Real Estate Snippets

Allergies

Fifty plus years my body has been allergy free.  The answer to the doctor's allergy question has always been, "No, no allergies."  Dry hands in December are a common Minnesota malady, so I availed myself of lotion in a public restroom.  Thirty minutes later red inflamed skin, itchiness, and a feeling of hot flashes was overwhelming me.  A friend who has allergies quickly drove to the drug store for good ol' Benadryl.  Twice the lotion got me.  A third time the reaction came from a popular coffee drink I've had many times before. 

The latest was a surprise.  It occurred after showing a house which smelled of some kind of perfumed spray when we entered.  It's a mystery what I touched, what I inhaled, or what touched me, but I found myself digging for the Benadryl once again as we left the showing. 

It's been my practice to recommend against potpourri, air fresheners, and perfumed sprays when listing a house in St. Paul.  There are a lot of people with allergies that may not view the house because of the allergic reaction to one of these scents.  Previously, the reason given was about other people.  Now, it's become rather personal!

St. Paul City Hall

Friday a friend and I toured the St. Paul City Hall/Ramsey County Court House at 15 West Kellogg Boulevard.  The tour was impressive.  I LIKE architecture and the impact it has on people.  I love the creativity it demonstrates.  I am amazed at the attention to detail.  I am stunned when I know the architect paid attention to rules for that architectural style and yet it doesn't look like rules ruled! 

The irony is we walk by these impressive structures every day and don't know the stories or the purpose of why they were built!  We may admire, but there were people who walked these halls that were alive when Native Americans still owned the land and when the weather could make or break your life and your fortunes.  I will never get over the concept of "If these walls could talk". 

St. Paul's City Hall was finished in 1932.  It is another example of architectural genius, but in an entirely different style from the Capitol building.   City Hall was built according to art deco "rules", so clean, crisp, dramatic lines; contrasts between light and dark; indirect lighting; and groups of three are found throughout the City Hall building.  Opulence still reigns in the materials used:  gold leaf ceilings, brass elevator doors and lights, many rare woods and marbles several of which are no longer available, and the impressive Memorial Hall and courtrooms.  It is, indeed, an example of architectural genius of another sort.

Check out the photo gallery in the right side bar to see more details about the building, or better yet, call Debbie at 651-266-8002 to arrange a tour for yourself!

Now let's see.  The Capitol, where the laws are made. . . City Hall and Ramsey County Court House, where broken laws are tried . . . maybe the next tour should be the Cathedral, where broken laws are confessed!

No Liability Insurance

TwinCities.com published by the Pioneer Press had an article today on the Minneapolis Public Schools and their lack of liability and lack of liability insurance for injury at the schools.  It seems there is an old law (1969) which they are falling back on to not accept liability for injury at schools and to not carry liability insurance.  It's a loophole that is currently being tried in court.  If the school system wins, it could set a precedent for the rest of the schools in the state.

It seems the old adage, "You can't fight City Hall" is being applied here.  If they're big enough and government enough, maybe they can get by with their actions.

That wasn't the case in Chicago when I was student teaching many years ago.  There I was instructed not to help a child on the playground if they were hurt.  Don't move them.  Don't apply CPR.  Don't apply anything but a bandage and plain water.  If they're bleeding, don't apply pressure, etc.  I was told to ignore the injured child.  I was appalled.  Everything in my inner being said I would rather be fired than neglect the assistance of a child hurt on the playground.  At the very least I would cover them and comfort them until help came.  The reasoning behind the advice I was given then was that the parents could sue, so it would be better to let the kid die than get blood on your hands. . .   Wouldn't the parents sue for NOT doing something if the child died?  The reasoning made no sense to me because it  took the humanity out of our student teacher relationships.  It removed our ability to care and would eventually deaden our feelings toward the students.

REALTORS carry extra liability insurance on their cars because they haul passengers around as part of their business.  Landlords carry extra liability insurance on their properties because someone might slip on the front step when delivering the paper.  Some dog owners carry liability insurance against dog bites.  Homeowners carry liability insurance on their homes in case someone trips on a stick in their yard.  Insurance is a standard of practice in most occupations and in home ownership.  Why should the Minneapolis school system get by without insurance?  What if the school were truly negligent and someone were seriously injured?  What if . . .

The reasoning is beyond me and it will be interesting to follow this legal action to its conclusion.

Yep, There's Snow Out There

Yep, there's snow out there.  This is the front steps after being shoveled 4 times.  Yep, looks like snow to me! 

My client decided to drive for our St. Paul house tour today because he had a Jeep which was higher off the road.  I sat in the back holding tightly to the seat as we slipped and slid our way to the two houses.  I thanked my lucky stars there were only two showings as we skidded to a stop on an unsalted corner.  I thanked my lucky stars my client was driving and not me!  It's hard enough to multi-task when driving and the weather's good, but navigating the map from the back seat is much easier. 

We were a motley crew.  Shovel in the cargo hold, snowsuits, jeans, chopper mittens, warm hunting boots.  No one would recognize us as executive and REALTOR on a house tour.   

A fellow agent held an open house.  I asked how it went.  "I spent most of the time shoveling snow." 

I thought of the Tudor home in Minneapolis that I showed in a legitimate blizzard (Today's snow was just a little inconvenience!).  My clients were able to buy the house because no one else would go out in the horrible snow.  That time, too, I showed in hunting boots and jeans with a shovel in the back.  I literally parked the Suburban in the middle of the street and we walked to the house.

So, is the mailman the only one who does his job despite rain, sleet, or snow?  I don't think so.  The real estate agents were out working today . . . on a Sunday in St. Paul's stormy weather.

Winter Storm Showings

Well, the doc said the car is all better after its surgery so I'm no longer grounded.  It's amazing what one small gasket can do to wreak havoc with an engine. 

Thanks to the trusty mechanics I now get to brave the winter storm in St. Paul and show houses tomorrow!  These particular St. Paul houses will be on a lake or have lake access.  Despite the fact that hunting boots are not the typical REALTOR attire, I think I'll wear mine for traction!

Grounded

I am grounded for the day.  My car is in jail for drinking too much . . . 12 quarts of oil in 7 days.  My husband asked the mechanic if it needed an oil change.  "Nope, it took care of that itself."

Home Sweet Home

We all have different pictures and definitions of what home sweet home is.  This blog has a really interesting story about a self-built family home that would cause most of us in St. Paul to shiver at the thought of staying through the winter.  Check out the story here.   The home particularly caught my attention because my grandfather came from Wales, and it looks like the house that Frodo lived in in the Hobbit.

Central Corridor Development

This is a picture University Avenue facing west at Rice Street in St. Paul, future home of the light rail line that will connect downtown St. Paul with downtown Minneapolis.  University Avenue has been dubbed the Central Corridor because of the proposed light rail and the revamping it will cause along its route.  Meetings are being conducted all over St. Paul to inform and convince the neighborhoods of the benefits of light rail.  Personally I'm looking forward to its presence.  Having spent some time in Chicago where the subway and "el"  system were a main stay for people moving, public transit is a long awaited improvement for me.

What I don't understand is the hullabaloo over what can or cannot be built along University because of the light rail.  The City doesn't want large sprawling big box stores with massive parking lots.  It seems there's a push for more people friendly, foot traffic friendly, community centered development.  My visual interpretation of that is development like the recent "downtown" development in Golden Valley which combined row houses with shops and city services.  There are green spaces and places to linger, park benches and coffee shops.  Most importantly, most of it is in a 4 square block area.

My main question about what is, and is not, accepted is why the neighborhood of Lexington and University rejected the Home Depot store but accepted an Aldi, a Twin City Federal set way back from University and a senior housing high rise being built almost a block from University.  The high rise completely flummoxes me.  Why was it not built next to University?  Why a block away for seniors who may have difficulty walking that distance to the light rail?  Why a huge parking lot between University and the senior high rise? 

Moving further west to the Target store, I ask the same questions?  Why set the store back from the light rail so shoppers have to walk a block to get to the store?  Why is a Super Target being rejected for that location?   If they're willing to build a  two or three story store instead of the sprawling store, will that be approved?

Further west again to Snelling and a block south of University.  Why is there an uproar about Home Depot building on that site?  The property is a vacant lot full of debris right now.  Home Depot has revised plans to build a 2 story structure with parking on the roof (!!!) to meet the city requests of people-centric instead of auto-centric businesses.  Are they going to reject Home Depot's plan when they approved Menards just 1 mile west on University? 

Menards caused 5000 more cars per day to pass through the Snelling and University intersection so the neighborhood is worried about too much traffic.  What about providing building and remodeling supplies to city residents?  What about jobs?  What about keeping shopping local instead of having to go to the suburbs to shop Home Depot? 

This is the Menards on University and Prior Avenues.
The store faces Prior.  There is no access to the store for people from the University side, not even a stairway cut into the retaining wall.  How is that people-centric?  How does this building fit the architecture and landscape of St. Paul?  How did the city address the traffic for this site before granting approval?

Too many questions and too few answers have come my way yet.  What is known for sure is that the face of University Avenue is going to change.  My hope is that someone figures out what they plan to do before the digging begins!

Suspension Architecture

One of the most unusual buildings in the world is this suspension design created for the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis by Gunnar Birkets and Associates.  The building won several architectural awards in 1974.  The two support towers on each end had 92 ton cables called catenaries (the smile in the picture above) suspended 328 feet between them to support the 11 story glass structure.  Before the remodel shown in the picture, the building was suspended two stories off the ground allowing the public to walk underneath.  The bolts holding the catenaries in place were 8 feet long!   The 11 stories above ground are only 1/3 of the finished building space as the Federal Reserve had massive vaults, secured drive through for armored vehicles, and office space below ground.  The above ground area felt like any other structure but watching the heavy steel doors closing behind a vehicle was claustrophic at best.

Asbestos and lack of maintenance almost caused demolition of the building when the Fed decided to build a new home after 25 years in this one.  Finally a willing developer took on the task and massive cost to abate the asbestos and remodel the building which has now been dubbed Marquette Plaza.  Marquette Plaza remains the only suspension building of its size in the world.

More information can be found at these sites:

City Pages, October, 1996  "Demolition on Reserve"
BizJournal, May, 1997  Buyers Set Deal for Fed Bank Building"
Archiseek Marquette Plaza, Minneapolis

The Question

Oh, man, I've been asked again, "What do you think we should do?"  Some times the answer is easy because the buyer just wants affirmation for the rejection they've already made.  Occasionally, however, that question is made by clients who have stars in their eyes and they see things in the house that are drawing them to it.  Most times the house is fine and it's just an affirmation of their choice to buy.   The tough times are when the house is not "fine" and there are warning signals of trouble throughout, but the novice buyer doesn't see the problems.

The home sandwiched between the river and a lake with parks nearby is a perfect example.  The house was a gem on the outside complete with newer roof, siding, a great yard, and a two car garage.  The minute we walked in the door trouble became apparent.  The home was "bank owned".  My first impression was filth.  That's an easy fix.  My second was, "Why did they do . . . "  By the time we had toured the house, my list of "Why did they do's" had become quite long.  There were cosmetic things that were attracting the clients, but my list of warnings was long.  Copper gas pipes had been pinched.  The tile floor had been laid on sub-floor that didn't extend all the way under the appliance spaces leaving a six inch deep by thirty inch wide hole in the floor behind each appliance.  The landing by the upper bedrooms was only a stair tread wide making a fall likely.  The soil pipe for the basement toilet appeared to be cut off in the wall.  The basement mechanicals were sunken in a cubby that was hard to access.  Pipes were disconnected from the furnace.  The list went on.

My clients described themselves as "not handy" so we went through my list.  Many of the cosmetic things were overwhelming without thinking of the expense involved in the mechanical repairs.  As we drove back to their home, the question was asked, "What do you think we should do?"   Since part of my job is to keep my clients' best interests above my own even if it means continuing to show houses, we discussed what I thought.  I ended with, "But you know, my vote doesn't count!", because in the end, it doesn't!