Kudos and (Just a Few) Quibbles Kudos to Mpls. St. Paul Magazine for its well-done May, 2016 cover story, “Suburban Sanctuaries, Downtown Gems, and Walkable Havens: 28 Great Places to Live in the Twin Cities” (“on newsstands now,” as they say). If you’re new to town, you’ll want to check out the article for its thumbnail...Read More
“The Preference for Pottery Barn” (Decor) Contrary to popular perception, not every Twin Cities home new to the market is immediately getting snapped up in multiple offers right now. What kind of home is? Here are the four attributes that such homes seem to most often share: One. Price point, i.e., they occupy the lower...Read More
Test your knowledge of the Twin Cities housing market, and answer the following multiple choice question: Where is the to-be-built home pictured above and below located — and what is the asking price? A. Edina’s South Harriet Park neighborhood; asking price: $1.2 million. B. Edina’s Morningside neighborhood; asking price: $875k. C. Between Diamond Lake and...Read More
. . . . When Overall Housing Prices are Static How can housing prices (average and median) be galloping ahead in some Twin Cities neighborhoods, when overall prices are only modestly rising (from still very low levels)? Easy. Explanation #1: not all neighborhoods are experiencing modest appreciation — some are doing GREAT; and Explanation #2: tear-downs....Read More
30 Slated for Edina So, where is residential new construction in the Twin Cities booming? Try . . . staid, mature — and now sizzling — Edina. At the moment, the city has issued 30 permits to tear down existing housing and construct new. Land and building costs being what they are, you’d estimate that...Read More
Guilty Pleasures First, a disclaimer: the reason I picked up a newsstand copy of “The Real Housewives of the Twin Cities” — the July issue of Mpls – St. Paul magazine — wasn’t to find out who the five women were, where they shop, or eavesdrop on any juicy gossip, titillating personal details, etc. No,...Read More
