Jim Buchta

1 week ago | startribune.com | Jim Buchta

The latest data for the week ending April 5 showed buyers are feeling the pressure. In the Twin Cities, buyers signed 1,043 purchase agreements, nearly 20% more than last year at this time, according to the St. Paul Area Association of Realtors. Sellers, meanwhile, listed 1,534 properties, about 200 more than the week before and 8% more than the prior year.

2 weeks ago | startribune.com | Jim Buchta

Lake of the Isles The thoughtfully designed, hi-tech house replaced a much older one in 2018. The seller, an executive who is moving out of state for work, commissioned the house specifically for its prime site. "It has the most striking treetop views over Lake of the Isles and toward the downtown skyline," Regan said. "To get new construction on Lake of the Isles is a rarity." TEA2 Architects designed this home as well as the $68 million listing on Lake Minnetonka.

3 weeks ago | startribune.com | Jim Buchta

For the first time this decade, homebuyers are gaining an edge in a market sellers have commanded for years. House-hunters having slightly more time and less competition to make the biggest purchase of their lives might not seem like much. But the added leverage is perhaps a wee reward for dealing with the harsh reality of higher mortgage rates, few listings, rising insurance costs and record home prices. Or it's a sign of sellers orchestrating their own undoing.

3 weeks ago | texarkanagazette.com | Jim Buchta

For most dream-seeking retirees, moving is not on their bucket list. More than three-quarters of older American homeowners plan to stay in their current home and age in place, according to a survey by Redfin, a tech-based real estate brokerage. That's wishful thinking, said Lauren Bednar, owner of Oasis Senior Advisors. Her senior placement agency helps older adults navigate their way through the often-fraught process of downsizing their life into an age-appropriate home.

1 month ago | gmtoday.com | Jim Buchta

When a string of hurricanes ravaged the East Coast this past fall and a cluster of wildfires burned the Los Angeles area in January, tens of thousands of displaced people suddenly needed shelter. A Twin Cities-made website specializing in mid-term rentals — stays of longer than a vacation but not more than a year — hopes to help these refugees and others find temporary, but stable housing while rebuilding or searching for a permanent place.