South Minneapolis Real Estate Blog

Chaotic Minneapolis Life

This is Minna again, and I’m here to talk about the economy.  No, actually, I’m not.  I know, the economy is dire, and I know that the government has given beaucoup bucks to try to jump-start it, and I know that the sky is falling down, but I would rather not focus on that right now.

I am also not going to talk about the debate, though I hope you watched it.  We need to make an informed choice come November 4^th. 

Instead, I would like to discuss how in this chaotic world of us we can find some respite.  It’s not irresponsible to take a break from the news-it’s imperative.  There is only so much a brain can process before declaring, “Enough!  I need chocolate!” 

Inner Respite

In times like this, we need our friends and mutually-supportive networks.  However, we need more than that-at least I do.  I have recently started taking tai chi classes, and more often than not my shoulders are in knots from the tensions of the world.  After an hour and a half class each Saturday afternoon, I find a moment of peace that, however fleeting, soothes my soul.  I notice that this moment lasts a bit longer each week.  I am hopeful that in a year or so, it might last a whole hour.

Tai chi is not the only way to take care of your inner-self.  There is church, meditation, yoga, or simply a little nap in the afternoon.

Minneapolis Recreation

Now that your soul is rested, you need to look after your body as well.  Minneapolis is bursting with lakes, parks, creeks, and trails.  Now that the weather is dipping a bit, it’s the perfect time to go pick some apples and make cider.  Make sure to get some sun every day (using sunscreen, of course, if you’re going to be outside for an appreciable amount of time) and inhale the crisp air as you walk. 

When times are tough, as they most definitely are right now, you need to do the little things to maintain a semblance of sanity.

Posted on October 9th, 2008 by Steve Hong
Filed under: Relaxation/Stress Release | No Comments »

Real Estate Abbreviations

When advertising houses for sale, there are plenty of standard abbreviations and some not so standard abbreviations. Then there are those that even other Realtors can’t figure out. In this blog entry, we’ll look at some actual MLS entries. Some abbreviations look just like those cryptic singles ads. I can just see the next house ad:

SF, looking for s.o. that is willing to put time into new rel., must have steady income to qualify. Close to lake for long walks on the beach. Pic for pic.

It’s easy to create the standard abbreviations found in typical real estate ads. Just drop all the vowels and call it good. Let’s give it a try:

Great location close to lake with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, fantastic master suite.
Becomes
Grt lctn cls to lk, w/ 3br, 2bth, fntstc mstr ste.

Uncommon Abbreviations

Most of the common abbreviations are easy to figure out. Let’s take a look at some harder ones. Here are some actual Public Remarks from the MLS along with my translation of what it actually means:

Sample MLS Abbreviations #1

ENJOY YOUR PRIVATE VIEWS OF MINNEHAHA CRK FROM YOUR LIV RM! INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY.BEAUTIFUL HWFS,FP,MAC IMPROVED.NEW: UPPER LVL INSULATION & CARPET,KIT FLRS & PAINT.UPDATED 4 SEAS PORCH.FAM RM CALLED FINISHED-CARPET,PAINTED BLK,FIN’D CEILING.VERIFY MSMTS

Here’s your opportunity to sandbag every spring when the snow melts because the creek is so close and will spill over each year. Beautiful hardwood floors, beautiful fireplace, beautiful MAC improvements. New upper level insulation (lower level has old insulation), new carpet and kitchen floors, and paint. Updated 4 season porch. Family room is included in the finished square footage, even though the ceiling is just open rafters that have been painted black. Verify measurements.

Sample MLS Abbreviations #2

Low-Traffic Street. Benches/Paths w/New (Old-Style) Street Lights. EZ to Show/QUICK CLOSE/NO R&R’s/Newer Roof/Boiler/Mechs - Much Copper-100 amp C/B’s - Att Gar+Off-St Park. HS TAX = $2,137 /// $$$$$ Reduced July 07 + 1-Year Warranty w/full price offer

Street is low traffic and has benches and walking paths with new street lights. Easy to set up appointment. No city required repairs / replacements, newer roof, boiler, and water heater, most of the plumbing is copper, some of it may still be galvanized, electrical has been upgraded to 100A circuit breaker box.

Sample MLS Abbreviations #3

FRESH PAINT AND POTTERY BARN LOOK. FEATURES INCLUDE COVE CEILINGS, BRICK FIREPLACE, BUILT-IN BOOK CASES, FORMAL D.R., SS APPL. IN KITCHEN, FIRST FLOOR F.R. WITH F.P., DEN, 3/4 BATH UP, NICE LANDSCAPING,WIHT PATIO, HOME HAS BEEN MAC, LOC. IS DEAL.

Contemporary colors, formal dining room, stainless steel appliances in the kitchen, first floor family room with fire place, separate den, ¾ bathroom upstairs, nice landscaping with patio … location is ideal.

Sample MLS Abbreviations #4

Upscale n’hood steps from Diamond Lk. Walk/bike trails, fun in the water. Kitchen updated w/cherry/granite/stainless. 2 fp, formal Living/dining, hdwd, main flr BR & full bath, hot tub, private mstr bath, fenced yd, 2 car garage. Convenient location.

Upscale neighborhood, close to Diamond Lake. Walking and biking trails. Unexpected fun in the water because the timer on the sprinkler system is broken. Cherry cabinets with granite counters and stainless steel appliances. This home has 2 fireplaces, a formal living room and a formal dining room. Hardwood floors. Main floor bedroom and full bath. Private master bath. Fenced yard.

Sample MLS Abbreviations #5

WOW! Such attention to detail - your buyer will certainly appreciate all that has been done to this home! From the hand made breadboard to the thoughtful wiring to the efficiency measures implemented, this home is for the prudent home buyer!

I’m not even sure what thoughtful wiring means.

When in doubt, use your imagination as to what each one means. Or just adding some vowels back in.

Posted on September 16th, 2008 by Steve Hong
Filed under: Buyers | No Comments »

House Advertising Words

You know how some real estate agents have a knack for describing homes in glorious and grand ways? Well, sometimes the words are a slight exaggeration of the actual home. In our industry, we call that puffery. Here’s a list of some common terms used in advertising and what they really mean.  If you come across some that are not on the list, please drop us a note. We’ll add it.

Adorable – The shutters are worth more than the furnace
Charming – compared to the one right next door
Cozy – means that it’s really small
Fantastic upper level master suite with walkthrough closet- someone stuffed a sink into the far side of the closet which you can reach when you open the closet door. And remember, just because the upper level is “fantastic,” the lower level may be somewhat less than fantastic.
New paint – it’s amazing how far $5 per gallon paint goes
New carpet – covering up the scratched hardwood floors
Must see! – Driving by, one can’t help but see orange and purple!
Close to Park – SO close that you’ll never find a parking spot
Pedestal Sink – one of the legs fell off, leaving just one leg left.
Peaceful backyard– because 36,000 cars drive by the front yard each day.
Professionally remodeled – the owner and their siblings didn’t do the work, the neighbor’s sister’s husband’s son did.
Movable center island – the kids ran into it so many times it came loose.
Quaint - it’s pink!
Steps to the lake – 2510 to be exact!
Steps to the creek – be ready to sandbag the front yard each spring.
On golf course – high insurance for broken windows
Across the street from golf course – high insurance for broken windows
Across the freeway from the golf course – fun watching cars dodge golf balls which then bounce off the cars and break your windows. May look like hail damage though. Call the insurance adjuster.

Posted on September 11th, 2008 by Steve Hong
Filed under: Buyers | No Comments »

Minneapolis Spanish House Styles

It’s Minna again, and this time I am blogging about my absolute favorite style of house–Spanish Mission.  Well, to be more precise, I will be blogging about the Spanish Revival Style as we do not have many Missions in Minnesota.  Spanish Missions are mainly in California, but we do have some impressive Spanish Colonials and Mediterraneans in Minneapolis.

Common Characteristics of Spanish Style Houses

How do you recognize a Spanish-flavored house?  First of all, the red clay roof is a dead giveaway.  Sometimes the roof is blue or another color, but it is most often a distinctive red.  The Spanish Colonial is an ornate house that has the structure of a Colonial with arched doorways and windows, wrought-iron railings on balconies that overlook the Mediter–er, Lake Harriet, and stately columns that may support an arched entryway.

The Mediterranean, on the other hand, is much less ostentatious, but similarly evocative of romance and European je ne sais quois.  A Mediterranean sports the ubiquitous red clay roof and also incorporates wrought-iron railings, but in a more elegant manner.  Both may have a bell tower or a suggestion of a bell tower as well.

Visit Houses Of Minneapolis .com

If you would like to learn more about the Spanish Revival Style, visit www.HousesofMinneapolis.com where there is plenty of information about this style as well as other character styles.  Hope to see you there.

Posted on August 28th, 2008 by minna
Filed under: Character Homes | No Comments »

Carbon Monoxide Detector Placement

Did you know that Minnesota Law Stat. 299.51 now requires carbon monoxide detectors within 10 feet of legal bedroom in existing homes? This law was passed last year and required CO detectors in new construction houses last year. But it also put into effect the same requirements for existing houses effective this year.

As of Aug 1, 2008, all existing houses are now required to have CO detectors within 10 feet of legally defined sleeping room, aka bedrooms. This is great as the CO detectors can save lives. But what bothers me is that most hallways in houses I’ve been in don’t have outlets.

These $50 devices can save lives. At my parents’ house, one night it went off. The next day I checked it out and the water heater vent pipe came loose. Apparently the installer only used 1 screw to attach the vent pipe. A couple of years later, the vent pipe came loose and was spilling CO into the house.

Posted on August 12th, 2008 by Steve Hong
Filed under: Home Maintenance | No Comments »