Minneapolis Real Estate
Explore the Minneapolis real estate market, the Minneapolis suburbs, Minneapolis area schools, the Minneapolis lifestyle and the process of BUYING Minneapolis Real Estate or SELLING Minneapolis Real Estate. When you're ready to enlist the services of a real estate agent, call or send an e-mail. RE/MAX Results and I will be happy to help. Our market is correcting, but there is no need to be spooked!!! Careful guideance can help buyers and investors identify bargains and sellers overcome challenging market conditions.
Step 1: Buying Minneapolis Real Estate
Understand your financial readiness to buy a home by visiting with a mortgage lender to qualify you for a real estate loan known as a home mortgage. Know your credit score and what you can do to improve it to get the best rate on a mortgage loan. Ask your mortgage lender about the different types of loans available to finance your home purchase and the differences between them. Set your budget for a new home and select a loan that is most suitable to you. (Try some test loan calculations with the loan calculator. Use a sample interest rate from the chart below.)
Step 2: Buying Minneapolis Real Estate
Understand real estate agency in Minnesota and decide what type of agency representation you want. Not all real estate agents are REALTORS. REALTORS are real estate agents who are members of the National Association of REALTORS and they subscribe to a strict code of ethics. A REALTOR may have other designations and certifications from the National Association of REALTORS that indicate their commitment and advanced training in their profession. These include the ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative), CRS (Certified Residential Specialist), GRI (Graduate REALTOR Institute) and the ePRO (Certified Internet Professional). Brokerages vary in their service offerings. RE/MAX Results is a full service brokerage. Select a real estate agent who is a REALTOR, is a full time agent, has advanced training and is affiliated with a broker that offers the services you want.
Enter into a buyer representation agreement with your real estate agent. Discuss the time frame for your move to a new home and when to get started looking at the homes for sale.
Step 3: Buying Minneapolis Real Estate
Think through your requirements for a home and the style of home you prefer. Do single family homes, condos or town homes best fit your needs and budget? Do you want to build a home, buy a newer home or buy a vintage home?
What are your requirements for rooms, square footage, garages, acreage, luxury amenities, neighborhood, schools, proximity to work, etc.?
What is your location/lifestyle preference? Examples are:
URBAN: Minneapolis, St. Paul
FIRST Ring Suburbs: Edina, Golden Valley, St. Louis Park, St. Anthony, Richfield, Hopkins, Columbia Heights, Brooklyn Center, Robbinsdale, Crystal, New Hope, Fridley, Maplewood, Roseville, Little Canada, West St. Paul, South St. Paul, Oakdale, North St. Paul
SECOND Ring Suburbs: Plymouth, Eden Prairie, Brooklyn Park, Maple Grove, Bloomington, Chanhassen, Minnetonka, Shoreview, Coon Rapids, Champlin, Burnsville, New Brighton, Arden Hills, Blaine, Eagan, Woodbury, Inver Grove Heights, Cottage Grove, Dellwood, White Bear Lake, Wayzata, North Oaks
DEVELOPING Suburbs: St. Michael, Chaska, Lakeville, Andover, Victoria, Savage, Shakopee, Prior Lake, Otsego, Ramsey, Dayton, Minnetrista, Cottage Grove, Ham Lake, Rogers, Independence, Farmington, Rosemount, Afton, Stillwater, Grant, Centerville, Lino Lakes, Elk River.
 See Minneapolis Area Average Home Sale Prices by Community.
Minneapolis Schools 
 Find links to public schools with maps of school district boundaries and attendence areas for individual schools plus links to private schools and post-secondary education institutions on my Minneapolis Area Schools page.
Minneapolis Lake Homes
In Minnesota, if bodies of water can accommodate a motorized boat, we generally refer to them as a lake. If not, they will more often be called a pond, marsh or wetland. Lake Minnetonka Real Estate and homes around and near the Minneapolis Lakes are among the most prestigious and most expensive homes in the Minneapolis area. Lake homes on smaller lakes also command premiums, but owners often see a lake home as an investment that may offset purchasing a second home for family recreation. Minneapolis is called the "City of Lakes", and Minnesota is called "The Land of 10,000 Lakes". There are many small lakes and wetlands that offer lovely views and tranquil settings. There are about 750 lake front homes in the 7 county metropolitan area currently on the market at an average list price of just over $1 million.
Some of the larger lakes with residential neighborhoods on their shores and public boat launches are listed below:
Yacht and Sailing clubs are listed on my Minneapolis Sports page.
Lake Minnetonka has shoreline in the communities of Wayzata, Deephaven, Excelsior, Shorewood, Victoria, Mound, Orono, Tonka Bay, Minnetonka, & Spring Park
Medicine Lake, with 3 public parks and a trail system around the lake is located in Plymouth along with Bass Lake.
Prior Lake is in Prior Lake;
The Minneapolis Lakes of Lake Calhoun, Lake Harriet, Cedar Lake, Wirth Lake and Lake of the Isles are not open to power boats, but they are linked by a system of trails for walking, jogging, rollerblading and biking. Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet have launches for sail boats, canoes and paddle boats;
Fish Lake, Eagle Lake and Weaver Lake are in Maple Grove;
Staring Lake, Mitchell Lake, Red Rock Lake, Lake Riley and Bryant Lake are located in Eden Prairie;
Lake Bavaria is in Chaska;
Lotus Lake, Lake Ann, Lake Riley, Lake Lucy and Lake Minnewashta and are located in Chanhassen;
Victoria boasts Lake Virginia, Schutz Lake, Lake Auburn, Lake Wassermann, Steiger Lake;
Bush Lake, Mount Normandale Lake and Hyland Lakes are located in Bloomington;
Lake Waconia is in Waconia
We also have Riverfront and Creekside homes. There are about 100 river front homes in the seven county metropolitan area currently on the market with an average list price of about $630,000.
Mississippi River
Minnesota River
Crow River
Rum River
Minnehaha Creek
Bassett Creek
See the DNR Website for Minnesota Lake Water Quality Information
Minneapolis Golf Course Homes
If golf is your passion, a golf course home or a town home on or near one of the following golf courses, golf communities or country clubs may be for you. Did you know that Minnesota has more golf courses per capita than just about any place in the country? There are about 250 golf course view homes currently for sale in the seven county metropolitan area at an average list price of about $530,000. Let me find one that is just right for you! The links below will give you more information about a specific golf course or country club.
Valleywood Golf Course - Apple Valley
TPC Twin Cities - Blaine
Minnesota Valley Country Club - Bloomington
Dwan Golf Course - Bloomington
Hyland Golf Course - Bloomington
Edinburgh USA - Brooklyn Park
Brookland Executive Nine Golf Course - Brooklyn Park
Wild Marsh - Buffalo
Bluff Creek Golf Course - Chanhassen
Halla Greens Chanhassen Executive Golf Club - Chanhassen
Hazeltine National Golf Club - Chaska
 Chaska Town Course - Chaska
Chaska Par 30 Executive - Chaska
Dalhgreen Golf Club - Chaska
Shamrock Golf Club - Corcoran
Bearpath Golf & Country Club - Eden Prairie 
Bent Creek Golf Club - Eden Prairie
Olympic Hills Golf Club - Eden Prairie
Braemar Golf Courses (Castle, Hays, Clunie and Executive) - Edina
Interlachen Country Club - Edina
Edina Country Club - Edina
Golden Valley Country Club - Golden Valley
Brookview Golf Course - Golden Valley
Oakridge Country Club - Hopkins
Brackett's Crossing Country Club - Lakeville
Heritage Links Golf Club - Lakeville
 Rush Creek Golf Club - Maple Grove
Sundance Golf & Bowl - Maple Grove
Baker National and Evergreen Executive - Medina
Medina Golf & Country Club - Medina
Minneapolis Parks Golf Courses - Minneapolis
- Columbia Golf Course
- Francis Gross Golf Course
- Hiawatha Golf Course
- Meadowbrook Golf Course
- Theodore Wirth Golf Course
- Fort Snelling Golf Course
- Theodore Wirth Par 3 Golf Course
Minikahda Club - Minneapolis
Burl Oaks Golf Club - Minnetrista
Glen Lake Golf & Practice Center, Minnetonka
Meadowwoods Golf Course - Minnetonka
Lafayette Country Club - Minnetonka Beach
Red Oak Golf Course - Mound
New Hope Village Golf Course - New Hope
Lakeview Golf Course - Orono
Orono Golf Course - Orono
Spring Hill Golf Club - Orono
 Hollydale Golf Club - Plymouth
Elm Creek Golf Club - Plymouth
Hampton Hills Golf Club - Plymouth
Begin Oaks Golf Club - Plymouth
Eagle Lake Golf Center - Plymouth
The Wilds Golf Club - Prior Lake
Legends Golf Club - Prior Lake
Cleary Lake Park Golf Course - Prior Lake
 Pheasant Acres Golf Club - Rogers
Minnetonka Country Club - Shorewood
Stonebrooke Golf Club and Water's Edge at Stonebrooke - Shakopee
Minneapolis Golf Club - St. Louis Park
Deer Run Golf Club - Victoria 
Island View Golf Club - Waconia
Wayzata Country Club - Wayzata
Woodhill Country Club - Wayzata
 For information about other sports and recreation opportunities,
see my Minneapolis Area Sports page.
Once you've determined what you want in your next home, look at the homes for sale that match your criteria with your real estate agent. You may wish to select them yourself using Internet tools to search the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) inventory of homes for sale. You may save time and frustration by relying on the expertise of a full service RE/MAX real estate agent who has advanced computer skills and can perform a more sophisticated search and analysis than is available with public search tools. The more information you can share with your agent, the more closely they will be able to find properties of interest to you. The graph below shows the number of homes for sale a typical buyer tours before making a selection:
Source: National Association of REALTORS® Research
Step 4: Buying Minneapolis Real Estate
Once you've found the home you want to buy, your full service RE/MAX Results real estate agent can research the value of similar homes recently sold in the area using the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) database to advise you on a negotiating strategy and what is customary in Minnesota purchase agreements. A discount broker may not provide this service. Work with your real estate agent to write your offer, negotiate the terms of sale, have the home inspected, negotiate any needed repairs, prepare to move and close on the sale.
Selling a Home
Step 1: Selling Minneapolis Real Estate
Understand real estate agency in Minnesota and decide on the type of agency representation you want. Not all real estate agents are REALTORS. REALTORS are real estate agents who are members of the National Association of REALTORS and they subscribe to a code of ethics. A REALTOR may have other designations and certifications from the National Association of REALTORS that indicate their commitment and advanced training in their profession. These include the ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative), CRS (Certified Residential Specialist), GRI (Graduate REALTOR Institute) and the ePRO (Certified Internet Professional). Not all brokerages offer the same level of service. RE/MAX Results is a full service brokerage. Select a real estate agent who is a REALTOR, is a full time agent, has advanced training and who is affiliated with a brokerage that offers the services you want.
Enter into a listing agreement. Ask your full service RE/MAX Results real estate agent for advice on preparing your home for market. Discount brokers may not provide this service. Set the list price for your home by reviewing recent market trends, sales of similar homes in your area and homes for sale with whom you will be competing for buyers, a full service RE/MAX Results real estate agent can provide you with this information from the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). A discount broker may not provide this service.
 Get more information on my Pricing your Home to Sell page.
Finalize the plan for marketing your home, procedures for showing your home and any special needs for the coordination of your move to a new home. A full service RE/MAX Results real estate agent will have a comprehensive Internet strategy as well as a strategy for print ads, open house and special promotions. Your agent will provide excellent wide-angle photography and copy writing for your home promotion and will ensure listing appointments are handled professionally, a discount broker may not provide all of these services.
Step 2: Selling Minneapolis Real Estate
Complete the Minnesota Resale Transfer Disclosure or waiver request. Schedule Time of Sale compliance inspection if required by your municipality, (Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Golden Valley, Hopkins, Maplewood, Minneapolis, New Hope, Osseo, Richfield, St. Louis Park, St. Paul and South St. Paul) and respond to any work orders. A full service RE/MAX Results real estate agent can help you find contractors or service providers to gain compliance, a discount broker may not provide this service. If your home is part of an association, locate the association documents you were given when you purchased your property (Declaration, Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws, Rules & Regulations). If you can't find them, you'll need to order them from your management company along with a current Insurance Certificate, Resale Disclosure Certificate & Financial Statements. If your property has a well or septic system, was built prior to 1978, or has a history of methamphetamine contamination, additional disclosures or certifications may be required. Cities that require Truth in Housing disclosures require that they be available at the property BEFORE it is shown to the public. Your full service RE/MAX Results real estate agent will assist you in all regulatory compliance issues. A discount broker may not provide these services.
Step 3: Selling Minneapolis Real Estate
Prepare your home for market by cleaning, de-cluttering, fixing up and staging it as needed -- your full service RE/MAX Results real estate agent can provide you with guidance on market trends, how to obtain the best return on fix-up investments and what preparations will help sell your home more quickly and for top dollar. Discount brokerages may not provide this service.
 See general guidelines on my Preparing a Home for Market page.
Owners of older homes may wish to have a pre-inspection to identify issues that could become barriers to a sale, or offer a home warranty available from your full service RE/MAX Results real estate agent. This service may not be available from a discount brokerage. Locate an extra key or have one made for the lock box. Discuss placement of the lawn sign with your real estate agent. Your full service RE/MAX Results real estate agent will provide a professional "For Sale" sign with contact information and a brochure box that meets the sign ordinance of your community, a discount brokerage may not provide this service. Your full service RE/MAX Results real estate agent will also provide a programmable lock box with electronic log and night lock out features to help ensure your security while your home is on the market. A discount brokerage may not provide this service. When everything is ready, your real estate agent will put your home on the market by entering information about it to the Minneapolis Area Multiple Listing System (MLS). Your full service RE/MAX Results real estate agent will also have a full program of other marketing activities such as expanded internet exposure, print advertising, and promotion programs that may not be offered by a discount broker.
Step 4: Selling Minneapolis Real Estate
Your full service RE/MAX Results real estate agent has professional appointment staff to schedule and confirm appointments promptly. With a discount brokerage, you may be on your own and may miss opportunities to show your home if you are not able to respond to or accomodate a showing request promptly.
Buyers need privacy to come to a decision on which home to buy. It is very uncomfortable for most buyers to look at a home with the owner present, and owners may find it difficult to resist the temptation to "over-sell" their home or may make statements that may be miss-construed as warranties to buyers. To best facilitate the sale of your home and to minimize conflict, it's best to stay at arm's length and not be home during showings. Your full service RE/MAX Results real estate agent is trained to respond to questions honestly and appropriately to minimize the possibility for misunderstanding and to keep a transaction from ending up in court. With a discount brokerage, you may have to show your own home, which may be limited by your work schedule or interfere with your privacy and social life.
A full service RE/MAX Results real estate agent will obtain feedback from showings for you. If feedback indicates changes in the marketing program would be desirable, work with your agent to adapt the marketing plan in terms of price, presentation of the property or the promotion program. A full service RE/MAX Results real estate agent will help you to negotiate offers to reach terms acceptable to both you and the buyer,understand what is customary in the Minnesota market, complete the sales contract, and respond to the buyer's inspection and appraisal. A discount brokerage may not provide these services.
Once a contract is signed, you will prepare to move and prepare for closing the sale of your Minneapolis area home. Your full service RE/MAX Results real estate agent will continue to monitor your transaction through and beyond the closing to ensure any bumps encountered along the way do not derail your sale. There may be no post-contract services with a discount brokerage.
Still Have Questions? eMail Me!
or call
763-559-6642 Office/Fax
800-878-2901 Toll Free
Return to Minneapolis Real Estate
Site Map
Minneapolis Real Estate: -Minneapolis Real Estate -Homes for Sale -Open Houses -Featured Homes Buying a Home: -Minneapolis Area Information -Minneapolis Area Schools -Minneapolis Area Sports -Minneapolis Area Entertainment -Minneapolis New Construction -Buyer Move Tools Selling A Home: -Preparing a Home for Market -Pricing Your Home to Sell -Seller Move Tools -Sold Homes Home Services: -Minneapolis Area Resources -Testimonials - Minnesota Agency Disclosure Home File
|
