This is how Top Plymouth Realtors Sell Homes

Interactive Video Tour

We found a treasure of a home in Plymouth, and we are excited to share it with you. This 2700 square foot residence sprawls lavishly along a circular drive, surrounded by enchanting gardens of flowering perennials, shrubs, and trees.

This home has been meticulous and lovingly maintained by the current owners since 1973. It's easy to see why they moved in and never wanted to leave. This property has so much to offer regarding lifestyle, comfort, and location. Let us tell you some of the features we love about this home.

Outstanding Location

Plymouth, MN, has been on America's Best Places to Live list on three occasions and once including winning the #1 spot in 2008. With an outstanding location 12 miles northwest of downtown Minneapolis, extensive parks and trails, several bodies of water for recreation, convenient shopping and entertainment, excellent public and private school options, it is not surprising that it is one of the sought-after western suburbs.

Right around the corner from this home, you will find a wide variety of shopping and dining options. The expressway is 2.5 minutes away, which opens the entire metro access. Medicine Lake is a 10-minute drive to the west, and downtown Wayzata and Lake Minnetonka are 10 minutes to the south....

Prepare Now to Sell Your MN Home in the Spring

If you plan to sell your home in the spring, now is an excellent time to begin the process. I know what you are thinking. Now? Really? Is spring seven months in the future? I wasn't planning to even think about the logistics of putting my home on the market until after the winter holidays. Has Joe lost his mind!

Believe me when I say my sanity is not at risk. There is logic at the heart of what appears to be madness. For those organized, pulled-together people who prefer to plan for significant events, this is going to resonate with you. I'm hoping to convert others who feel they perform best under pressure. Here are several reasons that make the argument for getting a head start on the spring competition.

Give Yourself the Gift of Time

Even facing the best of circumstances, selling a home is a life-altering, stressful experience. The luxury of time goes a long way to reducing the pressure of working against the clock when there may be many more demands on your time. Starting the process sooner provides you the grace to prioritize work and family responsibilities over home-selling tasks when necessary. This alone is a huge stress reducer and worth its weight in bitcoin!  

Get a Headstart on the Spring Competition

In the Twin Cities, the spring market will burst on the scene sometime after the Superbowl. The weather is the key, and if it is a mild winter ...

MN Realtor Shares Easy Ways to Boost Your Curb Appeal

If your curb appeal is missing that specific something that takes it from so-so to wow, I dedicate this post to you. If you are selling your home, you should already know how critical making that positive first impression is to potential buyers. You want to hit them with your best before they walk in the front door.

Curb Appeal Works Magic on MN Home Buyers

Even if you are not selling your home, boosting your curb appeal adds value to your property. You will also win the admiration of your neighbors and become the most popular house on the block. After you finish my list of suggestions, it will amaze you that such a small investment of money, time, and creativity will result in a noticeable uptick in curb appeal.

Here are my best, inexpensive tips for upping your curb appeal game. So please put on your sunscreen, and let’s get outside!

1. Up Your Front Door Mojo

True story. Several years ago, I had difficulty selling my home in Rhode Island. It was a newer home, a colonial replica associated with like homes. Great location and landscaping but not getting the attention from buyers my agent and I anticipated.

I decided to paint the two yellow front doors turquoise over the objections of my realtor, who was reminding me that my choice wasn’t a traditional colonial-era color. A few days later, we had several showings...

MN Home Selling and Short Notice Showings

Anyone that has sold a home before will tell you that it can be an intense and stressful experience. Strangers coming through and looking in your closets, judging your décor and housekeeping habits is an invasion of privacy. Not to mention that you will sometimes get those requests that fly in the face of that 24-hour notice you want.

Both as a Realtor and a former home seller myself, believe me, I feel your pain. With four active young boys and a dog, I know families' challenges to keep their homes ready to show when on the market. But when that short-notice request from an out-of-towner pops up, it’s hard to take a pass because you know an eager buyer when you see one.

First Impressions Matter - A Lot

Because you get one shot at making an excellent first impression, I put together this list of quick, easy pre-showing tips for sellers. These tips have proven successful personally and for many of my clients over the years.  Make your home shine and put a gleam in the eye of the most critical buyer by following my simple checklist.

√ Pick Up Clutter in Every Room

Get those size 12 Air Jordan’s off the floor and into the closet. Dirty laundry should go straight into the washer. Get the kiddo's toys into the storage bin and forget about newspapers and magazines. Any stray dishes or glasses hanging around should go directly to the dishwasher.

√ Make the Beds

If one thing goes a long way towards pulling your bedroom together, it is a well-made bed. Be particular and smooth out the comforter or bedspread, and don’t forget to fluff the decorator pillows and...

MN Realtor on the Importance of Home Staging

Just a few years ago, staging a home for sale was rare. It was also generally for homes on the higher end of the pricing scale, new homes or empty homes. Today the story of home staging is entirely different.

The National Association of Realtors study conducted in 2017 found that 58% of real estate professionals said that when you stage, the sale price can increase as much as 20%. This same study found that 39% said staged homes sell much faster. The message of staging and selling a house quickly and for more money resonates with today’s home sellers at all price points and for all types of housing options.

Even sellers with starter homes or small condos with a limited budget can stage their property to make it more desirable. I will share some great tips that I guarantee will make your home more marketable and cost very little as long as you are prepared to invest some time into the project.

The Five Basic Building Blocks of Home Staging

What I am about to share can be considered the foundation of staging a home. Whether the seller has a small or large budget, these are five rules that everyone will incorporate into the staging plan. Those with a generous budget will spend money instead of time, and those with fewer funds will sacrifice their time.

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Real Estate Agent On Why Your Home Won't Sell

When your home is not getting offers in a seller’s market, it is no surprise that you are not in your happy place. It’s not how you expected things to go. You thought it would sell quickly. Now you are asking your realtor why other properties are selling while your listing is growing moss.

Taking more time to sell a home happens all too often. As an agent who has been in the business for 16 years, I have been in this scenario. Here are what I’ve found to be the seven most common reasons a home isn’t selling.

The Price is Too High

The most common reason a home is not moving even in a market favorable to sellers is incorrect pricing.  At the listing time, your realtor should do a market analysis of properties comparable to yours that recently sold. The price comparison is the best method to determine the asking price.

There are times sellers disagree and insist their home is worth more. There are often factors that the seller didn’t consider that affect the value. To neutralize the adverse effect of imperfections, a price adjustment is necessary. The price of a home should align with its condition.

Buyers today are savvy, and most of them are working...

Success-driven Home Selling 

Most people have two primary goals when they sell their home. These are to sell quickly at the best price possible. Both are attainable and if your location is TheTwin Cities metro and your home value is under $500,000, the market favors you in a big way.  

However, please do not think that you will achieve these goals if you ignore the basic rules of how to prepare to sell your home. If you want multiple offers and you want them in the first few days of listing you need to accept the fact that preparation is necessary.  If your home’s list price is in the higher tiers, it becomes even more critical.  

Convinced?  Fabulous! Here are my ten commandments of home selling. Follow these, and you will present your home at its finest. 

Clutter is not aesthetically appealing. It makes your home look messy and lacking in storage space. The goal is to go through every closet, cabinet, drawer and storage space from basement to attic. Don’t forget the garage and any outbuildings as well. Everything you decide you do not need should be for sale, consignment, donation or disposal.

For some, this step is no big deal, and for others, this is the...

2940 Urbandale Ave N, Plymouth Minnesota 55447

Offered at $499,900

If you are looking for your next home in or around Plymouth, please consider this traditionally styled residence in the desirable Greentree Forest neighborhood. This 3504 square foot residence features four bedrooms and baths, oozes charm and cozy warmth. From the first glimpse, it is obvious this home is meticulously and lovingly maintained. When you learn of the numerous improvements and updates made by the current owners, you’ll be sure your eyes didn’t deceive you.

So what exactly do we like so much about this outstanding family home?  Lots!  Please join us on our mini-tour as we check off all the great attributes of our favorite new listing.

Easy Peasy Commute and Great Metro Access

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Make That Home Sale with Curb Appeal

When you sell, curb appeal is the first impression your home will make on a buyer.  Do it right, and you could end up with an offer, just like that! Do it wrong, and a potential buyer may decide not to walk through your front door.  So when evaluating your curb appeal as you prepare to sell your home, be critical because I promise you that buyers will be.

Pretend you are a buyer. Take a look around the outside of your house and yard. Now ask yourself, if you were buying today would the exterior of your home inspire you to take a look inside?  If the answer is anything less than, “I can’t wait to see the inside of this house” then you have a bit of work to do. Here are a few steps that will send your curb appeal rating meter over the top. 

Clean Up

Just as you do inside your home, you should “pick up” in the front and backyard, porch and deck. You want it clean and tidy. Remove any remaining dead leaves, branches, and other debris from the previous season. Oil stains on the driveway...

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Tips to Control Stress When Selling Your Home

When you sell a home, the experience has the inherent potential to be stressful. Not only is the rhythm of your daily life at the mercy of showings, but your home has to look tip-top for potential buyers.  Your privacy is held hostage to strangers opening closets and drawers as they snoop into your nooks and crannies. Yikes!  That is enough to get the calmest nerves twitching.

There are many moving parts to the sale of a house. There are many individuals involved in that sale. Any of these or a combination of several can become the stress source for the homeowner. These are factors the seller has no control over, zip, zero, none! However, there are many aspects of the home-selling process where the property owner can have power over the outcome. Making better decisions at the beginning of the process increases the likelihood of having a superior selling experience.

Since I have sat in the seller seat myself on a few occasions, I have gathered some morsels of wisdom on the subject. Since I love to share, as one seller to another, here are my best tips for a successful home sale.

Hire A Great Real Estate Agent

There are a few different ways people go about finding a real...

Our Favorite Blog Posts of 2017

It’s that time again. As we say goodbye to the old year and look ahead to 2018 with great expectations it is always worthwhile to reflect on the last 12 months and review the work accomplished with some satisfaction. On Our Twin Cities Home Blog, we try to bring you the best information we can find on everything real estate from buying and selling a home to living well in our vibrant and beautiful Twin Cities Metro.

As we look forward to more good work this year we’d like to share some of our favorite posts with you again. So without further ado, here is what we think deserves a second look before we close the books and begin the first chapter of the brand new year!

Linda’s Favorites

The Minnesota Property Group A Twin Cities Success Story

Has a year really passed since I wrote this one? It was one of my favorites because I am proud to work with Joe all 365 days of the year. He has a great real estate story and a great philosophy on how he approaches real estate so I felt it appropriate to tell it one more time.  

Passive Savings -  Like Giving Yourself a Raise

Saving more money is a popular new year’s resolution for many people. Well, it just so happens we know a little about that here at the Minnesota Property Group. When I started researching the topic of how to save, it got me thinking of other ways that you could do it without feeling the pain or strain of giving up stuff you like.  I...

Twin Cities Buyers Know What They Don't Want

The one thing most sellers have in common is that they are unable to look at their property with a dispassionate and critical eye. The longer they have lived in their home, the more emotionally attached they become. Many simply cannot understand that the cracked tile in the foyer they have lived with for 10 years, should be of concern to a buyer. Or the magenta bedroom walls they adore would be another person’s decor nightmare.

After being a realtor in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro for 16 years and closing on close to 1000 properties, I have shown my share of homes that made buyers run for the exit shouting, “next please”! I have been the listing agent challenged with marketing the lime green home with hot pink trim.  So over the years, I have probably not heard it all, but enough to tell you what makes a buyer look like he just sucked a lemon. Sellers can and should take matters into their own hands before they put their home up for sale to avoid having their home sit on the market for a long time and sell for less money. 

Big Ticket Replacement Items

A house with a roof that is at the end of its lifespan or siding that needs to be updated is a major red flag for buyers. The same holds true for old electrical systems with fuse boxes and ancient plumbing. If an Octopus furnace, the monster in the basement also known as a gravity furnace, with asbestos wrapping around the ducts lives in the basement that will generally have buyers looking for the door quickly. 

It would be in the seller’s best interest to address major issues such as these beforehand, but if the circumstances make that impossible,...

Preparing your home to sell

It is critical that you choose a Realtor that will tell you all of things you should do to prepare your home to sell. If you hire a good real estate agent and follow their advice, tips and tricks, you will sell your home for top dollar. Before you put your house up for sale, you need to deep clean, de-clutter and depersonalize it. When you are getting your home ready to sell, these are the basics and the best place to start.  We want to make your property look as much like a new house as possible. Our goal is to project a warm and inviting environment, as clean, spacious, and impersonal as we can so that potential buyers can visualize your house as their home, with their furniture in the living room, their art on the walls and their car in the garage.

Home selling preparation step 1

This can often be the most difficult step for some sellers because often they have an emotional attachment to everything in their house. However, you really need to get rid of the clutter because one thing I know for sure, a buyer's dream house does not include your clutter! It will help you to look at this process objectively and realize that your beloved napkin collection filling up a shelf of the linen closet is clutter from a buyer's perspective. Remember, the buyer is purchasing your house not your stuff, and you want him or her to visualize where they can put their stuff!

Preparing your home to sell step 2 

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That All Important First Impression

It’s well established that a first introduction is vitally important. That initial handshake can either lead to a meeting of the minds, or to no deal. “I hope I make a bad first impression,” said no one ever!  In real estate, we see this play out again and again.

When you are selling, the first personal impression when a buyer tours your home is like the handshake. If they don’t like what they see pulling up to the curb, walking into the lobby, or opening the front door, the cash register is going to ring up “no sale”.

Although a good first impression of your home may not always end up in making a deal, it is always the first step into getting to that important offer to purchase.  Here are 10 ways to make a great first impression on prospective buyers.

1. Get Buyers To See Your Home

Today, most real estate transactions are born on the internet. The first interaction a prospective buyer has with your house is online. If there is no connection with them in those first photos, it’s extremely unlikely to go to the next step with a private showing. Make sure you have an agent that takes quality photos of your property, preferably professional ones. 

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Selling Homes in the Twin Cities Area of Minnesota

The spring and summer housing market is behind us, but as we look in the rearview mirror and wave good-bye, we should also look ahead and say hello to the second best season for home sales, fall. If you thought about putting your house on the market but somehow didn’t manage to pull it all together as yet, here is your second chance as a seller to take advantage of this market leaning so heavily in your favor here in the Twin Cities.  

Generally speaking under normal conditions the seasonal adjustment of the cooler months and inventory, prices and market activity seem to follow the downward trend of the temperatures. This may not be the case this year. While inventory levels, days on market, and pending sales are declining, median sale prices are continuing to rise.

Twin Cities Metro Market Data Still Strongly Favors Sellers

The Minneapolis Association of Realtors report for the week ending September ...

15 Curb Appeal Tips to get your Home Ready to Sell Fast 

Sell your home fast by starting with the first impression. Here are 15 fabulous and inexpensive ideas to boost the curb appeal of your home, he has curated some great information from some great sites like Better Homes and Gardens and also offered up some great DIY tips from bloggers like Bella Tucker and First Home Love as well. 

This information is must read for those of you are planning to sell your home fast this year. Even if you are planning to stay put, who doesn't want to improve the appearance of their home? Enough said. Let's read how we can give our homes a mini facelift! 

First Impressions will help sell your home fast

In life, you get one chance to make a first impression.  It can be the determining factor in getting the job, securing the client, or closing the deal.  When you are selling your home, the same holds true.  The first impression a potential buyer has of your house, be it online or in person can have a significant influence not only on an offer price but how quickly you receive one.  

When buyers are presented with a property that has great curb appeal, it draws them in with a smile. Reversely, if your home looks untidy and ill kept from the outside, buyers are going to have the impression that the property has not been well cared for, and it may even have them saying, “Next please”, without so much as an inside peek.

Now that you know how important curb appeal can be, here are 15 easy and inexpensive sure-fire ways to get the curb appeal of your home hitting the high notes!

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How To Be a Rock Star Home Seller in 5 Easy Steps

Selling your family home can be a stressful experience under the best of circumstances.  Listing your home creates a condition that interferes with the daily rhythm of your family life and invades the privacy of your personal space, not to mention the mixed emotions your family might be feeling about letting go of the old home and moving on to a new one. That being said, if you want or need to sell your home, you must realize and embrace the fact that things are going to change. 

On the other hand, change is not a bad thing.  Hopefully, you will be moving forward to a bigger home, preferred location, new job, or a new life adventure! Perhaps you are downsizing and looking forward to less responsibility, more time for leisure activities or a simpler, less complicated lifestyle. Whatever your particular situation, you want and need to get your home sold and you want the process to be as seamless and stress-free as possible.

You’re ready to sell and I want you to be a Rock Star Seller so here are 5 easy ways to make that happen!

1. Listen to Your Real Estate Agent 

One of the reasons you selected your real estate agent was because you trusted that he was the best professional in the business to...

These 5 Hot Tips Will Heat Up Your Winter Home Sale

Winter has arrived. In places like the Twin Cities, that means fewer daylight hours, frigid temperatures, snow, and ice. Winter definitely changes the dynamics of selling and showing your home at its best. However, we can also see these cold weather challenges as opportunities to showcase your home in ways not possible in the warmer seasons. Here are my 5 best tips for making your home shine more and sparkle brighter even though the days are shorter and the ground is covered in snow!

1. Strut Your Stuff Winter and Beyond

An absolute must is to keep the driveway and walkways clear and safe for walking. Maneuvering through snow and ice to get inside your home is not going to make a good first impression so be sure your property is totally accessible. Even though snow removal can be a challenge keep in mind you don’t have to worry about mowing and trimming the lawn every few days.  Another plus, if you don’t have the best landscaping on the block, the snow can provide a pristine charm you wouldn’t have in the warmer months. However, if you are an avid gardener and have put time and money...

7 Great Tips for Fall Home Sellers

The Twin Cities real estate market has been strong throughout the spring and summer, and according to housing market analysts, we are experiencing one of the best housing markets of the last 15 years. So if you planned to sell your home this year but missed the spring and summer home-selling season, don’t despair or feel you need to wait until next spring to sell your home. Autumn happens to be the second best season for home sales.

Going into the cooler months always brings a seasonal adjustment in inventory levels. According to the weekly report from the Minneapolis Association of Realtors, for the week ending September 19^th, new listings decreased 0.4% to 1,613 and inventory 13.8% to 16,606. So fewer houses on the market, increase your chances of finding a buyer. Speaking of buyers…

While families with children tend to make their move in spring and be situated in their new homes for the start of the school year, job changes and relocations go on all year so there will be families out there looking for homes. Additionally, many millennials and empty nesters tend to wait until fall with hopes of being in their new home before the winter holidays arrive.  Easier mortgage approvals coupled with interest rates remaining low, sweeten the deal. Buyers are inspired.

To get you ready and help with that selling decision, here are 7 tips that will take turn your "home for sale" to "home sold" when you list your property this autumn.

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