Barker and Hedges Real Estate Blog

Home Staging with Pets

Home Staging Fact: Not everyone will love your pets as much as you do.  When staging, it is always recommended to remove all signs of pets from your house. Although some buyers may not mind seeing a pet or two roaming around your listing, other buyers may be bothered by the idea of living in a space previously occupied by animals. In this tough seller's market, it is important to NOT alienate any segment of the buying population. If you are selling a home and you have pets, don't be discouraged - there are techniques you can use to stage your house without giving up the pooch.
  • Keep it Clean: Vacuum and/or wash pet areas including any space in your house that your pet is free to access. Cleaning removes hair, odors, and other evidence left by your pet.
  • Condense Pet Items: Keep all pet toys, food, and leashes in one basket. If a short-notice showing is scheduled, you will only need to remove one large...

June is Home Ownership Month

For many citizens, owning a home is the very definition of American freedom and independence. Having your own home or real estate has been the American dream since before the Homestead Act. Because of how important home ownership is to Americans, June has been declared National Homeownership Month. All through the month of June, local and national organizations around the country will draw attention to the benefits of home ownership and encourage responsible home ownership. As of today, about 70 percent of Americans own their own homes at this time. According to the National Association of Realtors, this month is also the 40th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act.

On April 11, 1968 President Lyndon Johnson urged congress to approve the Fair Housing Act just one week following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a tribute to Dr. King's legacy and commitment to civil rights. One of the Act's central objectives was to prevent discrimination...

Lake Harriet And Its Bandshell

Lake Harriet is a very popular destination for Twin City residents throughout the summer time. Located in the Southwest community of Minneapolis south of Lake Calhoun and north of Minnehaha Creek, it is a part of the Chain of Lakes water system. Lake Harriet has an area of 335 acres and a maximum depth of 85 feet.

The lake was named after Harriet Lovejoy. She came to the area in 1819 with her husband, Colonel Leavenworth, and lived at Fort Snelling. The lake, and the land surrounding it, was donated to the City of Minneapolis by Colonel William S. King in 1885. Ever since that time, is has been a hub of the community.

Lake Harriet has a variety of features going for it and is a destination for recreation and relaxation. The lake itself is great for sailing and fishing. It also has two beaches for swimming. There are 3 miles of bike trails and almost 3 miles of pedestrian...

Minnesota Zoo’s Grizzly Coast Has Opened

Russia’s Grizzly Coast, the long-awaited new $30 million addition to the Minnesota Zoo, opened to visitors over the weekend. The exhibit is designed to look as though the bears could leap in amid the playful sea otters -- or even reach people, who cannot see the protective moat. In other areas, a three-quarter-inch wall of glass separates visitors from swimming bears.

In addition to grizzly bears, the new exhibit is also home to otters, wild boars, and rare Amur leopards. To meet some of the residents of the Grizzly Coast exhibit, check out this Star Tribune article.

Apple Valley’s Minnesota Zoo began 30 years ago as vast acreage and concrete. In some cases, animals were hard to see. The new exhibit is sort of a rebirth for the zoo. The zoo currently houses about 2,450 individual animals which are of 445 different species.

I hope you get the chance to check out the new exhibit at this great Twin Cities treasure!...

Minneapolis Longfellow Community Highlights

Longfellow is a community in Minneapolis comprised of five smaller neighborhoods. They are Cooper, Hiawatha, Howe, Longfellow, and Seward. The community takes its name from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who wrote about Minnesota and nearby Minnehaha Falls.

The Longfellow community is bordered by the Mississippi River to the east, as well as the city limits. The community takes full advantage of the river as green spaces and various trails wind along the shores. The light rail creating its western border. Lake Street, a main thoroughfare and commercial corridor, cuts across the upper one-third of the community and Minnehaha Park, including Minnehaha Falls and Lock and Dam Number 1, anchor the southern corner.

A transit station is conveniently located at Lake Street and Highway 55. The light rail connects the southern suburb of Bloomington and the Mall of America to downtown Minneapolis.

Hiawatha - The Hiawatha neighborhood...

Minnesota Schools Among the Best in the Nation

The excellence of Minnesota schools has been in the news lately.

First, a new study shows that Minnesota's graduation rate is among the highest in the county. The study, released Wednesday by Education Week, ranked the state's graduation rate as the ninth highest in the nation for the Class of 2005. That year is the most recent for which data is available. The state's graduation rate was 78 percent, compared with the national average of 71 percent.

States listed in the report as having the highest graduation rates, other than Minnesota, include New Jersey (83 percent), Iowa (83 percent), Wisconsin (81 percent), North Dakota (79 percent) and Pennsylvania (80 percent). Among neighboring states, only South Dakota had a lower graduation rate, at 76 percent, than Minnesota. States listed with the lowest graduation rates include Nevada (45 percent), New Mexico (54 percent), Louisiana (55 percent), South Carolina (56 percent) and Georgia (58 percent).

That’s not...

Showy Lady’s Slipper Day

Learn more about the Minnesota state flower during the second annual Showy Lady's Slipper Day this Saturday at the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary in Minneapolis.  The day starts with a discussion on gardening with native orchids and a sale of the flowers from Winsome Orchids. There will be family activities including storytelling and tours. Tours will focus on the garden's own collection of native orchids, including the yellow lady's slipper and the showy lady's slipper.

This rare orchid is difficult to grow and like very particular environments.  Since 1925, the state has regulated the collection and commercial sale of this pink-and-white blossom. The showy lady's-slipper is one of 43 orchid species native to Minnesota. Many people consider it to be the most beautiful flower in the state.

Lady's Slipper Day will also include a tour of the Quaking Bog, located across the road from the garden. There are wetland plants growing and blooming in this wetland.  Some of the...

Strange But True: North Oaks Takes on Google Maps

Leave it to a small town in Minnesota to tell Google to hit the road. Google’s Street View feature allows any Internet user to glimpse a home from the nearest road. The City of North Oaks has demanded that Google Maps remove images of its homes from the website's Street View feature.

Since the Google Maps Street View made its first appearance last spring, it has caused controversy in several cities and with the federal government. The Pentagon banned Google Maps from taking any images of military facilities. A Pittsburgh couple sued the company over images of their home taken from the private road in front of their house.

And therein lays the rub. North Oaks is in a unique situation, as its roads are privately owned by the residents and the city enforces a trespassing ordinance. It may have been the first city to request that the online search engine remove images from Google Maps. The North Oaks City Council sent a letter to Google in January asking the company to remove...

Concerned About Safety? Adopt a Vacant House!

As foreclosures in the Twin Cities add up, vacant properties pose as safety and health risks to everyone within the community.  The City of Minneapolis is taking broad measures to make all neighborhoods safer, especially those which are heavily affected by foreclosed or vacant properties.  There are also several things which neighbors can do to create as safe an environment as possible when vacant properties are present.  Minneapolis leaders are encouraging neighbors and block clubs to work together by “adopting” vacant properties which may be on the block.  If you are taking a proactive step in your community to “adopt” a vacant property, here are some things which you should keep in mind. 

  • Speak with other neighbors about combining efforts in order to work as a team observing the property.  The more people who are willing to watch it, the more likely it is that unlawful activity that...

The Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway

In 1883, landscape architect H.W.S. Cleveland envisioned a continuous “green necklace” of parkways and open space around Minneapolis. Following in the 1900’s, the links began to forming the necklace, which is now more commonly known as the Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway. Today, the Grand Rounds includes over 50 miles of parkway, bicycle and pedestrian trails around Minneapolis. Over 100 years-old, the Grand Rounds is the only designated urban Scenic Byway within the U.S. It attracts over 14 million visits each year.

However, there is a three-mile gap in the Grand Rounds located in northeast and southeast Minneapolis between St. Anthony Parkway and River Road. To fulfill Cleveland’s original vision, the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board has begun a study phase to complete the project that has been over 125 years in the making.

The study phase will incorporate community input and technical review to select a good route through which to complete the Grand...