Showing posts with label Minnesota mortgage rates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Minnesota mortgage rates. Show all posts

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Choices and Convenience in Minneapolis Condos

In the famous opening sequence of The Mary Tyler Moore show, the single career woman throws her tam o'shanter in the air with a joyful smile on her face. It reminded a generation of young women that the world was wide open to possibilities and opportunity.

It was not just the job and friends, but also appealing was the idea of living in Minneapolis and the cute apartment Mary called home. And whether you like cute apartments, cozy loft living, or elegant modern designs, housing is abundant. Minneapolis is a vibrant city with nearly 500,000 people and combined with St. Paul, the region has over three million people, making real estate choices as diverse as the people who call Minnesota home.

Like most other cities in the U.S., condominiums are very popular. Condo owners pay fees to home the owners association for the outside maintenance of the property and the freedom from these responsibilities allow for more time to live – like Mary Tyler Moore.

In Minneapolis, condos start as low as $54,000, but like all real estate, prices increase depending on condition and location. The proximity to the universities in Minneapolis and St. Paul and access to public transportation add to the value. Some condos have very strict pet policies, but more and more are becoming animal friendly. In addition, condominiums are also cognizant of the lifestyles residents enjoy by providing exercise facilities, swimming pools, and on-site business centers. Inside, there’s the added perk of warm gas heat, a definite plus for living in a cold weather environment. 

Cold weather doesn't stop Minnesotans from having a good time. In downtown Minneapolis you will find the famous Brit's Pub and Eating Establishment. While most cities have pubs, what's unique about Brit's is the lawn bowling located on the roof. There are specific rules that must be followed, specifically that the balls must roll!

Also downtown is Peavey Plaza which offers outdoor concerts during the summer. Before you take in the concert, sample one of the numerous outdoor eating areas along downtown's Nicollet Mall. One local favorite is a visit to Liberty Frozen Custard, with a fun 50s gas station design. If all the eating available in Minneapolis is too much for the healthy and physically fit minded crowd, there are plenty of parks and river fronts for joggers to use as they ready themselves for the Twin Cities Marathon held annually in October.

Like other parts of the country, jobs in this urban area can be hard to find, but commerce, health care, and finance, as well as universities, are the biggest employers. There should be no worries, however, in finding a great place to live in Minneapolis because real estate is both plentiful and affordable.



Compare mortgage rates for Minnesota to stay on top of the average home value, market value changes, mortgage rates and more in Minnesota at Banks.com.



















































Minnesota mortgage rates, home buying tools, average home value, real estate market trends

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Minnesota Lakes


The land of 10,000 lakes has something for everyone who loves the different aspects of playing outdoors. Whether a kayak or canoe ride on a peaceful body of water is your flavor of tea, whether photographing wildlife and flowers quenches your thirst, or whether water skiing and high-speed boating is what fills your spirit, there will be a lake that meets your needs.

If you do love the outdoors, regardless of the pace you set to play, you will need to take some precautions that will keep you safe and healthy. Although farther North than the sultry climates of the South, the ultra violet rays of the sun can still have the same sunburn impact. Use plenty of sunscreen all the time, but especially when on the water because water will reflect and cause faster and more severe sunburns.

In addition, be sure to use a tick and mosquito repellent. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme Disease are the nasty going away presents from ticks, but encephalitis and West Nile Virus can be transmitted by the cruel bite of the mosquito. And in Minnesota, mosquitoes are the size of small birds! Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but having vacationed there I can attest to the fact that they are so plentiful in places that sometimes it visually looks like a "cloud" of mosquitoes that come to feed.


 Many people with their real estate roots in Minnesota work to avoid the mosquito plague by making sure there is no standing water on their property, bird baths are kept clean, and lawns are mowed regularly to prevent massive breeding. There are also special machines available that attract and kill mosquitoes, including the Mosquito Terminator.

The MT has a temperature controlled skin emulator, special lighting, and expels CO2 (very attractive to mosquitoes and other biting insects). The demon bugs are drawn to the unit where a powerful vacuum pulls them in and holds them captive in a special net. The machine is effective for up to about a half acre of land.

Land in Minnesota is plentiful. It is easy to find real estate that comes with acreage as long as you hope to live outside the cities of Minnesota. One quick search found a five bedroom home on 11 acres for under $175,000. Depending on location, houses with at least an acre, new carpet, hardwood floors, fresh paint, new kitchens, and other wonderful features are available for well under $200,000.

Minnesota truly offers plenty of breathing room for residents, but make it your home with your eyes wide open - cold temperatures are offset with four beautiful seasons, mosquitoes and ticks are just a small part of the plentiful wildlife, and outdoor recreation is abundant in the land of lakes.


Compare mortgage rates for Minnesota to stay on top of the average home value, market value changes, mortgage rates and more in Minnesota at Banks.com.


























Minnesota mortgage rates, home buying tools, average home value, real estate market trends