
(American Pacific Mortgage)
The housing market continues to improve. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis, Single-Family Housing Starts rose to 603,000 last month, an 11 percent increase from the month prior and the highest reading in more than 4 years. A “housing start” is a home on which construction has started and home builders are breaking ground at rates not seen even during the 2010 federal home buyer tax credit period. It’s a signal to home buyers throughout Minnesota that the U.S. housing market may be permanently off its bottom. At least, the nation’s home builders seem to think so. Earlier this week, the National Association of Homebuilders reported home builder confidence at a 5-year high and nearly triple the levels of last September. Buoyed by rising sales v...
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By David Kosmecki
(American Pacific Mortgage)
With mortgage rates at all-time lows, purchase and refinance activity is climbing. Home sales are at their highest levels since May 2010 as home buyers take advantage of favorable economic conditions. Home prices are low, household income is rising, and rents are up in many U.S. cities. Low rates have stoked mortgage refinance applications throughout Minnesota , too. Last week, with 30-year fixed rate mortgage rates slipping to 3.36%nationwide, on average, more U.S. homeowners were in search of a refinance than during any one-week period since April 2009. With loan volume high, banks are nearing their respective capacities for underwriting and approving home loans. As a mortgage applicant, therefore, you’ll want to make sure that you’re taking whatever steps necessary to ensure that you...
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By Don Sabinske, Sabinske & Associates Inc.
(Don Sabinske, Sabinske & Associates Inc.)
What a great location!  Easy access to the freeway….close to shopping, schools, and everything else that make Maple Grove one of the best communities in the northwest Twin Cities area.          This is a great  one level living home.  You have all the amenities on one floor plus the lower level offers more living space.          If you are looking for a “great deal” in Maple Grove, you will want to check this home as first to see on your list. Call me today for a private showing on this very well-maintained home with a great yard!  
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