Homes MSP Real Estate Blog

Memorial Day 2012

True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost. ~ Arthur Ashe

Getting to know Minneapolis...

Sunday posts have been dedicated to sites and neighborhoods throughout the metro for four years, resulting in a wealth of information. Today I decided to compile links to posts related to Minneapolis and its borders to give a central point to access info about the area. Posts are grouped by numbered areas on the map and include many of the most walkable neighborhoods... enjoy!

• The top 30 Minneapolis neighborhoods 

1 - Bryn Mawr Neighborhood and Theodore Wirth Park 

• Bryn Mawr Neighborhood, Minneapolis
• Quaking Bog... 3700-year-old 'best nature in the city'
• Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary, Minneapolis
• Cross Country Skiing at Theodore Wirth Park
• Wirth Winter Recreation Area, Minneapolis 

2 - Northeast Hennepin (NE HE), St. Anthony Main, NE Arts District

• Minneapolis Riverfront, St. Anthony Main
• Riverfront dining... with wine at cost!
• Our Lady of Lourdes... oldest continuously used church in Minneapolis
• Punch Neapolitan Pizza, Northeast Minneapolis
• Northrup King Artist Building, Northeast Minneapolis
• Nicollet Island
• Stone Arch Bridge, Minneapolis

3 - Downtown Minneapolis, North Loop, Mill City Riverfront District

• Minneapolis' Most Livable Neighborhood
• North Loop... one of the most unique neighborhoods in the city
• Minneapolis Farmers Market
• Minneapolis Central Public Library
• Stone Arch Bridge, Minneapolis
• Gold Medal Park
• Spill the Wine Restaurant, Minneapolis
• The Metrodome, Minneapolis
• Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis
• Mill City Museum 
• Extend skating season at The Depot, one of the top 10 places to ice skate in the US
• Foshay Tower, Minneapolis
• Peavey Plaza, Downtown Minneapolis

4 - Loring Park, major art museums

• Loring Greenway... hidden treasure of Loring Park neighborhood
• Loring Park, Minneapolis
• Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis
• Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
• Walker Art Center & Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
• Minneapolis Institute of Arts
• Indoor rock climbing opens in historic Minneapolis ice house

 5 - Trendy Uptown

• 'The Wedge' of Minneapolis
• Uptown Minneapolis... great destination for rooftop dining
• Uptown Market, Minneapolis

6 - Lake of the Isles, Calhoun city lakes district

• Lake of the Isles, Minneapolis
• Winterlights at the Purcell Cutts House, masterpiece of Prairie School architecture
• Calhoun Village, Minneapolis
• Where to find the best authentic French baguettes in the Twin Cities
• One-of-a-kind museum on the shores of Lake Calhoun
• Bald Eagles at Lake Calhoun, Minneapolis

7 - Excelsior and Grand, St. Louis Park

• Excelsior & Grand, Wolfe Park
• Steel Toe Brewing and the Minnesota Craft Beer Explosion
• Highway 100 closed for parade 

 8- Linden Hills, Lake Harriet, Kingfield

• 'Downtown' Linden Hills, Minneapolis
• Lake Harriet
• Flowers are blooming at Lyndale Park

 9 - 50th Street corridor and south Minneapolis neighborhoods

• 50th & Xerxes, Southwest Minneapolis
• 50th & France
• Great licks at Edina Creamery
• Edina Art Fair launches summer art fair season
• The Museum of Russian Art, Minneapolis
• Windom Neighborhood, Minneapolis
• Armatage Neighborhood, Minneapolis
• Patrick's Bakery & Cafe, Minneapolis

10 - Kingfield, Lyndale

• Patisserie 46... authentic croissants and a whole lot more
• Anodyne Coffeehouse... a Kingfield neighborhood gathering spot
• Crema Cafe, Minneapolis

11 - Powderhorn Park area

• Midtown Exchange & Global Market
• Powderhorn Park Art Fair
• American Swedish Institute, Minneapolis
• Ingebretsen's Scandinavian Gifts & Foods 

12 - Nokomis area and Minnehaha Creek

• Nokomis Area's 48th & Chicago
• Minneapolis Field Neighborhood, bordering Minnehaha Creek & 35W and home of Turtle Bread, Pepitos, Pumphouse Creamery...
• Minnehaha Parkway, Minneapolis
• A Baker's Wife, Minneapolis
• Dominguez Family Mexican Restaurant and Grill, Minneapolis

13 - Longfellow area and Minnehaha Falls Park 

• Longfellow Neighborhood
•  Winchell Trail... first rustic hiking trail in Minneapolis
• Longfellow Neighborhood Coffee Shops, Minneapolis
• Minnehaha Falls Park
• Minnehaha Dog Park, Minneapolis
• Pike Island... a hidden hiking gem at the confluence of the Mississppi and Minnesota Rivers

 14 - Seward neighborhood

• Milwaukee Avenue Historic District - Minneapolis Seward Neighborhood's unique walker's paradise
• Playwrights' Center celebrates 40 years... at home in the 'best hipster neighborhood' in the 'most hipster state'
• Birchwood Cafe... keeping traditions of freshness and community alive
• Christ Church Lutheran by Eliel & Eero Saarinen

 15 - U of M, Prospect Park

• Weisman Art Museum has distinctive Frank Gehry design
• Prospect Park Neighborhood, Minneapolis 

16 - nearby St. Paul

• Desnoyer Park... once planned to be the site of the State Capitol
• Izzy's Ice Cream Cafe... home of the 'izzy' scoop and the ice cream hot dish
• Trotter's Cafe... serving fresh and local in St. Paul's Merriam Park

 Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results - Email- Minneapolis Realtor

My Favorite Summertime Restaurant in Minneapolis, MN

My favorite summertime restaurant is Joe's Garage Restaurant & Bar in Minneapolis, MN

 

 I love, love, love Joe's and here is why:

 1) It's hip, it's eclectic, it's fun.

 2) They have the best burgers in the world.

 

3) They have the BEST mash potatoes that are a meal in and of themselves....REALLY!

4) They have the best roof top patio with views of The Basilica Cathedral and the Minneapolis skyline.

Now more about the potatoes. You can build your own Mash Potatoes and here is my favorite:

Two Scoops of Mash Potatoes with Red Thai Sauce and Broccoli.

It just doesn't get any better. The spiciness of the Thai sauce, the crunchiness of the perfectly done broccoli, the yummy potatoes...need I say more.

I know I should branch out more but here is what my husband and I do almost every time we go there:

He orders the burger. I order the potatoes. We share. THEN we order dessert.

If you live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area and haven't tried Joe's Garage Restaurant & Bar you are missing out!!

Photos supplied by Joe Kaplan, owner of Joe's Garage Restaurant and Bar

Shar Sitter, owner Rooms With Style Home Staging and Redesign Minneapolis MN.

CHSE and APSD Home Stager Pro Trainer

New Housing Trends Cater to Baby Boomers

The Baby Boomer generation has been affecting change since they were born, and it continues as they move into retirement age. More sophisticated in their housing wants and desires than previous generations, many are preparing for their next phase of life by selling their their family homes and moving on to new experiences... or re-designing their homes to accommodate their retirement lifestyle.

The trend for Baby Boomers and first-time homebuyers alike is to look for small, smart homes in walkable neighborhoods. Some of the features they are looking for  are similar, and they are having an impact on new housing trends.

Some features the National Association of Home Builders is seeing Baby Boomers are looking for include...

• Home offices - many Boomers are continuing to work as they retire, but often in a different capacity... maybe as consultants or starting businesses of their own which they run from home
• Tech/media centers - many in the Boomer generation are tech-savvy, and want amenities such as WI-FI, media centers, remote control lighting and security features
• Wider doors and hallways - Boomers are thinking ahead about aging in place in their new homes... wider doors and hallways make it easier to move in furniture now, and will accommodate wheelchairs if needed on a temporary or permanent basis in the future
• Better lighting/big windows - as we age we tend to need more light; in addition to bigger windows for more natural light (and better views as well!), they are adding more lights such as under cabinets and in stairwells, along with multiple switches and dimmer controls
• Main floor bedroom and bath - more than 40% of new homes now have master suites on the main level, up 15% from only a decade ago; the bedrooms are also bigger, with walk-in closets, separate tub and shower and dual sinks
• Easy to maintain exteriors and landscaping - many Boomers are looking for relief from yard work, painting and other landscaping chores and choose to buy in a townhome or condo community where that is taken care of for you; those choosing single family homes often opt for maintenance free exteriors, smaller lawns and low maintenance landscaping... or flower beds with easy access for the garden enthusiast
• Flex space - this kind of space that can be adapted for use as a guest room, office, hobby room, library as needs change is becoming prevalent for all age groups as the trend moves to smaller smaller, smarter spaces... reminds me of 1950's ramblers where the 'third' bedroom was often this flexible kind of space

Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results - Email- Baby Boomer Realtor

RELATED POSTS

• What Baby Boomers and first-time homebuyers have in common
• Baby Boomers and the Third Age
• Walking to the grocery store
• Home Design for Aging Baby Boomers

How to stay approved!

Your mortgage is approved, you think you are all set for closing.  Nothing to worry about, right?  Wrong!!  This is happening more and more often in the last couple of years.  There are several things that lenders have to do now prior to closing that we didn't do in the past and it can affect your mortgage approval. 

The following is a list of things to remember when you are applying for a mortgage:

• Do not change jobs or become self-employed (or switch to commission/bonus income).
• Do not buy a car, truck, etc!
• Make sure you make all your credit card, student loan, etc monthly payments. 
• Do not max out your credit cards.
• Do not open any new accounts or allow anyone to pull your credit report.
• Do not buy furniture for your new home until after you have closed.
• Do not make any large deposits into your checking/savings account!
• Do not change bank accounts.
• Do not co-sign for anyone else.
• Do not spend the money you have saved for your down payment.

Some of these sounds a little crazy, but believe me, they all happen!!  We have to verify all the money that is used for closing and if there are large deposits into your bank account, we need to know where that money came from.  If it comes from unsecured debt (lines of credit, cash reserve accounts, credit cards), it can not be used for closing.  If it is gift money, we need to document where the money came from and get gift letters along with additional documentation.

New credit accounts (cars, credit cards) can affect your ability to qualify and may change that approval to a denial!  Any inquiries will have to be explained and if there is new debt, we need to document it.

Job changes or income changes can affect how much income we can use and may also change your approval - or postpone your closing.  Typically we need paystubs showing 30 days of earnings and if you switch jobs, you may have to wait until you have a paystub with a 30 day history.

Some of these may make sense, some may seem a little crazy, but it can affect your approval.  I remember a story from a realtor I work with - his seller closed on the sale of his home and decided to take the proceeds (which he needed for the new home he was buying) to the casino....he thought he could make some extra money and instead he lost some of it and couldn't buy the new home!  Then he had to explain all of this to everyone else involved!  That is the extreme!  However, even a large deposit into your bank account that comes from a line of credit can affect your approval. If we can't use that money, you may be short cash to close. 

The bottom line is if you are not sure about something, call your loan officer before doing anything!  Better to be safe than sorry.  An updated credit report does get pulled prior to closing, so any inquiries and new debt will show up.  There is a verbal employment verification just before closing, if there is a job change, your lender will know.

Leslie Vanderwerf,  NMLS ID#335509, Summit Mortgage - Email - Website

Wednesdays Unplugged - Blueberry Brunch Cake

 

"Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it." ~ Eckhart Tolle 

 

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 a quote and a recipe here each week, and sometimes some photos of family fun. I love trying new recipes...and love getting recipes you would like to share!

This has been one boring week with me continuing to live on one level and not able to do much. I'm still pretty wobbly, but moving around much better than last week... my left wrist now has a titanium plate and I can actually type with both hands!

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

I haven't been cooking this week so dug around in my bulging collection of recipes to find a favorite to share. With a holiday weekend coming up it seems like a good time for relaxing mornings. This blueberry brunch cake from Cooking Light has been in my 'keep' file for many years. Interesting that blueberries were originally called starberries because of the 5-pointed star on the blossom end of each berry.

BLUEBERRY BRUNCH CAKE

• Cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 1 2/3 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon or orange rind
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• 2 tablespoons turinado sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

SERVING TOPPING

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 ouncees vanilla yogurt
• 3/4 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat bottom of 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray, line with parchment. Coat bottom and sides with cooking spray, dust with 1 tablespoon flour.

Combined sugar and and butter, beat at medium speed until well blended, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, beat wel.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Combine the buttermilk, orange juice, lemon rind and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a small bowl. Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Fold in 1 1/2 cups blueberries. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Combine turbinado sugar and nutmeg in a small bowl, sprinkle over batter. If substituting brown sugar, sift the mixture evenly over the batter.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on wire rack. Remove sides of pan.

Combine sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and yogurt. Serve cake warm or at room temperature topped with sour cream mixture and sprinkled with blueberries.

Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results - Email - Minneapolis Realtor who cooks

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• Wednesdays Unplugged - Sausage, Fontina & Bell Pepper Strata
• Wednesdays Unplugged - Oven Baked French Toast

Hot Dimmer Switches - How To Know When It's A Problem

Have you ever brushed your hand up against a dimmer switch and noticed that some of them get extremely hot?  I've done this many times while inspecting houses, and whenever I do, I look in to the reason for the heat.  Occasionally I find an overloaded dimmer switch that creates a fire hazard.

To figure out if a dimmer switch is overloaded, you can add up the wattage of the lights that are being controlled, and compare that to the rating on the dimmer switch.  The majority of dimmer switches are rated for 600 watts - this rating can be found right on the front of the dimmer switch, underneath the cover plate.

In the photo above, you'll see the 600 watt rating, as well as 500 and 400 watt ratings.  When two of these dimmer switches are installed right next to each other, the little metal tabs will need to be broken off on one side of each dimmer, and the total allowable wattage gets reduced, or 'derated'.   In the photo below, the tabs are removed on one side of each of the dimmers, derating the maximum allowable wattage on each to 500 watts.

When more wattage is needed, special dimmer switches rated for higher wattages can be installed - for instance, Lutron sells a line of dimmer switches that are rated for 1000 watts each, and these dimmer switches don't take up any more room in an electrical box than a standard 600 watt dimmer switch.  While this is a lot of wattage, it's not all that uncommon.  I've actually come across several twelve-light chandeliers that take 60-watts bulbs; 720 watts for a single fixture.

So, getting back to the temperature thing - if you put your hand against a cover plate and it feels hot, is this a problem?   I started thinking more about this while inspecting a house in Plymouth the other day, after finding eight 65-watt bulbs controlled by a dimmer switch that was installed right next to another dimmer switch - it was the one pictured above.   In other words, the dimmer was controlling 520 watts, but was only rated 500 watts.    I noticed that the cover plate was very hot, so I pulled out one of the cover plate screws and stuck my thermometer in to the hole - it was 145 degrees.

Out of curiosity, I set up a little experiment to get a better idea of how overloading a dimmer switch would affect it's temperature.   It should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway - Don't try this at home.  You could set your house on fire, get electrocuted, or your wife might wonder why you're doing some dumb experiment instead of helping with the yard work.  Don't ask how I know.

I installed a 600 watt dimmer switch in a single gang, 18 cubic inch box, and ran some lights off it.  Of course, there are plenty of variables that aren't being factored in to this little experiment, such as the box not being installed inside a wall, no cover plate installed, etc... but this was good enough for me to make a few comparisons, which is really all I was after.  I turned the dimmer switch on to full brightness, and measured the temperatures by sticking my thermometer in to a cover plate screw hole; this seemed like a good way to get consistent temperatures.

With a 600 watt dimmer running a full 600 watts of lights, the temperature got up to 135 degrees.  At 750 watts, the dimmer switch got up to 158 degrees.   Next, I tested a 1000 watt dimmer with a full 1000 watts.  This was the part that made me smile - the temperature went up to exactly 135 degrees.

Conclusion:  A properly installed, fully loaded dimmer switch will get quite hot to the touch.   This isn't necessarily a problem, but when dimmer switches get hot, it's worth checking the rating of the dimmer switch and the wattage going through the dimmer to help make sure the dimmer switch isn't overloaded.

By the way, this post is focused on 'new' dimmer switches, which get hot with lights at their brightest setting.  Older dimmer switches did the opposite - they would get hottest with the lights at their dimmest setting.  You can read all about how the two different types work at HowStuffWorks - Dimmer Switches.

Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Minnesota Home Inspections

        

 

Walk Score adds Bike Score ratings of 10 most bikeable cities

WalkScore.com released Bike Score rankings of the 10 Most Bikeable cities last week in celebration of Bike to Work week... and Minneapolis again came out on top!

The new Bike Score ratings from 0 to 100 are based on factors such as bike lanes, hills, road connectivity and the percentage of people who bike to work... which increased by 43% from 2000 to 2010. Still in beta testing, they will be adding more cities to the 10 already on their list.

It always surprises me to see so many commuters on their bikes in the dead of winter, and I suppose the same could be said for the heat of summer and pouring rain... likely why they didn't include weather in their ranking criteria...

Below are scores for the 10 cities WalkScore identified as the nation's top 10 most bikeable cities. A ranking of 70-100 is considered "very bikeable".

Top 10 Most Bikeable Cities

1. Minneapolis (79)
2. Portland (70)
3. San Francisco (70)
4. Boston (68)
5. Madison (67)
6. Washington, DC (65)
7. Seattle (64)
8. Tucson (64)
9. New York (62)
10. Chicago (62)

Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results - Email - Minneapolis Realtor

RELATED

• Minneapolis Named America's Most Bike-Friendly City
• Nice Ride Minnesota - the nation's largest bike sharing system

Patisserie 46... authentic croissants and a whole lot more

Kingfield is a friendly residential neighborhood in south Minneapolis where it's hard not to be within walking distance of a delicious bakery, coffee shop or restaurant.

Patisserie 46, at the corner of 46th and Grand, is one shining example. They have been busy collecting awards since they opened a couple years ago, and it is easy to see (and taste!) why.

This family owned bakery opened with the lofty goal of becoming a warm and welcoming spot for people in the neighborhood... "a place for conversation, respite and escape from daily routines"... and it is working!

A nationally recognized pastry chef, Patisserie 46 owner John Kraus grew up in Kentucky and was teaching at the highly regarded French Pastry School in Chicago when he was called up to Minneapolis to teach a class at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. As he spent time here walking the lakes and experiencing great restaurants and communities he came to realize this was the perfect place to raise their family and fulfill their dream of opening their own business.

When Rustica (named one of the top 10 bakeries in the country) moved to a different neighborhood, John and his wife saw their chance to be in their first choice neighborhood and made their move to the Twin Cities. As the saying goes, the rest is history!

I recently had a craving for an authentic croissant, the kind that is so flaky you find yourself sprinkled with crumbs as you bite into it and taste the tender, luscious center. Patisserie 46 did not disappoint. Neither did other breads, pastries... and their new line of homemade chocolates... it seems only fitting they include chocolate since John was winner of the Food Network Chocolate Challenge!

Check out Patisserie 46 yourself at 4552 Grand Ave S, Minneapolis... closed Mondays.

If this type of urban community where most homes were built prior to 1920 appeals to you, check out  homes for sale in Kingfield. There are currently 34 homes listed for sale, ranging in price from $84,900 to $439,900. Let me know if you would like to take a look!

Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results - Email- Minneapolis Kingfield Realtor

RELATED POSTS

• Anodyne Coffeehouse... a Kingfield neighborhood gathering spot
• Birchwood Cafe... keeping traditions of freshness and community alive
• Trotter's Cafe... serving fresh and local in St. Paul's Merriam Park 
• Where to find the best authentic French baguettes in the Twin Cities  
• Sunday's Site - Painted Turtle Chocolatier, Plymouth

Downsizing... planning your move

It's relatively easy to move from a small space to a larger one... much more difficult when you are downsizing to a smaller space. In a downsizing move, the focus becomes making the space functional for how you actually live rather than on how to furnish the space.

There are many reasons people downsize... money, empty nest, location, lifestyle or relationship changes, a desire to simplify your life, etc. Whatever the reason, it can be a liberating opportunity to almost start over.

Here are a few tips to help plan your move...

• Purge as much as you can in advance
  • Sell, donate, toss, recycle... repeat as many times as necessary!
  • Get rid of things you don't love, won't need or won't have room for
• Take accurate measurements of your new space
  • Decide what furniture will fit to move with you
  • Buy new things as needed to make the best use of your new space
• Get creative to maximize space
  • Use vertical bookcases and cabinets
  • Choose end tables, etc that double as storage space
  • Consider a love seat instead of a full-size sofa
  • Consider switching from a king size bed to a queen
  • Use under bed storage
  • Install closet systems to fit your needs
  • Think of spaces in new ways
    • Turn a small closet into a bar
    • Carve out a small office on a landing or in a closet
    • Remove low ceilings to give more volume and space
  • Use a trunk or chest at the end of your bed for additional storage
  • Hang a flat screen TV on the wall
  • Avoid rocking chairs that require a lot of clearance space
  • Get multi-functional and use the same space as an office, playroom, guest room, etc

Living in a smaller space allows you to clear clutter and decide what is really important to you... with side benefits of saving money, energy and time to spend with those important to you.

Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results - Email - Downsizing Realtor

RELATED POSTS

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• Wondering about having an estate sale?
• The Small House Movement
• Selling your parent's home
• Baby Boomers and the Third Age