Real Estate Blog

When was the last time you had to think twice about responding to an ad that was just so compelling that, even momentarily, your common sense was overruled by your emotions? Whether it’s a pickup line or a smooth Madison Avenue come-on, I think it’s a safe bet to assume most of us have fallen for at least one.

Now, this isn’t to say that home staging is deceptive, because it isn’t. But what it is, is compelling. Illusions sell and when you stage your home you are presenting an illusion of what it would be like to live in your home. You are compelling the visitor to put him- or herself into your home as the occupant. That’s pretty powerful stuff.

Background

If you’ve ever visited a new home community and toured the model homes you’ve

The weekend is almost here and it’s time to get out and look at houses for sale in St. Louis Park. If you’re on a tight budget we have a couple of listings to share with you today – one of them may just turn out to be your new home!

$167,000

This 1926 cottage is located just blocks from Lake Calhoun. Don’t let the age fool you – it appears to have been well-maintained with charming décor, new carpet and a finished basement. The home has 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom in 887 square feet of living space. Check out the deck, patio and big backyard.

View photos of this home here.

$189,900

This 1-bedroom, 1-bathroom condo is located in a quiet building with a bonus – a coffee shop located on the main level. The first thing you’ll notice

Guess what type of home décor is on tap to be all the rage next year? “Minimalist Nordic design!” Hey, we here in Minnesota can now brag that we were Nordic-inspired before it was cool!

The Nordic movement, as it’s being called, evokes the simple, minimalist homes of Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and Finland and features a lot of white and other simple color schemes. You will also see a heavy emphasis on natural materials.

Here are some easy ways to embrace the minimalist beauty of Nordic décor for a balanced and bright 2016.

Tabula rasa 

Just another way of saying “blank slate,” you’ll need to create a tabula rasa for your new decorating scheme. This means choosing your wall color, and, no, not all white paints are the same.

The different

Ok, Thanksgiving is over. It’s time to lug out the boxes of holiday decorations and do an inventory of what’s needed this year. You may also want to change things up a bit – you know, incorporate some of the latest trends.

Holiday Blues – While Christmas colors are undoubtedly red and green, blue has traditionally been associated with Hanukkah. But, it’s been seeping into the Christmas decorating oeuvre over the past few years. It’s gorgeous when paired with white or silver but you’ll also see it mixed with gold, champagne and even mixed shades of blue with striking results.

Or Whites – Don’t be afraid to combine the traditional with the trendy. This year’s trendy when it comes to the tree is a monogram tree topper combined with traditional

Nothing much has changed in the St. Louis Park real estate market since last month’s update except that the inventory of available homes has shrunk even more. New listings that come on the market are selling quickly and it appears that we’re still in a seller’s market.

New Listings of Houses for Sale in St. Louis Park

The number of new listings to hit the St. Louis Park real estate market decreased again this month, nearly 22 percent. Last month’s drop brought our inventory of available homes to a 2.4 month supply. This month’s sits at 2.2 months, which is a decrease of 43.6 percent over this time last year.

As of today, there are 213 homes for sale in St. Louis Park, ranging in price from $134,900 to $599,000.

Median Sales Price

The

Here comes the weekend and if you haven’t made any plans yet, have no fear. Read on for some ideas about where to go and what to do this weekend in and around St. Louis Park.

Tonight

A Christmas Carol

For the 41st year, the Guthrie Theater is continuing a Twin Cities holiday tradition with its production of “A Christmas Carol.” Who better to get you into the holiday spirit than old Scrooge himself? Tonight’s performance is at 7:30 p.m. If you can’t make it to tonight’s show, there are additional performances tomorrow and Sunday at Guthrie Theater. For ticket information, visit guthrietheater.org.

Saturday, November 14

Free Movies!

Bring the kids and enjoy free movies at the Theaters at the Mall of America every Saturday in November.

The holidays are coming up - FAST - and if you or your kids are in need of a holiday gift for someone special, have you considered something truly personal? Something handmade? If so, you're in luck because St. Louis Park is home to Brush Studio, where you can create a fabulous piece of art.

Classes

You'll be walked, step-by-step, by an artist, through the creation of your first work of art. No experience is necessary and you'll be amazed what you can do, even if you consider yourself lacking in artistic ability.

Take a class with a friend or even with your kids. Ages 16 and up are welcome at all classes, those between 12 and 15 are welcome at all classes with the exception of Fridays and Saturdays and the little one, between the ages of 8

If you’re considering relocating to St. Louis Park, MN, you’re in good company -- the city has grown 5.9 percent since 2010; it’s the fifth fastest growth rate in the Twin Cities Metro Region. And St. Louis Park residents know why people want to live here. They can be at work in downtown Minneapolis in 15 or 20 minutes, the schools are amazing and recreational offerings numerous.

St. Louis Park Schools

Is there something in the water in St. Louis Park? Whatever the reason, students here typically outperform those in the rest of the metro region. ISD #283, St. Louis Park Public Schools, is a nationally renowned school district - where every school has been named a National School of Excellence.

The district oversees four elementary

The two worst situations to find yourself in during the house hunting process are not finding a home you wish to purchase and falling in love with two or more homes. The latter is a decision that’s hard to make when each offers something desirable that the other lacks.

The first thing I suggest to my clients in this predicament is to make a list of what you like and don’t like about each home. If you’re a member of a family, have each person do the same. Now, it may turn out that one person’s “like” is another’s “can’t stand,” so understand that compromises will have to be made.

Here are a few criteria to use when making your decision.

The Neighborhoods

While the homes may be tough to compare, the neighborhoods may not be. Remember, you’ll

St. Louis Park homebuyers appear to be snatching up new listings as soon as they hit the market and, at least according to the latest Multiple Listing Service statistics, we’re still very much in a seller’s market.

New Listings in St. Louis Park

The number of new listings to hit the St. Louis Park real estate market decreased more than 31 percent over this time last year. If you recall last month’s number, our inventory of available homes in St. Louis Park was a paltry 2.5 month supply. It’s down to 2.4 months now, a definite sign that we’re still in a seller’s market.

Median Sales Price

The median sales price of a St. Louis Park home increased 8.6 percent over this time last year and now sits at $240,000. Now this sounds good for