Mike Best - Blog - Mike Best

Recent Blog Posts by Mike Best
It's Spring! Flowers & Plants are up - and maybe interest rates, too.... There are signs everywhere that the real estate markets - like plants and trees - are making a comeback!Demand for rentals is way up, remodeling is very brisk, new homes and apartments are again being built and more people are interested in moving. There is also a hint from the Fed that interest rates could be on the rise. Driving this is the realization that inflation is once again with us. Anyone ... Posted by Mike Best @ 12:00 AM on 04/11/2012		More
A Taxing Time, but Every Bunny's Welcome! In the coming days we will be taken up by hunting for deductions, contributions and - maybe - some new and creative way to avoic taxes. Along the way we will be hunting for Easter Eggs, too - a much more enjoyable task! Put the 2 together and you come up with buying a house. That way, you will have more deductions, and you can hunt for Easter Eggs right in your own yard!! With rates at historic lows, ... Posted by Mike Best @ 12:00 AM on 03/22/2012		More
2 Significant Dates Coming Up.... 'Tis Spring on the horizon (just beyond the snowstorms), and 2 dates to keep in mind: March 17 - St. Patrick's Day ("The Wearin' o' the Green"), and April 15 Income Tax Day...("The Sharin' o' the Green")! And as you file your income tax, remember that if you owned instead of renting you could deduct most of what you pay each month in interest and taxes :)! What a great thought. With interest rates ... Posted by Mike Best @ 12:00 AM on 02/27/2012		More
Winter Temps vs. Mortgage Interest Rates: Nearly the same! You just have to marvel at how the winter temps hover near zero. SO DO THE MORTGAGE INTEREST RATES! For some perspective, I have not seen rates this low in my 42 years in real estate. Right now, FHA fixed rate mortgages are running 3.75% for 30 years, and 3.25$ for 15 years. Along with that, prices have fallen to the lowest level in years for all kinds of properties. So, this is a wonderful time to ... Posted by Mike Best @ 12:00 AM on 01/25/2012		More
A "Quality of Life" message regarding Prostate Cancer I recently underwent surgery for removal of a cancerous prostate. The surgery was 100% successful, and her is why: Every year for several years I have had a simple blood test included with my physical. The test is called a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test. It is an early-warning test for the presence of cancer in the prostate. My test results changed, and the cancer was caught at a ... Posted by Mike Best @ 12:00 AM on 11/11/2011		More
Summer and Splashing changing to Fall and Football WHAM!! Just like that, summer fun changes to "the grind". It's back to work, the books - and (hopefully) cooler temps. We Minnesotans might well be a bit impatient with our weather, but in the face of Irene and earthquakes we look pretty good!! So does the housing market. There are some really good buys out there these days, so take advantage of them and make that decision to buy now. Interest ... Posted by Mike Best @ 12:00 AM on 08/31/2011		More
The HI's and LO's of Summer: Temps and Interest Rates Nothing quite like 103-degree temps to get our attention, eh?? I like to remind everyone about another warm weather hint: Service your air conditioner. If you have a whole house unit, take your hose and wash off all the dirt, grime and CottonWood seeds that have collected on the splines. Flushing them off will increase the efficiency of your air conditioner by 40%. If you have window/wall units, ... Posted by Mike Best @ 12:00 AM on 06/14/2011		More
Spring: Higher Temps and Lower Interest Rates! It was a long time coming, but Spring seems to be getting a foothold in good, old MN. House purchase activity is also picking up, thanks to higher temps, lower river crests - and continued low interest rates. Currently FHA mortgage financing is going for 4.375% on a 30-year, fixed rate mortgage. For those of you who have been thinking about moving, check out the mortgage numbers - they are very competitve ... Posted by Mike Best @ 12:00 AM on 05/04/2011		More
Floodwaters, Interest Rates and Opportunities The unfortunate thing about warmer spring weather is that rivers are on the rise. The good thing is that interest rates are on the decline. Rates around 4.5% are very common now. More properties are coming on the market, and there is great selection out there in every price range. I still have a sense that prices are stabilizing and the time is right now to purchase. Visit my website to view all properties ... Posted by Mike Best @ 12:00 AM on 03/18/2011		More
D.S.T. - Bring It On!! 'Lest you forget, this coming (early) Sunday, March 13, at 2 A.M. we set our clocks AHEAD 1 hour. This annual event marks a significant slide toward Spring - although, this year could be an exception!! So, when you go to bed Saturday eve, be sure to reset your clocks so you aren't late for various planned Sunday Things. This will provide more light in the evening so you can look for that great buy ... Posted by Mike Best @ 12:00 AM on 03/10/2011		More
Spring, Potholes and Opportunities Only in Minnesota would mid-30's be called "warm" by the weather wizards!! But the sudden surge of sun, melting and challenged pothole evasion have brought us all to life! While we were hibernating, interest rates started their annual assent and could be headed to the 5-6 percent range fairly quickly. At the same time, prices seem to be stabilizing, so we have the the right combination of factors to ... Posted by Mike Best @ 12:00 AM on 02/15/2011		More
New Beginnings spell a New Tomorrow Over the holidays I discovered this: Today is the End of Yesterday, and the Beginning of Tomorrow. We have no influence over the past, but we have immense control over the future. The economy is showing some signals of growing strength, people are more optimistic about the future and the housing market holds some extremely good buys. With the downard march of house prices, everyone who rents should ... Posted by Mike Best @ 12:00 AM on 01/18/2011		More
2011: ALL NEW AND VERY FRESH Life is about New Beginnings, and we annually face this most obvious transition to something better. A very basic belief of mine is that Today is the End of Yesterday, and the Beginning of Tomorrow. We can't change a moment of History, but we can have vast control over the moments of the Future. This New Year, plan to do more, and do it better! Make sure you grow in every aspect of your life - Education, ... Posted by Mike Best @ 12:00 AM on 01/03/2011		More
The Giving Season... Includes so much more than material goods. In Truth, we need to give of ourselves toward the betterment of someone else - known or unknown. For example, give a pint of blood, and you help someone who caught a hand in the snow blower. Give an hour to visiting with a shut-in, and you have brightened not only that day, but many days to come. Give to a Food Shelf and you have given strength to someone ... Posted by Mike Best @ 12:00 AM on 12/01/2010		More
Some YES thoughts for NOvember. Part of Thomas Hood's famous poem NOVEMBER says..."No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees, no fruts, no flowers, no leaves, no birds, November!" If he had only lived in Minnesota, where we thrive - and come alive - when the air is brisk, the sun is bright and our appreciation of short days is driven by the longer nights! November is a month of great wonder - a time when we celebrate harvest, family, ... Posted by Mike Best @ 12:00 AM on 11/08/2010		More
Don't Let Time Pass You By! With the hubub and excitement of Election Day over - for now - it is easy to forget that we have an appointment with The Clock. This is the weekend we return to Standard Time. That change takes effect at 2:00 A.M. on Sunday, Nov 7th. Remember to set your clocks BACK on hour Saturday night. If you don't you might miss a) breakfast, b) church, c)tee-time or your favorite sporting event. As you know, ... Posted by Mike Best @ 12:00 AM on 11/04/2010		More
Your 15 Minutes of Fame! We all wish for those few times in our lives when we really accomplish something so significant that many people take notice, give kudos and we feel very good about ourselves. Those times come rarely, but one is coming next week, and no one should miss that opportunity for the "Best 15 minutes you will spend". Tuesday, November 2, is Election Day - and our 15 Minutes of Fame comes after we invest that ... Posted by Mike Best @ 12:00 AM on 10/28/2010		More
Some thoughts about the present market... There have been a lot of mixed signals lately from various reports concerning housing. Lost in much of the information is a basic reality: The current interest rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages hasn't been 4% since World War 2!! If you couple that with the decline in home values, the result is - quite simply - there has never been a better time to buy a house!! This beautiful Fall Season ... Posted by Mike Best @ 12:00 AM on 10/15/2010		More
TIPS: Selling a home? Remember that curb appeal for your home starts on the Internet Curb appeal starts on the Internet, so it's very important to make the pictures of your home attractive. "You have two drive-bys…one online and one in person." And if the Internet picture doesn't sell your home, you might not ever get the buyers to come inside your home. Once you entice buyers with an ... Posted by Mike Best @ 10:56 AM on 10/22/2009		More
Selling Tips.. I ran across this on our company website, and it covers a lot of common sense items when you are selling your home.... I am always struck by how a small investment can create a huge return for home sellers. Before you put your house on the market, take a good look around. If you can't objectively see your space on your own, invite your Realtor, an honest friend or family member in. Look at your ... Posted by Mike Best @ 1:27 PM on 09/16/2009		More
Upcoming Real Estate Changes that might affect you FIRST TIME HOMEBUYERS TAX CREDIT... This program expires December 1, 2009. If you have been thinking about purchasing, now is the time to do it. It is not clear that Congress is anxious to extend this program, since the slowly improving housing market may not need another "push". RISING INTEREST RATES... There is speculation that interest rates are going to go up in the near future, driven by economic ... Posted by Mike Best @ 3:18 PM on 08/26/2009		More
Top 100 Cities to live This list comes out every single year and both Chanhassen & Chaska (so close together) made the grade! I'm admittedly a city guy, but have many friends and family who hale from that end of the woods. Check this out: Best Places to Live in 2009 Here's the reason I think Minneapolis should have been #1: 1) Being able to walk out of your front door and nearly step onto one ... Posted by Mike Best @ 12:56 PM on 07/22/2009		More
The $8,000 First-time homebuyer tax credit explained Posted by Amy Coletta, RE/MAX Results Recruiter The $8,000 First-time homebuyer tax credit explainedInitially, I thought this post would be a simple cut and paste job about this part of the housing stimulus package. However, after only a few minutes of research, I discovered a great deal of speculation and contradiction in regards to the $8,000 tax credit for first time homebuyers. ... Posted by Mike Best @ 10:47 AM on 06/29/2009		More
Scuff Mark Removal Here's a helpful hint from my favorite flooring contractor...if you have scuff marks on linoleum/vinyl flooring, try rubbing with a tennis ball. It does a wonderful job removing scuff marks! Posted by Mike Best @ 9:55 AM on 04/29/2009		More
Good News from Real Estate Here is some good news from the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors. For the week ending April 18, Pending Sales activity was up over 20% from the previous year - for the 4th week in a row:)! And for 3 of the 4 weeks, the number of sales units was over 1,000! This hasn't occurred since 2006!There are also signs that the price drop may have bottomed out, but more time will be needed to know ... Posted by Mike Best @ 11:23 AM on 04/28/2009		More

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