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New Year, New VIBE  |  By Lianna Cotant

A space to gather.

A place to build relationships.

A lounge designed with events in mind.

Plus, beer on tap, shuffleboard, snacks and lots of cozy nooks to catch up on work. 

When I joined the VIBE team last fall, I heard rumors about the new office space, how “cool” it would be: all the amenities, the thoughtfulness put into the details, not to mention the location in the Blair Arcade. I wasn’t sure if the new space would truly live up to the hype.

I should not have doubted.

Stepping into the warm offices, filled with natural light, I love grabbing a spot in a booth where I can work and chat as agents come and go. The space is the physical embodiment of the tenants that guide VIBE:…

By now chances are you have seen a plethora of news articles painting a doom and gloom picture of the housing market. Terms like “bubble” and “crash” are plastered on every headline with comments about recessions and high interest rates. 

We are here to shed some light on the changing market, and why a good REALTOR® matters now more than ever. 

First, let us say the past few years we have been in an extremely unbalanced market. It’s been unhealthy and highly inflated, and to top it off, interest rates stayed historically low.

In the Twin Cities, we are seeing the market cool off slightly. But, it’s not all doom and gloom as one may think! We really needed some relief in the market, which appears to be shifting back to pre-pandemic conditions when…

Think of your home’s exterior like the cover of a book (yes, cheesy we know!), but the exterior and its condition set the stage for what’s inside the home. Whether you’re interested in selling this year, or just want to make some improvements for your own enjoyment, boosting your home’s curb appeal is often an easy and generally inexpensive way to make your home look nicer and perhaps even add some value!

Love your lawn

Yours doesn’t have to be putting green ready, just make sure it’s getting proper water, trimming, and care! If you have some bald or thin spots, take some time this year to give those areas some TLC, you’d be surprised how much of an impact a lush green lawn makes!

Add in some fresh landscaping

Landscaping is such a…

 It finally seems like we have rounded the corner and spring is in full swing! Now that the sun is shining and the temps are higher, you may be thinking more and more about your lawn and garden this year. While we are experts in real estate and not so much lawn maintenance, we turned to an incredible resource, the University of Minnesota Extension for some great tips and how-to’s for your lawn, landscaping, and garden. Plus, a well maintained yard will only help boost your home’s value!

What can I plant to have a more pollinator-friendly yard?

There are a few ways to accomplish this! You can turn sections of your lawn from turfgrass to a bee lawn, or you can incorporate more pollinator friendly plants into your landscaping. What’s a bee lawn you…

Here at VIBE, we pride ourselves in doing everything we can to ensure you have the best experience possible with your real estate purchases, and take it from us, who you choose to finance that purchase can make a HUGE difference.

Here are the most important insights (from a Realtor’s® perspective) about choosing a good lender, and why it really matters.

1. )  Sometimes our recommendations to work with a professional can feel like we’re pushing you in a certain direction. But as Realtors®, we are fiduciaries, which means we must operate with your best interests in mind. So when an agent recommends a few different lenders to you, chances are, they are coming pre-vetted by their personal interactions and experiences with them! 

Trust us,…

Earth Day is coming up at the end of this month, so we wanted to share some home energy efficiency tips and helpful resources!

Quick and easy energy saving tips:

• Use smart devices when you can! Installing a smart thermostat and putting your home’s temperature on a set schedule can dramatically help with energy costs. On average an Energy Star® rated smart thermostat can save homeowners approximately 8% annually on heating and cooling bills (Energystar.gov).

• Swap out all incandescent light bulbs for LED light bulbs.

• Regularly service your furnace/boiler or air conditioner to make sure they are clean and running without any issues.

• As the seasons change, change the direction of your ceiling fans. During…

Spring is sort of in the air and with spring typically comes the hottest time of the year to sell your home! As REALTORS® we see all types of different situations when it comes to getting your home ready to make its debut on the market, and of course when you go to list your home everyone seems to have an opinion about who to work with, what your home is worth, and much more. No fear! We are here to debunk some common misconceptions when listing your home.

Myth: Get in touch with a REALTOR® a week or two before listing your home.

Fact: This is actually the exact opposite of what we recommend doing, but we do understand sometimes you have to move quickly! If you aren’t under any extreme time constraints, our advice is to get in touch with your…

Last year’s article from our very own Susan Bonne was so good we're pressing the repeat button. The real estate market is even more competitive than this time last year, we knew we had to reshare these helpful and even more relevant insights! If you’re in the middle of buying a home right now, or are thinking about getting the process started - this one's for you! 

You’ve likely been hearing, from every rooftop, that we are in the hottest seller’s market in a generation. That listings are scarcer than hen’s teeth. And that buyers have to pay thousands over asking, and throw in homemade cookies, a puppy and maybe a Tesla to be the winning bid and secure a new home. Yes, it’s more than a typical real estate frenzy, and multiple offers on desirable…

Over the past few years we have seen interior design trends make some big shifts - partly due to needs changing during the pandemic. We see people tackling home renovation projects they have always really wanted to do, and have seen a strong need for more space, or more multi-use spaces.

We reached out to our friends and DIY extraordinaires (no really, they are incredible), JP and Liz, over at @therehablife and asked them what they have seen change over the past year, and what trends they are most excited about in 2022.

Photo Courtesy of @therehablife

What trends do you see fading out as we head into 2022?

Goodbye gray! (hopefully). Gray walls with white trim and all white kitchens can still be stunning, but if they're not balanced with…

Ahhhh, winter. The snow starts falling, the temperatures drop, and maybe you’re wondering what all of that means for the real estate market.

I know we are all interested to see how this winter market unfolds, coming off of one of the most aggressive and competitive real estate years in history. Traditionally, the winter is a slower season in real estate. Fewer homes go up for sale, and fewer people are out shopping for new houses. The winter season does have its own benefits though - for both buyers and sellers!

Winter Buying Benefits

Less competition against other buyers. One of the biggest benefits for buyers is that there is much less competition. Because the market has been so intense and competitive over the past year, the winter could…