Tara O'Brien's Minneapolis Real Estate Update: November 2011

This cute bungalow is back on the market. Inspections are done, city approval given, many repairs made and charming as can be. This home boasts original character the minute you walk in the door. Coved ceilings, gorgeous woodwork that hasnt been painted, original hardwood floors. Updated kitchen with breakfast nook and built in buffett. Huge bedrooms for this age of home, finished basement and two bathrooms. Three levels of home for a ridiculously low price of $100,000. This is truly a great street with nice homes and neighbors. Blocks to the Parkway and easy access to freeways. A great starter home in the Cleveland neighborhood.
MinneapolisHomesForSaleTaraOBrien

Imagine you’re preparing to host your annual holiday party, and you’re past the point of no return. The veggies and meats have been bought. Guests are already braving busy airports and crowded highways to get to your home—and then your oven won’t turn on. Your home-cooked meal has quickly turned into a microwave dinner.

That’s just one of many hosting nightmares that can end your holiday party before it even begins. Thankfully, some of the most damaging mishaps easily can be avoided. We collected five of the most prevalent issues and give you preventative tips to keep your holiday party on track.

Problem: The oven doesn’t heat
For any holiday occasion, the oven is the most important appliance in your house. If it fails to work, the centerpiece of your meal could go from roasted beef, ham, duck, or Tofurky to Peking Duck from the local Chinese takeout joint.

How to avoid:
There are any number of reasons a stove can break, but one common cause of disaster is easy to prevent. Don’t self-clean your oven until AFTER the holidays. You risk blowing a fuse or a thermostat, and tracking down an oven technician around the holidays can be tough.

Problem: The kitchen sink clogs
The day after Thanksgiving is the busiest of the year for plumbers. The prime cause of this clog-a-thon is the mistreatment of drains when cooking holiday feasts. We hope your Thanksgiving went well, and that you avoid clog-a-thons for the rest of the holidays.

How to avoid:
Fats and cooking oils can solidify in your pipes, so never dispose of them in your kitchen sink.
If you have a garbage disposal, make sure it’s running before anything goes in it, and never feed it any stringy, fibrous, or starchy foods like poultry skins or potato peels.
To fix, don’t rely on chemical drain-clearing products that can harm your pipes. Use a snake instead, available for $15 at your local hardware store. Best to keep one on hand.

Problem: The heat goes out
As the party’s host, you’re supposed to hang guests’ coats—not apologize to them for having to keep them on. A lack of heat can stop a holiday party dead in its tracks.

How to avoid:
The key to avoiding freezing your party to a standstill is regular maintenance of your HVAC. Every 90 days, a new one-inch pleated furnace filter should be installed. If you haven’t done it in a while, now’s a good time to replace it.
Also inspect insulation on refrigerant lines that are leading into your house. Replace them if they’re missing or damaged.

Problem: The toilet stops up
Toilets have a way of clogging up at the worst times, such as during parties and when you have overnight guests. This is especially true if you have a low-flow toilet from the early 1990s.

How to avoid:
Don’t flush anything other than sewage and toilet paper down the toilet. And there’s nothing wrong with putting up a polite note to remind your guests to do the same.

Problem: The fridge doesn’t cool
Without a properly functioning refrigerator, your meat could get contaminated, your dairy-based treats could go sour, and you may not be able to save your yummy leftovers. To avoid discovering a warm fridge after it’s too late, take these simple precautions.

How to avoid:
Get a thermometer for your refrigerator to make sure each shelf stays below 40 degrees and you can be aware of any temperature changes.
Also make sure the condenser coils located on the back of the unit or beneath it are free to breathe. Coils blocked from circulating air by cereal boxes atop the fridge, or dirtied by dust or pet hair can prevent a fridge from keeping cool.


-HouseLogic
www.taraobrien.com

Many of the housing markets projected to have the biggest gains into 2012 tend to be the home to major universities, strong private sector employment, or have nearby military bases, according to a list of the healthiest housing markets by Builder Magazine. Builder teamed with Hanley Wood Market Intelligence to compile its annual list of the healthiest housing markets in the country, factoring in housing projections from Moody’s Economy.com. The list was based on projected price appreciation, population growth, income growth, and improving employment picture.

The following are the eight cities that topped Builder’s list, including projected housing permits in 2011 and 2012.

1. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington Minn.-Wis.

2011 Building Permit Forecast: 4,511

2012 Building Permit Forecast: 10,118

Home prices here are expected to rise 8 percent next year, the highest growth projected in the 100 cities analyzed. As a hub for medical technology and headquarters for several large companies, employment is expected to grow 2.5 percent in 2012.

2. Fort Collins-Loveland, Colo.

2011 Building Permit Forecast: 1,004

2012 Building Permit Forecast: 1,650

With Colorado State University the major employer here and often ranked as one of the best cities to live in the country, households are expected to grow by 2.7 percent in 2012 and employment is expected to grow 2.6 percent. Housing permits are expected to rise 50 percent as well, according to Moody projections.

3. Salt Lake City, Utah

2011 Building Permit Forecast: 1,294

2012 Building Permit Forecast: 1,181

With lots of high-tech businesses, Salt Lake City is poised to have some grains in employment and income in the coming year. After a drop in home prices, prices are expected to rebound and increase 4.7 percent next year.

4. Jacksonville, Fla.

2011 Building Permit Forecast: 2,284

2012 Building Permit Forecast: 4,363

Jacksonville has a strengthening employment picture, with a military presence and a growing financial services sector. Employment is expected to increase 3.2 percent in 2012. With stabilizing home prices already, prices are expected to rise 5 percent next year and housing permits are expected to double.

5. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Fla.

2011 Building Permit Forecast: 2,708

2012 Building Permit Forecast: 7,522

This metro area is expected to reverse course with jobs forecasted to grow by 2.7 percent, home prices stabilizing, and housing permits expected to double. The rebound is expected to be mostly driven by two major projects, the CitiCentre and Resorts World Miami, are expected to add tens of thousands of jobs in coming years.

6. Charlottesville, Va.

2011 Building Permit Forecast: 634

2012 Building Permit Forecast: 798

The city is home to the University of Virginia and also continues to attract a surge in second-home buyers from the Washington, D.C., area. Home prices are expected to rise 1 percent in 2012 and median income is forecasted to grow by 3.7 percent.

7. Colorado Springs, Colo.

2011 Building Permit Forecast: 2,099

2012 Building Permit Forecast: 3,639

The biggest employers in Colorado Springs are military bases and the Air Force Academy, which are expected to see big growth when the troops from Afghanistan return. Home prices are expected to rise 2.6 percent, employment to grow by 1.4 percent, and households to increase by 1.8 percent in 2012.

8. Oklahoma City, Okla.

2011 Building Permit Forecast: 3,417

2012 Building Permit Forecast: 5,284

At 6.1 percent, Oklahoma City has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. Furthermore, the job market is expected to continue to rise there, and incomes are projected to increase 3 percent next year. While the area has a seen a drop in home prices recently, housing prices are projected to rebound and increase 2.6 percent as Oklahoma City’s low cost of living continues to attract businesses and new households.

-Realtor.com