What Is Home Staging?
Staging is the process of setting up your home so the potential buyers can picture themselves in the space. If you have no furniture in the home, people may have a hard time figuring out if their furniture will fit or if they will even be able to use the rooms in your home. With a bit of furniture in there though, the Maple Grove real estate buyers can plan out their future in your space and consider signing the papers with you.

Every Room Has a Purpose
You need to have a defined purpose for every space in your home. If you have one room you are using for storage, move everything you can to the attic or garage and leave that as an office or bedroom. If you do not know what to do with a space, think about what your buyers could logically put in there. Then you can furnish it accordingly.

Neutral Colors for Versatility
If you decide to paint your rooms during your staging, you should think about a neutral color that will appeal to many buyers. Bright white usually feels too stark, but soft beige could work for almost anyone. You can have white trim if you want to provide a clean accent in the space, or you can go without trim to save money. That is up to you. You do not want any cosmetic blemishes to scare buyers away, so do as much damage control as you can.

Remove Personal Touches
You need the rooms to look like anyone could use them, so remove all the family photos you have on the wall that would detract from people envisioning themselves in the space. You should also try to hide children’s toys, animal beds, and other things that are meant for your family alone. Then you will appeal to the biggest pool of buyers for your Maple Grove home. When the right set of people come along, they will look at your staged home as the perfect place for them to start their own lives.

There is a debate raging at the state capital right now.  The international building standards organization recently recommend that all new homes built (in the world) should have sprinkler systems installed at time of construction.  The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry is evaluating that requirement for all new homes over the next several months to be included in the state building codes.

Builders, real estate agents, and affordable housing advocates converged on the capital to lobby against the rule changes.  They are claiming that it could increase the cost of a new home by as much as $4000 each and that there are already ample laws in effect to save lives in the event of a fire.  Minnesota firefighters were also at the capital to voice their side of the story.  They believe that requiring sprinklers could save lives.

The House Commerce and Regulatory Reform Committee approved a bill that would pre-empt any new law.  It effectively prevents the state building code or local ordinances from being enacted that would require sprinklers, even though there are no laws requiring them on the books currently.  This was a pre-emptive strike to insure that no law was slipped in secretly requiring sprinklers.

In this housing economy, adding $4000 to the price of a new Maple Grove home is just not reasonable.  I agree that we should make homes safe, but if the owner feels strongly about sprinklers, it is there choice to pay the money and put them in.  No need to mandate it.

• On the one hand, when you rent you are just paying to use a property without building up any equity.  As a rental, you typically can not do any major work on the home to personalize it and make changes to fit your lifestyle.  On the positive side, you don’t have to pay for repairing the property or selling it in the future.  If you needs or lifestyle changes, you simply leave at the end of your lease and you are done.
• Owning your home is the American dream.  Everyone aspires to that.  It can be a great way to build your nest and customize it to your likes and wants.  The downside is that it takes more money long term to own a home as you will need to be prepared to replace items as they where out.  Occasionally these repairs can cost 1000 of dollars such as roofs, furnaces, and water heaters.

Maple Grove, Minnesota is a fantastic area to live in.    Let’s explore both options:

• Rent-Because of this recent foreclosure market, so many nice properties have been bought by investors and converted to rentals in the last couple years.  You can find rentals at all price points from $800 per month townhouses to $2500 per month executive housing.  Much of what type of real estate to rent depends upon your budget and your needs.  Many people would love to live in the big Maple Grove home, but can’t afford it.  We have all learned our lessons over the last couple years that having a house payment that is too large just leads to eventual problems.
• Owning-Now is a great time to buy a Maple Grove real estate.  With prices down almost 40% since 2005 and interest rates at historic lows, you can really buy your dream home.  You can find your Maple Grove homes for sale, by finding a real estate agent that specializes in the area.  Have him or her show you around and get familiar with the area.  Also have him set you up with an MLS search that will allow you to see as homes come on the market.  Use this to quickly find and put in offers on properties that you are interested in.  You must keep watching the market to be able to move quickly when something comes up.

Regardless of which decision you make, you can’t go wrong by living in a Maple Grove home.

So how do you go about finding that perfect Maple Grove home?

1. An important way to start is to understand what you can afford.  First you should find a mortgage broker to be pre-qualified to buy a home.  Currently, it is much more difficult to get a loan than to find a house.  Everything should be tied down and locked up with your financing before you ever start looking at houses.  Spend time asking your friends and family for recommendations on mortgage brokers.  You want one that is extremely competent and gives you faith that if they say they are going to get your loan done correctly and on-time, they will.  There is nothing more disheartening than a buyer finding the home of their dreams only to have the mortgage company deny them the loan or having the closing date moved just days or hours before the closing.  Make sure you trust your mortgage broker to help you to the best of his or her ability.
2. After you understand how much house you can afford and feel comfortable with that mortgage payment, it is important that you get out and understand the Maple Grove real estate market.  Pull up homes on the internet, drive around to those neighborhoods, go in any open houses you see.  You want to be so familiar with the area that as soon as you see a street address, you know the neighborhood the house is in and the typical price points.  This will allow you to quickly make a decision on a home when you find the perfect one.  You have seen the entire playing field.
3. Once you are comfortable with how much you are going to spend and what you want, you need to find a real estate agent to help you.  Many buyers think that they can do the home search by themselves.  Keep in mind that in most cases, a buyer’s agent is paid by the seller.  Consequently, you get this agent’s experience, loyalty, and time for free!  Find an agent that specializes in Maple Grove houses.  A Maple Grove Realtor will understand the market, know where the best deals are, and may even get you access to some pre-MLS properties that he is getting ready to list.  This is a person that you will be spending time with, so make sure you enjoy them and trust them.
4. Have your agent set up an auto-email from the MLS so that you receive all new Maple Grove home listings immediately as they come onto the market.  With the competition these days for great houses, this is essential to get the jump on the competition.  Use criteria that help filter out house features you don’t want, but don’t make it too restrictive that you miss a house that has 95% of what you want, but is excluded because of some small item that could be changed.
5. Form a partnership with your Maple Grove Realtor.  Call each other everyday to compare notes and see if either of you has seen a possible house to look at.  Be flexible to run out and see a house at a moments notice if a possible winner appears on your MLS auto-emails.  Engage in the process and have fun with looking.
6. Once you find a home you love, use your agent to make an offer!

Finding your Maple Grove dream home is an exciting process that is very possible in this real estate market.  Get out there and go for it!

* Market rates have fallen: Refinancing your mortgage is a good decision when the market rates have fallen. By obtaining a loan that offers a rate of interest lower by at least 1% as compared to you current loan, you can save on interest payments.

* Unable to manage ARM: If you are finding it difficult to mange your adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM), you can refinance in to a fixed-rate loan. A fixed-rate loan offers an easier repayment plan and you have to make a fixed monthly payment during the entire loan term.

* Income has increased: If your income has increased by a considerable amount, you can consider refinance. The increase in income will lower your debt-to-income ratio and so lenders may offer you a mortgage at a reduced rate of interest.

* Have build 20% equity: When you reach 20% equity in your home, you can request your lender to cancel your private mortgage insurance. However, if you’re unable to do this, you can refinance to get rid of the insurance.

* Credit score has improved: When you think about when to refinance a mortgage, you must check your credit score. If you find that your credit score has considerable increased since the time you have obtained your present mortgage, you can consider refinancing to obtain a lower-interest loan.

If you have many other debts and wish to consolidate them, you can go for cash-out refinance. By obtaining a home loan larger than your current loan, you can pay off your other debts, as well as the existing mortgage. Whatever may be the reason behind opting for mortgage refinance, you must verify the service background of the lender. You can only accomplish your goals when you refinance with a reliable lender.

Maple Grove homes for sale are priced within reason and in an economy where housing prices are stabilizing but remaining affordable, now would be the perfect time to buy a home that you and your family will truly enjoy. You will be getting all of the latest amenities afforded to you from pristine kitchens to spacious bedrooms.  Most of the homes in this area have been built in the last 10 years with all the new amenties.  There is also a great supply of townhouses and condos to choose from.

The surrounding community has just what you need. The city is a growing community of professionals and people from all walks of life. You will definitely not be disappointed with your home purchase and will be eager to go home to comfort and luxury after a hard day at the office. The homes styles are updated and modern and come loaded with features that you will not find in any other home.

You can contact your local Maple Grove Realtor to view the homes in this area. They will be glad to walk you through one of these beautiful homes on the lake or in the surrounding city, whatever your preference may be. A good real estate agent will be able to discuss with you further the history of the community and the local attractions that are family oriented and fun-filled.  They should be able to tell you about the property values and types of homes in the area.  Most good agents will have sold houses there in the last 30 days.

Ask your local Maple Grove real estate agent about Maple Grove homes for sale and see just how affordable luxury can really be. You may be surprised to find that you love these homes so much you recommend them to friends and other family members. After all, life in the perfect house can mean happiness and well-being for all concerned and make living affordable and less stressful.

This new library is three times the size of the old building and includes a 350 space parking ramp.  It anchors the Village Green area across the park from the Maple Grove Government Center as it faces Main Street.  The library parking ramp will be available for use by visitors to the nearby community center and city band shell this summer.  The city of Maple Grove donated the 4.75 acre site to Hennepin County in exchange for funding the project.

While the building has a contemporary look, it was designed as green building from the ground up.  It incorporates natural light to reduce energy use.  A heat exchanger runs coils into the nearby pond to heat and cool the library air.  The designers also have plants growing on the rooftop to reduce the heat buildup and control the rain runoff.

The building is closer to nature, but the library is hi-tech.  Conveyor belts will bring returned books to the sorting room where bar codes on the books will send them down more chutes that will eventually stack the books onto a library car to be taken out by a human to the library stacks!  An in keeping with the times of faster and less human intervention for checking out at retail location, the library will also host a self-checkout aisle to speed you out the door and get you to your reading quicker!

Both races are USATF certified courses.  Both the half marathon and hhe 5k course starts and ends with a lap around the Maple Grove High school track.  The 5k road portion is flat and fast while the half marathon has great views of the lakes and hills intermixed with challenging hills with 6 miles of the race on paved running paths.  There will be water breaks every 2 miles or so along the half marathon course as well as timing splits at the 10k mark.

Award ceremony will follow both races with water, food, and finisher T-shirts available at the stadium.  Many sponsors will have tables set up for you to visit.

Here are some areas to review:

• When is the last time that you took a good look at your water bill?  Did you just assume it is correct?  Call your city water department and have them estimate what your water bill should be for each property based upon number of units and number of tenants living in each.  If you find your bills are higher than the estimate, it is time to do some investigative work.  Check for dripping faucets and running toilets.  A dripping faucet can cost you an extra $50 per year and a running toilet can cost up to $200 per MONTH!
• If you are paying heat on this building is there anyway to install a more efficient furnace or boiler?  Or for that matter, can you install multiple units or even electric baseboard heat to shift the expense to the tenants.
  • One other thought about a building where the landlord pays heat.  Make sure that all windows are closed in the winter and locked.  It may be good practice to come through the building in November and check each window to insure it is closed completely.
  • Make sure the weather stripping is good and the storm windows are also closed.
• Many older multi-unit buildings that were once single family Maple Grove homes and they often have electrical systems that we not properly divided.  Turn off the main breaker on the house panel and see if anyone complains that the lights or outlets in their unit have gone out.  I bet you will find at least one incorrect device you are paying for.  Some of my customers have found entire units on the house meter!
• Tune up any central boiler, water heater, or air conditioning unit that you pay for every 2 years.  Clean them out before each heating and cooling season for peak efficiency.  A dirty A/C coil expends 200% the necessary power to produce the same cooling.  Not to mention you are helping them last longer.
• Are you paying too much for a service for the property such as lawn mowing, snow removal, or garbage service?  Call around and see if you can find a cheaper vendor that offers the same service.
• If you have a property manager, are you getting your money’s worth out of them?  Are they really necessary?  Just like the above vendors, can you find a cheaper, but as good one?

By taking some time to examine the expense of your investment property, you may be surprised how much money you are wasting.  Over the next 60 days, see how much you can reduce or eliminate.  You will be laughing all the way to the bank.

Despite this dramatic uptick, everyone remains cautious.  Much of this activity has been spawned by the home buyer tax credits that expired at the end of April.  Also, with sub contractors and suppliers fighting for work, buying a newly constructed home is actually now comparable to buying a 5-10 year old home of the same size.  Why wouldn’t you want one of the new Maple Grove Homes?

Total value of the new construction that is taking place is also up slightly over 2009 & 2008, but it is less than 50% of the 2007 values and less than 1/3 of the 2006 values.  Most of the new construction energy has been concentrated in the first time home buyer market as that market has been selling despite the economy woes.  Maple Grove has several areas that are in that sub $200,000 price range for a new home buyer.

However, year-to-date home construction in the Twin Cities continued to lag, with 1,104 new home permits thus far in 2010, compared to 2,883 units permitted through the same point last year. Housing start numbers for March in the Twin Cities were actually down almost 30% from 2009, according to the Builders Association.  Maple Grove real estate was again in the top 5 of housing permits for March.

As a real estate agent in Maple Grove, I can help you find your best value in homes today whether you are interested in a townhouse, condo, or single family.  I am expert at foreclosures, short sales, and investment properties.  Call me and we can discuss your housing goals.