These are some treasures I found last weekend when I spent some time going through old files.  I found a treasure trove of marketing materials for projects that did not go as planned.   I have kept some of the marketing materials from the downtown St. Paul condo projects because they can come in handy for marketing ideas when I list a condo for resale.  

I did not have the heart to toss out the marketing pieces I found from the projects that were never built.  The builders would host these big open houses for Realtors with food and wine and they would answer our questions and send us on our way with marketing materials, business cards and price lists.  It seems like just yesterday . . .and it has been some time since I have been wined and dined by a builder. 

The past

We do have plenty of housing downtown, 65 condo type units on the market, starting at a mere $35,000 and on up to 2.8 million dollars.  I have a wonderful unit at the Rossmor that we are running a special on this week.

 I am not sure if this is really update 27 but it could be and it is up to the reader to prove me wrong.   This is 4th street E. in downtown St. Paul part of the central corridor for light rail transit. This is in front of the union depot which you can not see in the photo it is to the right. The next time I photograph this maybe there will be a train in the photo.   Maybe I shouldn't stand on the tracks?

4th street - click to make photo huge

Watching the progress of the light rail line is kind of like watching paint dry except slower.  

unit 206 Rossmor 

People do go house hunting during the holidays.  Sometimes buyers want to see homes on Christmas eve or on Christmas day.  It is sometimes hard for sellers to be ready for a showing but they should be because it is only the most motivated buyers who will be looking this weekend. 

The unit in the picture is on the market for $89,900 and it isn't really snowing inside but you knew that. 

lockboxes 2009 River Park Lofts

  
 The inventory of homes on the market in St. Paul keeps getting lower. Did you know that Realtors and analysts refer to homes for sale as inventory?  They are inventory.  

Currently there are only 53 condos on the market in downtown St. Paul and five of them have offers on them that are waiting for bank approval because they are being sold short and even though the bank does not own them the bank has to approve the offer. 

There are 15 units listed for less than 100K.  For people that want to pay more there is a 2.8 million dollar unit available at the Lowery on St. Peter street.  If that is a little to expensive there is a 1.4 million dollar unit available at River Park lofts on Wacouta street. 

There was a lot of development in the last decade downtown especially in 2002 to 2005 before that there was not a lot of housing the the downtown area.  There are still new units here and there because the housing market crashed before the new units were sold out. Many condo owners bought the units for a higher price than they can be sold for.  There are owners who would like to sell but can not afford to.  

There are bargains for buyers but there are also some units that are over priced by 30% or more. 

Also see Go Downtown For Condo Bargains and Tower of Bargains

 
Tables and chairs on 7th plaza - downtown MN

There are several churches in downtown St. Paul and most of them have steeples but this one does not.  Located on Wabasha Street in the building that used to house the Science Museum of Minnesota is the largest church of Scientology in the Midwest.  

Church of Scientology

Happy Halloween

Halloween is fun. I always enjoy it and we put some decorations up for the kids and buy a bunch of chocolate.  I expect a record number of trick or treaters this year because there are more children in the neighborhood than there have been in a decade or more.   It is nice to see them. 

The City of St. Paul has some Halloween safety advice.  I hate to link to them because they will move the link but if I am lucky it won't happen for a day to two. I think most of the Halloween events and parties were held over the weekend.  

The tradition of trick or treating in the city is alive and well. Sometimes people who live in the burbs drive their kids to the city so they can trick or treat.  The don't fool me I can tell the difference between a city kid and a suburban kid.   Be careful out there!