Real Estate Consulting & Sales | Residential + Commercial

Are entry-level homes making a comeback in Twin Cities?

Without a question, the new construction sector has catered to move-up and executive buyers since the recession.  Most of the new homes built since the Great Recession have catered to the $400,000+ buyer; a result of increasing land, labor, and material costs for new homes.  Prior to the recession townhomes were the answer for first-time…read more

Twin Cities Condo and Townhome Inventory at Record Low

Yesterday I attended the annual 2016 Condominium and Townhome Development Summit where we discussed the state of the industry, trends, etc.  I follow this sector of the real estate sector very closely and often speak at seminars regarding this topic.   Although this sector of the real estate market was hit the hardest during the downturn…read more

Four reasons to buy a home in 2016

This article from CNN summarizes why 2016 will be a good year for buyers.  Simply stated…home prices are near pre-recessionary levels in the Twin Cities, the supply of homes should increase come Spring 2016, mortgage rates are still low..even should the Federal Reserve raise the benchmark in December 2015, and rents continue to escalate where…read more

Boomerang buyers making a comeback

Boomerang buyers; or those who lost there home during the Great Recession, are beginning to enter the real estate market.   Some 8 million households lost their homes during the recession.  Since the housing crisis; many households have repaired their credit and may be buyers again.  Typically, credit repair takes about 7 years after a foreclosure…read more

New home buyers – bigger is better

Recently the US Census/Commerce Department published its annual Characteristics of New Housing report and to no surprise from real estate experts….today’s buyers desire larger homes.  The average size of a new home decreased during the Great Recession; however as the new construction has been rebounding over the past five+ years home sizes are growing again. …read more

Are new construction starter homes extinct?

Historically, starter homes have been a prominent housing type within the new construction segment.  Prior to the peak of the real estate market in 2005/2006, starter homes priced under $200,000 represented a major share of the housing inventory.  However, since 2005 the number of new homes priced under $200,000 had declined substantially. Today, there are…read more

Vacation Home Sales up 57% in past 2 years!

This past week my family I returned from the sunshine state where we vacationed in beautiful Fort Myers, Florida.  For the 2nd year in a row, we utilized the website VRBO.com  and rented a townhome in a master planned community.  VRBO is an amazing website that let’s homeowners, investors, etc. rent their real estate to…read more

2015 Twin Cities Real Estate Projections

Every year I’m asked what’s in store for the next year?  Although I can’t predict the future (or I would be playing the lottery!) I predict 2015 will continue last year’s positive momentum.   Most economists agree that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates in 2015; when though it is unknown.  We should continue to…read more

Twin Cities Housing Barometer in the post recession economy

The Economists at Trulia have done an excellent job providing an overview of key metrics we measure the housing market as we’ve come out of the Great Recession.   The graphic below summarizes key housing market indicators related to a normal housing cycle.  Over the past year numerous strides have occurred in the local Twin Cities…read more