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Seen in the window of a few stores in the area.

No one knows how long we will be under ICE occupation.

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Many businesses are closed today as part of a protest against ICE. Stay home if you can.

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I haven’t been posting, but I want to speak out against the ICE invasion in Minnesota. We don’t know how long the masked and heavily armed federal agents will be here terrorizing our community.  The Department of Homeland Security states that it is arresting the worst of the worst in an effort to keep us safe. At the same time, crime rates here in St. Paul have been trending down for years.

We don’t know who they are arresting. They don’t have to prove that they have arrested and deported “the worst of the worst”. We see the damage done by tear gas inside a car. US citizens have been shot. Some have been detained and questioned because they have accents or brown skin. Renee Good was murdered while trying to get away from ICE.

The Murder of Renee Good looks like a hate crime. She wasn’t afraid of the ICE agent. She even smiled at him, which sent him into such a rage that he shot her 4 times. After he shot her dead, he called her a “fing Bxxx”.

It was safe here until ICE arrived.

I stand with my immigrant neighbors. I especially stand with the Somali women and children. Many are afraid to go to work or school, or even to the grocery store. Most are law-abiding US citizens.

There are many business owners, large and small,l who will not comment on anything “political” for fear they will lose business. I am not one of those business owners. Some people are “staying out of it”.  Much like the Germans, who saw the smoke and ash but had no idea what was going on. They helped make the murder of millions of Jews possible.  The silence from the leaders of large businesses in the area is deafening.

Businesses are closing. Our economy is suffering. We don’t know how long the occupation of Minnesota by the Federal government will last. It could be hours or years.

ICE should get the F##k out of Minnesota!

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The puck would scare the bravest goalie.

The building behind the puck is the best that downtown has to offer, an amazing public library. I visit often during the warmer months when I can walk or bike to the library rather than driving and spending half an hour looking for a place to park a few blocks away. The parking meters that surround the building are usually hooded and can not be used. The puck doesn’t take up a parking space, but the whole street is closed because of it.

They would never close the street in front of the Saint Paul hotel or the street in front of the Ordway or 6th street because of the buses and the Landmark Center. Last summer, walking or biking was the only way to get to the library due to all of the road work and closed streets. The librarians looked sad and bored.

I love the central library and wish that the city would make it more accessible.

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Agents in the group were discussing what they do when a home buyer wants them to write an offer that is less than the asking price. Several agents said they wouldn’t do it. Others had strategies for getting the buyer to offer more.

Agents in the group expressed righteous indignation over working with buyers who don’t want to pay full price or more. Some indicated they would refuse to write the offer.

Buyer’s agents represent home buyers. It is their job to write any offer the buyer wants to make. The agent may give the buyer advice, but in the end, the buyer is the boss. Agents who represent buyers owe the buyers obedience as they have a contract with the buyers and are working for the buyers.

A good buyer’s agent will help the buyer negotiate a lower price. As hard as it is to believe, even in a seller’s market, there is room for negotiation.

In a multiple offer situation where several buyers are making an offer on the same property, the sellers will take the best offer. Usually, the best offer is the highest offer but not always. Other terms may be important to the seller. A good buyer’s agent can find out what those terms are.

When a seller gets an offer that is too low or one that they don’t like, they can accept it, reject it, or negotiate for a better offer.

Buyers don’t know what a seller will accept until they ask, and it doesn’t hurt to ask. The owners of overpriced real estate will appreciate any offer. They won’t be getting multiple offers and the property becomes an opportunity for the buyer who isn’t afraid to go below the asking price.

Always choose a buyer’s agent who will work for you, not for themselves.

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January is National Radon Awareness Month. There is a lot of misinformation out there about radon and where it could be hiding. We can not see it or feel it or hear it but that doesn’t mean it isn’t in our homes, offices, and schools.

Homebuyers should always have a radon test as part of the home inspection.  It doesn’t matter if the next-door neighbors have tested and do not have radon or if no one knows of anyone in the neighborhood who has ever had a positive radon test.

When buying or selling a house, it is recommended to have a radon test conducted by a professional. 

Most homeowners have never tested for radon, even though it is estimated that nearly half of all Minnesota an estimated 40% of homes have elevated levels of radon.

I’ll never forget the time the real estate agent told the buyers that she had never heard of radon in the neighborhood. It just doesn’t work that way.

Radon gas can be anywhere and everywhere. Radon is a colorless and odorless gas that comes from the soil. When inhaled these fine particles can damage the lungs. Exposure to radon over a long period of time can lead to lung cancer.

The average radon level in Minnesota is more than three times higher than the U.S. radon level. This is due to our geology and how our homes are operated. Minnesota homes are closed up or heated most of the year, which can result in higher levels of radon. In Minnesota, more than two in five homes have radon levels that pose a significant health risk.

Radon can be mitigated.  Sometimes, when houses have high levels of radon in them, the sellers will agree to pay for a mitigation system.

Learn more from the Minnesota Department of Health

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For December, pending home sales were down month over month and year over year. Prices are down slightly, which is a seasonal variation. They will go up again and peak in April and May.

Mortgage interest rates remain high. There is some uncertainty in the economy, which slows home sales. People who are concerned about their jobs do not buy or sell houses.

The data used to make the table was extracted from the NorthstarMLS and is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. The numbers are for single family houses and condos in St. Paul. The data does not include rentals or commercial property.

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Season’s Greetings, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas. Pick one.

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