Homes MSP Real Estate Blog

"...But The City Approved It!"

It happens to me several times a year; I inspect a home for a buyer, I point out a construction defect, then I get a call from an angry seller or seller's agent, accusing me of being wrong.

If someone challenges my call, I'm always happy to provide an authoritative reference to prove that I'm not just throwing my opinion around.  I can give code references to prove my calls if I'm challenged.  This is why it's important for home inspectors to know building codes, even though they're not doing code inspections... but I digress.

The crazy argument that I sometimes get from home sellers and seller's agents is that a defect that I reported on is not a problem, because the defect wasn't identified as a part of the permit inspection process.  The argument sounds like this:

Angry Home Seller:  "That hole in my roof is fine!  You had no right to tell the person buying my house that it's wrong."

Me: "That hole is not acceptable.  It will leak water in to the house."

Indignant Home Seller:  "That roof was just installed a month ago, and the installation meets the requirements for the Minneapolis Building Code."

Me:  "What makes you say that?"

Misinformed Home Seller: "The City of Minneapolis approved the permit.  That means it meets the city's code."

While a hole in the roof is an extreme example, the logic applied by this home seller is just as flawed when it comes to other less obvious things, such as improper nails in joist hangers, improper furnace venting, attic bypasses on new construction... you name it. 

Municipal inspectors often have very full schedules and don't have the luxury of taking their sweet time during inspections like I do.  If a municipal inspector misses a violation of the code, it doesn't mean that the violation was approved.  

To prove my point, I'll even give you a code reference from the Minnesota State Building Code (insert smiley winky face).

1300.0210 Inspections

Subpart 1. General. Construction or work for which a permit is required is subject to inspection by the building official and the construction or work shall remain accessible and exposed for inspection purposes until approved. Approval as a result of an inspection is not approval of a violation of the code or of other ordinances of the jurisdiction. Inspections presuming to give authority to violate or cancel the provisions of the code or of other ordinances of the jurisdiction are not valid. It shall be the duty of the permit applicant to cause the work to remain accessible and exposed for inspection purposes. Neither the building official nor the jurisdiction is liable for expense entailed in the removal or replacement of any material required to allow inspection.

Good times.

Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Twin Cities Home Inspector

    

Top 10 Features Buyers Want

Home designers and builders speaking at the recent International Builders Show in Las Vegas said that today's buyers are seeking cost-effective features and rejecting things that don't have lasting value. Space is all about family togetherness - casual living, entertaining and flexible spaces.

This matches what I see buyers looking for. Kitchens are back as the heart of the home... now preferred open to living space for a sweeping entertaining space. Kitchens seem to be where people have gathered for years... now homeowners are being more intential about making it a central gathering and entertaining spot!

1. Large kitchens with islands
2. Energy efficiency, including energy-efficient appliances, super insulation and high-efficiency windows
3. Home offices
4. Main-floor master suite
5. Outdoor living space
6. Ceiling fans
7. Soaking tub and/or an oversize shower with a seating area in master suite
8. Stone and brick exteriors rather than stucco or vinyl
9. Community walking paths and playgrounds
10. 2-3 car garages

SOURCE: REALTOR Mag (02/01/2010)

Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results - Email - HomesMSP.com

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Sunday's Site - Spill the Wine Restaurant, Minneapolis

NOTE: see the bottom of Sunday's Site posts for homes for sale in the area

Spill the Wine is one of those restaurants where the setting also plays a role in the experience. It is located in a historic building which was the home of Frank's Plumbing for many years. In fact, when we recently had dinner there with friends they talked about the many hours they had spent in the same space searching for antique plumbing fixtures. I love the way they creatively re-designed and re-used the big sign that used to grace the side of the building as a canopy over the bar.

As the name suggests, Spill the Wine has an extensive wine list... longer than the menu. They also offer wine flights, which can be fun... as well as a Wine-of-the-Month Club. 

It was a busy Friday night when we were recently there... we were glad we had reservations. My husband and I split the surf and turf with tenderloin and scallops, both of which were delicious...as was the poached pear salad, calamari appetizer and jumbo brownie the whole table shared for dessert.

 
I mentioned Spill the Wine in my first Sunday's Site post on Gold Medal Park, way back in April 2008. The park is next to the Guthrie Theater along the riverfront and just a short walk from the restaurant, in an area that is the site of many new condo developments and warehouse loft conversions. It is nice to see buildings start to grow again on empty sites where projects had been on hold for a couple years... good to see more visible signs of recovery.

Click here to see homes currently for sale in the area around Spill the Wine at the corner of Washington and 11th Ave S in downtown Minneapolis. Please be patient while the link searches for the most current listings... click on the map to zoom in until you see icons on the dots, then pass your cursor over them for property information, click for property details. 

Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results - Email - HomesMSP.com

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Home Staging Statistics Update

Every year, the Company that I took my Staging training from publishes new statistics about Staging a home.  So I like to publish those and compare how the market is doing.  They also compare statistics of small improvement projects that can increase the value of your home without spending a lot.  Here's the stats:

Comparing to last year, 94.9% of staged homes sold in 33.6 days or less.  Non staged homes were on the market 171.2 days last year.

The Home improvements for Sellers stats are really interesting too:

Just some interesting facts that prove how important staging is and where to spend a few dollars to get a great return on that investment.

I think it's going to be a great week!  Our first grandchild is due any day!  For the past 8 months, I've been saying that she (I knew it was a girl all along) would be born on February 10th (because I thought a birthdate of 2/10/2010 was kind of cool) and that she would be 7 pounds 12 ounces....so I'm officially putting this down in writing.........we'll see!!! 

Jeri Pischke, Tender Heart Transitions - Email - Website 

How is the market shaping up?

Both buyers and sellers continue to ask how the market is doing. My experience so far this year is that I have been extremely busy working with clients getting ready to buy and sell, but although I have some sales pending I haven't been seeing a flurry of sales activity yet. I can feel it bubbling below the surface, however...I think that will change soon as buyers feel more urgency this spring because of the tax credit.

My experience so far this year was also reflected in this week's market activity report from Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors, where they reported both pending sales and new listings down slightly in January, but "not by much"...and inventory rising slightly, but "not by much".

Perhaps what stands out the most is the number of homes available for each buyer... it sits at 6.99 homes, the lowest February mark since 2006. This is good news for sellers as buyers eager to take advantage of the tax credit are getting ready for the spring buying season, which traditionally heats up after Super Bowl Sunday.

This year's buying season is expected to be skewed by three events happening this spring:

1. At the end of March the Federal Reserve is expected to end a program that has kept mortgage rates low... resulting in higher interest rates
2. FHA plans to tighten mortgage underwriting standards... impacting the about 30% of home buyers who use FHA financing
3. The homebuyer tax credit is expected to expire the end of April... meaning buyers must have a signed purchase agreement by the end of April and close by the end of June to be eligible for the $8,000 tax credit for first-time buyers and $6,500 for repeat buyers

This seems to indicate the next few months will be a popular time to buy homes. I know open house visitors last weekend seemed to be getting ready...

Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results - Email - HomesMSP.com

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Homebuyer tax credit info

The Internal Revenue Service released the new form that eligible homebuyers need to claim the first-time and move up homebuyer credit last month.  They also announced new processing requirements to help deter fraud  that has been related to the homebuyer credit.

The new form follows the major changes from November allowing an extension to the first time homebuyer credit up to $8000 and allowing move up buyers to qualify for up to $6500 also.  With the new form 5405, eligible homebuyers can begin to file their 2009 tax returns.  The biggest change to the process is that the form must be a paper return, you will not be able to electronically file your returns. 

The additional documentation requirements will be the form 5405 and a copy of the settlement statement showing all parties signatures, property address, sales price and date of purchase.  For mobile home buyers, you will need a copy of the executed retail sales contract showing the same information.  For newly constructed homes, if a settlement statement is not available, you will need a copy of the certificate of occupancy showing the owners name, property address and date.

If you are a move up homebuyer, you may want to include documentation showing your mortgage interest statements, property tax records or homeowners insurance records for a five year period. Without that information, your return may be delayed.

The IRS expects to begin processing 2009 tax returns claiming the homebuyer credit in mid-February and they are expecting the first refunds to be issued by the end of March.  If you use direct deposit, it will speed up your refund.

Be prepared to show the documentation to get your refund.  Without that information, it will delay your return and take even longer to get your money back.  This information is also available on the IRS website at www.irs.gov.    

 Leslie Vanderwerf, Advisors Mortgage - Email - Website

Wednesdays Unplugged - Pan-Seared Tuna with Ginger-Shiitake Cream Sauce

NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It's my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian 'Quote Cup' passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, and sometimes some photos of family fun. I love trying new recipes...and love getting recipes you would like to share!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"The highest reward for a person's work is not what they get for it, but what they become by it." ~ John Ruskin

How can it already be February?! We were happy to learn that our son-in-law's father, who was in Haiti at the time of the earthquake, is now safely back home in the US.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

I found this week's recipe at Epicurious.com, inspired by fresh tuna on sale last week at Byerly's. The sauce had rave reviews, and was mighty tasty but a bit salty for my taste...I would use low sodium soy sauce next time. I made the sauce first, which worked well. I hadn't cooked fresh tuna before...it cooks very quickly!

PAN-SEARED TUNA with GINGER-SHIITAKE CREAM SAUCE

recipe from Epicurious.com

• 6 6-ounce tuna steaks, each about 1 inch thick
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps sliced
• 6 tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium)
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Optional garnish - lime wedges, fresh cilantro sprigs

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Sprinkle 1 side of tuna steaks with pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Place tuna steaks, pepper side down, in hot oil and sear 2 minutes. Turn tuna over and continue cooking to desire doneness, about 2 minutes for rare. Transfer tuna to rimmed baking sheet; keep warm in oven.

Add butter, sliced green onions, cilantro, ginger and chopped garlic to same skillet and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix in mushrooms and soy sauce and simmer 30 seconds. Add whipping cream and simmer until sauce lightly coats back of spoon, about 3 minutes. Stir in lime juice. Spoon sauce onto plates; arrange tuna atop sauce. Garnish with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results - Email - HomesMSP.com

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Joist Hanger Installation Defects

Just a little over a year ago, I took a class put on by one of the largest manufacturers of metal brackets, Simpson Strong-Tie.   That class was a real eye opener - I realized afterwards that just about every deck that I inspect is constructed wrong.  Not all of the installation defects are major, but they're always worth pointing out.  Today I'll talk about one of the most common installation defects that I find with joist hangers in the Twin Cities - improper nails.  

You thought I was going to say missing nails, didn't you?  Too easy, too obvious.

Wrong Nails  If the wrong nails are used at a joist hanger, it won't perform as intended. To know what nails are supposed to be used, you first need to know what joist hanger you're working with.  The most common joist hanger I find on decks is a LUS28*.  This joist hanger can be used with 2x8 and 2x10 joists.  Now that I know which hanger I'm using, I can go to the Simpson Strong-Tie web site to find out what fasteners are specified.  To see the full page I'm looking at, click here.

 +

As you can see, this hanger requires 6-10d nails + 4-10d nails.  The big defect that I often find is that 10d x 1 1/2" nails are used in place of 10d nails.  If you look down on the far right column of the above chart, you'll notice only a few hangers will allow a 10d x 1 1/2 nail.  So what's the difference between the two?  Quite a bit!  The photo below shows the two next to each other.

Now here's what the nails would look like if driven in to the floor joist.  You can see that the smaller nail isn't long enough to even begin to penetrate the ledgerboard.  Click the photo for a blowup.

 

The really crazy thing about this is that the nails that are so much smaller are actually called "Joist Hanger Nails"!  They're called joist hanger nails because that's about the only thing they're good for... but they're usually not even good for that.   If you go to Home Depot and you look at their joist hanger display, you'll probably find boxes of joist hanger nails sitting with the rest of the joist hangers, and no other types of nails.  I'm pretty sure that's why these nails get used improperly so often. 

To identify these "Joist Hanger Nails", all I need to do is look at the head of the nail.  They all have a big "10" stamped on them.  Standard 10d nails don't have this.

 

How serious of a problem is this?  The manufacturer will allow these nails in to the header, but the total load will need to be reduced to 64% - a huge reduction.  The manufacturer does not allow these nails in to the joist.  I sent the manufacturer two separate emails to find out what the reduction factor would be if they were used in the joist, but after ten days, no reply.

I meant to make today's blog about all of the different defects that I find with joist hangers, but this one defect just ended up being enough for a full blog.  More on joist hanger defects later.

* Joist hangers meant to be used outdoors or in contact with treated lumber will often have "Z" at the end of the model number.  In my example, the joist hanger used for a deck would actually have a model number of LUS28Z.

Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Twin Cities Home Inspector

    

 

Free GPS Home Search App... works on any Smartphone!

I am so excited to offer this new free mobile real estate search... the search works on 95% of cell phones across all carriers... and the GPS app works on the Sprint devices, BlackBerry devices, the iPhone, and Google's Android G-1!  See a video demo... or...

Get it now! Text: HMSP To: 87778

 
While you can use this app to search many ways, I see its best use for when you are out exploring neighborhoods. With the push of a button, the GPS search feature will find the closest listings to where you are... no more need to write down an address to look up later or do a cumbersome search using your mobile browser!

Not only can you check out a specific property, if you find a neighborhood you like as you are driving around you can look up listings to see if home prices are within your range... and check out what is currently for sale.

Price, photos, property details, comparable sales are all readily available... and you can save favorite properties or quickly text them to a friend.

Whether you are searching for a home or just curious about what homes in any Twin Cities neighborhood are selling for you are going to find this app so SO COOL and easy to use!!!

 
I was out looking at homes this weekend with first-time homebuyers who were my first clients to install the app on both of their phones. They said it was quick and easy to download... and the search was surprisingly fast!

Get your free app now!  Text: HMSP To: 87778

NOTE: While this app will work on any cell phone, be sure to check what it might cost you to use if you don't have a data plan. This app is powered by Smarter Agent.

Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results - Email - HomesMSP.com

Sunday's Site - White Bear Lake, Home of the World's Original Ice Fishing Contest

NOTE: see the bottom of Sunday's Site posts for homes for sale in the area

I have talked before about how Minnesotans love their lakes, and just because frozen winter landscapes only reflect eery memories of summers on the beach doesn't mean we don't love our lakes in the winter as well. Lakes play an important role in Minnesota's sense of place. 

As I was showing homes in White Bear Lake yesterday we were re-directed away from the lake and saw signs pointing the way to 'FISHING CONTEST'.  Little did I realize at the time the significance of this event, which was part of this last weekend of the St. Paul Winter Carnival...the nation's largest and oldest winter festival.

I learned that White Bear Lake's ice fishing contest began in 1947 as the 'World's Original Ice Fishing Contest' and was featured in LIFE magazine in 1948. I searched for LIFE's aerial photo of the event featuring 2,196 fishermen to no avail. Evidently the event ended due to warm weather in the 1980's and this is the first year it is back as part of the Winter Carnival. 

 
When I stopped by at the end of the afternoon most of the fishermen had already cleared out, but they were still announcing some of the prize winners. There were over 2,000 anglers there over the course of yesterday's event, and more than $100,000 in prizes were awarded including a Grand Prize Dodge 4 x 4 Truck...the first place winner in 1947 took home a trophy and snowsuit!

There were lots of trucks on the ice and I briefly considered driving out for a closer look, then remembered getting stuck on frozen Lake Minnetonka on the opposite side of the metro years ago...and tow trucks wouldn't come on the ice to rescue us!! My husband went knocking on doors until he found a local resident willing to risk coming out with his truck to pull us out...meanwhile, our young son was patiently waiting in the car with me, quietly eating his gingerbread man.

I admit my only experience ice fishing was also years ago. My most vivid memory was of being in the midst of the echoing sound of cracking ice.  I think we caught some northern pike, also popular in White Bear Lake, where panfish and walleye are also popular catches.

Don't despair if you missed this ice fishing contest, there are plenty more to come in various locations throughout Minnesota in the the next month. Check out My Fishing Pals for Minnesota fishing tournaments throughout the year.

Click here to see homes currently for sale in the area around White Bear Lake, MN. Please be patient while the link searches for the most current listings...click on the map to zoom in until you see icons on the dots, then pass your cursor over them for property information, click for property details. 

Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results - Email - HomesMSP.com

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