Minneapolis Housing Market Video: April

Earth Day – April 22

Earth Day is a great reminder to think of the Earth and make good choices for the environment and your home. RIS Media offers some suggestions:

1. Increase Recycling Efforts
   


2. Use “Smart” Kitchen Supplies and Appliances



3. Store Meals in Reusable and Multi-Purpose Containers



4. Conserve the Household Water Supply

Also once you do all of that good work – you can celebrate with a free Earth Day poster, created by Minnesota-based currilcum creators LearningZoneXPress (just scroll halfway down to get the poster).

Submitted by Minnesota Real Estate Agent, Mary Rugani.

Reuse in Renovation

Did you know that construction waste makes up as much as 25-50% of the junk in landfills? According to RIS Media, that’s at last one factor that has fed into a new home improvement trend to “dismantle” as opposed to “demolish.” A related factor is local government interest in reducing that feed into landfill. Municipalities are offering cheaper or faster permits for deconstruction, rather than demolition. There are even businesses that will help the deconstruction process by recycling kitchens and other rooms for homeowners…

It might be hard to believe that homeowners would replace kitchens that are in good shape, but “they want the kitchen they want,” said Green Demolitions founder Steve Feldman. His pitch: By donating the old kitchen to his company, homeowners can save the disposal costs, plus get a tax deduction because Green Demolitions’ profits go to support addiction treatment programs.

Last year Green Demolitions sold 600 kitchens; Those who buy the old kitchens and other materials at Green Demolitions or the ReStores find discounts of 50-80%. Submitted by exclusive buyer agent, Mary Rugani.

Spring Cleaning Tips

It’s not the best part of Spring, but it feel so great once it’s done – Spring Cleaning! RIS Media has some great suggestions to sanitize your kitchen…

1. Microwave Fill a bowl with two cups water and a whole lemon, cut into slices. Place it inside and microwave for two minutes, then wipe it out with paper towels. The hot water softens food spills and the lemon cuts grease and keeps the microwave smelling fresh

2. Stove and oven Spray stove spills with an all-purpose cleaner and let stand 10 minutes for easier cleaning. Oven spills aren’t a food hazard if you regularly heat the oven to 400. Cover a fresh spill with salt until you have time to clean it.

3. Counters Clean regularly with an all-purpose cleaner. Spray with a weak bleach solution and air-dry if needed.

4. Dishes and dishwashers If you hand-wash dishes, be sure to air-dry them in a rack as dirty or wet dish towels can recontaminate clean dishes. To reduce soap buildup in a dishwasher, occasionally fill the soap dispenser with baking soda or place a small cup of vinegar on the top shelf, then run the dishwater empty.

5. Sink, drain and faucet handle Clean regularly with household cleanser, especially after washing or rinsing raw meat. Don’t forget to clean the faucet handle.

6. Refrigerator Every day, wipe down the handles, including the underside. Every week, throw out anything that’s past its date or shows age. Every three to six months, empty shelves and clean the inside with 1/4 cup baking soda in one quart warm water, then spray with a bleach solution and air-dry. Remove drawers and clean under them. Before you return the food, wipe jars to remove drips. Clean the rubber gasket inside the door to ensure a tight seal. Vacuum the coils in the back and empty and clean the drip pan if necessary.

7. Pet bowls Find a place besides the kitchen to clean turtle or frog habitats and empty pet bowls, or clean and sanitize the sink before you start washing fresh food.

8. Cutting boards Most scientists believe wooden cutting boards are safest, as long as they are kept clean, sanitized and dry. Studies have shown wood hampers bacteria growth, while bacteria thrive in scars on plastic. Either way, keep them clean by running them through the dishwasher, or sanitize by spritzing with a weak bleach solution. Always change boards or clean with soapy water after preparing raw food—even vegetables. They grow in dirt, after all.

9. Sponges and dish towels Change dish towels daily, or more often if they’re wet or dirty. You can microwave a wet sponge for two minutes, but the time varies depending on the power of the microwave (and if the sponge is dry, it could catch fire). Instead, put sponges on the top rack of the dishwasher at the end of every day.

10. Cross-contamination You know you’re not supposed to put cooked food on the same surface you used for raw food. But it’s not just a problem with cutting boards. You touch all kinds of things while you’re handling raw food: Salt and pepper shakers, cabinet handles, etc. Pay attention to what you touch so you can wipe things down. Tip: It’s not necessary to rinse raw meat and chicken—it just spreads bacteria.

Submitted by Minnesota Real Estate Agent, Mary Rugani

Gardening Tips

Spring is here, you can finally feel it in the air. RIS Media has some helpful tips for reviving the garden. It’s a great way to enjoy the good weather and show off that nice home of yours.

• Pruning - For early blooming shrubs such as forsythia and viburnum, prune them as soon as blooms have passed. Early spring is also an ideal time to prune your roses.


• Deadheading - Remove spent flowers from bulbs, but leave the rest of the plant as is for the time being.


• Weeding - Pull weeds from your beds and borders before they have a chance to take hold and spread.


• Composting - Tend to your compost if it has been neglected over the winter. If you do not have a compost bin, spring is a great time to start one.


• Tools - Spring is a good time to prepare your tools for the oncoming gardening season and to make any necessary repairs or new purchases. You will be happy you have done so when summer sets in.


• Plant - Spring is a great time to add new plants to your garden. Be sure, however, that all threat of frost has past. Plant such things as trees, shrubs, hardy annuals, and summer blooming bulbs.


• Fertilize & Mulch - Fertilize and mulch beds and borders. Spring is also a good time to fertilize fruit trees. If you applied heavy winter mulch for protection from the cold, you will need to clear it away.


• Staking - Stake plants that may be prone to wind damage during the unpredictable spring weather.


• Lawn Care - Spring is the best time to start a new lawn from seed. For established lawns, you should start mowing in the spring, but don’t initially cut the grass very short for the first few times.

Submitted by exclusive buyer agent, Mary Rugani.

Buying Foreclosed Property?

While the economy does seem to be picking up – foreclosures are still a reality in many community. Some communities that had a reputaiton for being above or beyond the threat of forclosure are being hit. SO it can be a good time to pick up property cheaping and/or in a wider range of neighborhoods. RIS Media offers advice to anyone who is thinking about puying foreclosed property:

• Get it checked out by a pro.


• Don’t abandon common real-estate logic.


• Skip – or, at least, very strongly rethink – the flip.


• Go over the budget.


• Do your homework on lenders.


• See it in person.

Submitted by exclusive buyer agent, Mary Rugani.

Watch Your Email

Several large companies’ customer lists were compromised over the weekend when hackers broke into their systems and got customer email lists. The Minneapolis Star Tribune explains what is likely to happen with the addresses…

The email addresses could be used to target spam. It's also a standard tactic among online fraudsters to send emails to random people, purporting to be from a large bank and asking them to login in at a site that looks like the bank's site. Instead, the fraudulent site captures their login information and uses it to access the real account. The data breach could make these so-called "phishing" attacks more efficient, by allowing the fraudsters to target people who actually have an account with the bank.

So be warned and be careful with your email over the next few weeks and months. If you aren’t expecting email from a vendor – be wary, Even be wary if you are. When in question, call your local business contact and ask them about any suspect emails. And remember never provide private information such as account information or social security numbers via email or on a web site when you are not 110 percent the web site is authentic.

Submitted by Minneapolis Real Estate Agent, Mary Rugani.

March Real Estate Market Video