Top Minnesota schools

Top Minnesota schools ranked in new report

The latest U.S. News ranking named the Math and Science Academy of Woodbury as the best school in the state.

Author: KARE Staff

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — U.S. News has released their list of top high schools for 2019.

According to the report, data from more than 23,000 public high schools was analyzed to create the list. 17,245 schools were ranked based on six factors that looked at performance on state assessments and college preparedness.

Click here to read the full article.

Your Dream Home Doesn’t Need To Be A Dream. If you’re not living in the house you want, Call me …

Tom Slupske, REALTOR 763-235-7090 email: tom.slupske@results.net

 

Is the housing market in a recession?

TomsTIP: Lately, I’m asked, is the housing market in a recession?

I think the most important thing to note about what’s happening with this market is we’re really returning to some level of balance. The reality is, that we’ve had 125 consecutive months of the run-up in pricing. We’ve had an extreme seller’s market like we’ve never seen in history, double-digit pricing appreciation across most of the country – and that’s not sustainable year-over-year-over-year.

Buyers have been put in a position to have a lot of pressure in the last couple of years –competing offers, multiple bids – and [they] are starting to see some relief. There’s more inventory and as sales slow a bit, it is allowing buyers to have more choices. And the competitive bidding is not as strong.

As the Fed continues to adjust interest rates, homebuyers are keeping a close eye on what that means for mortgage interest rates.

We’ve only been talking about the 30-year fixed rate right now, at around five-and-a-half percent, up a little bit over last week. During my first housing downturn, the mortgage rates were as high as 18%, with 18 points. Realtors thought if we’d ever see 12% rates again there would be a flood of buyers and sellers.

I remind people, that this is the third housing slowdown I’ve experienced in my 45 years of real estate career. Slowdowns are normal and give buyers, sellers, and even Realtors time to catch up.

Thanks for your time and watch this space for more tips on how to help us help you.

Guaranteed Sale

TomsTIP:

You’ve probably heard, read, or seen advertisements for Guaranteed Sales. Is that a good way to sell your home? That depends. In addition to the traditional home sales, I represent two companies that will offer cash for your house. The market is still chaotic! In a world where just about everything is crazy, either of these two companies can bring some peace to you and your clients! They’ll give you a fast and fair cash offer you the ease of a quick sale and cash fast so you can be assured to get on with your plans.

• Fast. We close on most of our houses in fewer than 14 days

• Fair. There are no lowball offers here—we pride ourselves on making fair, market-rate offers for cash.

• Flexible. Do you want to stay in your home for a few weeks, even months, or years? Want to leave all the “stuff” behind? We can handle it, no problem.

So stay safe out there, avoid the chaos, and keep me in mind along the way. I’d love to show you the new standard in selling.

Thanks for your time and watch this space for more tips on how to help us help you.

Showroom Condition Homes

TomsTIP:

Thanks to HGTV and other similar TV shows, today’s buyers demand homes in showroom model home condition. But, not every home is that way. Here’s a solution If you’re not yet familiar with Curbio, we complete pre-listing home updates, and homeowners never pay anything until closing! There’s no min or max limit on the scope so we can help with updates of any size including

• Cleaning, decluttering, appliances, repairs

• Painting, flooring, cabinets, countertops

• Bathroom and kitchen remodels

• Roofing, landscaping, windows, fencing, and decks

• Wall removals, bathroom additions, and basement finishing

The best part? Your team at Curbio will take care of everything with no deposits, progress payments, interest charges, or fees.

Thanks for your time and watch this space for more tips on how I can help you with your real estate needs.

Sewer Certification Needed?

TomsTIP

Any house put up for sale in Golden Valley requires a sewer scope to determine if rainwater is infiltrating the sanitary sewer system.

Golden Valley makes you pay $250.00 for the privilege of selling your house. They will both make you fix any openings in the sewer line, and some costs have been known to be as much as $10,000. Golden Valley’s phone 763-593-3962 The good news is that once certified a house may be good for ten years, not like Minneapolis’ TISH where you need a new inspection for every sale.

Thanks for your time and watch this space for more tips on how to help us help you.

Pre-Sale House Renovations

Thanks to HGTV and other similar TV shows, today’s buyers demand homes in showroom model home condition. But, not every home is that way. Here’s a solution

If you’re not yet familiar with Curbio, we complete pre-listing home updates, and homeowners never pay anything until closing!

There’s no min or max limit on the scope so we can help with updates of any size including:

• Cleaning, decluttering, appliances, repairs
• Painting, flooring, cabinets, countertops
• Bathroom and kitchen remodels
• Roofing, landscaping, windows, fencing, and decks
• Wall removals, bathroom additions, and basement finishing

The best part? Your team at Curbio will take care of everything with no deposits, progress payments, interest charges, or fees.

Thanks for your time and watch this space for more tips on how I can help you with your real estate needs.

Are housing prices too High? Reconsider.

TomsTIP: Is purchasing a home today more expensive? Maybe no.

Yes, the mortgage rates are higher, but in most situations, for modest price housing, you’re not paying $20,000, $30,000, or more over the list price. Outbidding others was common just a short time ago. Many houses experienced 25+ offers, I even heard of 55 offers on one house.

So, are you better off buying today than a couple of months ago? While mortgage rates have increased, actually more aligned with historical levels, a buyer doesn’t need to compete with as many others which drive the costs up.

25 Best Places to Retire in Florida

At Florida for Boomers, I’ve written about many of the best places to retire in Florida and I cover 100+ of them in The Florida Retirement Handbook.

But every year I take a look at our website analytics and go through the hundreds of emails I get from readers to figure out the places that people are reading about and asking me about the most.

If you are researching the best places to retire in Florida and feeling a little overwhelmed by all the options, I hope this list can help you.

Without further ado, here are the 25 best places to retire in Florida today.

But, there’s more to viewing awesome photos and a little reading. To do due diligence, before you visit talk to experts who live in these places. I have a resource list of Realtors who live, work, and play in these areas. Call me to refer you to a Florida Realtor who can help you.

Need to Remodel Before you Sell?

Thanks to HGTV and other similar TV shows, today’s buyers demand homes in showroom model home condition. But, not every home is that way. Here’s a solution

If you’re not yet familiar with Curbio, we complete pre-listing home updates, and homeowners never pay anything until closing!

There’s no min or max limit on the scope so we can help with updates of any size including:

• Cleaning, decluttering, appliances, repairs

• Painting, flooring, cabinets, countertops

• Bathroom and kitchen remodels

• Roofing, landscaping, windows, fencing, and decks

• Wall removals, bathroom additions, and basement finishing

The best part? Your team at Curbio will take care of everything with no deposits, progress payments, interest charges, or fees.

How to learn if this is right for you? Contact me.

HOME INSPECTIONS ARE BACK

As the housing market is returning to ‘normal’ there are more inventory and more Buyer choices, and more time for Home Inspections.

One of the concerns during Home Inspections could be Mold. Mold could affect the sale of a home, or maybe it can be remediated. Mold is a respiratory issue. Mold can create an Allergic and Asthma reaction, high fever pneumonia and other health issues. Long neglected Mold can cause deterioration to a house. Mold is usually airborne spores, but it can be spread through skin contact, so hand washing is an age-old recommendation.

Moisture is the problem; Mold is the symptom. Moisture is needed for Mold to grow; Mold can be found anywhere and can grow on almost any surface, but it is more prevalent indoors than outdoors. There is more than one type of Mold, it has many forms. Even small amounts of Mold are problematic and can cause health issues.

How to determine if there is Mold issues in a house? Visual cannot confirm Mold, only testing and analyzing can confirm. And there is no Standards or Threshold Limit Values like Radon.

For more information about Mold, Google or consult your Home Inspection company. Home Inspections will not only identify concerns, but Home Inspections may help you identify long-term maintenance.

I always recommend a Home Inspection to help you determine the conditions of the home you want to buy.

HOME INSPECTIONS ARE BACK

As the housing market is returning to ‘normal’ there are more inventory and more Buyer choices, and more time for Home Inspections.

One of the concerns during Home Inspections could be Mold. Mold could affect the sale of a home, or maybe it can be remediated. Mold is a respiratory issue. Mold can create an Allergic and Asthma reaction, high fever pneumonia, and other health issues. Long neglected Mold can cause deterioration to a house. Mold is usually airborne spores, but it can be spread through skin contact, so hand washing is an age-old recommendation.

Moisture is the problem; Mold is the symptom. Moisture is needed for Mold to grow; Mold can be found anywhere and can grow on almost any surface, but it is more prevalent indoors than outdoors. There is more than one type of Mold, it has many forms. Even small amounts of Mold are problematic and can cause health issues.

How to determine if there are Mold issues in a house? Visual cannot confirm Mold, only testing and analyzing can confirm. And there are no Standards or Threshold Limit Values like Radon.

For more information about Mold, Google or consult your Home Inspection company. Home Inspections will not only identify concerns, but Home Inspections may help you identify long-term maintenance.

I always recommend a Home Inspection to help you determine the conditions of the home you want to buy.