Vote like your life depends upon it

Posted on by Teresa Boardman

The Minnesota party primary that was held last Tuesday went pretty well considering the pandemic and all. Minnesota usually has a high voter turn out.

It is possible that voting in the general election on November 3rd will be a little more challenging. By then we may see another surge of the Coronavirus and we might be in the midst of the flu season and we could have an early blizzard or a rare subzero early November day with a windchill of -20 or maybe all of that will happen.

Fear may be used as a tool for voter suppression, but fear not because there are options and the more we plan ahead the better.

Voting early may save lives. If fewer people have to go to the polls it will be less crowded at the polls.

Have your election plan in place before the end of August. I have a plan A, B, and C because I really want to vote and I will be serving as an election judge.  Talk to friends, family, and neighbors about voting and encourage them to plan ahead.

My plan A is to use an absentee ballot. We have “no excuse” absentee voting in Minnesota. That means you don’t need a reason to order an absentee ballot. I plan to mail it back and then check to make sure it gets there and is recorded. I’ll send it back in mid-October. I may drop it off at the election office on Plato Blvd.

My plan B is to go down to the county election office no later than October 25th and vote in person.

Register to vote or check to see if you are registered or update your registration if you are registered in Minnesota but have moved to a new address. If you do not live in Minnesota try How to Vote.

If you want to vote in the November 3rd general election but do not wish to vote in person order your ballot today. 

Early in-person voting in Minnesota in the November 3, 2020, general election starts on September 18th and ends on November 2. Check your county web site for details.

You can even check to make sure your ballot was counted.

If you choose to vote by absentee ballot and are concerned about mailing your ballot back you can drop your ballot off at your county election office. I Ramsey county 90 Plato Blvd W # 160, St Paul, MN 5510.

You will see plenty of signage and know just where to drop your ballot. State law requires absentee ballots to be hand-delivered to county elections offices by 3 p.m. on Election Day or received by mail by 8 p.m. in order to be counted. Absentee ballots will not be accepted at the polls on election day but if you have an absentee ballot that has not been used you will be allowed to vote.

For any information, you could possibly want about being a Ramsey county voter see the voting information website.

2020 is the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment which gives women the right to vote. I have had people

Grandma

tell me that it only gave white women the right to vote. It wasn’t until the Voting Rights Act of that was passed on August 6, 1965 that black women were officially allowed to exercise their right to vote. Technically they are covered under the 19th amendment but as is still the case today there was voter suppression.

We shouldn’t take the right to vote for granted as so many fought for it. Both of my grandmothers voted for the first time in 1920 and every election thereafter for the rest of their lives.

 

 

Health experts are everywhere

Posted on by Teresa Boardman

It is Friday and Fridays are for fun. The novel coronavirus isn’t something to make fun of. It is drop-dead serious. Making fun of the non-medical professionals who give us health care advice is fair game.

I haven’t been sanitizing my groceries as per the famous YouTube video. Even experts do not agree on how dangerous our groceries are. I bring the groceries home and wash my hands after I take them out of my car. Then I put them away and then I wash my hands. You can handle your groceries any way you like I won’t be giving you advice.

The whole “high-risk group” thing is getting on my nerves. According to some the virus knows are old we are. People who are 64 years and 363 days old are in a lower risk group than those who are 65 years and two days old.

Medical experts like my personal hero Doctor Fauci say that underlying medical conditions can put people who are under 65 in a high-risk group. High blood pressure, also called hypertension a condition he has specifically mentioned.

Hypertension is also called the silent killer because some people who have it don’t know it. To me, that means anyone I meet could be in a “high-risk” group. I will never tell anyone they are or are not in a “high-risk” group that is way outside of my licensure as a real estate broker.

I hear people talking about who is and who isn’t in a high-risk group. I have had these non-medical experts tell me that I am in such a group while others tell me I am not.  I just smile and nod and go about my business.

There is a lot of disagreement about wearing a mask when outside and exercising. I like to ride my bike and do not wear a mask while riding because I need as much air as possible when I exert myself.

I stay at least 12 feet away from other human beings and try to stay 20 feet away.

There is conflicting information about masks. Is it others who are protected when I wear my mask or am I protected too? Doesn’t really matter. I wear my mask because the signs on the doors say that I need to wear a mask.

When I am outside I stay as far away from people who are not wearing masks as possible. In any situation where I can’t stay at least 6 feet away, I wear a mask.

Some folks wear their mask over their mouths but not over their noses. I just give them an extra 20 feet of space and cross my fingers.

I am not listening to the advice from non-medical professionals and most days I struggle to believe the conflicting advice that comes from the pros. I’ll follow the rules to the best of my ability knowing that even the pros are learning and that is all I got.

Hiring you own home inspector

Posted on by Teresa Boardman

I always recommend making an inspection contingent offer. Sometimes home buyers will skip the inspection in multiple offer situations but it isn’t the best practice.

Over the years I am noticing that it has become common for the buyer’s real estate agent to choose an inspector. I have had clients ask me to choose for them. A home inspection is an important part of the buyer’s due diligence. It is true there is some work involved in calling inspectors and scheduling the inspection but houses are expensive and so are unexpected home repairs.

If they ask which they usually do I like to give my clients a list of at least three inspectors that I can recommend. I usually recommend four or five. They are people who have a lot of experience and who have excellent communication skills. Part of an inspector’s job is to explain things to the buyers.

The inspection should be as much about understanding the house as it is about determining if it needs repairs. A good inspector will walk a buyer through turning off the power or the water.

Not all inspectors are equal. I am not a fan of the inspection franchise companies but do know a couple of good inspectors who are with the franchises.

Always choose an inspector who has a lot of experience especially if you are buying an old house. If you buy a house in St.Paul it is safe to assume that it has lead-based paint in it someplace because the houses are old.

It is fairly common to buy a house and have something in it break in the first couple of weeks or months. Start building your emergency fund today.

Houses with lead-based paint

St. Paul houes are old

Pandemic Elevator Etiquette

Posted on by Teresa Boardman

Many things have changed during the pandemic. Downtown there are signs in the elevators advising people to take separate elevators for social distancing unless they are from the same household.

There isn’t a way to social distance in an elevator. Last week while I was in an elevator going down a group of people who wanted to go up got in the elevator with me. It was a group of people who were headed to a party. They all had masks on but I am sure they don’t have a clue about the whole elevator thing.

If you need to take an elevator don’t get in it if there is already someone in it. Yes, one person per elevator does mean longer wait times for elevators and it may also save lives.

Elevators

 

July home sales by neighborhood

Posted on by Teresa Boardman

July home sales in St. Paul look kind of Juneish. Yes, I made that word up but my point is that the increase in homes for sale and sales look like what we normally see in June.

The average sales prices were higher than the average list prices in many neighborhoods. That means prices are going up not down.

The market still favors sellers. This is a great time to sell but it is still a tough time for buyers who get caught up in multiple offer situations.

The average number of days on the market is down from last month, sale prices are up. The number of new listings is up and pending sales are up too.

table of home sales data by neighborhood
July home sales by neighborhood

Real estate is local and recent data is more relevant than old news. Your uncle Fred who lives five states away and who has not bought or sold real estate in the last 20 years might be giving you bad advice.

The numbers used to make the chart were extracted from the NorthstarMLS and are deemed reliable but not guaranteed. No numbers were harmed in the process and there were gently sorted in MS Excel but never stirred.

For more local home sale data see Local market conditions and home prices

If you would like to know how much your home might sell for contact me and I’ll provide a fast free no-obligation estimate. (Also called a CMA)