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F. Scott Fitzgerald
2007-08-19 06:31:03
By Erik Hare “Fitzgerald loved, hated, and was obsessed by St. Paul.” - Charles Baxter, author and U of Minnesota Professor F. Scott Fitzgerald is probably the best known of Saint Paul’s many favorite sons in the arts.  His fables chronicling the Jazz Age have been lauded by critics, readers, and English teachers throughout the world.  The most famous of these, “The Great Gatsby”, is often chosen as the greatest American novel.  What gave him this clear, concise voice of his time? Deep inside of him, Fitzgerald was always a Saint Paulite. Born in 1896 into a middle class Irish family with a few old money roots, he was able to make his way to college “back East” at Princeton.  The taste of an upper class world of easy money hooked him hard, but he could not shake off his roots. The feelings of inferiority that came from “being the poorest boy in a rich boy’s school” were never resolved by Fitzgerald, and probably led to his becoming a


Where is the Church?
2007-08-18 05:24:11

Read more: Church

Collecting stuff
2007-08-17 00:20:15
It is Friday and Fridays are for fun.  I will just bet that the owner of the car in the  picture is a fun kind of person. It isn't unusual for people to have hobbies.  Collecting stuff seems to be a hobby that many enjoy.   Stuff is maybe the wrong word but it is the only one that comes to mind. This car is covered with objects that people collected.  There are plates, and shot glasses and dolls on it that say Minnesota.  There is a mosaic of a Minnesota loon, china plates, and all types of  items that someone purchased for reasons that I don't understand. In this case the collection is not as unusual as the way it is displayed, or where it is displayed.  I kind of like it.   I never really understood having a collection.  At times I collect parking tickets on my car, an occupational hazard and business expense I associate with having listings in downtown Saint Paul. I know people who collect beanie babies, or mayb


Short Sales are Becoming more Common, what are they?
2007-08-16 10:57:35
I can keep this post short.  When a bank will accept less than what is owed on a property it is called a short sale.  When a borrower falls behind on his or her mortgage payments lenders can ask the borrower to pay the entire mortgage off immediatly.  Most borrowers can not do that so that bank starts the foreclosure process.  To avoid foreclosure the borrower can give the home back to the bank, we call this deed in lieu of foreclosure, or the borrower can sell the property and pay off the mortgage, or the borrower, and maybe a Realtor can negotiate with the bank to accept less than what is owed on the property. It costs banks money to go through the foreclosure process and after it is over and the home is on the market they still might not get what is owed on it and recoup their costs, which is why they may agree to a short sale. I will write more short posts on the subject in the future.  The reason I have not written many is because they attract a lot o
Read more: Short , Sales , Becoming , Common , Short Sales

Back to a time before the red envelope
2007-08-23 21:50:03
760 S Cleveland Ave St Paul, MN 55116, Mann Highland I & II 1830 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105 There was a time before Netflix, and before the multiplex when we used to go inside of these wonderful neighborhood theaters and watch movies.    Check www.manntheatresmn.com to see what is showing.


Local Market Snap Shot
2007-08-22 06:28:17
Sellers says:  I want my home sold as quickly as possible. Buyers say: We are in no hurry. Seller says:  I need $$$$$$ for my home. Buyers say:  The homes are all over priced. Seller says:  My home has been on the market for awhile now, people are looking at it, why isn't any one buying it? Buyers say:  Maybe we should wait until spring.  We just don't know what to do.
Read more: Local , Market

They don't understand what happened
2007-08-21 00:42:11
They bought their home in 1979 for $14,000 raised a family in it and have lived in it ever since.  Last year an appraiser told them that it is worth $330,000.00 They had refinanced a few years ago and took some cash out for repairs and for a furnace.  They also used the cash to pay off some credit card debt. They responded to a lender who called them sometime in 2005.  He told them they could lower their monthly payments.  They signed the papers and got the loan.  They got an adjustable rate mortgage.  The last time they made a mortgage payment was in September of 2006.  They owe $288,000 on their home, after the ARM adjusted they could no longer make the payments.  He said that he understands what an adjustable rate mortgage is and that he did not want one.  They don't understand how it happened. Their income comes from a combination of social Security, a military benefits and disability.  They have a modest life style and the


Absorption Rates
2007-08-28 00:15:00
There has been a lot in the news about a decline in the average national median home price over last year.   It is important to remember that real estate is local, so here are some numbers for the twin cities metropolitan area and for St. Paul, Minnesota The overall absorption rate for the metro area is 8.57 months.  The calculation looks at the total number of homes that are on the market in a month and how many homes have been sold during the same month.  According to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors, sellers are getting on average 95.3% of their asking price.  Metro wide home prices have on average plummeted -0.1% since last year.  I like to use the word plummeted because that is how the traditional media likes to report the numbers. Although I have to admit that the New York times said that the nation wide median price decrease is projected to me a modest 1 to 2%, and added that it is the first nation wide median price decrease since 195
Read more: Rates

Beauty in the City
2007-08-27 00:15:13
The fountain in the park by the Wabasha bridge in downtown St. Paul, MN, it is wet. Concord Blvd,  District del sol, Erik's Sunday post inspired this one.   There really is art every where.  I never noticed the art work on the side of  El Burrito Mercado before.  I guess I should drive more slowly. Taken on my own real estate, just East of downtown St. Paul, on the bluff of the Mississippi River.  There is no place like home.    The weather was gorgeous over the weekend.   It is really a shame that I have to put my camera away and get back to work.  Maybe taking pictures is work.  No it isn't work.
Read more: Beauty

Murals
2007-08-26 08:59:35
By Erik Hare Anywhere there is a blank wall, there is a place for a mural. More than just bland stucco or paint, a mural says something about the community and the people who live there. It’s the difference between sterile functionality and a vibrant statement of community. The West Side of Saint Paul is known for its murals more than any other part of the city. Murals, as we know them, are primarily a Latino art form, so they tend to appear in the “Corazon” of the community, known by its general name as District del Sol. It is a way of saying to outsiders that they have arrived in a place apart yet still Saint Paul. More importantly, they say to the people who live there that this is their heritage. The process of making a mural is rather complicated. Typically, the walls that are chosen are ones that are discovered first by graffiti artists known as “taggers”, sometimes as gang members and sometimes as nothing more than vandals. It has long been known that a mura


Saturdays Church
2007-08-25 07:06:08
Fort Snelling Memorial Chapel.  This one does not have an adress and was built in the 1920's.  It is located on the grounds of Fort Snelling. Fort Snelling, built in the 1820's, where the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers meet. 
Read more: Saturdays , Church

Time Travel
2007-08-24 18:03:24
It is Friday again and Friday's are for fun, and it is state fair time already.  Plenty of deep fried food, and just about everything else on a stick. I have been thinking about time travel lately.  I am trying to figure out how to make the most of it.  There is a ten minute time difference in my home from the second floor to the first.  My office is ten minuets behind my bedroom so every morning I gain eight minutes, and 30 seconds during my 90 second commute from bed to office, including the stop at the coffee pot. If I walk from the microwave to the coffee pot I lose a minute even though they are only a few feet apart.  When I go from my office to my car I lose 7  minutes even though my car is parked just outside my office door, but I gain it back again  when  I go from my car to my office, which is nice. Time travel is common.  I see the same thing in our MLS.  A home will be on the market for 90 days and then I look it up a
Read more: Travel , Time Travel

Honey I blew up the computer
2007-08-31 00:45:18
It is Friday, but you knew that already.  Here on my blog I get to have fun on Fridays.  Don't tell anyone but I have fun everyday.  I just try to do it quietly the rest of the week. There are a few people out there that like to have fun at my expense.  Not that I can't take it and  dish it out.    These people are friends who live deep inside my computer.  This summer I have gotten to meet some of them in person and am saving a post about the experience for a future Friday post.  Maybe I can do it in October, it would make a great Halloween post.  My blog has gotten some attention from the press and from the real estate industry too.  Most of that last sentance was an understatement but necessary, who wants a self promotional Realtor?  Worse yet a self promotional blogger.  My friends who live inside my computer congratulate me, which is wonderful, and most appreciated.  I know that with out their encourage


Recommendations for Minnesota Home Buyers and sellers
2007-08-30 00:23:17
Here are some recommendations for Minnesota home owners, buyers and sellers from the Minnesota Association of Realtors: Recommendations to REALTORS® and their customers: Housing must go on sale. (During the boom, sellers got a premium for their properties–that bloom will be reduced in this market.) Prices must drop or homes taken off the market in order to reduce the high and rising inventory. Buyers are being realistic in their offers…it is the sellers who do not understand three things: Their home values increased a lot from 2000-2005. They are selling into a falling market so 10% less today is better than 20% less next spring. Selling in this market (getting less for their home) permits them to buy in this market (buying for less).


Has MAR forgotten who pays the bills?
2007-08-28 21:58:25
Here we go again, it happened last year too.  The Minnesota Association of Realtors is reminding us all that we have too many Realtors in Minnesota and is suggesting that  brokers should let some agents go.  Last year they urged lower producers to quit.   MAR is a trade association and is supported by Minnesota Realtors who pay dues.  The dues are the same for every member, regardless of sales volume.  This from Glenn Dorfman, chief operating officer and chief lobbyist for our Minnesota Realtors Association:"Brokers must reduce the number of "unproductive agents" (x transactions per year) in order to stop the dilution of productive, professional agent's income. If this does not happen, REALTORS® should stop the blabber about "professionalism." My definition of a "professional" in real estate is someone who counsels consumers in the buying and selling of real estate and does at least 10 transactions per year. [


Hurry, It Won't Last Long
2007-09-23 06:37:23
Minnesota has four seasons, or maybe two depending upon who you listen to.  This year the leaves are turning early.  The trees in some parts of the state are stressed because of the recent drought.  Around the Twin Cities some of the trees are turning brown and shedding there leaves early.  We are at about 25%  to 30%, or our color change here in the metro area. There is a web site that has the latest Fall color report: Explore Minnesota, for this weekend North of the Twin Cities is your best bet.  This is a great time to get out and enjoy the weather and the color before . . . heck I won't even mention it . . . might be a good time to make sure the s__w blower works, doncha know.   
Read more: Hurry

The Armstrong House
2007-09-23 06:37:17
By:  Erik Hare Any restoration project can be described as a long journey, a trip down a long and winding road. For the Armstrong House , this is more literally true than usual. It has made its way to another crossroad, a place it constantly finds itself at due largely to the influence of urban road projects. Built in 1886 as a double mansion, it used to stand on Sixth Street. Hard times in the neighborhood saw it gradually turned into the Quinlan Nursing Home, and finally into a halfway house. It was not in great shape when the State of Minnesota bought it in the late 1970s as part of the land needed for I-35E. The site was not used for the highway, however, and the Armstrong house sat vacant for many years. It was considered for an arts school and other projects, but none of these worked out. Because the Armstrong House was placed on the National Historical Register, it could not be town down. When the state asked for bids for it in 1992, only two bids came


Subliminal
2007-09-22 07:02:30
It is Friday and Friday's are for fun. Silence is a very powerful message on a blog. There is a post here but most will not find it.   There are people who get my message when I put it in a blog post, or when they see one of my photos. One of my readers suggested that there are subliminal messages in my blog posts.  I guess there are, but most are not intentional. Here is my subliminal message to you.  Have a great weekend, enjoy the weather and your freinds and family too.   Leave a comment and say hi.
Read more: Subliminal

Ruins at the Hamm's Brewery
2007-09-21 21:13:16
I am not sure how old you have to be to remember Hamm's beer, but I remember when they made it over on the East side of St. Paul, near Swede Hollow, at the Hamm's Brewery .  There aren't many ruins around the twin cities so I just had to take some pictures.  The site is wide open and maybe just a little spooky because it is so quiet.    The brewery site is huge, covering 30 acres, with 40 or more buildings, some old and some modern.  The pictures were taken in the oldest section where two years ago a fire damaged what was originally the carpenter's shop, built in 1864, the year that Theodore Hamm bought the facility. The Brewery is not on the national register of historic places, and has been vacant for 25 years. The national preservation conference will be held in Saint Paul this year , from October 2 through the 6, and the story of the Hamm's brewery is on the agenda, apparently as a success story, which I am sure it will be . . . it is owned
Read more: Ruins

Just floating today
2007-09-21 07:12:13
The fed lowered short term interest  rates by half of a percentage point yesterday to help the economy.  That DOW took the news well with a 200 point surge, and ended the day up for a change, by 330 points, or 2.7% , sweet.    "NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The Federal Reserve cut the target on a key short-term interest rate by half of a percentage point Tuesday to 4.75% in a bold acknowledgment that the central bank is concerned the mortgage meltdown plaguing Wall Street and Main Street could hurt the economy.I love the drama they put in these news releases.  There really is no news that is more important than that unless something gets blown up or there is a natural disaster before this post gets launched.  The tugboat is parked at the Port of St. Paul.  I had to put some barges in the post because tugboats push barges around.  Not sure why I stopped at barges, I could have tied more in like maybe a recipe or a good pet s


Buy A House For A Dollar
2007-09-21 07:12:05
I get calls and emails asking about the homes listed in the MLS for one dollar.   People either assume it is a misprint and ask what the price is, or they want to buy the home because it is such a good deal. Currently there are 42 such listings in our MLS.  Kind of deceptive because the seller is asking for more than a dollar.  These homes are being sold by auction.   Every home listed in the MLS must have a price.  The most common kind of auction I see for real estate is the reserve auction.  The seller reserves the right to reject any and all bids.  Sometimes a minumum bid is published and at other times it is not. I have attend these auctions.  Sometimes they auction off  a few homes at a time, and it doesn't take long.  When I bid is accepted, a purchase agreement is written.  The buyer must make a non-refundable deposit of between $5000, and 10% of the purchase price. Homes to be auctioned are sometimes put o
Read more: House , Dollar

Brought to you by Cass Gilbert
2007-09-20 07:00:37
I was honored earlier this week when this photo of the Minnesota state capitol building was featured on a photography web site.  It is easier to get a good picture when there is something beautiful to photograph and the clouds and sunlight happen to be just perfect. The building was designed by Cass Gilbert the same architect who designed several of the churches I have featured on this blog.  The steps and ground floor exterior stone of the capitol are made of St. Cloud Granite and the upper stories and dome are made of white Georgia marble.  Daniel Chester French—sculptor of the Lincoln Memorial—designed the quadriga or golden horses on the exterior of the building.  The quadriga figures are made of copper and covered with 23-½ karat gold leaf. Located at: 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN, stop by and take some pictures.  For more information about the building visit the MN Historical Society web site.


The cop shop
2007-09-20 07:00:36
We have five major police stations in St. Paul or "cop shops" :)  This is the central station located at 367 Grove Street, St. Paul, MN 55101, and is the headquarters for the St. Paul PD. I had trouble taking the picture because there really isn't any parking on the streets around the building and for some reason I decided not to do what I usually do which is park where ever I want to.  The signs in the parking lot say "customer parking only"  not sure who their customers are but I am thinking most of the visitors get a ride to the station and the adjacent adult detention center, so they don't need many parking spots. When people want to move to St. Paul or any other city they often want to know about crime.  Where there are people there is crime.  I have link on the side column of this blog to the list of Level three sex offenders, I understand that 20 of them live in St. Paul.  In general the twin cities metro area has a low rate


On the 1099
2007-09-20 07:00:24
By: Erik Hare This is my 52nd post here, marking one year of the Sundays Off for Teresa program. To celebrate this milestone, I’m going to write about myself. Well, more accurately, I’d like to add a little perspective to the dust-up over the idea that there are too many REALTORS by telling everyone about my own experience as an independent contractor. I am a professional writer. This means that I make my living by telling other people’s stories in ways that are useful. The art of this is finding the hook – that shimmering theme which lifts the black and white jumble of words into a voice at the back of the reader’s mind. Once I have their attention, I provide something for the heart and arm and brain – a bit of passion, a dollop of reason, and a call to action. The most lucrative way I do this is as a grant writer, telling an organization’s story for the purpose of raising money from a foundation or government agency. I also do technical writing, blog writing


Listing Vs. Sales
2007-09-18 00:39:23
The chart below was made using date from the RMLS, which is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.   The chat shows the number of single family homes, including townhouses and condo's  put on the market each week (red) and the number of homes that received offers the same week.( blue) From January first through the end of August 4,778  St. Paul homes have been listed and 1,685 of them have received offers.   For the Twin Cities Metro area there  are 11.3% more homes on the market in September of 2007 than there were in September of 2006.  According to the Minnesota Association of Realtors there are  slightly more than  10  homes on the market for every buyer.
Read more: Sales

When the Bank is the Seller
2007-09-15 20:13:26
It is no secret but some of the homes on the market are owned by banks and the number is rising, and will continue to rise. It is going to take some time to sell the bank owned properties.  It is worse than it looks because banks do a lousy job selling the real estate they own.  They are in the business of lending money in exchange for a lien on the property and you would think they would have a system for liquidating property when they end up owning it. They often hire Realtors, but banks make lousy clients.   Buyers make offers but the person at the bank that needs to approve, or accept the offer is slow to respond, got fired last week or is on vacation or an extended lunch break that lasts for days.  The buyer gives up and moves on.  Buyers are hard to find these days, and have plenty of homes to choose from, why would they wait? Buyers need to understand that when making an offer in a bank owned property it can take weeks to get the offer presented
Read more: Seller

Only MAR can take the fun out of Friday
2007-09-15 12:40:29
Bad news here.  Our Minnesota Realtors association says that we have an excess of broker inventory.    Wow!  Can you imagine a Realtors association calling it's members excess inventory?  In all fairness they don't mean everyone, just 40% of MAR members.    Here we go again, last year they suggested agents quit, and last month they suggested real estate companies should let some agents go.  Most trade associations promote there industry and members.  We are self employed.  Honest, I get a 1099 every year.  Real estate is my full time job and a business.    I belong to a trade association that asks it's member to give up and quit.  I think we need a support group here.  Maybe some of us can get together and start looking for solutions if  lack of "professionalism" really is a problem. Maybe we could make it a tad harder to get a license, or have some other system in place that would prevent
Read more: Friday

Sometimes for fun . . .
2007-09-15 06:43:41
Friday's are for fun.   What do I do for fun?  Thanks for asking. Some times I go out at night and take pictures . . . It is relaxing, I  get lost in it and end up getting home late.    I have met some interesting people too.   I have some advice about night photography:  Don't try it at home, it just isn't fun. Wait until the sun goes down. Always bring a tripod, a screwdriver, and a flash light.  (trust me) Camera's with charged batteries and storage cards come in handy too.  Practice safe photography when on bridges, cliffs or on the banks of the Mississippi River. Don't drink and shoot, you might hurt yourself.  I like to have a drink while I am processing the photos, they look better that way and it gives me the courage to upload them.    Have a great weekend and go out tonight.
Read more: Sometimes

August Home Prices and Sales by Neighborhood
2007-09-12 11:13:04
The data used to make the charts came from the Regional Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.  The numbers are for August sales of single family homes, which does include every type of condominium,  in the city of Saint Paul, Minnesota.  The majority of the homes sold in the metro area are tracked through our MLS, making it a trusted source for accurate local data.  (Click on Chart to make it larger) Median home prices were calculated using actual sale price data from the RMLS.  Median means that half of the homes sold for a greater price and half sold for less.  There is no other public source for this information using  current data. For related posts, check the Local Market Conditions and Home Prices Category For more information on interest rates click the Freddie Mac Rate Chart.
Read more: Sales , Neighborhood

The truth about Saturday's Church
2007-09-12 08:56:13
I have a confession to make, no pun intended.  I had maybe a 100 photos of churches.  Not a 100 churches though.  I burned them on to a DVD.   My photos are huge and it does not take long it take long to fill a DVD.   The DVD  got damaged or erased, and the churches are gone, well just the photos of the churches. It is easier to take photos of churches during the Fall and Winter months when there aren't any leaves on the trees.  I will resume my "Saturday 's Church " post in October.  For now the weather is still beautiful so I will feature photos on Saturdays.  There isn't anything wrong with your monitor, two of these photos really are black and white. (This is kind of like saying my dog ate my post, she would if she could) The Robert Street Bridge, it is about the arches and it doesn't need to be in color.  The bridge is a work of art, a kind of urban sculpture.  Taken in Mears Park, downtown St. Pau
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