When most people think about the tech epicenter of the United States, their minds don’t automatically go to the Midwest.  More specifically, it doesn’t usually go to the Twin Cities. But that could soon change. Tech companies have been popping up in the Twin Cities over former popular startup hotspots for several reasons. A few of the main ones being more affordable real estate than Silicon Valley and also the close proximity to some of the best schools where technical minds are shaped. So, who are these Twin Cities startups and what exactly do they do?      The most recent successful tech startup is one that has a genuinely unique product. Choosatron is a company that produces a create your own adventure computer device. Twists to the story are produced by printing out receipts. This combines the world of new technology with good old-fashioned printing on paper. Part of Choosatron’s success can be attributed to its backers and their commitment. The company’s creator brought in more than $75,000 from its Kickstarter campaign. Kickstarter is an online company that allows up and coming companies of all types to ask for donations to help, you guessed it, kick start their businesses. Kickstarter is doing well in Minnesota; it is the third highest grossing state that uses the entrepreneurial tool. Behind only New York and California.      Another newcomer to the tech scene in the Twin Cities is SmartThings. This company is set to make modern day conveniences even more convenient. They want to give regular household items such as appliances or thermostats online control capabilities. SmartThings also has Kickstarter to thank for its early success where they secured $1.2 million in pledges.       Part of the success of these tech companies in the Twin Cities is the fact that they use non-traditional ways to jumpstart their businesses. KeyedIn Solutions is another perfect example of that. This startup tech company provides software to manufacturing and professional service organizations. They keep their operations quiet but they have raised $16 million in equity capital so they must be doing something right.       Another Twin Cities tech startup scored the support of the mother of all tech companies, Google. CogCubed is a video game production company that is hoping its game, Groundskeeper, can help improve cognitive function in children who have ADHD. CogCubed really took off once Google gave them $20,000 in support services.       Buzz360 is another newbie in the tech world that just launched over the summer. This company provides software that is a marketing platform aiming to connect large companies with small businesses. They automatically create a profile for small businesses pulling their information directly from their Facebook profile. The goal is for large companies to market their services to or using capabilities of small businesses.       No matter what your niche is, you just might be able to find success with your small tech start up in the Twin Cities. So what exactly is the secret to long-term success? Nobody really knows yet, if they did everyone would be successful. We’ll check back in with this companies in five years and see if they are all still on the right track.  Check out the rest of the blog on We Buy Ugly Houses Twin Cities.  ...read more

Dinner and a movie, dinner and a movie, dinner and a movie. How many times can one couple really go on the same ol’ same ol’ date? Fortunately if you live in the Twin Cities there is no shortage of options if you are looking for unique date night activities. This is just the beginning of new ways to explore the area with your sweetheart.        HUGE Improv Theater in Minneapolis. Some people don’t like going to go live theater. Either straight plays bore them or they can’t quite fathom the reality of breaking out in to song in the middle of real life situations. If this sounds like you, we suggest trying something new, going to an improve show. Improv is a great mix of live theater-type performances and comedy. The best part is that tickets at the HUGE Theater are very affordable. There are some options that allow you to see 3 shows for $10.       Byrant Lake Bowling in Minneapolis. Bowling is a great way to have fun on your next date night. It can spark some friendly competition and get you and your loved one up and moving. This bowling alley is even better than some others because it also offers a restaurant and a live music venue if you decide to check out some local tunes during your date night.       American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis. This is a great daytime date and is a nice alternative to some of the area’s biggest museums that you have most likely already visited. The building itself has a lot of history and the museum hosts various displays and events. Everything is available here ranging from learning events to after work cocktails.       Honey in Minneapolis. If you feel like having more of a party date night and you like jazz and blues then check out Honey. Honey is inspired by New York City nightclubs and the dark candlelit atmosphere is the perfect romantic evening that can help you forget about the stress and worries of everyday life.       Brit’s Pub and Eating Establishment in Minneapolis. This venue is great because couples can go enjoy some good food and a couple of cocktails in a very fun atmosphere. As an added bonus and additional source of fun, there’s lawn bowling to be enjoyed on the roof. So head on out to Brit’s and get your game on as a couple.       Minnesota Music Café in St. Paul. The music here is great and the food is even better. Many lounges offer one or the other but it’s very rare to find both. The stage is packed with artists of all different genres on any night of the week. If you’re on a budget then you’ll definitely want to check out their happy hour specials to save some money while enjoying the music.       Paddleboard the Mississippi, location varies. This one is a bit more of a pricier date that the ones mentioned above but it’s so unique that we think it’s worth it.  You can ride a paddleboard up and down the Mississippi with a tour guide who will tell you facts about the area that you probably didn’t know about before. If you’re interested, check out Stand Up MN. Prices range from $45-65.       No matter what your style is, don’t be afraid to break out of the mold! You live in one of the most exciting major metropolitan areas in the country and what better time to take advantage of that than date night? You can thank us later when a variety in your dates makes your better half even happier.  Read more at We Buy Ugly Houses Twin Cities. ...read more

Minnesota is talking alcohol Currently Minnesota state government is debating multiple pieces of legislations that could both help distilleries across the state, and hinder them.  The outcome of these talks could either take Minnesota in an even deeper hole than it already is with the local liquor business.  Or the talks could help boost their local economy by giving liquor distilleries more freedom to sell their products.  Helping Distilleries: SF No.625 1.7 Subd. 6d. Minnesota is behind the curve when it comes to micro distilleries because it currently doesn’t have a micro distillery hospitality room license.  Of the three pieces of legislation this one is the biggest on the table because without this piece passing the other two pieces are void.  This piece of legislation would essentially allow the state of Minnesota to extend micro distillery hospitality room licenses.   SF No.623 1.7 Subd. 6c. What this amendment would do is allow micro distilleries to off-sale their products. The off-sale spirits are limited to one 750 milliliters bottle per costumer.   SF No.624 1.7 Subd. 6c. This amendment allows micro distilleries to offer samples not to exceed 15 milliliters per person on their premises.   These three amendments would be huge steps in the Minnesota distillery community.  Though they don’t sound like much of a step, it is a step in the right direction.  Especially when compared with the other side of legislative talks Minnesota is having about the direction they could take the local liquor business.   Hurting Distilleries: Not all of the talks in Minnesota government are about helping businesses make money off liquor sales.  In fact Minnesota is talking about increasing its alcohol tax by 300% which has some businesses and consumers scared, even when local politicians are selling the tax hike as, “pennies on the drink.” But such statements can be deceptive. Since Minnesota already has some of the largest liquor licensing fees in the country any hand that reaches into the cookie jar is quite noticeable.  When money is taken from an already heavily legislated and burden business such as Minnesota’s liquor community, there really isn’t any incentive to stay.  Why would a business, with all of its jobs and its contribution to the local economy stay in a state that doesn’t appreciate it?   Especially, when you’re neighboring state would decreases your licensing fee by 10,000%? Taking a closer look at the revenue collected from alcohol sales in Minnesota reveal some interesting statistics.  Minnesota Institute of Public Health commissioned a study in which they found that alcohol costs Minnesota $5.07 billion every year and collects $296 million in alcohol related taxes.  But what the study doesn’t tell you is the majority of the, “cost” is paid by business.  As is often the case with government studies private costs are clumped in with public costs.   In fact of the $5.07 billion paid, $3.71 billion is paid by businesses in lost production, lost wages, and is arguably placed on the shoulders of the employers, employees and their families.   The combination of all this bad news is Minnesota doesn’t have too many craft distilleries.  The good news is Minnesota is at least talking about loosening things up.  So if you want to live next to a local distillery good luck finding a home.  You’re going to need to find someone who is willing to buy ugly houses in order to live within walking distance of a good brewery.  Does Minnesota have good distilleries?  So does that mean Minnesota is a dry state?  Not at all.  You can find a passionate brewery and distillery scene in Minnesota because those who are willing to stay really love crafting fine liquor. In fact Minnesota is home to a few award winning distilleries: Prairie Organic Vodka:   A well-known vodka distilled by Glacial Grain Spirits.  The vodka is certified organic through a partnership with more than 900 corn farmers.  It’s even considered kosher as it’s not grown from any genetically modified seeds of corn.  Hence Prairie Organic is truly organic, and you can expect a light flavor and a smooth finish.  Prairie Organic Vodka even won a gold medal at the 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and a silver medal at the 2013 competition.   Crop Organic Vodka:   Minnesota must love its organic vodka because Crop Organic Vodka is made from certified organic grain. One of their most popular spirits is their Crop Harvest Earth Organic Cucumber Vodka which won a bronze medal at the 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and a silver medal at the 2013 competition.   Minnesota’s Distillery Future? If Minnesota doesn’t loosen up restrictions on its distilleries soon, the time will come in which every neighboring state will steal them away.  Lawmakers who are trying to increase state revenue by making drinkers, “pay their way” simply lack the creativity needed to find different methods or the courage to cut spending.  In the end picking on alcohol in a state that has already burden alcohol will just leave more hurting to make ends meet.   ...read more

Selling a home in Plymouth today can be a challenge, especially considering that nearly half of the competitive listings are short sales or foreclosures. Real estate values have been declining in part because of the lower asking prices offered through banks who need to bring down their real estate owned inventory. About half of the sales in today's Minnesota real estate market has come from non-bank home sellers. Are you in the search for help to sell your home listing in Plymouth? Use a Plymouth Real Estate Agent To Sell Your Home It's never been more important to work with a Plymouth real estate agent who understands the recent trends in Plymouth market values. When we visit your home to complete a market analysis, we will compare your home to all of the recent sales in your neighborhood. We will need to look at all of the homes for sold within the past few months to see what the actual sales prices have been. By doing this we will be able to estimate what price a buyer might pay for your house within a reasonable period of time. One of the challenges for many sellers today is in trying to get enough for their house to pay off the current mortgage on their home. If a home seller owes more on the mortgages for their home than what we can sell it for we will either need to discuss paying the mortgages down, attempting a short sale, or listing the current home for rent and in order to move to another home. With the rapidly rising rents in today's market home sellers are often finding that they can cover all of the investment expenses for the home through the income from the rental. Will rental income offset my mortgage payment when qualifying for a new mortgage? Lenders have guidelines for the Plymouth sellers who have decided rent out their home in order to buy another. Depending on the equity that you have in your home, a mortgage lender may or may not consider the rental income you receive when they qualify you for the new mortgage. The only way to know this is to call a lender to get preapproved. Get preapproved before listing your home for sale Once we have a chance to meet to discuss the value of your current home it is important that you go through the process of getting prequalified for a home loan. Your mortgage broker can help you decide which of the options are best whether renting or selling your current house. The process of preapproval is free, and if you decide not to proceed, there is no obligation to borrow money. A good mortgage banker will be able to analyze all of the options available to you such asMN FHA loans, VA, conventional, or other types of loans. City of Plymouth If you are planning to buy a home, theCity of Plymouth, MNis an excellent place to consider. As Minnesota's 7th largest city,Plymouthis located just fifteen miles from downtown Minneapolis and is situated withinHennepin County. Even the press recognizes it as a great town as Plymouth was ranked in 2010 by Money magazine as the11th best place to livein the U.S. The city has 53 beautiful parks, an extensive trail system, and plenty to do with itsrecreation programsavailable to all residents. Whether you are looking for a first home or your next home, let's get out and search for some great Plymouth real estate agent. Let's Talk! If you would like to learn more about the process of selling your Plymouth home call me. I will work with you to complete a competitive market analysis for free. We will discuss your options based on today's real estate market. Feel free to email or give me a quick call. Joe SchererSales Executive, Licensed Realtor in Minnesota Century 21 Premier Group jscherer1111@gmail.com Cell 612-991-6365 1660 S. Highway 100, Suite #578Parkdale PlazaSt. Louis Park, MN  55416With a focus onTwin Cities real estateand surrounding communities.http://joescherer. ...read more

Most Minnesota first time home buyers are totally surprised when I take them out looking for homes and show them the affordable Saint Louis Park Real EstateCITY. The fact is that the housing affordability index in Minnesota has not been this favorable in decades. While many renters have only heard the negative news about values in real estate, others have seen it from a completely different angle With the incredible combination of lower property values and historic low interest rates will make housing payments quite often lower than rent payments. So if you would like to meet with me and talk about becoming a Minnesota first time home buyer, I'm eager to talk with you about the possibilities. In order to take advantage of today's great real estate values, there are three easy steps to get started. Step 1: Finding Out What You Want There are many more things to consider when buying a Saint Louis Park home than the monthly mortgage payment. I will want to have a discussion with you what your short and long term goals are for buying a home. After learning more about what you want to accomplish we will talk about the all of the types of homes for sale, as well as how to get a great value. Depending upon when you want the move to happen we will discuss whether you should consider buying a short sale, foreclosure, or traditional sale. After our discussion I will set up an automated listing search of all the listings that could possibly meet your needs. Step 2: Get Preapproved Before we go out looking for homes, you need to get preapproved. In order to find out how much you can reasonably afford for monthly payments as well as down payments, you will need to get preapproved for mortgage financing. When you talk with your mortgage lender, you will learn about all of the great programs available forMN first time home buyers. Did you know that there are down payment assistance programs for that can help you put as little as $1,000 down? The only way to determine your eligibility as a buyer is to get preapproved for a home loan. Step 3: Let's Start Looking At Homes Once you have been preapproved for a loan we can start looking at houses. After looking at so many homes on the internet, this is the fun part of the whole process. We will look at as many homes as it takes before you find the one that ideally suits your needs. Once we find one, your mortgage lender and I will guide you through writing an offer, finalizing the loan and closing on your home! St. Louis Park Community Information As one of the largest first-ring suburbs to Minneapolis,St. Louis Parkis a popular destination for theMN first time home buyer. With plenty of affordable real estate, home owners in St. Louis Park have easy access to major employers in Minneapolis, Edina, Plymouth, Minnetonka and Hopkins. Major employers in St. Louis Park include theNovartis, Park Nicollet Clinic, and Japs Olson. Now famous as the birthplace to the movie directors Joel and Ethan Cohen, Saint Louis Park is also the hometown of Senator Al Franken. Are you ready to get started with the process of buying a home? Please take a moment to call or email me and we'll start talking about what you want for your Saint Louis Park home! Joe SchererSales Executive, Licensed Realtor in Minnesota Century 21 Premier Group jscherer1111@gmail.com Cell 612-991-6365 1660 S. Highway 100, Suite #578Parkdale PlazaSt. Louis Park, MN  55416With a focus onTwin Cities real estateand surrounding communities.http://joescherer. ...read more

Benefits To Buying for the First Time BuyerWith all of the programs available to the MN first time home buyer today, it is hard to know where to start in terms of listing the benefits. The State of Minnesota now offers special loan programs through its Minnesota Housing Finance Agency to offer reduced interest rates as well as down payment assistance. Additionally many communities today offer additional down payment assistance loans or grants that both reduce what you need for cash to close as well as reducing your monthly payment. Find Out What You Are Qualfied For The first step in the home buying process is to get preapproved for mortgage financing. This simply means that you talk with a local lender who will review your credit, income, etc. In the prequalification application they can tell you what types ofMinnesota first time buyer programsyou might be qualified for. This first step can usually be done right over the telephone and most lenders will even do this with you when you are off from work. Whether you are a first time home buyer or have a home to sell I want to help you achieve your goals There may never be a better time to buy with reduced property values and incredibly low mortgage interest rates. Recent MLS reports show that homes are selling much faster this year than in the same period last year so it is a good time to think about buying. Please take the time to call or email me. Joe SchererSales Executive, Licensed Realtor in Minnesota Century 21 Premier Group jscherer1111@gmail.com Cell 612-991-6365 1660 S. Highway 100, Suite #578Parkdale PlazaSt. Louis Park, MN  55416With a focus onTwin Cities real estateand surrounding communities.http://joescherer. ...read more

There are a few ways to find homes for sale in Burnsville that people use when buying a home. Since most home buyers start their home search for Minnesota real estate on the internet, I have found that many people miss out on the best ways to search for a home. I would like to talk with you about the pros and cons to each of the different methods of search for homes for sale in Burnsville. Finding Burnsville homes For Sale On The World Wide Web One of the best ways to begin is to go to my website to search for and findall of the homes for salethat are listedall of the local real estate brokers, with all of the details posted to the MLS. The large national websites leave out much of the critical details such as property taxes of the home. The problem is that when buying a home factors such as property taxes on the homeare one of the single biggest factors in determining the amount of your monthly payments so why would you want to search for Burnsville homes without such an important detail? Please take a moment to visit my website and begin your search for Burnsville homes listed on the market today. Search for Burnsville homes Via Email If you're serious searching for a Burnsville homes, let's talk about the specifics of the type of home you want. I will create anadvanced searchthat will show you not only what is on the market via email, but also what listings have just become available. You will be instantly notified via email with new property listings that meet youradvanced search critieriawhen new listings hit the MLS. Because I need to know the critieria of what you are searching for (for example: 2 bedroom homes in Burnsville between $165,000 and $215,000), please send me a brief email so we can begin the process of finding you a home! A little education goes a long ways, does it not? If you can get exactly what you need via email such as my customized search why wouldn't you want it? The Luck and Guesswork strategy involves using the websites from the large national companies that offer limited information! Without a customized approach to searching for the house that you want to buy, I find that far too many home buyers rely on the strategy of Guesswork and Luck offered by the large national websites. As the sixth largest city in the Twin Cities metropolitan area,Burnsvilleis a popular bedroom community to both St. Paul, Minneapolis, and neighboring suburbs. While experiencing a population explosion from 1970 through 2000 tripling in size to just over 60,000, Burnsville is now pretty much built-out and its population has stabilized over the past ten years. Larger employers in the community includeIndependent School District 191, Fairview Ridges Hospital, as well as Pepsi Cola but many residents find employment in the Minneapolis, St. Paul or surrounding suburbs. Burnsville has plenty of homes for sale both for theMN first time home buyeras well as the move up buyer. The First Step: Get Preapproved! For manyMN first time home buyersthe big question is where do I start? Your very first step towards buying your first home is to get preapproved for a mortgage. By doing so you find out how much of a loan you are qualified for so that we can research homes in a price range with comfortable payments for you. Looking For Burnsville homes? Please invest the time to properly understand the strategy you are using to search for possibly the largest investment that you will ever make. I encourage you to be proactive and take control of your property search strategy! Please visit my website and find all of the availablehomes in Burnsville. Joe SchererSales Executive, Licensed Realtor in Minnesota Century 21 Premier Group jscherer1111@gmail.com Cell 612-991-6365 1660 S. Highway 100, Suite #578Parkdale PlazaSt. Louis Park, MN  55416With a focus onTwin Cities real estateand surrounding communities.http://joescherer. ...read more

Looking for Mounds View townhomes for sale?As you begin your property search for Mounds View townhomes for sale, let’s take a minute to talk a little bit about the pros and cons of townhome living. Tens of millions of Americans enjoy living in townhomes today and it just might be a perfect solution for you as well. I think it is important for you to understand the subtleties of any home style that you purchase before signing on the dotted line. Mounds View townhomes for sale are quite often priced more favorably than traditional single family housing due in large part to the common areas and shared walls. The townhome association to which you will be required to belong is responsible for upkeep of these common areas as well as some of the exterior maintenance of your home as well. This can make buying a Mounds View townhome especially appealing to busy first time home buyers as well as to retirees who prefer not to deal with that type of upkeep. Mounds View Townhomes: Association Dues This fact does not mean that the maintenance is free, of course. Included in your responsibility for residing in a Mounds View townhome you will need to pay monthly association dues. This fee covers a variety of things but the extent to what it covers can vary from one Mounds View townhomes for sale association to the next. For example while your association dues might include insurance for your dwelling in one association, you might have to pay that separately for that in another. It is important to review this information before you sign a purchase agreement to buy a Mounds View townhome since your monthly association dues can vary significantly. Living in Mounds View Mounds View, MNis a convenient northern suburb located just north of Minneapolis and St. Paul. With a population of just over 12,000, Mounds View residents enjoy the benefits of a small town despite their location near the central metro. Located inRamsey County, first time home buyers may want to check out the Ramsey County First Home program with down payment assistance of up to $10,000. If you are looking to buy or sell a home in Mounds View, please don't hestitate giving me a call. Mounds View townhomes for sale: The Pros Lower maintenance lifestyle Less expensively priced housing Shared amenities such as recreational areas l Often a small back yard No neighbors located below or above as is common in condos Mounds View townhomes for sale: The Cons Monthly association dues Smaller yards or sometimes no yard at all Shared walls can result in hearing noise from neighbors Find Out What You Are Qualified For The first part in the process of buying a house s to get preapproved for your home loan. This means that you meet with a local mortgage lender who will review your financial situation. In the prequalification application they can tell you what types ofMN first time buyer programsyou might be qualified for. This important first step can be done right over the phone and most lenders will even do this with you when you are off from work. Joe SchererSales Executive, Licensed Realtor in Minnesota Century 21 Premier Group jscherer1111@gmail.com Cell 612-991-6365 1660 S. Highway 100, Suite #578Parkdale PlazaSt. Louis Park, MN  55416With a focus onTwin Cities real estateand surrounding communities.http://joescherer. ...read more

Foreclosures are Bank-OwnedA foreclosure can be a great value because the bank owns it and is paying for all of the upkeep and property taxes. As opposed to a short sale transaction, the selling bank has a major motivation to get the property off of their books. At the same time, banks who are selling a foreclosure want to get the highest value they can out of the property. In the lower price ranges it has turned into a sellers market meaning that many foreclosures sell for well above the listing price! Knowing what to offer for the foreclosure is critical in terms of being successful with your purchase. One thing you should know is that bank-owned properties will limit the amount that they will contribute towards your closing costs. If you buy a traditional sale we can usually negotiate for the seller to pay all of your costs. With either a foreclosure or a short sale however you will generally need to cover some of the costs on your own. If you qualify for aMinnesota down payment assistance programsthis can usually be used to offset some of the remaining closing costs. Buying a home can be a complex process. I would like to help you get started. Please take a moment to call or email me and I will answer any questions you might have. It is a great time to start looking for a new home. Joe SchererSales Executive, Licensed Realtor in Minnesota Century 21 Premier Group jscherer1111@gmail.com Cell 612-991-6365 1660 S. Highway 100, Suite #578Parkdale PlazaSt. Louis Park, MN  55416With a focus onTwin Cities real estateand surrounding communities.http://joescherer. ...read more

FHA Mortgages in ChanhassenOne of the most common methods of financing Chanhassen real estate is through a loan program known as FHA (the Federal Housing Administration). This federal program originated back in the 1930’s to help with a similar situation we have today when foreclosures were on the rise and buyers struggled to come up with a large down payment. FHA loans have many advantageous guidelines for both the MN first time home buyer as well as the move up buyer. While zero down payments have most gone away, Chanhassen FHA mortgages offer the smallest down payments available in Minnesota. This fact along with the fact that most negotiated offers today involves “seller paid closing costs” allows you to get in for a much more reasonable entry cost. This is also a great advantage for Minnesotans who are selling their home with little or no equity and need to buy their next one with a small down payment. FHA loans offer more expansive credit guidelines than conventional loans. Home buyers who have experienced troubles with credit may more frequently qualify for a loan with FHA. Unlike conventional loans which have big pricing adjusters based on the home buyers credit scores, rates and discount points with FHA loans vary only slightly based upon the borrower's credit score. One compelling fact about FHA mortgages is called assumability. When you are ready to sell your home, the new home buyer of your house may have an option to take over your mortgage if they qualify. This would be a great selling feature to your home if market interest rates are higher when you put your house up on the market for sale. When a home buyer assumes your loan they will make a down payment equal to the difference between your sales price and your existing loan balance at the time. First time home buyers in Chanhassen may benefit through beneficial interest rates and down payment assistance programs through the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency. This state agency makes use of FHA's special features which allow for second mortgages on the property to be used as a method of reducing the first time home buyers required down payment. While maximum income limits may apply for this program, a traditional FHA loan does not have maximum income limits. First Step: Get Preapproved One of the critical first steps in buying a home is to get preapproved. Most buyers leave it to the last minute Most buyers leave it to the last minute It is very important, especially for theMN first time home buyerto get preapproved for a mortgage before beginning the search for a home. Please call me and I will help you get started in the process with a MN loan originator. Chanhassen Community Information Chanhassenis a beautiful outer ring suburb located just southwest of Minneapolis. BothLife Time Fitnessand Snap Fitness are headquartered here providing employment to those who are not making the 20-30 minute commute to downtown Minneapolis. The population of Chanhassen, MN has doubled over the last 20 years according to the 2010 census. Voted thetenth best place to live by Money magazine in 2011, Chanhassen is popular both for Minnesota first time home buyers and move up buyers alike. If you are planning on buying or selling a home in Chanhassen please give me a call. If you would like to learn more about buying a Chanhassen home using an FHA loan, just send me an email or give me a call. With low prices and historically low interest rates on FHA loans it is a great time to be a home buyer! Joe SchererSales Executive, Licensed Realtor in Minnesota Century 21 Premier Group jscherer1111@gmail.com Cell 612-991-6365 1660 S. Highway 100, Suite #578Parkdale PlazaSt. Louis Park, MN  55416With a focus onTwin Cities real estateand surrounding communities.http://joescherer. ...read more

Are you wondering about how to buy a home in Edina? The answers to how to buy a home can be confusing for many home buyers, especially if you are a MN first time home buyer. Since this process can be rather complicated I wrote this blog post to offer some simple tips of how to help you accomplish your goal. How To Buy A home in Edina Most MN home buyers begin their search for the perfect home on the internet. There are many internet sites to begin this but a good location for you to start is to use the MLS search engine on my website. There are tens of thousands of Minnesota real estate websites out there but you will soon find that many lack all of the important details when searching for a home. For example, the large national websites do not show the property taxes for eachMinnesota real estatelisting which is a crucial factor when determining what your monthly payments will be. Search for a home in Edina on my website When you search for homes in Edina on my website you will find all of the property listings fromall of the real estate companies. Because I am a member of the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), my real estate website will offer you complete details on every property from every company. Additionally I can set up a specific search for you so that I can email listings in your price range as they come available. Get Preapproved To Buy A home in Edina How will you know what kind of price range you should be searching for? In order for you to know the amount of monthly payments you will get for a home in Edina you will have to get prequalified for a home loan. Getting through the preapproval process is the critical first step for how to go about buying a home in Edina Since there is no cost or obligation when you get prequalified by one of our local MN mortgage lenders, you should do this right away so that you can clear any roadblocks there might be in the process of getting a home loan. Let's go look at homes! After you have been preapproved by a Minnesota mortgage lender I will take you to available listings in your price range. I recommend that we look through at least 15 or 20 of these before you make your offer to purchase one. By searching extensively you will get educated on homes that are a good value to buy. When a home comes available meeting your needs you should be ready to make your offer since properties at a good value sell fast. After the purchase agreement, and before closing Once you have made your offer it normally takes about 30 to 45 days before closing. During this time your lender will collect all of the necessary documentation that they need from you to finish your loan approval. Additionally they will order an appraisal on the home to make sure the price of the home you are buying is in line. The mortgage lender also orders a policy for title insurance to make sure the title to your new home is clean. Closing on your home After your home loan has been completely approved you will be ready to close on the purchase of your new home. At this point all the parties involved get together at a title company to sign closing documentation and to give up property keys and welcome you to your new home. Once you’ve closed on your home you are ready to move in! Conveniently located in Hennepin County,Edinais a beautiful first-ring suburb of Minneapolis. As a fully established community, the population has remained stable at around 47,000 over the past 40 years. While large employers such as Jerry's Foods and Fairview Southdale hospital are here, many residents enjoy an easy 20 minute commute to downtown Minneapolis. While often considered one of the most affluent communities of the Twin Cities,MN first time home buyersmay be interested in one of theEdina's downpayment assistance programswhich offers up to $60,000 to qualified buyers. If you are interested in buying or selling a home in Edina please give me a call. Do you want to start talking about the process of searching for homes? Just give me a call or send me an email and I am looking forward to helping you find your dream home! Joe SchererSales Executive, Licensed Realtor in Minnesota Century 21 Premier Group jscherer1111@gmail.com Cell 612-991-6365 1660 S. Highway 100, Suite #578Parkdale PlazaSt. Louis Park, MN  55416With a focus onTwin Cities real estateand surrounding communities.http://joescherer. ...read more

Mounds View Rental homes: Advantages of Buying vs. RentingIf you are in the hunt for Mounds View rental homes, hold on for a moment and consider the differences between renting homes versus owning. Since it is more expensive today to rent homes than to buy one isn’t it at least worth it to consider saving some money by buying Minnesota real estate? Mounds View rental homes, of course, typically have the advantage that you can get be released of a lease arrangement in about one year's time. I want you to remember that this advantage comes at a cost, however, , in that your rental payments will often exceed those of a house payment. In addition, the security deposit for the rental may actually be more than the entry cost required for buying a Mounds View homes after considering all of the down payment assistance programs available for first time home buyers. Finally, perhaps the real cost in renting a homes is the fact that you are helping someone else buy their home with your rent payments helping to make the payments of your landlord. Benefits To Mounds View Rental Mounds View Still, the advantage may certainly be worth it to rent a homes if you will be moving again to a another city at the end when your lease expires. I tend to think that if you buy a home today you should plan on staying in it for a few years while the market develops. Benefits To Buying Mounds View homes for the First Time Buyer With all of the great benefits available to the MN first time home buyer today, it is hard to know where to start in terms of listing the benefits. The State of Minnesota now offers special loan programs through its Minnesota Housing Finance Agency to offer reduced interest rates as well as down payment assistance. Additionally many communities today offer additional down payment assistance loans or grants that both reduce what you need for cash to close as well as reducing your monthly payment. First Step To Buy A Home: Get Preapproved For manyMN first time buyersthe big question is where do I start? Your first step to home ownership is to get preapproved for a mortgage. In so doing you will find out how much you are qualified for so that we can research homes in a price range with comfortable payments for you. City of Mounds View Info Mounds View, MNis a convenient northern suburb located just north of Minneapolis and St. Paul. With a population of just over 12,000, Mounds View residents enjoy the benefits of a small town despite their location near the central metro. Located inRamsey County, first time home buyers may want to check out the Ramsey County First Home program with down payment assistance of up to $10,000. If you are looking to buy or sell a home in Mounds View, please don't hestitate giving me a call. Mounds View Rental homes: A summary If you have not yet considered buying a home I would definitely like to talk with you about the benefits of both renting versus buying a home. Please take a moment to email or call me. Joe SchererSales Executive, Licensed Realtor in Minnesota Century 21 Premier Group jscherer1111@gmail.com Cell 612-991-6365 1660 S. Highway 100, Suite #578Parkdale PlazaSt. Louis Park, MN  55416With a focus onTwin Cities real estateand surrounding communities.http://joescherer. ...read more

One increasingly common mortgage option in Chanhassen for Minnesota home buyers is available through the VA. This type of Chanhassen mortgage financing has increased by about twenty per cent over the last few years due in part to the sheer number of our returning veterans. Additionally with the loss of other options for zero down payment loans in Minnesota, the VA offers a benefit that offers eligible buyers a unique opportunity to buy their home with no down payment. Chanhassen VA Loans: Not Just For First Time Home Buyers Many veteran home buyers misunderstand the fact that they may use their VA mortgage benefit multiple times. As a result veteran buyers do not necessarily need to be a first time user in order to use their VA benefit. This can be a perfect solution for veteran's who own homes and who wish to sell their home despite having a small amount of equity expected from the sale of that home. SinceMinnesota VA loansdo not require a down payment they can sometimes afford to sell their home without receiving any proceeds from equity in order to buy the next. Chanhassen Veterans First Step: Determine Your Eligibility Chanhassen veterans should discover two things to see if they are eligible for VA financing. First they must see if they are eligible for a Certificate of Eligibility through the Veteran's Administration. They can apply for this online or more simply right through their Minnesota mortgage banker. There are several categories for eligibility and I encourage veterans to check with the VA or toresearch their eligibility online While VA loans require no down payment there are closing costs in Minnesota which the veteran must pay in order to get the loan. To address this issue, the VA allows the buyer to negotiate with the seller to pay up to 4 per cent of the purchase price towards their closing costs. This is an extremely common strategy used to buy Chanhassen real estate today and most sellers have been prepared to pay these costs as long as they can arrive at the net sales price they need in order to sell the home. Chanhassen Veterans: Get Preapproved The second thing a Chanhassen veteran should determine is if they qualify for mortgage financing. I encourage all Minnesota veterans to get preapproved forMN VA loansbefore we go out shopping for a home. When you go through the preapproval process the banker will review your financial scenario to determine if you meet the requirements for a VA loan. This important first step is usually free and requires no commitment on the part of the veteran. In fact many MN VA lenders will do this right over the phone. Living in Chanhassen, MN Chanhassenis a beautiful outer ring suburb located just southwest of Minneapolis. BothLife Time Fitnessand Snap Fitness are headquartered here providing employment to those who are not making the 20-30 minute commute to downtown Minneapolis. The population of Chanhassen, MN has doubled over the last 20 years according to the 2010 census. Voted thetenth best place to live by Money magazine in 2011, Chanhassen is popular both for Minnesota first time home buyers and move up buyers alike. If you are planning on buying or selling a home in Chanhassen please give me a call. If you are a Chanhassen veteran and want to buy a home please just give me a call. Whether you currently own a Chanhassen home or are looking to buy your first home, Chanhassen VA loans are a great way to buy a home in today’s market. With interest rates at record lows combined with reduced property values many veterans have found that it is cheaper to buy than to rent! Joe SchererSales Executive, Licensed Realtor in Minnesota Century 21 Premier Group jscherer1111@gmail.com Cell 612-991-6365 1660 S. Highway 100, Suite #578Parkdale PlazaSt. Louis Park, MN  55416With a focus onTwin Cities real estateand surrounding communities.http://joescherer. ...read more

One increasingly common financing option in Little Canada for home buyers is available through the VA. This type of Little Canada mortgage financing has increased by about twenty per cent over the last few years due in part to the sheer number of our returning veterans. Additionally with the loss of other options for zero down payment loans in Minnesota, the VA offers a benefit that offers eligible buyers a unique opportunity to buy their home with no down payment. Many veteran home buyers misunderstand the fact that they may use their VA mortgage benefit multiple times. As a result veteran buyers do not necessarily need to be a first time user in order to get VA loans with zero down payment. This can be a perfect solution for veteran's who own homes and who want to sell their existing home to buy another but who don't have a lot of equity in their home. Since they will be able buy their next home with no down payment with aMinnesota VA loanthey can sometimes afford to sell their home without receiving any proceeds from equity in order to buy the next. Little Canada Veterans First Step: Determine Your Eligibility Veterans must determine two things to see if they will be eligible for a VA mortgage. First they should research if they are eligible for a Certificate of Eligibility through the Veteran's Administration. They can apply for the Certificate of Eligibility online or more simply right through their Minnesota mortgage banker. There are several categories for eligibility and I encourage veterans to check with the VA or toresearch their eligibility online While VA mortgages require no down payment, there still are closing costs in Minnesota which the veteran is responsible for. Thankfully, the VA allows the veteran to negotiate with the seller to pay their closing costs. This is an extremely common strategy used to buy Little Canada real estate today and most home sellers have been prepared to pay this expense as long as they can arrive at the net sales price they need in order to sell the home. Little Canada Veterans: Get Preapproved The second thing a veteran must determine is if they qualify for the standards of the VA home loan. I encourage all veterans to talk with a MN mortgage banker to get preapproved forMN VA loansbefore we go out shopping for Little Canada homes. By going through the preapproval the lender will review your credit, income, assets, and debts to determine if you meet the VA’s requirements for financing. This critical first step is usually done at no charge and requires no commitment on the part of the veteran. In fact, many Minnesota VA mortgage bankers will do this right over the telephone. City of Little Canada Info Little Canada, MN is an inner ring suburb conveniently located just north of downtown St. Paul. With an easy commute of about 15 minutes, residents here benefit from all of the employment and entertainment opportunities of St. Paul. With plenty of affordable housing, MN first time home buyers may benefit from the Ramsey County First Home program. If you are interested in buying or selling a home in Vadnais Heights please give me a call. Little Canada Veterans: Are You Ready To Buy? If you are a Little Canada veteran and are interested in buying your first home feel free to give me a call or send me a quick email. Whether you have a home to sell or are ready to buy your first, Little Canada VA loans can be a great way to buy a home. With rates at record lows combined with lower property values many veterans have found that it is cheaper to buy than to rent! Joe SchererSales Executive, Licensed Realtor in Minnesota Century 21 Premier Group jscherer1111@gmail.com Cell 612-991-6365 1660 S. Highway 100, Suite #578Parkdale PlazaSt. Louis Park, MN  55416With a focus onTwin Cities real estateand surrounding communities.http://joescherer. ...read more

One of the most common methods of financing Falcon Heights real estate is through FHA (the Federal Housing Administration). This federal program started back in the Great Depression to help with a situation like we have today when foreclosures were on the rise and buyers struggled to come up with a large down payment. FHA loans have many advantageous guidelines for both the MN first time home buyer as well as the homeowner who is renting out their current home to buy another. While zero down payments have most gone away, Falcon Heights FHA mortgages offer the smallest down payments available in Minnesota. With a smaller down payment along with the seller paying much of the buyer's closing costs today allows for a much more achievable entry cost. This can also an advatage for current home owners who want to sell their home but have little or no equity and need to buy their next home with a smaller down payment than usual. FHA mortgages offer more expansive credit guidelines than conventional loans. Home buyers who have struggled through some credit challenges may often find that homeownership is a possibility due to this excellent federal program. In addition, unlike conventional loans which have significant pricing adjustments ters based on credit scores, rates and points on FHA loans vary only slightly based upon the home buyers credit score. Falcon Heights FHA and Co-signers Falcon Heights FHA mortgages also allow buyers to qualify through the use of a non-occupant co-signer Unlike almost every other mortgage program, this means that if you do not quite qualify for the house in Falcon Heights that you want to buy you can strengthen your loan application by using a co-signer. This feature of the FHA loan has been used more frequently as home buyers have struggled through job losses or reduced incomes. Falcon Heights first time buyers also may benefit through reduced interest rates and programs for down payment assistance through Minnesota Housing. This state program buys FHA loans and makes use of FHA’s special program features which allow for second mortgages on the property to be used as a method of reducing the first time home buyers required down payment. While maximum income limits may apply for this program, many Minnesota first time home buyers are making use of these loans today. First Step To Buy A Home: Get Preapproved For manyMN first time home buyersthe big, intimidating question is where do I start the process? Your very first step to home ownership is to get preapproved for a mortgage. By doing so you find out how much of a loan you are qualified for so that we can research homes in a price range with comfortable payments for you. Falcon Heights: A Great Place To Live The lovelyCity of Falcon Heightsis conveniently located just north of St. Paul inRamsey County. Known as the home of the Minnesota State Fair, the city of Falcon Heights is also considered the best educated city in Minnesota with over 70% of its residents with bachelor's degrees. First time home buyers may benefit fromRamsey County's First Home down payment assistance program. With convenient access to the University of Minnesota St. Paul Campus as well as downtown St. Paul residents of the city have all the benefits of metropolitan living. If you are thinking of buying or selling Falcon Heights real estate I would love the opportunity to help you! If you are interested in buying a Falcon Heights home using FHA financing, just send me an email or give me a call. With low prices and historically low interest rates on FHA loans it is a great time to buy in Falcon Heights! Joe SchererSales Executive, Licensed Realtor in Minnesota Century 21 Premier Group jscherer1111@gmail.com Cell 612-991-6365 1660 S. Highway 100, Suite #578Parkdale PlazaSt. Louis Park, MN  55416With a focus onTwin Cities real estateand surrounding communities.http://joescherer. ...read more