To close the loop, yes there is a minimum IR for a CD. Similar to the max rate, the min rates are posted monthly by the IRS. Here is a link to the most recent published minimum rates - "Applicable Federal Rates" (April 2011) http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rr-11-10.pdf The idea of the minimum IR is to ensure you... Continue Reading →
Minnesota Contracts for Deeds – key points
A contract for deed is a contract between a buyer and a seller where the seller is providing financing to the buyer. There are variations to this when an investor participates as a third party buying the CD terms from the seller for a discount. A seller may want to consider contract for deed terms... Continue Reading →
Can Tiger Woods win the Masters – don’t count him out…
It is a little tough to watch professional sports especially golf on the weekend and try to get anything else done. The good thing for homeowners is perhaps with golf you can have it on in the background and do some pre-spring cleaning. We are justifying watching hours of golf today by adding to a... Continue Reading →
REALTOR® Magazine-Daily News-FSBOs Vanish, Sellers Turn to Real Estate Pros
REALTOR® Magazine-Daily News-FSBOs Vanish, Sellers Turn to Real Estate Pros. Some clients ask me when listing their house "can we just try a little higher than the market list price?". The trade-off of "just trying higher" is that you are missing out on the impact a new listing has on buyers. The excitement of a... Continue Reading →
Time to buy real estate – leveling off
It's spring in Minnesota. Day light savings has past and it is time to get out and house hunt. In addition to the weather the interest rates and competitive pricing are good reasons too! "Based on incomes, this is as affordable as it gets," "If you can get a loan, these are pretty good times... Continue Reading →
Pre-selling tips – getting it “ship-shape” and staged
The articles referenced will help you focus on key areas in your home prior to listing. In the current market, I work with my sellers to put the properties "best foot forward" - this effort will pay off in terms of price and days on market. A key element in marketing your property is to... Continue Reading →
Eden Prairie – Homes, Market Data
Since history is often referred to as a predictor for the future the video below is a dive into market data for Eden Prairie real estate 2008-present all in ~3 minutes. Key take-aways include: Eden Prairie a great place to live - #1 city in Money Magazine 2010 Median sale prices down from 2008 value... Continue Reading →
Preparing to buy your first home, like training for a marathon
Last summer my husband Mike trained for and completed his first marathon - Twin Cities. In doing so there were decisions he needed to make every week - when to run, how to cross-train, how to recover and how to stay motivated. I took on the role of #1 fan pre-race and on race-day, which... Continue Reading →
Remodel wisely
When it comes to home ownership we often think in terms of maintenance and updating. Sometimes the lines blur, for example when a front door is not functioning well a new one may be needed which is both maintenance and updating. Winter can be a good time to work on interior projects (i.e. fresh paint,... Continue Reading →
Ingrid Friel, Realtor 