It is Friday and Fridays are for fun.  Last weekend we had a full moon.  They call it a super moon because it is closer to the earth than the moon usually is and so it is big.  Photographing it is a big deal.  Since it rained all weekend I had to photograph it from inside so that I could keep my camera from getting wet.  I chose an artists loft in Lowertown. 

Loft

mailbox on 6th street

Realtor seems to be one of the harder words to learn how to pronounce.  I have never corrected anyone for mispronouncing it because I don't correct other people.   There is not "lit" in Realtor probably because the word doesn't have an 'i' in it. 

Now that I got that off my chest I can move onto today's topic.  People call me because they want to see the homes I have for sale.  That works for me because to is my job to sell them. 

Even though it is my job to sell the homes I have for sale I don't think buyers like it when I ask questions and I do ask questions.   I ask the buyer if he/she is working with a Realtor.   If they say yes I explain whey they need to call their agent.  

Sometimes they tell me their agent is out of town, but I still tell them they need to call their agent.  Sometimes I call their agent and we talk amongst ourselves and usually when we are done the agent makes arrangements to show my listing to his/her buyers.  In general agents do not work with other agents clients and all of the rules are too complicated to explain in one blog post. 

When someone wants to see a home and they have told me that they don't have an agent I ask them if they are pre-approved for a home loan and some general questions about what kind of home they are looking for and try to determine if they are at least somewhat serious about buying a home or "just looking".  

I like the clock in lowertown

I ask these questions because I work for free and only get paid if and when someone buys a home and the sale closes.  There are people who have "real estate emergencies" at all hours and on holidays.  They don't understand that I am not providing a free public service and will even go so  far as to tell me that my what my job is and that it is my job to show them houses.  Generally I just say no to people who tell me what my job is.

I will go to hell and back for my clients.  Just ask them because I will but to get that kind of service a buyer or seller pretty much has to be my client because it is only when I work with clients that I can get paid.  Notice I used the word 'can' .  There are no guarantees and I am OK with that.   Maybe if I did not work on a 100% commission basis I would do things differently.  There are agents that will show anyone any house any time.   

Buyers who pick a 'real-it-ter' before they go house hunting will get much better service than those who do not.  If you have a job you probably understand the whole getting paid thing.  If you have a life you probably understand about how there are other things todo besides working. 

 The street improvements appear to be done on 4th street E. in lower town from the farmers to the union depot.  The street has been open to traffic in both directions since last year and the rail has been laid.  They are still working on the station and on the union depot.  I can't wait to see the depot when it is done.  

Union Depot

4th street E

 I have been using a process called HDR for my real estate photos for a couple of years now because I get an image that brings out the details. Great photography is a critical element of internet marketing.  Buyers want to see a lot of pictures.  The pictures advertise the home.  

This Rossmor loft has a wall of nine foot high windows and with the HDR imagining I can show some of what the view looks like.  This picture shows every detail including that one of the walls was partially repainted or touched up.  

Unit 206 500 Robert street N St. Paul, MN

This unit is for sale for $89,900 and is a genuine artists loft and yes pets are allowed. 

Hogs ground hogs day.  I feel like celebrating the mild winter we have had.  It has been good for business and the heating bills have been significantly lower than last years.

In November of 2010 I wrote about the hole at 5th street and Wall and then last August I showed the progress  as the Lofts at Farmers Market rose out of the ground.  The hole was supposed to be filled with these way cool lofts but then the housing market crashed.  The city owns the project and it became an apartment building.  They start at $925 for a studio and go up over $1700 for a two bedroom. 

It is nice to see a building where the hole used to be and it is a great area for housing.  One block from the light rail and across the street from the farmers market in the Lowertown neighborhood. 

260 E 5th St Saint Paul, MN 55101

Wall street entrance

You can see the reflection of the roof of the farmers market in the glass.

Near the main entrance on 5th

It is a lovely building and it fits in with the historic architecture in the immediate area and looks so muh more inviting than a large hole with a chain linked fence around it.

 We have a nice little downtown with a mix of old and new.

St. Louis Church & The Pointe

Public Skating at the Landmark Center

The skating rink it new and the landmark center is old.

Mickey's Diner

You can never have too many pictures of Mickey's diner. 

Downtown Minneapolis is pretty neat too.