What if Your Neighbor's Tree Falls on Your House?

If your neighbor's tree falls on your home, your insurance should cover the repairs to your home and the removal of the tree. If your neighbor was negligent, your insurance company may go after him/her and/or their insurance company for re-imbursement.

If you believe your neighbor's tree is a hazard or diseased or dying, let him/her know before anything happens to the tree and then send him/her a letter so you have written documentation of the notification. In the event something bad happens, it can then be proven that he/she was notified of the potential hazard.

As mom always said, communication is key!

For more information, see the National Association of Realtor's HouseLogic.

November Neighborhood Real Estate

There are currently five homes for sale in our Elm Creek Park Reserve neighborhood (down from seven last month) with an average time on the market of 97 days (down from 116). There were three homes sold in November. The decrease in the number of homes for sale mirrors Maple Grove and the Twin Cities real estate market as a whole with around a 22% decrease in inventory or the number of homes for sale, leading to more of a balanced market currently.

YTD, we're at 17 homes sold in our neighborhood at an average list price of $161,993 for the homes have sold/closed and an average list price of $201,129 for the three homes that are pending (sold/not yet closed).
Click here to see the listings (note that this link will expire in January 2011)



The green dots on the map represent homes that are for sale, yellow homes that have sold but not yet closed and black are homes that failed to sell.

Don't hesitate to contact me with any additional questions or comments:
SteveHoem@edinarealty.com or (612) 207-3311

New Private School

A new Catholic school is planned at West Fish Lake Road and Bass Lake Road in Maple Grove. Cedarcrest Academy will be building a pre-K through 8th grade school (6950 West Fish Lake Road) in the near future and has begun grade of the parcel for the school.
Admissions questions can be addressed to Kristen Basgall at (763) 494-5388.

Preparatory School Opens in Zachary Square

August 22nd, Parnassus Preparatory School opened in the Zachary Square Shopping Center in the corner (many yaers ago, Red Owl) space.

The school year started with over 340 K-6 students, double what the school had planned on and leading to a waiting list during their 1st year.

Parnassus plans to add additional years of enrollment and secured a 10 year lease in Zachary Square.

For more information, click here.

October Real Estate Activity

There are currently seven homes for sale in our Elm Creek Park Reserve neighborhood with an average time on the market of 116 days. There were no homes sold in October.

YTD, we remain at 14 homes sold in our neighborhood at an average list price of $161,993 and an average sale price of $159,610 meaning homes are selling on avg for 98.5% of list price.
Click here to see the listings (note that this link will expire in December 2011)


Note that green dots represent homes that are for sale, yellow homes that have sold but not yet closed, red are homes that have sold and closed and black are homes that failed to sell.

Don't hesitate to contact me with any additional questions or comments:
SteveHoem@edinarealty.com or (612) 207-3311

Property Tax Info and Appeals

Second half property taxes are just around the corner and with them, so is your Truth in Taxation statements.

Truth in Taxation gives you a run-down of where your property tax dollars are being spent and gives you an opportunity tomake your voice heard if you don't agree with how the government is spending your property taxes.

Arguing How Tax $$$ are Spent
On your truth in Taxation statement, you'll be given a date/time and a place to attend a meeting to make your voice heard on how your taxes are spent. Don't miss this chance. Look over your statement which you'll receive in the beginning of November and attend one of the meetings if you don't agree with anything you see.

Homestead Taxes
You may notice a change on your statement with homestead taxes. As you know, we get a reduction in our property taxes of up to $400 when we file homestead (our primary residence). In the past, the state has re-imbursed the cities for the tax credit. However, for the past several years, the state has not re-imbursed the cities for this tax credit. So... the cities are now calling this a Market Value Exclusion or a Homestead Market Value Exclusion. Tax-wise the impact on our property taxes will be the same. Where the difference lies is many non-homestead property taxes will go up to pay for this tax reduction we are getting.

Property Tax Appeals
In the spring (March?), you will receive a notice in the mail of your proposed 2013 property taxes. With this notice, you will also receive instructions on how to appeal your property taxes if you feel they are incorrect.

For more info, you can go to Maple Grove's website or you can call Hennepin County at 612-348-3011.

By The Numbers (real estate market summary)

Thanks to everyone for your interest and your questions. Based on the feedback and questions I have received, I will be posting a monthly article, on/about the 1st of the month, that includes a snapshot of our neighborhood real estate activity. This is the first of those articles.
Year-to-date, 14 homes have sold in our neighborhood with an average sale price of $159,610 and an average time to sale of 144 days. Additionally, there are seven homes on the market currently and nine homes have failed to sell. The table and map below show this in more detail.

Click here to see the listings (note that this link will expire in November).

Note that the green dots represent homes that are for sale, the yellow homes that have sold but not yet closed, red are homes that have sold and closed and black are homes that failed to sell.

Don't hesitate to contact me with any additional questions or comments:
SteveHoem@edinarealty.com or (612) 207-3311

Legislative Change to the Homestead Credit

An item in the budget agreement that ended the state government shutdown that has received a lot of attention recently is the repeal of the market value homestead credit (MVHC) and the creation, in its place, of a new market value homestead exclusion.
The MVHC was enacted in 2001, along with a number of other property tax reforms. The MVHC provided qualifying homesteads with a credit on their tax statements which reduced their taxes. The credit was based on a formula that used a sliding scale, with the maximum credit being $304 at $76,000 in market value and zeroing out at $413,800 of market value.
The new homestead market value exclusion was created to provide substantially the same benefit to homesteads as the MVHC by excluding some of a homestead's market value from being taxed. The exclusion equals 40% of the first $76,000 in market value and phases down to $0 at $413,000 of market value.
What does all of this mean? It means there is still a tax benefit for homesteads. It also means locally elected officials remain accountable for their levy decisions.
Locally elected officials need to consider a variety of variables when setting a levy, including the conversion of the MVHC to a market value homestead exclusion, local government aid (LGA) reductions AND how levy decisions will affect local taxpayers.
What can we do? For our part as taxpayers, we should take advantage of the opportunity to influence levy decisions by making the priority of affordable property taxes and the value of the homestead exclusion and reduced property taxes on our principle residences known to our elected officials.

610 Grand Opening

MN DOT is nearing the completion of the Hwy 610 extension project, and the roadway is currently scheduled to open to traffic on Aug. 19.

They're holding a public ribbon cutting ceremony next week:

Hwy 610 Ribbon Cutting
Wednesday, Aug. 17
On the new freeway, below the Zachary Lane Bridge
Event begins at 2 p.m. (program begins at approximately 2:30 p.m.)
The program includes remarks by dignitaries and an official ribbon cutting. Other event attractions include a children's art contest, classic cars, fire trucks, ice cream, and an opportunity to walk/bike a portion of the new freeway.

Click here for information on the benefits and details of the Hwy 610 extension project.

Zachary Re-opening

Zachary Lane Reopens to Traffic - 6/30 midnight

Good news - Zachary Lane is scheduled to open to traffic at midnight tonight! A portion of the roadway has been closed since early May as we constructed two double-lane roundabouts, which will eventually provide access to the new Hwy 610.

The new roundabouts will open to a single lane of traffic for northbound and southbound Zachary Lane and access at 96th Avenue tonight. Full use of the double-lane roundabouts will occur once the project is complete and the Highway 610 access ramps are opened to traffic.

Neighborhood Business: TJK Plumbing

A Master Plumber, TJ has been in the business for 12 years and the owner of TJK plumbing since 2008. He specializes in any and all residential plumbing needs but water heaters and sump pumps make up the majority of TJ’s service calls.

Water Heaters
The quality of the water has a major impact on the life of a water heater. Maple Grove has very hard water so softening is key to getting longer life out of your water heater (see water softener section below).
TJ doesn’t recommend periodic draining of water from the water heater or lifting of the relief valve as these actions can often lead to a continual small leak when those valves fail to re-seat completely.
How do you know when it’s time to replace your water heater? TJ says water heaters tend to last 10-15 years with good, soft water.
Other indicators that it's time to replace your water heater:
- Leaks
- Rusting of water heater
- Failure to maintain temperature (having to continually raise the thermostat setting)
If your water heater develops a leak, shut the shut-off valve at the top of the water heater to prevent the water heater from continuing to refill from the home water supply.
When you replace your water heater, replacing with a high efficiency, tankless or power vent model isn’t necessarily the way to go. Depending on your existing set-up, the costs may be too high meaning it will take too long to see a return on your investment. It’s best to talk with TJ and he will recommend the best water heater for your application.

Sump Pumps
Most homes in our area due to the clay and the lay of the land require sump pumps. It’s a good idea to add water to the sump basket periodically to ensure the float works and that the pump (or both pumps if you also have a battery back-up sump pump) turn on and pump the water outside.
If your sump pump runs a lot, a battery back-up is a good investment to ensure water removal in the event of a power outage. The batteries typically last around eight years and can be maintained by not setting the battery directly on the concrete but rather on a board that is set on the concrete and by adding distilled water to maintain battery cell levels (if the battery isn’t a sealed maintenance-free battery).
A common occurrence TJ sees is the swing float (that turns the sump pump on) interfering with the side of the basket. Check your sump basket to ensure the float mechanisms move freely.
Lastly, it’s a good idea to disconnect the corrugated plastic hose in the fall and winter to prevent a frozen discharge the first time the sump pump turns on in the spring. Instead, during these cold months when there's a risk of freezing, install a PVC pipe with a good amount of slope or pitch away from the home and when the risk of freezing has passed, replace the PVC pipe with a flexible corrugated hose which allows you to direct the sump discharge further from the house and also allows for easier re-positioning when mowing.

Water Softeners
A water softener is almost an absolute requirement in Maple Grove due to our very hard water. TJ installs water softeners and recommends pellets over rock salt. He says it’s best to fill the brine/salt tank only halfway to assist in correcting salt bridging or a solid mass of salt that can form at the top of the salt level in the brine tank. If your water softener is older than 8 years old, it isn’t requiring salt additions like it used to or you notice your water being increasingly hard, it’s probably time for a new water softener.

A final recommendation from TJ is to annually temporarily shut your home's water shut-off valves which are often located in the lower level near the water meter. Shut these temporarily to ensure they stop the flow of water into the home, completely isolating the home from the city water supply so you know you can stop a leak in your home if one were to develop.

For all your plumbing needs and questions, call our local neighborhood Master Plumber, TJ at 763-425-9461.
Mention that you saw this article and TJ is offering a $20 discount on any service!

Water Costs

Maple Grove uses part of our water bills to pay for Met Council and city of Maple Grove sewer line maintenance. After 13 years without an increase, this cost recently went up, from $16.50/qtr sewer base fee to $21/qtr.

Note that a "typical" Maple Grove home uses 23,000 gallons of water per quarter

Starting with the water bills mailed in February 2012, Maple Grove will implement a sliding scale for water usage fees. These sliding fee scales are already in use in other Twin City suburbs and are in response to new legislation from the MN DNR that requires cities to encourage water conservation.

Quarterly Water fees will be:
0-10,000 gallons -- $9 flat fee
10,000-20,000 gallons -- $0.90 per 1000 gallons
20,000-40,000 gallons -- $1.25 per 1000 gallons
40,000+ gallons -- $1.75 per 1000 gallons

This is in addition to the sewer base fee of $21/quarter and sewer disposal fee of $1.85 per 1000 gallons of water usage.

Maple Grove's wells are in good shape with no shortage of water predicted. The city is hoping to encourage our residents to conserve water through the sliding fee scale for water usage but contrary to some neighboring cities, there are no sprinkling bans being considered.

Westbound County Road 81 Opens June 1st 6 p.m. - Eastbound still closed

Westbound County Road 81 in Maple Grove between Elm Creek Boulevard and Fernbrook Lane is scheduled to reopen to a single lane of traffic starting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 1.

The roadway has been closed since last week to maintain motorist safety during roadway cleanup activities and stockpile maintenance in the Highway 610 project area as a result of recent storms.

Eastbound County Road 81 continues to remain closed until further notice. During this time the posted detour is south on Fernbrook Lane to County Road 30 and east to County Road 81.

COUNTY ROAD 81 - CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

COUNTY ROAD 81 CLOSED THIS WEEK AND IS CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
CLOSURE IS FOR BOTH DIRECTIONS BETWEEN ELM CREEK BOULEVARD AND FERNBROOK LANE IN MAPLE GROVE.

As some of you may have seen, the large (huge) dirt pile between the two sides of the divided Cty Rd 81 near Fernbrook Lane washed over 81 during the storms this weekend.

The road was cleaned up but due to the continued instability of the stockpile, Mn/DOT and the 610 Project Contractor have decided to close County Road 81 between Fernbrook Lane and Elm Creek Blvd until further notice. At this time they don't know when the roadway will be open but the contractor will be working to reopen the roadway as soon as possible. Once additional information is known I'll post it here.

The official detour is (eastbound) Fernbrook Lane (County Road 121) to County Road 30, east to Elm Creek Boulevard and then north back to County Road 81. Westbound detour is the reverse. Drivers may want to use Maple Grove Pkwy as an alternate to the official detour as Fernbrook can and will experience significant back ups at the signal to County Road 30.

Neighborhood Garage Sale - May 19-21

A few of the Garage Sales:
1. 10012 Balsam Ln N - misc household items plus an assortment of RV supplies
2. 11606 100th Pl N - May 19 and 20 only
3. 11655 100th Ave N
4. 11867 101st Ave N
5. 11900 101st Ave N
6. 10011 Ives Ln N
7. 12137 101st Ave N
8. 12400 99th Ave N - toys and boys and girls baby clothes - up to toddler age
9. 9864 Ives Ln N

Pico de Gallo Recipe

I think spring has finally sprung! The next articles to look for are:
- Neighborhood Garage Sale - article with a map showing locations of the homes I know are having a garage sale
- Maple Grove water bills just went up and are going up again in the fall
- Maple Grove home sales are up 10% over 2010 compared the rest of the metro which are down!

Pico de Gallo Recipe - look for jalapeno seeds delivered to your door!
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups seeded and diced roma tomatoes
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 tablespoon diced jalapenos
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Juice of 2 limes (yes, freshly squeezed is much better)
2 tablespoons cilantro, more if you like the taste of cilantro - tear the leaves from the stems and discard the stems
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients lightly in a bowl and let refrigerate for 1+ hours before serving

Neighborhood Garage Sale!

Reminder that our neighborhood garage sale is coming up!
Thurs-Fri-Sat
May 19-21

I'll be providing signs at the neighborhood entrances and advertising on Craigslist and in the MG Press.
If you will be having a garage sale, send me a note (stevehoem@edinarealty.com) and I'll put a list of the garage sales on this website.

Also, reminder that Zachary Lane will be closing early morning Monday May 2nd for much of May -- 610 construction. Detours are via Jefferson Hwy or 169.
DOT website for more

Wild Bill's Proposed Changes (Arbor Lakes)

Although open just a short time, Wild Bill's Sports Saloon is already proposing an expansion, a good sign for this site that has seen it's share of businesses come and go in just a few years.

Wild Bill's is proposing expanding the existing outdoor
patio/dining area and to construct an outdoor bar building with an outdoor fireplace, remote control gas heaters and seven outdoor televisions (four TVs inside the bar structure, two on the exterior and one on the chimney of the fireplace).
Additionally, there will be a sound system with multiple speakers placed
around the perimeter of the patio.
The Maple Grove Planning Commission gave preliminary approval to Wild Bill's proposed expansion at its March 14th meeting.

For the full City Planning Commission minutes from the March 14 meeting, click the link.

Road Construction Update

610 -- Zachary Lane Closure (begins May 2, 2011)
Zachary Lane will be closed between 98th Avenue and just south of 95th Place through early July as crews construct two roundabouts, which will provide access to the new Highway 610.
Posted Detours will be via 109th Ave, County Road 81 and Highway 169.
Motorist and pedestrian access to the 96th Avenue Park and Ride, as well as local businesses, will be maintained at all times on the south side of the closure. For pedestrian detour information, please visit the project web page.
For more information and to view a map of the detour route, please visit the City's Road Construction Update webpage.
For more information on the Hwy. 610 project, call the project information line at 1-866-610-5480, or visit the project web page.
The 610 project is scheduled to be completed in July 2011.

Bass Lake Road Construction - Update
This week, utility relocations are taking place in a couple of areas along the corridor. Most noteably is the relocation of a natural gas line by Centerpoint Energy on the west end of the project. In some cases, workers will be very close to the travel lanes in this area, so please drive carefully and slow down if you see workers in the area.
By the creek, work is beginning in order to construct temporary pavement in order to shift traffic further south past the creek. This shift will give workers the space needed on the north side to build the first of two bridges over the creek.
No lane closures are expected this week. There may be some short term flagging as equipment is delivered and unloaded in some areas.

Richfield's New Vacant Building Ordinance

The Mpls Area Association of Realtors is opposing a new ordinance that adds cost and difficulty to selling real estate in Richfield.

The city of Richfield has implemented a Vacant Building Program that would require anyone holding a vacant building (commercial or residential) to register the buildnig with the city, pay a fee, have an inspection completed and make any repairs the city "deems necessary".

This new ordinance will affect all of us.
- lenders with foreclosed homes - increases the costs of mortgages and therefore the cost to buy a home with a mortgage or to refinance a mortgage
- anyone buying a home, moving from their current home and putting it up for sale now owns a "vacant building" and will have to pay the fee
- an estate where the owners have died and the trustee (often the children) is selling the empty home now holds a "vacant building" and will have to pay the fee

Rather than make it more difficult and costly to buy and sell real property, my opinion is that the cities should self-monitor their own cities for blight and neglect and cite property owners where neglect is occurring, requiring them to bring their properties up to a baseline level of upkeep.
Other thoughts?

Click here for a link to a fellow Public Affair's Task Force member, Aaron Dickerson's blog on this topic.

Maple Grove Real Estate Numbers

Detailed Maple Grove February real estate numbers, courtesy of the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors

Carpet Connection

One of my focuses has been promoting our local neighborhood businesses. Let me introduce Alex Schmidt - he is a wealth of knowledge and has been in the carpet and flooring business a LONG time (12 years to be exact).

First, let's talk about flooring selection -- what makes up the different types and grades?

Carpet
Questions to consider:
1. What is it made of?
- Nylon is a good choice for longevity.
- Polyester is good for stain resistance and lower cost.
- SmartStrand® is good for stain resistance, longevity and is green-friendly.
- Wool, a natural fiber could outlast your house but is not for the budget-conscious
2. What style or texture do you want?
- frieze is the shag for the current time. Features tightly twisted yarns and is the #1 pick of today.
- plush is a smooth texture and a variety of thicknesses
- Berber is a carpet style with a long history going back to the carpet makers of northern Africa. This style is typically a flat loop (as opposed to a deep plush) and is very strong and wear-resistant.
3. Are you carpeting to sell your home or are you carpeting to stay in your home 20 years?
4. Where are you installing it? (bedroom, living room, stairway, ...)
5. Is green or eco-friendly a concern?
- some are natural (made of wool, corn and other natural fibers) or recycled materials
- has it been tested by the Carpet and Rug Institute's (CRI) Indoor Air Quality testing program. An icon with "CRI" inside a small green house will verify that the product has been tested, and passed the CRI's standards for low emissions.

Carpet Recommendations
Carpet collects dust and dander. So, it's a good idea to have your carpet professionally steam-cleaned every 18-24 months (or per manufacturer recommendations) to remove dust and dander.
Due to its quality and durability, nylon makes up the majority of installed carpet. With nylon capeting, the steam will keep the yarn fibers tightly twisted and close to the original state and help it last longer.

Call Alex if you want more information, Alex is happy to answer any additional questions you have about carpet, vinyl and laminate flooring...
AND you can count on Alex to assist you with choosing the best flooring for your needs and to give you a fair price.
Alex's Carpet Connection
(763) 425-1895
AlexSchmidt780@hotmail.com

610 and Bass Lake Road Update

Sorry for the delays in blog articles -- I was called away as a Navy reservist to assist with disaster relief assistance in Japan for a couple weeks...

Update on 610 work from the MN DOT:
- Restriping at Hwy 610/Hwy 169 occurs April 5.
- Flagging operations on Zachary Lane begin April 11

Brooklyn Park
If you're in Brooklyn Park or Maple Grove near Hwy 610 in the next few weeks, you'll notice our crews out preparing for this year's construction. Tonight (April 5), southbound Hwy 169 will be reduced to a single lane near Hwy 610 in Brooklyn Park between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. so we can temporarily restripe the highway to accommodate reconstruction of the interchange. The acceleration lane from westbound Hwy 610 to southbound Hwy 169 will be slightly shorter until late May while we complete the reconstruction.

Zachary Lane
Next week on Zachary Lane in Maple Grove you may experience periodic delays between 96th Avenue North and 97th Avenue North from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. while we move equipment across the roadway. Intermittent daily flagging operations will begin April 11 and occur throughout the month of April.

As a reminder, a portion of Zachary Lane is scheduled to close later this spring.
We'll provide more information on the closure as our construction plans are finalized.

For more information on the Hwy 610 project, visit the project page.

Bass Lake Road update from city of Maple Grove
The Bass Lake Road Project is officially underway! Many of you have likely noticed the stakes that have been placed along the corridor and may have noticed activity around the corridor as coordination with utility companines and the contractor has begun.
As a reminder, this construction project will reconstruct Bass Lake Road (Hennepin County Road 10) from just west of Peony Lane to Vicksburg Lane. The project will include widening Bass Lake Road to four lanes with left and right turn lanes, center medians and trails on both sides of Bass Lake Road. The project will also construct a bridge over Elm Creek and place a trail under the bridge along the creek.
We will also keep the project web page up to date. In fact, if you go to the website, you can read up on the background of the project and view a layout of the final roadway.

Construction on new Hwy 610 gears up for spring

Construction on the new Hwy 610 project is getting ready to gear up for spring.
We'll resume work on the new Zachary Lane Bridge spanning the new Hwy 610 the week of March 21. There won't be initial affect on traffic as a result of this work; however, a portion of Zachary Lane is scheduled to close later this spring. We'll provide more information on the closure as our construction plans are finalized.

The new Zachary Lane Bridge and interchange will provide access to the new Hwy 610 using roundabouts
We have a lot of great information on roundabouts, including an animation of how to drive one.

Watch for the Hwy 610 Public Information Team at community events this spring and summer - we'll be in your neighborhood with more information about roundabouts and the new interchange at Zachary Lane.

Additional construction activities are scheduled to begin in April, and the entire project is scheduled to be done in July. For more information on the Hwy 610 project, visit the project page or call the project information line at 1-866-610-5480.

SPRING CLEAN-UP DAY

The City of Maple Grove is providing two options for residents to spruce up for spring! Clean out the shed, basement, garage, etc. and dispose of items such as appliances, tires, propane tanks, scrap metal and electronics.
Clean Up Day (Saturday, April 30)

OPTION 1
Residents can dispose of items from 8 a.m. to Noon at the Maple Grove Public Works facility, 9030 Forestview Lane (just south of County Road 30 and north of 89th Ave).

OPTION 2
Curbside Pick-Up Service (Monday, April 25)
City crews will pick up appliances, electronics, and tires from residents’ homes for a fee. Residents need to pay the required fee for each item to be picked up no later than 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 21. Payment can be made at the Maple Grove Government Center, 12800 Arbor Lakes Parkway. Payment can also be sent by mail but must be received no later than 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 21. Make checks payable to City of Maple Grove and mail to City of Maple Grove, Curbside Pick-Up Service,
P.O. Box 1180, Maple Grove, MN 55311. Don’t forget to include the address and listing of item(s) to be picked up.
All items to be picked up and for which the fee has been paid must be placed at
the curb no later than 7 a.m. on Monday, April 25.
The chart indicates items that are part of these programs and the disposal cost of each.

*Only one trip charge applies per address

Special Notes for both Clean Up Day and Curbside Pickup
• All gas, oil, and non-metal items must be removed from items being disposed of as scrap metal.
• Water softeners are not considered appliances, so they can be disposed of in the regular trash. The charge on clean up day will be $22.00 for water softener disposal.
• Propane tanks and scrap metal are not part of the curbside pick up.
• For gas and ammonia appliances, please call 651-454-9215 for a price quote.
• The City/recycler retains the right to refuse any appliance deemed to be in such compacted or destroyed condition which prevents the proper removal of hazardous material or refrigerants according to law.
• These events are for household waste only. Waste from businesses will not be accepted.

Spring Tips

• Clean the kitchen exhaust hood and air filter


• Check your sump pump

- ensure the pump is plugged in and the discharge connections tight and free of ice.
- pour water into the sump until the pump turns on and pumps the water from the sump

• Check your water heater

- drain water from the shut-off spigot at the bottom of the water heater to remove any sediment and wear products from the water heater

• Check plumbing fixture shutoff valves

- use caution when turning these valves-if any do not want to turn without excessive force, it may be a better idea to have a plumber repair or replace them.

• Vacuum dryer vent & under/around clothes dryer

- clean the ductwork and as much lint from around the dryer as possible to prevent fires

• Ensure your kitchen fire extinguisher is charged -- if you don't have one, get one!


• Review fire escape and severe weather plans


• Ensure flashlights and radios have fresh batteries


• Protect your electronics with surge protectors


• Service your air conditioner - outside temperature must be 60 degrees or higher to prevent damage to the a/c from lack of lubrication


• Check for damage to your roof


• Check caulk around windows and doors


• Check house fascia & trim for deterioration


• Clean gutters and down-spouts


• Replace smoke alarms every 10 yrs


• Replace carbon monoxide (CO) alarms every 5 yrs


• Replace the batteries in smoke & CO alarms


• Inspect & clean dust from smoke & CO alarms


• Check your insurance for sewer & drain back-up - insurance may cover problems with water from within (i.e., overflowing tubs) but without an additional rider, may not cover damage caused from water from without (i.e., ground water or sewer/drain back-ups)


• Check your insurance for home value*/replacement cost

- Do you have enough or not enough coverage to rebuild or repair your home in the event of catastrophe? I can provide a market analysis in-person or via e-mail to give you an idea of your home's market value.
* Steve can help with this

School Proposal for Zachary Square

The Maple Grove Planning Commission is reviewing a proposal to open a charter school in the 22,000 square foot east end of the Zachary Square Shopping Center (the old Red Owl grocery store site).
The school would open with an initial enrollment of 150-200 in K-8 grades and grow one grade/year to an enrollment of 350-400 in 5 years.

'Shadow' real estate inventory may take 4 years to clear

Inman News reports the "Shadow Inventory" is on the rise nation-wide, including Minneapolis.

'Shadow' real estate inventory may take 4 years to clear

Neighborhood Painting Expert

Continuing in my series of articles on experts in our neighborhood, this time I am introducing you to Karen Gehrke ( www.KarensDecorativePainting.com ) or (763) 424-4156.
Karen is a professional painter and artist -- Muralist/Decorative Artist and Interior Painter and Color Consultant.

Murals and Interior Artistry
First impressions are key for the home. Interior artistry works for any room but especially for the entry or a kitchen or to "add" a window to a room. Karen also often paints accents around a room as a decorative touch -- the murals and artistic touches take from 1-4 days to complete and these details can set your home apart!

Tips
Interior
Preparation (prep'ing) is key.
Clean the walls, patch and fill any holes, gouges and cracks - using pre-mixed drywall mud which comes in small quantities makes it easy.
Next, prime the walls, especially if you are covering dark colors. If you are repairing smoke or water damage, an oil-based primer is important - Kilz works well for this as well as for priming dark-stained woodwork. Additionally, a flat primer helps with paint adhesion.
Patience and skill -- it will take liberal amounts of both of these to finish with a nice-looking paint job. Often rooms will take 3-4 coats, especially if covering a previous dark color.
Go with quality -- paint and supplies.
Paint -- Karen gets her paint at Hirschfields where she chooses a 97% low-smell (low VOC/environmentally friendly) paint. She says Hirschfields paints often can complete a job in just one or two coats.
Rollers and Brushes -- use Purdy brushes which you can also get at Hirschfields. Don't reuse your rollers. If you will be starting with the same color the next day, you can wrap your rollers in Cling Wrap overnight but must clean brushes at the end of each day.
Painters Tape -- she gets this at Sherwin Williams and recommends using a credit card to ensure the tape is tightly adhered in corners and around wood trim prior to painting. She also recommends removing the tape while the paint on the wall is still wet to prevent lifting the paint from the wall with the tape.
Clean-up -- to clean paint from trim (prior to drying), use baby wipes or a wet rag.

Types of Paint
Flat -- good for primer, but is not washable so won't work as a final coat. Often used in new construction as it makes for a good primer coat and is inexpensive.
*Egg Shell* -- Karen's favorite. Hides imperfections in the wall better than more glossy paints and is cleanable.
Satin/Semi-gloss -- more shiny so will show imperfections in the wall but very cleanable.
Enamel -- more for woodwork and cabinets
Lacquer -- very hard and durable. Similar to varnish, won't yellow like polyurethane.

Choosing Colors
Accent walls are one wall or section of wall painted a different color than the rest of the room. These can add interest to a room and also add a feeling of space.
Colors should be chosen according to the home-owner's taste and to accent the rest of the home.
Dark colors are ok and don't necessarily make rooms feel smaller, they can sometimes be calming.

Finally, some tips when hiring a painter.
A painter should be responsive to your needs and phone calls. If you don't get prompt returned calls or they aren't there when they say they will be, choose someone else. You want someone who will work hard to get the job done in a reasonable time and see it through to completion, including the details!
Look for an experienced painter and ask for references-these should be freely provided from a reputable painter.

A good suggestion is the professional we have right in our neighborhood -- Karen Gehrke.
She can be reached at (763) 424-4156 or ( www.KarensDecorativePainting.com )

Neighborhood 2010 Real Estate Summary

2010 was a turbulent year in the real estate market to say the least.
An uncertain job market and economy held back many 1st time homebuyers after the tax credit ended on April 30. These buyers are the driving force for the real estate market as they create new demand and lead the charge for home sales.
Adding to this, the issues affecting foreclosures in 2010 such as the federal foreclosure remediation programs (HAFA and HAMP) as well as robo-signing, there were at least two noticeable pauses in foreclosure activity that reduced foreclosures but increased the "shadow inventory" of homes that are 60 or more days past due on their mortgages. This foreclosure shadow inventory will likely lead to an up-tick in foreclosure activity in 2011 and further downward pressure on prices.


Click here to see the bank-involved activity summary. (link will expire in March 2011)






Click here to see the non-bank-involved activity summary.
(link will expire in March 2011)

Energy Audit

First, my conclusion. An energy audit is well-worth the $100 cost.

I contacted CenterPoint, my natural gas provider to schedule the advertised most thorough audit which included an infra-red camera search of my house. It took almost a month for the appointment after my initial call and the audit itself took around 2 hours.


First, they set-up a fan in my front door to pull a vacuum on the house. Then went around with an infra-red camera looking for air leaks into the house and cold spots. I'm happy to report that my attic looked good (see my previous blog post about blowing hundreds of pounds of insulation into the attic).

Some of the problems they found:
- leaking or poorly insulated rim joists in my basement
- leaking cracks around dryer duct penetrations and exposed holes in the top of the cinder block basement walls

- leaking attic access covers
- leaking around my window trim
- cold exterior wall next to the garage

Many of these I fixed with caulk and spray foam. For the cold exterior wall next to the garage, I attached 2" foam insulation sheet to the wall. The leaking window frames - I gently removed a portion of the window trim and sealed the crack between the window frame and the wall before re-installing the trim, and I caulked around the attic access and installed paper-faced fiberglass insulation in the rim joist areas of my basement.


Time will tell but I'm pretty certain that we'll see a reduction in our energy bills.

Maple Grove Crime Reports

The City of Maple Grove website has a useful and user-friendly tool to research and locate crimes in Maple Grove.

You just select what types of crimes you want to research and the map comes up showing where and what types of crimes have occurred in the past 90 days.

FYI -- it looks like our neighborhood is one of the safer neighborhoods in Maple Grove.

http://gis.logis.org/MapleGrove/PIMAWeb/PIMAWeb.aspx

MN Encouraging Energy Conservation

Minnesota and CenterPoint Energy are experimenting with tiered energy prices with the hope that higher prices targeting the heavier users of natural gas will lead to more efficient usage...

Will it work?

http://bit.ly/MNTieredEnergyPrices

Mortgage Interest Deduction and Government Spending

The federal government is bleeding red. Is this news to anyone? Per the National Debt Clock, every man, woman and child in the U.S. currently owes just under $45,000 -- that means that a typical family of four such as mine owes $180,000 just because we're American citizens.



I believe and not just as a Realtor, that housing plays a crucial role in our economy - from employing construction workers to industries that supply the housing market (interior furnishings, building materials, ...), housing feeds into our ecomony in many large ways.



We need to look at all of our government spending to determine how we can not only balance our out-of-control budget but also start paying down some of our debt. More taxes aren't the answer so I am not outright in favor of eliminating the mortgage interest deduction (MID) which would add another $3000 onto the tax bill of a typical family with a $220,000 mortgage at 5% interest rate and a 25% tax bracket. We all need to realize however that NOTHING IS OFF-LIMITS -- no protectionism of our individual pet interests or prevention of self-sacrifice! To get us and U.S. through this crisis and yes, it IS A CRISIS, there will be plenty of sacrifice to go around.


Many other countries (notably Canada and the U.K.) have eliminated the mortgage interest deduction and lived to tell about it. It won't ruin the real estate or housing industry so it is something that should be considered but again, it would be something of a new tax. REDUCING SPENDING is key, not new taxes. Raising more money for government isn't the answer as this will just lead to bigger government and more spending. We should look at all areas of government spending for areas to cut so we can LIVE WITHIN OUR MEANS. There are ALWAYS reasons to spend more -- financial crisis and war just to name two. This doesn't work with my family budget and it shouldn't work with our elected and WELL-PAID elected officials.

Congresses deficit panel is recommending a limit on the MID, limiting it to 1st homes and up to $500,000 rather than doing away with it altogether.

It's time for our elected officials to make the hard (and sometimes unpopular) decisions we elected them to make. There will be short-term pain, discomfort and disagreement but our long-term survival as a nation depends on it.

Visit the U.S. National Debt Clock