By Aaron Dickinson

According to the Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS newest figures, the Housing Affordability Index is up 4.5% in November 2007 versus November 2005, from a value of 132 in 2005 to 138 today.

While this is an improvement from much of 2006 and 2007, it is still substantially lower than the index’s record of 160, set in 2003. The index’s low of 122 was set in 2006.

The Housing Affordability Index formula measures housing affordability for the Minneapolis/St. Paul market. An HAI of 138 means the median family income is 138% of the necessary income to qualify for the median priced home using a 20% down payment, 30-year fixed mortgage.

The October 2007 Median Sales Price for Twin Cities homes fell 3.5% from a year ago and 4.3% from two years ago, to $220,000. The Median Sales Price is the price at which 1/2 of the homes sold for more and 1/2 of the homes sold for less.

While this sounds like negative news, pricing is all relative. The only people who suffer in a falling real estate market are the downsizing & downpricing homeowners. For those who bought in the last few years that are trying to sell today will see red ink on the sell side but will see savings on the purchase of their new home. Most of all, first time buyers and move-up buyers are definitely winning in this market. The future of the Twin Cities real estate market is not certain, but most experts believe we will be in for at least another 18-24 months of a slow real estate market before we find returning strength and balance between buyer and seller demand.

Edina Realty agent Aaron Dickinson works with buyers, sellers, banks and investors in the Twin Cities, MN area and is the author of the Twin Cities Real Estate Blog and Minneapolis Real Estate Blog

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Aaron_Dickinson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Twin-Cities-Home-Prices-Fall,-Affordability-Up&id=835411

By John Mazzara

Moving to the Twin Cities Minnesota is similar to moving elsewhere within MN. Before you make the move, there are things you need to consider and think over and over again to make sure that:

1) You are not making the biggest mistake in your life

2) You have a budget that can sustain you in the big city until you have found a job.

Usually, people fail to see the reason why they have to plan before they can move out from their comfort zone. Living with parents seem to be the most ideal plan but there is some point in your life where you will have to leave the home of your childhood and venture into the unknown. This is the most difficult phase because for someone who has been living with parents even way into the adulthood, they will have troubles living on their own, managing their own life and living alone.

If you are moving out because you are getting married, that is another problem but most people make their first move out of the house due to job transfer or getting a new job which is far away from home. So, they will have to move out to a place closer to the office so that they will be easier to go to work.

Now, there are ten things you need to consider when moving to a big city especially moving to the Twin Cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul. Moving to Minneapolis or moving to St. Paul can be difficult without a proper plan.

1) Accommodation

Have you found your accommodation in the new place? Have you rent the new home? Do you like the new home? Is the home affordable to you? You will find that Twin Cities homes are some of the best values in the country.

There are the questions you should be thinking way before you move there. Of course, when you want to rent a home, you will have to take some time off and go there so you can see for yourself the home you want to rent to make sure that you are not conned by scammers agent.

You must make sure that you can afford to pay the rental of your new home. The rental must be compensated with the utilities and amenities included with the home. Sometimes, you might like a home but too expensive for your wallet so either you negotiate for a better price or you back off and find other places.

2) Transportation

This is easier if you have your own car but unfortunately, not everyone has the privilege to own a car so you need to make sure that it is not a problem for you to go to work if your home is slightly far from your office. If you can walk to your office then there is no problem. Other wise you will need to make sure that bus or train service is available.

3) Food

Food is never a problem especially when you have the money but you have a budget to follow so it is not like you can eat whatever you want. Make sure that you can prepare your own meals at home. Then, check out the local grocery store so you will know where to buy grocery and food. Look out for the prices as well. This allows you to make a budget for food. In times like when you are working, you will have to have lunch somewhere nearby or in the café so you need to spend some money but it is ok, as long as you have plan ahead on how much you can spend for lunch.

4) Entertainment

What’s life without entertainment? I am sure that while you are in the big city, you will have the urge to have a tour and check out nearby locations to see if there is anything interesting. Occasionally you might want to catch a movie with your friends and colleagues so make a budget for entertainment as well but plan wisely so it doesn’t interrupt with your bigger expense. Otherwise, wait until you are stable before you venture for some outdoor entertainment.

5) Utilities & Amenities

Check out if you have to pay for the utilities bills such as electricity and others. If there are some bills you need to settle, make sure that you settle the bill as soon as possible to make sure that you don’t accumulate the bills which might end up more than you think when you finally realised about the bills.

6) Housekeeping

When you are living with your parents, your mum would be doing the laundry, the cooking and the cleaning of your room but when you are living on your own, you will have to do everything yourself. Make sure that you schedule when to do your laundry like every once in a week or twice in a week. Then, make sure you tidy your home and clean up any mess.

7) Security Level

Is your home located in a secure area? An area that has access to the police station, fire department and hospital or clinic? These are very important as you might be living alone and if something happened to you, you need to know where to ask for help. You need to be friends with your neighbors so that in case of emergency they can look out for you and help you.

Packing & Unpacking

So, you have a lot of things you want to bring along yet there is little space in your new home. You will need to discard those you don’t need at all so that you don’t clutter your new home. Remember you don’t have your mum there to help you tidy up and clean up. When you want to pack your items, make sure you use boxes so it is easier for you to store all your things. It is also easier for you to move the boxes around. You can buy new boxes or if you have some spare old boxes from the old set of TV or any boxes you find.

9) Moving Company

Do you need the service of MN moving company? For example, you might need to use the lorry and you can hire a lorry from the moving company. They provide the lorry, you pack your own things and they will help you to load the items into the lorry and deliver them to your new place with you in the lorry or with you in front of them in your own vehicle. Of course, hiring the lorry would cost you more but if you want to avoid the hassle, you should get the help from a moving company.

10) Total cost of moving

Finally, the most important part is to calculate the average total cost for you to move out.

This is to make sure you have the budget or else you have to find ways to cut down the cost.

Once you have considered all these, then you are set to move out and live on your own.

Minnesota Realtor and Minnesota mortgage broker-John Mazzara-Sells and finances homes throughout the Twin Cities metro area. John works throughout the Twin Cities and lives in Edina, MN. I service the entire 7 county metro area. If you are looking for relocation resources visit our site at http://www.TwinCitiesRelocation.com We would be happy to provide relocation information about housing and schools for communities in and around the metro area. You can begin your Minnesota real estate MLS home search immediately online through the links at http://www.MinnesotaRelocation.net We provide a number of useful links, reports and demographic information about Minneapolis homes, St Paul homes, and MN real estate. On our mortgage website you can apply for a mortgage. We broker loans only in MN. Our mortgage products include FHA, VA, rural loans, conventional loans, lines of credit, and reverse mortgages. If you are relocating to MN or even just moving across the city or state of MN you will find our sites useful. Minnesota provides a wonderful quality of life-low crime, excellent schools, and major attractions such as lakes, shopping, and entertainment.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Mazzara
http://EzineArticles.com/?Top-Ten-Twin-Cities-MN-Relocation-Considerations&id=1762942

EnergyStar.gov –  Check Out Energy Rebates

This is a government site that offers lots of energy saving tips as well as explains what energy saving grants or credits might be available.

Here is the latest issue of my foreclosure trends newsletter.  As you can see, the trend is not our friend, in the sense that the housing market has not recovered.  Until jobs come back and people are employed and feel safe in their employment, they will tend to avoid making a committment.

ForeclosureTrends.pdf

Besides the board of realtor sites:  http://theThing.mplsrealtor.com and market data posted elsewhere at http://www.MplsRealtor.com I have a subscription to Realty Trac.  My subscription gives me additional data about foreclosures and trends within certain zip codes.  This is in addition to my daily subscription to Finance & Commerce (a business newspaper that prints all the foreclosure information as well as very timely articles regarding the business community).  If you are looking for someone who has experience and access to information about distressed sales, we need to be working together.  Whether buyer or seller-I can help you understand the market we are in and the options and opportunities available to you.  Give me call today.

These are a couple of my newsletters that have a ton of valuable information. Go check them out.

Foreclosure Market Trends Newsletter
http://www.realtytrac.com/MarketTrends/NewsLetter.aspx?guid=131bd355-1b69-4bd1-99cd-2f0c9a936810

Real Estate Cyber Space Tips
http://www.REcyber.com/cybertips/r11627

Benefits of Relocating to Minnesota Include Affordable Twin Cities Real EstatBy John Mazzara

If you are looking for a great place to relocate, you’ll find that relocating to Minnesota is an excellent option today. Whether you are from California, New York, Mississippi, Texas, or even Ohio, you’ll find that Minnesota is a wonderful place to move. There are a variety of reasons that moving to areas in Minnesota, such as Minneapolis Minnesota or even St. Paul, is a great idea. You’ll find that this state has much to offer you. Of course before you decide that this is the right place for you, it’s important that you take a look at the general benefits of relocating to Minnesota and at the real estate market in the state as well.

General Benefits of Relocating to Minnesota

If you’re considering Minneapolis, Minnesota or another city in the beautiful state of Minnesota, you’ll find that there are many general benefits to relocating to Minnesota. Here is a closer look at some of the excellent general benefits you’ll enjoy when you decide to move to this state.

- Benefit #1 – Excellent Schools with Great Performance – First of all, you’ll find that Minnesota has excellent schools with great performance. In fact, many of the schools in the Minneapolis area actually score very highly when it comes to the No Child Left Behind guidelines. If you happen to have children, more than likely great schooling is a high priority for you, so excellent schools are definitely a drawing point.

- Benefit #2 – Easy Commutes to Work – You’ll find that most Minnesota homes are actually located so that you have a reasonable and easy commute to work. This is an important consideration for working families, especially with the recent hikes in gas prices.

- Benefit #3 – Reasonable Taxes – Taxes on real estate in the area are fairly reasonable as well. In some places across the country, real estate taxes are skyrocketing, but the taxes in many locations are quite low within the state of Minnesota.

- Benefit #4 – Great Jobs Available – Jobs in Minnesota are plentiful, which is another great benefit to relocating to this area. There are many great jobs that are available and with the growth in the job market, many families are finding that this area is a great place to relocate to. Especially in the St. Paul and Minneapolis areas, you’ll notice that there are excellent jobs that are available, which is definitely a top drawing point.

- Benefit #5 – Cost of Living is Relatively Low – Compared to many other regions in the United States, you’ll find that the cost of living is relatively low. Although prices have been driven up due to increases in gas prices and the real estate market troubles recently, you’ll find that comparatively the cost of living is lower than many other places around the country today.

The Real Estate Market

No doubt you are interested in the real estate market as well if you plan on relocating to Minnesota. Whether you are planning to buy in a rural area or you are interested in twin cities real estate, there are some things that you need to know about the market before you make your decision about the relocation. Let’s take a look at the real estate market and how it’s looking for families that want to relocate to the area.

- Real Estate is Going for Low Prices – First of all, you’ll find that real estate is going for low prices right now. In fact, you’ll find that twin cities real estate is down and homes are going for very low prices. Although this is not necessarily a good thing for those who are selling, it’s great for you if you want to relocate to this area and find Minnesota homes for a great price. The low prices definitely are attractive if you are considering a relocation to the Minnesota area.

- Many Types of Real Estate Available – You’ll also find that there are a variety of different types of real estate available that you can choose from if you move into the area. You can purchase nice single family Minnesota homes, but they are not your only option. You’ll find that condominiums, apartments, and even town homes in the area are excellent choices as well.

- Mortgage Rates are Low – Right now the MN mortgage rates for Minnesota properties are low, making it a great time to purchase a Minnesota home. This means that not only will you be able to find a great deal on your home in the area, but you’ll also be able to find great rates on the mortgage that you need as well.

As you can see, there are definitely a variety of great benefits to relocating to Minnesota. If you are looking for quality schools, great jobs, reasonable real estate prices, and low rate mortgages, then Minnesota may be a great place for you to move in the near future. Take the time to find out more about the real estate options that are available to you today.

Minnesota Realtor and Minnesota mortgage broker-John Mazzara-Sells and finances homes throughout the Twin Cities metro area. John works throughout the Twin Cities and lives in Edina, MN. I service the entire 7 county metro area. If you are looking for relocation resources visit our site at http://www.TwinCitiesRelocation.com We would be happy to provide relocation information about housing and schools for communities in and around the metro area. You can begin your Minnesota real estate MLS home search immediately online through the links at http://www.MinnesotaRelocation.net We provide a number of useful links, reports and demographic information about Minneapolis homes, St Paul homes, and MN real estate. On our mortgage website you can apply for a mortgage. We broker loans only in MN. Our mortgage products include FHA, VA, rural loans, conventional loans, lines of credit, and reverse mortgages. If you are relocating to MN or even just moving across the city or state of MN you will find our sites useful. Minnesota provides a wonderful quality of life-low crime, excellent schools, and major attractions such as lakes, shopping, and entertainment.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Mazzara
http://EzineArticles.com/?Benefits-of-Relocating-to-Minnesota-Include-Affordable-Twin-Cities-Real-Estate&id=1747796

Thinking about buying a home but don’t know where to start? Why not start by reading the home buyer hand book that we have provided below. It is a great place to start to get the information you need. When you’re ready, we would love to help you find and finance a new home.

If you’ve never visited http://www.Archive.org, you are missing a wonderful site.  From this site, you will find many resources that are out of copyright and you can download and use them as you wish.  You will find all the classics and some fun things as well.  Just for fun, I have the download of a book called “Little Gardens” which is a book about setting up a garden on a city lot.  This is just one of the MANY fun things you’ll find.  You can download and watch old music, movies, and cartoons as well.  Plan to spend some time on the site should you decide to visit, as it is very cool.  Click here to download the book Little Gardens