Sharlene Hensrud - Blog - Sharlene Hensrud

Recent Blog Posts by Sharlene Hensrud
3 Cheap and Easy Home Staging Projects If you are preparing your home for sale you are likely discovering how quickly the costs can add up to replace things liked outdated brass doorpulls, lamps and furniture. A reader shared with me that she had a budget in mind to use for staging her home for sale and took it as a challenge to keep her costs as low as possible. Here are three projects she said I could share that look great but cost very ... Posted by Sharlene Hensrud @ 12:00 AM on 03/24/2012		More
Next big thing in housing? For the first time in a century US households are actually getting larger rather than smaller. More adult children are now living with their parents than at any time since the 1950's... and the number of elderly parents living with their children has grown by more than 60% in the last seven years. The multi-generational home may well be the next big thing in housing. Whether permanent or temporary, ... Posted by Sharlene Hensrud @ 12:00 AM on 03/09/2012		More
Steel Toe Brewing and the Minnesota Craft Beer Explosion Our son started talking about Steel Toe Brewing before it even opened last August... he could hardly wait to have this craft microbrewery right in his own hometown of St. Louis Park! He was already a big fan of The Four Firkins, Minnesota's first specialty beer store, also in St. Louis Park not far from his home... and had been happily creating some of his own brews but even more significantly seeking ... Posted by Sharlene Hensrud @ 12:00 AM on 03/07/2012		More
January 2012 Update ... market continues towards balance as renters figure out it makes sense to buy The months supply of inventory in December showed a seller's market for the first time since 2004... and January is a repeat with a 4.6 month supply. Pending sales, which predict future sales, are the highest they have been in January since 2005 according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors, but very close to 2007... and even bumped up rather than down, from a higher holiday slump than ... Posted by Sharlene Hensrud @ 12:00 AM on 02/17/2012		More
Listings Needed!!! The number of new listings entering the market last year was the lowest it has been since the turn of the century... down from a peak of 108,033 in 2006 to only 68,875 in 2011. That low number of sellers entering the marketplace coupled with buyers snatching them up resulted in in a supply of homes for sale that dropped off my chart... only 16,191 active listings at the end of 2011. If you look ... Posted by Sharlene Hensrud @ 12:00 AM on 01/20/2012		More
Price-to-rent ratio tips towards buying rather than renting As Twin Cities rents go up in in response to high demand and the lowest vacancy rates in about 10 years some renters are starting to wonder if it finally makes more sense to buy. While there are many factors involved in such a decision, if it boils down to whether buying makes financial sense given current market conditions a good gauge is the price-to-rent ratio. The price-to-rent ratio is the cost ... Posted by Sharlene Hensrud @ 12:00 AM on 01/16/2012		More
Milwaukee Avenue Historic District - Minneapolis Seward Neighborhood's unique walker's paradise Only two blocks long, the Milwaukee Avenue Historic District is Seward Neighborhood's shining star. This group of small homes built between 1884 and 1890 was the first planned workers' community in Minneapolis, attracting immigrants working in the nearby railroad yards and other industries along Hiawatha Avenue. Built in similar style on quarter-sized lots with no front yards, these homes have more ... Posted by Sharlene Hensrud @ 12:00 AM on 01/08/2012		More
Holiday Lights in The Park... animated lights display and fund raiser Wondering where to go to look at holiday lights this year? Holiday Lights in the Park at Lake Phalen in St. Paul is a fun drive-through show of holiday light sculptures and animated displays that is also a great fundraiser, with all net proceeds donated to Second Harvest Heartland, Union Gospel Mission, The Saint Paul Parks Conservancy and UnderConstruction... charities focused on fundamental community ... Posted by Sharlene Hensrud @ 12:00 AM on 12/23/2011		More
The 'Cheers' of Audubon Park The Coffee Shop Northeast is one of those intimate coffee shops that immediately makes you feel at home... like you are already part of the neighborhood. I met new clients there on Thursday night just as I had met another client there a few weeks ago. I was again struck by the 'Cheers' feel of this neighborhood hub... very friendly and welcoming, a place where you go not just for coffee and food but ... Posted by Sharlene Hensrud @ 12:00 AM on 12/04/2011		More
10 Signs you are ready to buy With so much talk about how this is such a wonderful time to buy a home it can be easy to get caught up into thinking YOU should be buying... whether you are ready or not. Regardless of the housing market and financing conditions, it's only a good time to buy if it's the right time for you. Wondering if you are ready? Here are some signs you are... You have been looking at homes for sale ... Posted by Sharlene Hensrud @ 12:00 AM on 10/24/2011		More
Pike Island... a hidden hiking gem at the confluence of the Mississppi and Minnesota Rivers With fall color season on the way, I couldn't help but think about all the wonderful opportunities we have to take a walk and enjoy the crisp, fall air under trees ablaze with color without even leaving the city. A hidden gem popular with runners and hikers is Pike Island, located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers in Ft. Snelling State Park. I had never hiked it before and decided ... Posted by Sharlene Hensrud @ 12:00 AM on 09/26/2011		More
Minneapolis' Most Livable Neighborhood I was eager to see the ranked list of 30 best Twin Cities neighborhoods in TWIN CITIES METRO magazine's latest issue... and was surprised to find the list wasn't the typical list I expected to see. Most 'best neighborhoods' lists are based on things such as trendy neighborhoods and shopping districts, noteworthy parks and architecture, up and coming neighborhood trends, etc. This list is based on real ... Posted by Sharlene Hensrud @ 12:00 AM on 09/18/2011		More
Shoulda had title insurance... Last month I wondered if one of my listings would close as scheduled when the title search discovered a mortgage from the previous owner that was never recorded as satisfied. With an owner's title insurance policy we would have simply gone to closing as scheduled in spite of the mortgage satisfaction issue and the title company would have taken care of everything. End of story. As ... Posted by Sharlene Hensrud @ 12:00 AM on 09/12/2011		More
Edina Promenade yields high suburban walk score Looking for a condo/townhome in a suburban setting with a high walk score? Be sure to check out the area around the Edina Promenade, which connects the paths around Centennial Lakes Park recreation and shopping areas with The Galleria/Southdale shopping district. Divided walking/biking paths pass behind condos and businesses between France and York Avenues, and feature original sculptures and ... Posted by Sharlene Hensrud @ 12:00 AM on 08/21/2011		More
Highway 100 closed for parade Ok, Highway 100 isn't being closed for a parade this year, but every year when I smell the lilacs in bloom I think back to to the beginnings of Highway 100 and the stretch that was once called 'Lilac Way'... and how in the early days it was even occasionally closed for parades when the lilacs were in bloom! A fascinating documentary called Highway 100: Lilac Way first aired in ... Posted by Sharlene Hensrud @ 12:00 AM on 06/01/2011		More
Empty nesters buying retirement nests early Today's buyer's market and low interest rates provide a great opportunity for empty nesters to buy their next nest... or multiple nests... even before they are ready to move. The second home market was dead as a doornail four years ago, but last year showed an 800% increase in buyers purchasing second homes according to The 2011 Cotton Report, an annual residential real estate consumer ... Posted by Sharlene Hensrud @ 12:00 AM on 05/23/2011		More
Art-A-Whirl in NE Minneapolis May 20-22 - largest open studio tour in the country Next weekend artists in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District open their studios for their annual Art-A-Whirl spring art crawl. With over 700 artists in 14 square miles and more than 10 studio buildings, this area is a working arts district at the heart of the Minneapolis arts scene. Art-A-Whirl is a great opportunity to gain free admission into the working studios of artists working in ... Posted by Sharlene Hensrud @ 12:00 AM on 05/15/2011		More
Flowers are blooming at Lyndale Park Lyndale Park near Lake Harriet in Minneapolis is showing signs of spring, with water burbling and bulbs in colorful array. The bursting blooms seem to be happily shouting, "Hooray, it's spring!" The Peace Garden section of the park was called the Rock Garden for over 80 years until it was renamed the Peace Garden in 1998 and designated an International Peace Site the following year. A ... Posted by Sharlene Hensrud @ 12:00 AM on 05/08/2011		More
Quaking Bog... 3700-year-old 'best nature in the city' One of the most unique natural sites in the Twin Cities is Quaking Bog, a 5-acre acid bog tucked into the wooded hills of Theodore Wirth Park on the western edge of Minneapolis. About 3700 years old, this rare and sensitive ecosystem is a true wilderness phenomenon... yet another example of the blend of nature and city in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area that helps create our distinctive ... Posted by Sharlene Hensrud @ 12:00 AM on 05/01/2011		More
Our Lady of Lourdes... oldest continuously used church in Minneapolis The city of Minneapolis started along the riverfront at St. Anthony Falls... with Minneapolis on one side and St. Anthony on the other. Today Main Street along the riverfront in the St. Anthony Falls historic district is the oldest street in the city. Perched on the bank behind St. Anthony Main is Our Lady of Lourdes, the oldest continuously used church in the city of Minneapolis. The ... Posted by Sharlene Hensrud @ 12:00 AM on 04/23/2011		More
Does it make sense to buy a place for your college student? The idea of buying a place for your kid while in college has been around for a long time, and was even part of the inspiration for the "Kiddie Condo" FHA loan program. With today's depreciated home values and low interest rates it can make more sense than ever, but don't assume it is a good option for everyone. Here are some questions to ask to help determine if it ... Posted by Sharlene Hensrud @ 12:00 AM on 04/22/2011		More
Park Tavern... a St. Louis Park gathering spot for over 50 years The original Park Tavern in St. Louis Park, MN dates back to the early 1900's, when it was located at the corner of Louisiana Avenue and Minnetonka Boulevard. But it wasn't until St. Louis Park's population exploded after WWII and 60% of the city's homes were built in the 1940s and 1950s, that Park Tavern added pinballs and it became a neighborhood gathering spot. When Louisiana ... Posted by Sharlene Hensrud @ 12:00 AM on 04/17/2011		More
Why are condos harder to sell than houses or townhomes? In a nutshell, condos are harder to sell right now primarily because they are harder to buy than houses or townhomes due to financing restrictions. Looking at the historical chart below of months supply of inventory by property type in the Twin Cities metro area, you can see that condos have consistently had the biggest supply in relation to buyers... even in 2005-2006, ... Posted by Sharlene Hensrud @ 12:00 AM on 04/11/2011		More
Uptown Minneapolis... great destination for rooftop dining Uptown Minneapolis is the home of some of the best rooftop dining decks in the metro... some so close to each other you can wave across the street! And warmer temps means it's finally time to get back out and enjoy them! Stella's Fish Cafe is considered by many to have one of the most spectacular rooftop decks in the metro area... and the new Sky Bar at the Uptown Cafeteria is ... Posted by Sharlene Hensrud @ 12:00 AM on 04/10/2011		More
North Loop... one of the most unique neighborhoods in the city The North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis is one of the most unique neighborhoods in the city. Home of the new Minnesota Twins Target Field and extending from the Minneapolis Farmer's Market at I-94 and Glenwood all the way to the Mississippi River and Hennepin Avenue this area is like a crazy quilt mosaic of different uses. The neighborhood gets it official name from the ... Posted by Sharlene Hensrud @ 12:00 AM on 04/03/2011		More

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