Utility Line Protection Program Available to Columbia Heights Residents.

The City of Columbia Heights is introducing a new, optional program available to homeowners, provided through the National League of Cities (NLC) Service Line Warranty Program administered by Service Line Warranties of America (SLWA). The Service Line Warranty program provides low cost, worry-free warranty protection for water and sewer lines.
As a homeowner in the City of Columbia Heights, you are responsible for the maintenance and repair of your buried, outside water service line that runs from the utility connection to your home. Homeowners are also responsible for the maintenance and repair of the buried, outside sewer service line that runs from your home to the utility connection.
The Service Line Warranty program offers citizens an affordable way to avoid the unexpected and often large expense involved with a water line repair or sewer line break. When a line breaks, the cost to repair it can often cause hardship on a family’s budget. This new program will offer warranty protection to help cover the costs of a break.
City of Columbia Heights residents will see offers in their mail boxes soon. The program is offered at no cost to the City of Columbia Heights, and no public funds are used to promote the program.
"We are pleased to work with the City of Columbia Heights to offer homeowners an affordable Service Line Warranty program," said Brad Carmichael, Vice President of Business Development for Service Line Warranties of America. “We think Columbia Heights residents will be pleased with our features and benefits, including a 24-hour repair hotline and the use of local, certified technicians. This keeps dollars in the local economy, an important benefit in these tough financial times.”
SLWA is proud to have been selected by the NLC as an Enterprise Programs Partner. The National League of Cities, representing over 218 million Americans, is the nation’s oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. After a decade in business, SLWA has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

Looking for a home in Columbia Heights? Check out our listings!

5 Great Tips for Selling Your Home.

With even the most conservative forecasts calling for growth in the housing market for 2012, we thought it a good time to maybe offer some tips for home sellers that will maybe give them a leg up on getting their home sold.

1. Price your home appropriately right from the beginning. Consider that most homeowners will end up accepting less than their asking price. Have your agent produce a list of the latest comparable homes that have sold  in your area of the Twin Cities. This will give you a good starting point for pricing.

2. Make your home show worthy. Make small repairs, paint where needed, scrub, pressure wash that deck and driveway, clean windows and give it a good overall cleaning. Walking into a clean house gives a great first impression and starts any showing off on the right foot.

3. Be flexible. Be willing to stretch and bend to get a sale done. Paid closing costs, paid property taxes, some remodeling, etc. could make or break a sale with a interested buyer.

4. Use an agent that is experienced in the area. An agent that has been selling in your neighborhood for years can be a very valuable source. Their experience with the area can save much time and bring a quicker, more efficient sale.

5. Let your neighbors know you are selling. Many times your neighbors have friends or family that are looking to move into the area, and having their good friends next door, may (or may not! LOL! ) be appealing to them.

Condominium or Single Family Home?

Are you a first time buyer that really isn't sure which way to go with your first purchase? Maybe you have been in a single family home for years and are wondering if it is time to consider a condominium, or maybe you are a condo owner thinking about making the move to a single family dwelling. Whatever your circumstance, we thought that we would cover some of the basic pro's and con's of each.

Condominium ownership allows a person to own a predetermined area of space, that may or may not include land, and to share in the ownership of all common areas such as hallways, foundation, stairs, social rooms, etc. under a legal arrangement. With a single family house the owner owns everything and is solely responsible for the entire property. A house entitles the owner to the rights of the land and all permanently attached structures and the air above it.

In both instances owners of condos and houses have title of ownership and tax responsibilities and can rent and sell the property that they have ownership of. 

Because condo owners share ownership for common areas and because of this, by-laws are established to set certain rules and manage the property. A condo association is formed (usually a group of owners) that enforce,change and create by-laws. By-laws will usually cover areas such as noise, pets, common area usage, exterior decoration restrictions, interior renovations, and so on.

In addition, the common areas need to be maintained, cleaned and repaired and thus financial responsibility for common areas is shared by all the owners. Typically it is a monthly association fee that is paid into a fund to cover everything. This monthly fee will take into account extended repairs that may be needed in the future.

With a single family home everything is yours. There are no association rules and no association fees. There may also be a tendency for single family homes to appreciate in value more quickly than a condominium. With a single family home you enjoy more privacy, more control, and have sole responsibility for the property including all maintenance and repairs.

Depending on your needs and wants, either could be a great move for you and your family. To say one is better than the other comes purely from someones point of view. To look at your options and compare the two, contact Pete and John or visit our website to view our listings.

MN Fishing Opener Coming Up Saturday, May 12th!

For so many anglers, this week can be the longest week of the year. Fear not faithful; fishermen and women, Saturday will come! We thought it would be fun to make a list of the top 5 signs that you may have gone overboard waiting for the fishing opener.

1. You tie a doggie treat to your line on your fishing pole, and cast towards your sleeping dog.

2. Your spouse wakes up and finds you curled up in your boat sleeping.

3. You call in sick to work, so you can stay home and watch YouTube videos of fishing.

4. You spend your lunch hour downloading fishing apps on your smart phone.

5. You drive by your favorite fishing lake 2-3 times a day, just like in high school how you drove by that girls house that you secretly liked.

Last but not least we will leave you with this great YouTube video of fishing bloopers. Before we do though, Pete and John would like to wish you the very best this fishing opener! Go out and catch the big one!

Learn about renewable energy at the Northeast Library!

There are many of us that want to be able to do our part for the environment, but how many of us really do not

Northeast Library

even know where to begin? The Northeast Library in collaboration with Minnesota Renewable Energy Society, will be holding a meeting on May 5th from 11-12 that will address the basics, including options for installation in the state of Minnesota. Some of the topics that will be covered will be solar PV, solar hot water and space heating, and more. The address for the Northeast Library is 2200 Central Ave NE Mpls 55418. Their phone number is 612-543-6775 for more information.

Buying or selling in Northeast Minneapolis? Go with a team that has the years of experience you need for results in the NE Minneapolis area, and surrounding community. Pete and John are your friendly, neighborhood realty team. To go to our listings and contact info, click here!