By John Mazzara

Many urban dwellers are turning to lofts instead of condos. There are some differences between the two, however. Urban living and loft purchasers are on the rise, if only for the exquisite opportunity a loft may have compared to a condo. Owners of either a loft or a condo hold the title to their unit or space and co-own along with the rest of the loft or condo community, the lobbies, garages, security system, swimming pools and other amenities. Here are the five top reasons to buy a loft:

1. Style – Lofts for sale tend to have soaring ceilings and wide open spaces. Lofts also have lots of style and more modern finishes than a condo. Floors are often hardwood and the sense of your own original space is achieved through the purchase of a loft. You will find more stainless steel and sharp modern designs in a loft.

2. Location – Most lofts for sale are in urban areas where a developer may buy an old warehouse and turn it into loft units. These old warehouses are usually well within all the amenities any urban city or town would have to offer and are nearby or within walking distance. Many lofts for sale are also designed and built from the ground up through developers and large city and town’s revitalization programs.

3. Live and Work – While condos may only offer a home unit for residential use, lofts may permit a live and work space and some lofts for sale can be found in areas zoned specifically for this purpose. Many professionals who work at home find the large loft space ideal for the separation between living areas and work areas.

4. Appreciation – In some markets, realtors have found that lofts are appreciating at twice the rate of a traditional single-family home. This alone can add value to your loft space when you sell it.

5. Loft Conversions – Many loft builders who convert buildings into loft spaces, also invite commercial businesses such as drycleaners and small grocers to abide in the buildings. These types of loft conversions make it easier to never leave your loft building area when you seek consumer items-especially since they are close at hand.

Loft living is different than condo living. While both are usually run by an association where you must pay a monthly fee and abide by the association rules, lofts tend to be quieter due to their size and do not have as many common walls as condos do. For example, a loft may be an entire floor where condos may have two to four on one floor sharing a lot of common wall space.

Major developers are being encouraged and supported by large city and town governments to covert old spaces for loft living. Not only are developers reaping the benefits of building these loft units, the owners of the lofts are happy with the security, parking, live and work opportunities, and the proximity of all the conveniences you can expect with a loft.

If you live in an urban area and are interested in purchasing a loft, ask your Realtor for more details on lofts for sale, the amenities and how loft living works.

http://www.CondosMinneapolis.net explains condos and loft living in more detail. John Mazzara is involved with financial services in the Twin Cities, MN. Officing out of Edina, Minnesota-John is centrally located within the 7 county MN metropolitan area. John owns three separate businesses-a licensed real estate broker associate selling Minnesota real estate since 1986-affiliated with RE/MAX Associates Plus http://www.MinneapolisStPaulHomes.com , an independent CFP-certified financial planner since 1989 with an independent Minnesota financial planning firm-Financial Planning Associates and the owner of a Minnesota mortgage broker firm-Venture Development Inc-specializing in residential, commercial and investment mortgages for purchases of single family homes, investment properties and commercial property. Venture brokers FHA, VA, Conventional loans and lines of credit. If you are looking for someone to help you in the areas of real estate sales/purchase, mortgages, or and/or financial planning and insurance you should call John for a free 1 hour consultation to see if he can meet your needs. 952-929-2577. RE/MAX Associates Plus and Venture Development are located at 7300 France Ave S, Suite 410, Edina, MN 55435

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Mazzara
http://EzineArticles.com/?Five-Top-Reasons-to-Buy-a-Loft-Vs-a-Traditional-Condominium&id=2186913

By Jon West

If you’re embarking on the real estate hunt for a new home and you’re looking into the condo market, you may have encountered the term, “loft” alongside the term “condo”. Oftentimes these two terms seem interchangeable. They both refer to a single unit within a multi-unit residential building. The same rules and regulations that apply to condo strata’s and associations apply to the loft complexes as well. The key difference between a condo and a loft, is the layout. This being said, you should understand the concept behind the layout before deciding which is the better option for you.

The original type of loft unit is also known as the “hard loft”. Typically these spaces originated as an inexpensive alternative to the condo. They were old warehouses and factories converted into living spaces. Their popularity arose during the 60′s when artists in NYC’s SoHo district took to inhabiting and converting warehouse spaces. High ceilings, open spaces, exposed brick and an abundance of natural light made them the perfect creative spaces for starving artists looking for an affordable place to make their art.

These days, lofts are not necessarily the inexpensive alternative, although many architectural elements that inspired the artist’s of the 60′s create the framework for today’s loft concept. Many lofts, that are actual warehouse conversions tend to replicate or refurbish handsome warehouse features such as exposed wooden beams and brick. Other staple features that generally define a loft and separate it from a traditional condo design are high ceilings and open spaces ( many lofts do not have an enclosed bedroom).

Some lofts are constructed with a strict adherence to the original industrial look. Such lofts might include exposed plumbing, ducts and heavy timber beams, concrete flooring, masonry and/or corrugated steel walls. Many lofts built these days may not appear so raw in design. New construction constitutes much of the current loft market, and many building codes won’t always allow for such creative license in design. Nonetheless, these new lofts designs still reflect the spirit of openness and creativity that are integral to loft living.

There are some common terms associated with lofts that you should be aware of. The “hard loft”, is closest to the original loft concept with high ceilings, commercial windows, exposed columns or ductwork and no interior partitions except for the bathroom.The “raw loft” is an unfinished space, that doesn’t always include a bathroom or a sink. These are more typically sold as work/art spaces. The “soft loft”, has walls that are designed to not quite reach the height of the ceilings. Soft lofts, often have an enclosed bedroom as well as the standard enclosed bathroom. With a “moderate loft”, moderate refers to the mid priced kitchen and bathroom finishes. An “upscale loft” boasts high end kitchen and bathroom fixtures and finishes.

If you’re someone who works from home and requires an additional studio space, a loft may suit you well. Loft complexes generally have less units than many high-rise condo options. This can be a nice feature if you’re looking for a more intimate, lower density place to live. If you’re looking for the true original loft concept, you may want to find a hard loft unit. The most recent loft developments are able to offer more conventional condo-like feel, mixed in with the best elements in loft form and function. Whether or not your attracted to the key elements of openness and versatility in loft design will help you decide if a loft is the perfect choice for you, or not.

John West is a REALTOR® with expertise in the Las Vegas real estate market. For Henderson real estate listings or information on other incredible Las Vegas areas, John welcomes the opportunity to assist you.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jon_West
http://EzineArticles.com/?Loft-Logic—Is-a-Loft-The-Right-Choice-for-You?&id=1010792

EnergyStar.gov –  Check Out Energy Rebates

This is a government site that offers lots of energy saving tips as well as explains what energy saving grants or credits might be available.

Here is the latest issue of my foreclosure trends newsletter.  As you can see, the trend is not our friend, in the sense that the housing market has not recovered.  Until jobs come back and people are employed and feel safe in their employment, they will tend to avoid making a committment.

ForeclosureTrends.pdf

Besides the board of realtor sites:  http://theThing.mplsrealtor.com and market data posted elsewhere at http://www.MplsRealtor.com I have a subscription to Realty Trac.  My subscription gives me additional data about foreclosures and trends within certain zip codes.  This is in addition to my daily subscription to Finance & Commerce (a business newspaper that prints all the foreclosure information as well as very timely articles regarding the business community).  If you are looking for someone who has experience and access to information about distressed sales, we need to be working together.  Whether buyer or seller-I can help you understand the market we are in and the options and opportunities available to you.  Give me call today.

These are a couple of my newsletters that have a ton of valuable information. Go check them out.

Foreclosure Market Trends Newsletter
http://www.realtytrac.com/MarketTrends/NewsLetter.aspx?guid=131bd355-1b69-4bd1-99cd-2f0c9a936810

Real Estate Cyber Space Tips
http://www.REcyber.com/cybertips/r11627

By Kevin Curtis

New technologies continue to make business easier and more exciting than ever. The recent introduction of social media websites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are creating quite a buzz among the Real Estate community. It has never been easier to connect with people and share your listings.

Twitter provides a large chat room feel where Realtors may list properties and answer questions asked by interested parties. It also gives the Realtor a chance to connect with new lenders and real estate investors. At Twitter, people choose the people they wish to follow and create a tailored list of friends. They may also choose to un-follow certain people at any given time.

Be Honest

Create your Tweets with honesty in mind. Don’t mislead potential clients or trick them into visiting a home that isn’t what they’re looking for. A wasted trip may cost you a great lead. Home owners have become much more knowledgeable about the real estate business in the last couple of years. Mass foreclosures have taught home buyers what to look for and warning signs to avoid.

Be Brief

Twitter limits each message to 140 characters. As a Realtor, certain acronyms are used on a regular basis to describe a home. For instance when someone reads “4bed, 2.5 bth” it’s readily understood that the home has 4 bedrooms and 2 and one half bathrooms. Make the most of those acronyms while “Tweeting” your listings.

Create Curiosity

Provide a city name and brief description of the home. Links to photos or videos can take up valuable space and should always be shortened by using a service like TinyURL. A properly written Tweet may look similar to this: “New Listing Minneapolis. Single Fam Home 4bed, 2bth, fenced yard, great neighborhood. Starts at $98k.” Thirty-nine more characters allow you to link to the listing on your website or photos.

This example provides valuable information for home buyers and real estate investors. They know up front that the home is an affordable single family home in Minneapolis with 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a fenced yard and a great neighborhood. Encourage your Twitter followers to ask questions and answer them promptly.

Obviously the information contained within a 140 character message isn’t going to provide all of the information buyers are looking for. Engage in conversation via tweets with followers. Really get to know what they’re looking for in a home so you can effectively tweet about listings they may be interested in.

Tweet Open Houses

Any time you have an open house, Tweet about it. Let your followers know when you will be there so they can plan to attend and get information about the property. Every professional Realtor knows that getting the interested party to tour the home is incredibly important to sealing the deal.

Tweeting an open house should be done in much the same way as a new listing. When you tweet an open house, include the address. Make sure your followers know exactly where the home is. Interested followers will show up, especially if you’ve already created a relationship with them on Twitter.

Make Use of Media Sharing Websites

The Internet makes it possible for a variety of websites to communicate. Posting your message to multiple sites can be quite time consuming. Look for websites that offer the possibility to post to multiple communities simultaneously. For example, when you post a photo to FriendFeed or TwitPic you have the option to post it to Twitter in the same instant.

Use these services and others like them to your advantage. Don’t spam your followers with message after message, just share the important stuff. Keep a close eye on each community website you use and keep communication flowing freely. Buyers and investors enjoy building a relationship with their Realtor. Be the Realtor that provides them that opportunity.

Kevin Curtis is a licensed agent with RE/MAX Advantage Plus and The Minnesota Real Estate Team. The #1 Re/Max team in MN For 06, 07,08 & 09. Search for Minnesota and Minneapolis Real Estate at mn mls and get ongoing insights into the Minnesota Real Estate market at MinnesotaPropertiesOnline.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Curtis
http://EzineArticles.com/?Twitter-Real-Estate-Tips—Tweet-Your-Listings&id=2395798

Thinking about buying a home but don’t know where to start? Why not start by reading the home buyer hand book that we have provided below. It is a great place to start to get the information you need. When you’re ready, we would love to help you find and finance a new home.

If you’ve never visited http://www.Archive.org, you are missing a wonderful site.  From this site, you will find many resources that are out of copyright and you can download and use them as you wish.  You will find all the classics and some fun things as well.  Just for fun, I have the download of a book called “Little Gardens” which is a book about setting up a garden on a city lot.  This is just one of the MANY fun things you’ll find.  You can download and watch old music, movies, and cartoons as well.  Plan to spend some time on the site should you decide to visit, as it is very cool.  Click here to download the book Little Gardens