Description and Features Search Apple Valley MLS $150,000 homes and properties fast! Click Apple Valley $150,000 and Below Homes and Real Estate Instant Updates Links Apple Valley $150,000 - HomesAll Apple Valley Homes MLSAll MN Homes MLSListing Website 06/21/2010

In the weeks prior to the April 30 tax credit deadline, competition among buyers to find that perfect home was often intense.  Sellers enjoyed a steady stream of motivated buyers, all anxious to find a home to buy before the clock ran out.  Well, the race is over, and the winners may be the folks who didn't manage to find a home before April 30.  Maybe they were outbid, maybe they missed getting an offer in before another was accepted.  How terribly unfortunate for them, maybe. Now that the frenzy has subsided, there are still plenty of homes on the market with more arriving daily.  There are also fewer buyers.  Sellers may not be looking for the highest bidder, maybe they're hoping for any bidder.  At any rate, a prudent buyer and any buyer's agent worth his/her salt should be able to ... 05/17/2010

According to the Dakota County Community Development Agency, there is still funding available for their downpayment and closing cost assistance program.  There are a few qualification criteria, but they are not extremely prohibitive.  For instance, maximum annual income for a one or two person household is $83,900, and more for larger families.  This is an excellent way for a renter to move up to home ownership.  Depending on your income and the price of the home purchase, as much as $10,000 may be available to you.  For more information, contact Dakota County CDA.  For information on available homes, call me at 612-916-3033.  This is a great opportunity for an Apple Valley renter to become an Apple Valley homeowner. 04/13/2010

Are you still living in Mommy and Daddy's house?  Or, maybe you're pretending to be a grown-up and renting a place from a landlord who thinks you're still a toddler.  Maybe you like being told what to do, when to do it, and how to live.  Seems a little weird to me, but I guess it's your choice. Here's a reminder to you folks who are old enough to vote and old enough to take care of yourselves.  If you're capable of making your own decisions, you have just a couple weeks left to collect a government grant if you can really live without training wheels.  Buy your first home by April 30, and you will be rewarded for your independence with a pile of money.  For the first roughly nine months, the federal government will pay you a dollar an hour, 24/7 for a total of $8,000, just for growing u... 04/13/2010

This is a great time to buy, maybe. There is an $8,000 first time buyer tax credit waiting for just about everybody who doesn’t already own a home. Dakota County’s first time homebuyer’s assistance plan will help you make up to half of your downpayment and closing costs when you buy your first home in Apple Valley. Interest rates couldn’t be lower and can only go up from here. Home prices are near bottom. You have to buy now, maybe. Buy if you can, but don’t be reckless. Don’t let all the incentives fog the lens and lead you into a bad decision. It’s a lot harder to buy a home you can’t afford today than a few years ago. However, it’s possibly easier to buy the wrong home today. There are two final criteria that I try to get all my clients to consider before buying. No matter how long y... 04/02/2010

Government programs have largely been focused on helping homeowners avoid foreclosure.  In a real estate market that is flat or worse, many people on the edge of ownership affordability may be better off financially if they became renters.  Recent programs that contribute toward facilitating short sales may help renters in progress make the transition while softening the impact on the market. It will, however, do little if anything to stimulate it. The market will not reignite until people who are not struggling with maintaining their present home, who can easily make their monthly payments, and who want to move up can actually do it.  Millions of Americans are comfortably making their mortgage payments and desperately want to trade up to a bigger, better, more expensive home.  They are... 03/26/2010

  The first Greenleaf homes were built by Orrin Thompson forty years ago.  Even in 1970, it was apparent that this well-planned subdivision was destined to become one of the most afordable and desirable neighborhoods in Apple Valley.  Greenleaf is nestled among mature oak trees, hills and ponds.  With the progressive planning expertise of the developers, the subdivision boasts quiet, winding streets and acres of neighborhood parks.  Other than the fact that the trees have grown considerably, almost nothing has changed in this traditional hamlet, a “poster child” for family values. The neighborhood has improved as it has matured.  Many of today’s residents are second generation, having grown up in Greenleaf and choosing not to leave.  Great schools, proximity to shopping, entertainment, ... 03/24/2010

Down payment assistance is available for first time Apple Valley home buyers and others who have not owned a home for at least three years.  This program is made available through the Dakota County Community Development Agency, and it provides financial resources to make your home purchase successful.  The program is not available to everyone.  There are credit score and maximum income requirements, and there is a mandatory attendance in the Homestretch Homebuyer Education Program.  Topics covered include: Budgeting and Credit Issues, Financing and Qualifying for a Home, Shopping for a Home, The Purchase Process, Closing on a Home and Life as a Homeowner.  It is a worthwhile effort and I recommend it to all prospective home buyers. If you are thinking about buying a home in the next yea... 03/16/2010

So far, you have always lived in someone else's house.  First, you lived with Mom and Dad.  "As long as you are living under my roof, you will follow my rules!"  Remember that? Then you became independent, went to school, then joined the full time workforce.  You moved from Mom and Dad's place to a dorm to an apartment.  How was your independence and adulthood welcomed?  "As long as you live under my roof, you will follow my rules!"  Kind of nostalgic, isn't it?  That's no way for an adult to live. Even the government knows that it's time for you to take off the training wheels.  They're offering a bonus to anyone who fires their landlord and gets their own place.  Washington is offering you a dollar an hour, every hour 24/7 for the first 333 days you live in your new home, just for tel... 02/18/2010

We don't know for certain, but there's a good chance that your landlord is home counting the money you paid him.  Right now, he may even be planning how to get even more from you next year, and the year after.  Landlords aren't necessary bad people.  They just want to make a big profit like everyone who's in business.  Your rent payment helps the landlord in several ways.  You are helping him pay off the mortgage on the property he owns.  That increases his equity in the building and helps him continue to build wealth.  Thank you.  Your rent helps him pay the interest on the loan you are helping him pay off too.  He gets to write off the interest you pay on his behalf, along with the property taxes.  Your rent payments make it possible for the landlord to get lots of tax benefits.  Than... 02/14/2010

Olympian Lindsey Vonn was raised in Apple Valley, MN, where she lived while learning to ski.  Her original training site was Buck Hill,  located within the boundaries of the Apple Valley High School attendance area in the city of Burnsville. Lindsey began her racing career on the Buck Hill Ski Racing Team before moving to Colorado.  Some news organizations describe Buck Hill as a "bump with only a tow rope."  That is not totally accurate.  There were several chair lifts at Buck hill long before Lindsey was born, and the "bump" was good enough to produce numerous competitive skiers.  The first time I stood on top of Buck Hill, it did feel a bit like standing on the hood of my car.  It is a bump, albeit a very productive and popular bump.   Best wishes to Apple Valley's Favorite Daughter.... 02/14/2010

If you are like hundreds of thousands of renters, your lease ends sometime between the end of April and the end of June.  The landlord (God love him) wants two months notice of intent to renew or not.  It’s time to make the annual decision, rent another year or move on with your life and buy something. Owning your home truly has economic advantages.  However, it is not merely an economic investment.  Sure, you will build equity by owing a little less every time you make a monthly payment.  You may pay less income tax by itemizing the real estate tax and mortgage interest expense that makes up such a large part of the monthly payment. Your home’s value may increase, giving you a positive return if you ever decide to go back to renting.  Yeah, sure you will. The real investment value lies... 02/07/2010

 The principal residence mortgage interest tax deduction in its present form rewards homeowners with low equity in their homes.   Homeowners with little or no debt are paying a disproportionate share of taxes because they are acting responsibly.  Tax policy should be adjusted to give all homeowners a credit, not just those who have incurred debt.  We are somehow deluding ourselves into thinking that tax policy that encourages debt somehow encourages home ownership.  Actually, it just helps banks. My proposal is that a tax credit of 1% of the purchase price of the home be given to all homeowners, annually, for as long as they own their home.  In a year when a homeowner sells and buys, credit could be claimed for both homes, an incentive to move up/down.  A credit of this type would be an... 02/05/2010

If you want to make a difference, if you want your voice heard, you will never speak louder or with more proportional import than at your precinct caucus.  If you love politics, hate politics, or just want to witness the way Minnesota political parties work, don’t miss this opportunity. Attendance at caucuses separates the folks who just want to complain about the system from those who genuinely want to influence it. Of the six political parties registered with the state, four will conduct their caucuses Tuesday evening at either 6:30 or 7:00 PM.  At that time, along with your neighbors, you will be able to select delegates to the district convention.  You, like all other caucus attending voters, will have an opportunity to be elected as a delegate.  You can also propose resolutions tha... 01/31/2010

  We conduct stress tests on home listings that have gone out of contract without a sale.  If you want to know why your home failed to sell, contact us now to schedule a comprehensive analysis.    Just about everybody knows that there are a lot more homes for sale in Apple Valley than there are buyers. When you sell real estate, you need all the help and information you can get to gain advantage over other sellers. Remember, you're not only competing with your neighbors who want to sell their homes, you're also competing with foreclosures and short sale offerings. If you have tried to sell your home and came up with nothing but an expired listing contract, you probably need our help. All members of our group are licensed real estate professionals with years of experience in cross-indust... 01/23/2010

According to the Associated Press  on January 8, a book that I bought in the seventies has erorrs that could hurt me.  Apparently, Sunset Home Repairs, and a number of other books have incorrect wiring diagrams that could cause me electrical shock.  By the grace of God, I and all others who have owned this book since 1975 have all avoided reportable harm.  I wonder how long they will take to find and recall defective butter churns.   01/14/2010

It's indisputable that all dwellings should have a method for detecting and warning residents of the presence of CO or other dangerous gases.  There is one thing that some folks may not know about the detection devices. A few years ago, one of our dogs became afraid to enter her crate.  Blaze had been quite comfortable in it for the first twelve years of her life.  It was where she went to nap, with door open, and likewise overnight.  She always headed to her crate when I was going to leave the house, probably because she was consistently rewarded with a treat.    Now, no matter what we did to encourage her, she would not enter her crate.  One evening, our other dog decided to use Blaze's crate and settled in while I was watching a baseball game on the TV.  A few minutes later, the CO/e... 12/30/2009

Here are the final sales numbers for home sales in Apple Valley, MN for October 09; Apple Valley, MN Oct. Oct Oct Entire Year Entire Year Entire Year Dakota County 2008 2009 Change 2008 2009 Change New Listings 116 110 -5.2 1390 1165 -16.2 Closed Sales 58 95 63.8 571 658 15.2 Median Sales Price 189000 177800 -5.9 209150 170500 -18.5 Avg.Sales Price 202838 200432 -1.2 230977 193188 -16.4 % of original list price 92.1 95.9 4.1 93.5 93.7 0.2 Avg. DOM 130 138 5.9 142 138 2.5 Single family inventory 230 156 -32.2       T/H-Condo Inventory 28 158 -38.8         Kenden Post-CDPE, SFR, ePro Coldwell Banker Burnet-Apple Valley, Minnesota www.OurFirstMinnesotaHome.com Kenden@KendenPost.com (o)952-997-1960, (f)952-997-8810, (c)612-310-6304        Do you know anyone facing foreclosure? You do have o... 12/06/2009

A lot has been said about the economic benefits of owning a home over renting.  Tax savings, possible appreciation, equity buildup, and relatively stable monthly payment amounts are all good reasons to buy.  The same is true for the increased benefits to homeowners who move up to a nicer, larger, maybe newer home.  These are all valid reasons to buy a home today, and they will remain valid any time in the future. There is a more immediate, more perishable benefit from buying.  Simply put, you can't get back lost time, and that is the most important reason to buy now.  Apartments are temporary living conditions.  You are a paying "guest" of your landlord.  You are subject to your landlord's rules of living.  You can't behave, decorate, or make physical changes that do not conform to your... 12/03/2009

As the recession comes to an end and the economy begins to regain its strength, now more than ever is a great time to be in the market to buy a home.  There are several factors that make now a great time to acquire property, but we will specifically talk about 4 key factors.  These factors include low median home prices, rock bottom interest rates, available tax credits and investment opportunities! 1.  Low Median Home Prices  With the free fall of home prices over the last 3 to 4 years and a large number of distressed properties hitting the market, some areas of the U.S. are seeing the median home prices as low as they were in 1997.  As the prices start to flatten, many economist believe that the roughest parts of the real estate road have been passed and that prices could start to reb... 11/10/2009