St. Cloud, MN - Real Estate Blog

The e-Market Analysis is a free home value estimator in the St Cloud area.  I wish that I could cover a larger area, but I can only manually figure out estimates of home values in areas covered by the St Cloud MLS (Clearwater, Clear Lake, Becker, Foley, Rice, Avon, Albany, Cold Spring, Rockville, Richmond, Kimball, Annandale, St Stephen, St Joseph, Sauk Rapids, Sartell, Waite Park, and St Cloud).  Outside of this 15 mile circle around St Cloud, MN my effective range drops drastically.  I can sometimes get you in touch with someone locally that can help, but I can't guarantee that they have the resources to pull this off.

How does the e-Market Analysis work?

Every month I scan the MLS to get average prices on specific home amenities for specific areas.  By utilizing these prices, plus the current listing and sold prices of the best comparable properties on the St Cloud MLS, I can get a fairly accurate estimate of value.

What makes this different than other home value estimators?

1) The e-Market Analysis uses only the most current data from the St Cloud MLS for comparisons.  2) The e-Market Analysis is performed by a human to make sure that only the best comparable properties are used.  3) The e-Market Analysis can generally be delivered within a few hours of request (depending on my schedule that day).  4) For an non-viewed property analysis, it is amazingly accurate.  Granted, the specific amenities and condition of a home can move the final market value up or down accordingly.

What have I learned in doing these e-Market Analysis'?

1) I learned that many people do not want to hear the potential sales value of their home.  When I first started doing e-Market Analysis' in 2006, I had several people tell me that I was crazy and that their homes were worth thousands more.  As it turned out, there have been 8 homes that have been listed for sale with a different real estate agent after an e-Market Analysis was performed.  All ten have sold at or slightly under what the e-Market Analysis said.  They also averaged more than 6 months on the market before they sold.  If you have an e-Market Analysis performed and you feel it is inaccurate, give me a call.  If I stop at your home there might be something that I am missing.  Which brings me to my second point...

2) Some homes don't fit into boxes.  What I mean by this is that certain properties just cannot receive good numbers without being seen first.  It seems the more unique the property, the bigger the difference between the e-Market Analysis value and the actual value.

If you are interested in finding out what your home might be worth at a time of sale, visit http://www.stcloudedina.com/e-MarketAnalysis.html and I can have an e-Market Analysis out to you within a few hours.  Also, if you know of some other good value estimators available on the market, I would love to check them out.  I have tried Zillow's Zestimates before and it just doesn't have enough data to be accurate in Central Minnesota yet.

Jason Tangen, GRI - Real Estate Broker Associate with Edina Realty in St Cloud MN

www.StCloudEdina.com/blog - REAL ANSWERS for REAL ESTATE in St Cloud, MN

Posted by Jason Tangen at 08:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Attached is a copy of the Tangen Report for real estate sales and statistics in North St Cloud, South St Cloud, East St Cloud, West St Cloud, Sartell, Sauk Rapids, and Waite Park Minnesota.  Please note that this file is intended for personal knowledge.  If you are planning on using any of the information contained herein, please acknowledge its author, Jason Tangen, properly.

Download file

If you would like to view previous Tangen reports, visit http://stcloudedina.com/blog/the_tangen_report/.

If you would like me to break down the statistics for your specific neighborhood or area in Central MN, please post your request here for everyone to see and use in the future.

Jason Tangen, GRI - Real Estate Broker Associate with Edina Realty in St Cloud MN

www.StCloudEdina.com - Search real estate on the St Cloud MLS

www.StCloudEdina.com/blog - REAL ANSWERS for REAL ESTATE in St Cloud MN

Posted by Jason Tangen at 07:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Attached below is a spreadsheet breaking down all real estate sales from Sartell MN off the St Cloud MLS to aid a gentleman thinking about buying a home for his elderly mother.

Download file

Jason Tangen, GRI - Real Estate Broker Associate with Edina Realty in St Cloud MN

www.StCloudEdina.com - Search real estate in Central MN.

Posted by Jason Tangen at 07:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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I have looked back over all my old real estate files and in almost 5 years of real estate I have had two homes that I lost to other agents after I had them in contract to sell.  Both of homes went to decent agents in the area, and neither home sold.  Hmmm...  I don't want to toot my own horn, but I am pretty impressed with myself.

Maybe I should try out a new slogan...  "Not for Sale...  SOLD."

Or maybe...  "Jason, Jason, he's our man.  If he can't sell it no one can."

With real estate sales, a lot of real estate agents will tell you how many homes they've sold in a given year.  The true question is how many of the homes do they list to sell that do not sell?

When it comes to hiring a real estate agent, think about what it is that you truly want to achieve.  Do you want to have pretty pictures of your home in the Home Times magazine, or would you rather have maximum exposure on the Internet?  Do you want open houses or not?  Do you want to stay where you are or do you want to move?

It doesn't matter who you hire to sell your home, just make sure that their marketing plan fits into what you want for your home.  Nothing aggravates sellers more than expecting one thing and getting something completely different.

Jason Tangen, GRI - Real Estate Broker Associate with Edina Realty in St Cloud

www.StCloudEdina.com - Search homes for sale in St Cloud MN and surrounding areas.

JasonTangen.Point2Agent.com - More Advertising = More Results

Posted by Jason Tangen at 09:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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I am happy to say that on Monday, the mayor of Sauk Rapids (Mark Campbell) appointed me (Jason Tangen) to the Sauk Rapids Building/Housing Appeals Board.  I look forward to serving with Art Buhs, Spencer Buerkle, Randy Klug, and Kurt Schimnich on this board in the near future.

Visit the following link if have questions about the Sauk Rapids Building/Housing Appeals Board.

I encourage everyone to help/volunteer with their local government and/or civic organizations.  It is only what we do as individuals that make up our communities as a whole.

Jason Tangen, GRI - Real Estate Broker Associate with Edina Realty in St Cloud

Posted by Jason Tangen at 07:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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I am noticing a lot of people who want to "put the carriage in front of the horse" recently.  What I mean by this phrase is that there are many people who want to start looking at houses before the get pre-approved for a home purchase.

Getting pre-approved before you start looking at real estate is not only a good idea, it is something that most decent REALTORS mandate.  Why?  To be honest, we don't want to drive you all around town if a) you can't currently make a home purchase and/or b) we might be showing homes outside of your price range for a home purchase.

I can tell you that with the "credit crunch" making the whole real estate world topsy-turvy, there are a lot of good people that I could have gotten into homes a couple of years ago who can no longer purchase.  Most of the time it comes with the fact that it seems the vast majority of first time home buyers haven't saved enough money to cover even the closing costs for their new home purchase.  With most banks requiring 5% down for conventional loans and 3% down for FHA financing, this is just too much money for people who have none saved.

Don't get me wrong, I think one of the main reasons for the current state of the real estate market is that too many people have nothing at stake in their homes.  It's not to hard to understand why a person is willing to walk away from a home if they have none of their own money invested in it.  But if you make them have $10,000 or so at stake, all of a sudden they are willing to try a little harder to make their payments.  This isn't the only player in the foreclosure world and current real estate market, but it is a good piece of the puzzle.

If you don't want to end up like so many others and potentially lose your home to foreclosure, buy one that you can afford.  The best way to know what you can afford is to have a reputable lending institution give you a good pre-approval.  If you don't have someone in mind, give me a call or e-mail and I will get you in touch with some of the great lenders in the St Cloud area.  Do this before you contact a real estate professional to have them show you homes.  You can even ask the lender if they have some good real estate agents that they have worked with in the past.  Or better yet, ask them what they think about me:).

Jason Tangen, GRI - Real Estate Broker Associate with Edina Realty in St Cloud MN

http://jasontangen.edinarealty.com - Search for open houses in St Cloud, MN and surrounding areas.

www.StCloudEdinaRealty.com - Home of the e-Market Analysis (Free home value estimator)

Posted by Jason Tangen at 06:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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I would like to say "Thanks" to Cheri Carlson, PhD at Still Pointe Natural Health Center in Sartell, MN.

For any of you who know what it feels like to have your back go "out," you know what type of pain and discomfort a person can be stuck dealing with on a daily basis.

Dr. Carlson started me on a program to help develop the muscles in my back and also scheduled some regular visits to adjust my back and neck properly.

I am happy to say that it has now been over two months since I last tweaked my back.  Most of the stiffness surrounding my trouble areas has been disappearing as well.  I have never been a big believer in chiropractors, but I do feel that this program has been a great benefit to my well being.

If you would like to learn more about Cheri Calson or the staff at StillPointe Natural Health Center, visit their website at http://www.stillpointe.net/index1.html or give them a call at (320) 203-8266.  I know that I am just touching on the tip of the iceberg of what the entire staff at StillPointe Natural Health Center can do for you.

Jason Tangen, GRI - Real Estate Broker Associate with Edina Realty in St Cloud MN

www.StCloudEdina.com - Search Real Estate in St Cloud MN

www.StCloudEdina.com/blog - REAL ANSWERS for REAL ESTATE in St Cloud MN

Posted by Jason Tangen at 02:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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I had an issue the other day with one of the local builders not wanting to give lien waivers on their property.  With how many builders are suffering right now and not making payments on work completed, I think that this is something more people need to take into serious consideration when purchasing a newly built home.  More on that in a later post.

Thanks to an ill-cooperative builder, my home buyers had to change horses mid-stream and close on their new property at a different location than they had originally intended.  Their original closing was to have taken place with a friend of the family at a different title company.  Anyways, with only two business days left until closing, we changed title companies.

Brenda Roettger of Tri-County Abstract and Title Guaranty in downtown St Cloud, MN was the person tasked with finishing off the paperwork for my home buyers to close on time.  Immediately upon hearing the news of the switch she contacted everyone involved in the transaction (myself, the buyers, seller, lender, and the other title company).  With some quick moves, she tidied up all loose ends and we closed without any problems.

I have worked with Tri-County Abstract and Title Guaranty in the past and they always seem to do an outstanding job.  From their title work for closings to the outstanding customer service they provide, they are definitely one of the top notch title companies in and around the St Cloud, MN area.  To put a cherry on top of their heads, Tri-County Abstract and Guaranty is also an active member in the St Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce.

If you have any questions about Tri-County Abstract and Title Guaranty in St Cloud, MN visit their website at http://www.tricountyabstract.com/, or give them a call at (320) 253-2096.

Jason Tangen, GRI - Real Estate Broker Associate with Edina Realty in St Cloud MN

www.StCloudEdina.com - Home of the e-Market Analysis (Free Home Value Estimator)

www.jasontangen.edinarealty.com - Search homes for sale and real estate in St Cloud MN

Posted by Jason Tangen at 07:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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I would like to publicly say congratulations to the St Cloud Times for finally correcting the mistake that was their old Home Times Website.  I received a copy of a form letter this weekend regarding how the St Cloud Times will be abandoning its current real estate website and favoring a up to date, broker reciprocity website.

This new website should allow users to view all of the homes that are listed for sale on the St Cloud MLS.  I haven't seen the new format yet, but anything is better than the inaccurate data source that they had in the past.  It is so nice to see that the St Cloud Times has finally put the needs of its readers as a top priority.

If you are curious to see what the problem was with the old St Cloud Time Home Times Website, visit my prior post at: http://stcloudedina.com/blog/2007/11/searching_homes_for_sale_on_st_cloud_times_website.html

Look for the new St Cloud Times Home Times Website to launch sometime soon.

Once again, I can't say how much it impresses me that the St Cloud Times has finally stepped up and fixed their website concerning real estate for sale in St Cloud MN.  Congratulations.

Jason Tangen, GRI - Real Estate Broker Associate with Edina Realty in St Cloud MN

http://www.stcloudedina.com - Search for open houses in St Cloud and Central Minnesota.

http://jasontangen.edinarealty.com - Search real estate in St Cloud MN and surrounding areas.

http://www.stcloudedina.com/blog - REAL ANSWERS for REAL ESTATE in St Cloud MN

Posted by Jason Tangen at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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With the way that the laws are currently written for real estate, I propose this thought for people to digest.

The only person who is truly hurt by a foreclosed property is the neighbor.

I don't want to sound mean or insensitive to the home owner who has just been thrown out of their homestead, but I don't think they have it the worst.  With the current laws, the only damage to a person who has had a foreclosure in their past is a lower FICO score (credit score that can be cured in a very short period of time) and a little bit of public embarrassment.  That's it.

As for the bank's losses, they have insurance to cover them to a certain extent in most foreclosure situations.  Oops, I just found another person affected by foreclosures.  The insurance companies that cover the bank's losses.

What we are left with is the neighbors who are faced with a depressed home in their neighborhood bringing down the local values.  Most of these homes are stripped of anything of value (appliances, A/C, sometimes plumbing fixtures, lights, etc.) and left in a condition that only a mother could love.  I've walked into properties that are available because of foreclosure and been amazed at how filthy a home can become in just a year or so.  Brand new homes that appear to have 30 years worth of wear and tear.

Something to think about, what are your thoughts on this topic?

Jason Tangen, GRI - Real Estate Broker Associate with Edina Realty St Cloud

www.StCloudEdina.com - Home of the e-Market Analysis (Free Home Value Estimator)

Posted by Jason Tangen at 01:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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I read today from Realty Times a phrase that got me thinking.  The article is at: http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20080402_sandiego.htm

I believe that the articles take on real estate professionals trying to predict real estate market trends is sometimes extremely careless.  However, I also believe that some real estate professionals spend a lot of time analyzing the data that comes from their MLS systems.  These real estate agents and brokers can be extremely accurate interpreters of real estate trends for their local area.

That isn't the topic that I wanted to cover. 

What got me thinking was how long it would take until you can tell that the real estate market HAD hit its bottom.  The line from the article stated that it would at least a couple of years afterwords that someone could honestly say that the bottom HAD come for the San Diego real estate market.  How true.

Think about how long it takes (with the last 5 years removed) to show significant changes in the real estate prices.  The trend for low rates of appreciation over time (1-2%) in housing could make very easy to interpret a bottom when only a specific segment of the market picked up.  With two years of data, a person can hopefully eliminate market spikes and get a much broader picture of what the real estate market actually did.

So if you are hoping to know when the bottom is going to be, the earliest we can tell you is two years from now (if today is the bottom).  If you want a crystal ball prediction, hmmm... That will cost you $10.  No self repecting psychic would give out such valuable information for free:)!

Jason Tangen, GRI - Real Estate Broker Associate with Edina Realty St Cloud, MN

JasonTangen.EdinaRealty.com - Search real estate in St Cloud, MN and surrounding areas.

www.StCloudEdina.com/blog - REAL ANSWERS for REAL ESTATE in St Cloud MN

Posted by Jason Tangen at 08:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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