Itasca Lofts in The North Loop of Minneapolis 

Virtual 3D Tour

When you enter this remarkable loft at 708 N 1st Street in the Historic and award-winning Itasca Building, you immediately notice the blend of natural light, dramatic timber, and brick. The unique architectural combination of modern design and historic elements creates an atmosphere that is both dramatic and intimate.

A True Minneapolis Loft 

Do you crave the urban lifestyle? Does exposed brick, wood floors, soaring ceilings, lots of light, views of the city, the romance of the Mississippi Riverfront, and the North Loop right outside your door make your heart beat faster? Then you might fall in love with this fabulous loft too. 

Location – The North Loop

The North Loop is known as the trendiest neighborhood in Minneapolis. It has excellent restaurants like the Spoon and Stable and Bachelor Farmer. Beautiful boutiques, hip bars, and Whole Foods. The Mississippi River outside your door with walking and biking trails. It's also a neighborhood steeped in historical significance.

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Mpls Real Estate Agents Top Neighborhood

There is a park along the Mississippi teeming with hawks and bald eagles. If you spend any time here, you notice the character of the river changes daily. A vibrant neighborhood is right out the front door, and it’s a short walk to Target Field, the Guthrie Theater, and downtown Minneapolis.

Whole Foods, the dry cleaner, the local liquor store, and the Minneapolis Farmers Market are part of your neighborhood shopping experience. Boutiques and brewpubs are liberally sprinkled around the city streets beg you to explore and savor. In the evening, catch a movie at St. Anthony Main, followed by dinner and fresh gelato at the Wilde Café. This is the North Loop.

The North Loop is Minneapolis’s Hippest Neighborhood

The North Loop is about converted warehouse lofts (also called the Warehouse District), 5-star restaurants, hip bars, and gay nightspots. You’ll find great design shops where you can buy indie fashions. The Minneapolis Farmer’s Market is the place for local produce and products. You can catch a Twins game at Target Field.

Trendy, innovative, cool, vibrant, and hip are all words you can use to describe the North Loop. In keeping with what was old is new again; it is also one of the city's oldest areas, with its roots in the industry of a railroad yards, factories, and warehouses. The Minneapolis Warehouse Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic...

Prepare you Home For Winter in MN

If you have been in denial that winter is right around the corner, it’s a reasonable assumption that you are probably not ready to welcome it. That small dusting of snow on the ground should be a hint. It's winter's way of saying, "Ready or not, I'll be visiting you soon!" 

Getting caught off guard happens to the best of us. Take heart. Until we get hit with single digit temperatures or significant snowfall you still have time to get ready for the season. More good news, a warming trend is expected to move in this week.

For those of us who meant well but never quite got around to tackling the fall home checklist, Mother Nature is giving us a second chance. She is nice that way sometimes. Here are the fundamental ways to prepare for the worse that winter can throw at you.

How to get your MN House Ready for Winter

Here’s what to do.

• Gutters: remove leaves and other debris. Don’t forget to check for leaks while you're up there.
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Psst!  Look over here!  We have an outstanding new listing being offered pre-MLS. This attractive two-story home is located in the Field neighborhood, the heart of South Minneapolis. It was built in 1921 and with its attention to detail and abundance of architectural interest, it certainly shows off the distinctive charm and character of the era.

Pre-MLS Open House March 17th from 12-2pm

If you would like a sneak peek at this home before our professional stagers and photographers come through and perform their magic, call me, Joe Houghton anytime. I'm the lucky listing agent. 

The Field Neighborhoods Newest Listing is Currently Non-MLS

This four bedroom, two bath home features an open floor plan, wood floors, rich woodwork, remodeled kitchen and bathrooms and an absolutely incredible master suite. With 1536 square feet of space on the main and second levels of the home and 170 finished lower level square feet this home offers a very spacious 1706 square feet of living space. If you want or need more the potential to...

Building A New Home In Minnesota

So you decided to take the plunge and buy a home - great!  One of the options you should consider if you haven't already done so is a brand new home!  When you consider new construction vs. previously owned certainly there are pros and cons on both sides of the equation.  Let's take a look at what I consider my top 8 reasons for buying a newly constructed home.

Building a Home in the Twin Cities

Buy or build a new home in the Twin Cities and you get to make all the choices, every single one! You choose the lot, the style of home, floor plan, builder, and all of the finishes touches that will make this house truly your home. Depending on the builder, development, real estate agent and price point you are comfortable with, you can have as little or as much input as you desire.

In the kitchen, you select the cabinets, countertops, appliances you have always wanted.  The bathroom fixtures will be up to you, and the style of the doors and windows.  And of course, you select all the flooring, light fixtures, and colors!  You can decide how you want to allocate your allowances.  Perhaps you want the top of the line...

Relocating to the Twin Cities Metro

Recently someone asked me why I loved living in Minnesota.  It’s a question I ask myself every winter, and last night as the snow gently fell outside my window, I sat nestled in front of the fire and counted the reasons I feel lucky I live here.

The Twin Cities Metro is an incredible place to live, work and play

US News Money rated St. Paul the #1 city for healthcare in American. Kaiser Health News said Twin City area residents are enjoying the best bargains in insurance premiums. Forbes awarded Minneapolis top honors as the healthiest city in the nation.  According to Forbes, “If you live in Minneapolis-St. Paul, you and your neighbors are less likely to have cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and asthma and are more likely to be in excellent or very good health.”

Minnesotans Are Fit

We have acres of open spaces and miles of trails so you see people walking and biking everywhere.  In the Twin Cities metro area, a high percentage of area is parkland, featuring ball fields, tennis courts, playgrounds, dog parks, golf courses and recreation centers.  During our notoriously cold winters, area citizens maintain their commitment to fitness and exercise by skiing, ice-skating, and snowshoeing.  Is it any wonder that Time named Minneapolis-St Paul the fittest city in American for 3 years running?

In the Twin Cities, Minnesotans Take Play Seriously

Today’s world can be very stressful...

In case you haven’t heard, 2015 was a great year for real estate, and with home sales reaching a 10 year high, many industry leaders say the housing market has fully recovered. Now that we are several weeks into the New Year with the spring housing market hovering around the corner waiting to pounce on the Twin Cities, let’s take a look at January’s statistics and make some projections for what is ahead.

January Was Cold But the Twin Cities Housing Market Wasn't

The January real estate market in Minneapolis-St. Paul was strong with enthusiastic buyer activity, brisk sales, and rising home values setting the trend. Pending sales rose 3.5 percent, the median sale price rose 10.3 percent to $215,000, and the median list price climbed 6.1 percent to $259,900, a record high. However on the seller side we saw a less inspiring performance with the number of new listings declining 7.2 percent from last year which brought inventory levels down 22 percent and the lowest they have been since 2003.

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Sell Your Home with Remax Results and the Minnesota Property Group

The beginning of a new year is a beautiful thing! It is a perfect opportunity to review the past 12 months and compare it to the previous 12 and celebrate the success we have achieved. It is a time when we can continue to grow and to show you why you should sell your home with remax results and the Minnesota Property Group. Also, as we learn what worked well and what did not, we are in a better position to focus our energy in the coming year where we may have fallen short of our goals. For many of us it is the fresh start we need to clean the debris field of the old year and start with a clean slate for the new while for others it’s the beginning of another cycle of building on past achievements, adjusting priorities as well as setting new goals. To me it is like a pool of crystal clear still water waiting for me to stick my toes in and create some ripples, or maybe jump in with my whole being and create a huge splash!   

 How to Market Your Home for Sale in the Twin Cities

For The Minnesota Property Group, it was another outstanding year of showing the Twin Cities how to market your home for sale. We started some great new projects last year that we want to build on, improve and expand. The re-launch of ...

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...

Bloomington Minnesota Rocks! Here are 11 Reasons Why

The Minneapolis metro area boasts many suburbs that are outstanding places to live and Bloomington is one of them. Located ten miles south of downtown Minneapolis, Bloomington sits on the north bank of the Minnesota River above its confluence with the Mississippi. Land Mass is 34.68 square miles with water covering a 3.78 square area. The population according to the 2014 census is 86,314.

Bloomington become established as a Minneapolis suburb during the housing boom following WW II.  The Eastern end of city is comprised of modest housing on tree lined streets in tidy neighborhoods. West Bloomington development took off in the 70’s and is comprised of more upscale and expensive homes.  The median home price as of August 2015 as published on Zillow is $218,218 up 1.7% from the previous year with a prediction values in Bloomington will rise 1.5% over the next year.

 1. Bloomington Offers Great Metro...

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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St. Louis Park

So you have made the decision to buy a home! Now what?  One of the very important questions you need to ask yourself is where do I want to live?  Perhaps many of you already know.  Great! But for those of you who are still undecided, St. Louis Park deserves serious consideration.

St. Louis Park, often referred to as simply “the Park”, is a first-ring suburb just west of Minneapolis. Land mass is 10.64 square miles, water covers a .22 square mile area,  population according to the 2010 census is 45,250, median home sale price as of June 2015 is $252,225 and expected to go up 1.1% next year according to Zillow.  The City motto is “Experience Life in the Park”.  Life in the park is pretty darn good as a matter of fact, and here are 7 reasons why.

1.  Location, Location 

The Park is a commuters dream if you work in the city. Whether your intent is to explore the uptown or downtown options you are ideally located.  With Highway 100 and 169 running north and south and 394 east and west, it has great interconnectedness to the entire Metro.

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Spring has arrived in the Twin Cities Metro and the housing market is in full swing! The onset of warmer temperatures has caused buyers to shed their boots and mittens and start house hunting in earnest.  Traffic at Minnesota Property Group Open Houses has been brisk. We are seeing many more first time buyers, move up buyers, and buyers who are coming back after going through foreclosure or short sale experiences, (dubbed boomerang buyers) as well. 

According to data published by The Minneapolis Association of REALTORS©, March showed an increase in pending sales of 30% over last year and was the highest level for that month since 2005. Additionally new listings were up 21% over March 2014, but due to avid buyer activity the market advantage is still tipping towards sellers. So, it’s a strong market, an active market, and what I would describe as a “snooze and you lose market” with desirable properties often selling within days or even hours of being listed.

Incredibly low mortgage interest rates are holding steady at least for now, so this is really an awesome time to make your move.  However be aware that competition among buyers for desirable properties can be stiff, so as a buyer, to get the edge you need to be prepared to make your move when you find that dream property.  Here are my 3 best do’s and don’ts...

Buying a New Home in Medina, MN 

Medina is a small but charming community with a rural flavor.  It is located on the western edge of Hennepin County.  The area of the city is 27 square miles, 1.55 square miles of that area is water.  The population as of 2010 was 4,892 people.   As of July 2015, the median home value is $551,200, up 4% over the last year and predicted to rise another 1.2 % in 2016, according to Zillow. 

Top 7 Reasons to buy a new home in Medina

1.  New homes in Medina have easy access to Downtown Minneapolis

Want to hear the symphony, watch a play, visit a museum, or plan a special evening of dining? Downtown Minneapolis is an easy 20-mile drive heading east on the expressway. Hop on 494 in nearby Plymouth and access the entire Metro! 

2. New home developments in Medina are close to shopping & restaurants

Just 12 miles south, you find Ridgedale Center in Minnetonka, which offers endless options in fashion for yourself and your home in a mall setting.  Also to the south, a mere 7 miles, is the chic and charming Wayzata shopping district.  There you will find dozens of high-quality retail shops featuring fashions, art, and antiques.  Stop for lunch at one of the restaurants overlooking Lake Minnetonka for a leisurely meal and a stunning water view. 

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When the time comes to sell your home, you may be tempted to forego hiring a Realtor and do it alone.  After all, DIY is the hot trend these days and who doesn't like to save a few dollars? Being a great fan of saving money with DIY projects, I totally understand. But, before you pound a “For Sale” sign in your front yard and start counting the money you’ll save on a Realtor’s commission, there are a few facts you should consider because this may be a DIY project that ends up costing you money rather than saving you money over the long run.

To buy and sell a house is no simple task. In fact, national statistics show that only 9% of all “For Sale By Owner” (FSBO) efforts are successful. Only one out of every twelve people who attempt to sell their own home actually end up with a closed deal and approximately 24% of those transactions involved a sale to a friend or relative, 15% involved a buyer directly contacting a seller, and 1% when the owner was a licensed agent.  

When DIY sellers were surveyed by The National Association of Realtors, the most difficult aspects of going FSBO were cited as follows:

1. Understanding and performing paperwork: 18%
2. Getting the right price: 13%
3. Preparing/fixing up home for sale: 12%
4. Helping buyer obtain financing: 3%
5. ...

Orono, Minnesota is a commanding presence on the north Shore of Lake Minnetonka.  Named after a city in Maine by settlers who emigrated from there, the city is 24 square miles in area, boasting 8 square miles of that area in water.  Population based on the 2010 census is 7,437, median home value as of January 2015 is 633,800 according to Zillow.

Orono is a friendly and warm community with small town charm yet convenient access to downtown Minneapolis. WIth a nationally recognized school system and great access to recreation, it's a great place to live and raise children. Here are 7 reasons I think Orono is an outstanding city! 

1.  Easy Access to the Big City from Orono

Want to attend the symphony, watch a play, visit a museum, or plan a special evening of dining in Minneapolis? Hop on the expressway, head east and in 16 miles you can be in the heart of downtown. If you work in the Metro easy access to 394 east and west or 494 north and south makes for a good commute. If you prefer public transportation to downtown, a Metro Transit bus service runs every 28 minutes. .

2. Local Shopping and Restaurants

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Winter is a Great Time to Buy

Can you believe it's February? It seems the days since we welcomed in 2015 have passed faster than the Starship Enterprise at warp speed!  But the year is still young so If home ownership is one of your New Year's Resolutions, now is a great time to begin the journey.  Yes, I know, it’s darn cold here in the Twin Cities and you are happy enjoying your warm fires and cozy corners but don’t wait until the tulips are in bloom to start looking for a home. Pull on your boots and dig out your scarfs and mittens because here are 5 great reasons to buy a home now.

1. Less Competition

Spring brings droves of buyers out of winter hibernation looking for homes.  As a wiley winter buyer you will face less competition for available homes, tipping the scales in your favor. Even though there are more listings to choose from in spring, chances are the home of your dreams may very likely be the dream home of other buyers as well.  When this happens, you may find yourself in a bidding war or at the very least feel pressured to offer a higher price and make more concessions to the seller than you had planned in order “to get” that house before your competition steps in with a better offer.

2. Winter Buyers Enjoy Lower Prices and More Leverage

Spring rains cause rivers, creeks and home prices to rise. Historical data supports higher listing prices for homes in spring and summer months. It is not uncommon for a seller with a desirable property to receive more than one offer which results in less opportunity for you the buyer to negotiate price and conditions of the sale. In winter however, fewer buyers in the market inspire sellers not to let a good one off the hook by haggling over the price and...

Eden Prairie

Eden Prairie, Minnesota, with its gently rolling hills and 17 lakes is a great place to call home. Eden Prairie, sprawled along the north bank of the Minnesota River, contains 32.45 square miles of land and 2.73 square miles of water.

The population according to the 2010 census is 57,792 and the median home price as of November 2014 is $306,300 up 4% from the previous year according to Zillow.

1. Eden Prairie is Nationally Recognized 

Money Magazine named Eden Prairie the best place to live in America in 2010!  Not a city who rests on its laurels, it ranked 3^rd in Money’s 2012 survey and in a biannual random survey conducted by the city, residents gave their community a 99% quality of life rating!

2.  Easy Access to the Big City

A location 12 miles west of downtown Minneapolis means an easy commute for work or play.  Should you prefer to explore uptown options for dining and entertainment you are a mere 10 miles away!

3. Economy and Corporate Presence 

If you need a job, Eden Prairie has them.  Companies such as Supervalu, Digital River, C.H. Robinson Worldwide, MTS Systems Corporation and the Minnesota Vikings help keep the unemployment rate at 2.5%, lower than the state of Minnesota average of 3.2% and the national average of 5.8% (Nov. 2014 per Homefacts)

4. Eden Prairie has Great Schools

Your child will receive a great education in a public school system, 5 star rated and ranked #24 in the state.  Education is provided by 3 public school districts, Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, and Hopkins with Eden...