As teabaggers gathered for protests on Saturday, a young activist addressed a small crowd of 40 people in Minneapolis. Robert Erickson (an alias) called on the outspoken protesters to end illegal immigration and the problems associated with it: theft, murder and small pox.

Small pox?

In the video, the teabaggers–unaware of Erickson’s motives–cheer as he seeks to rid the U.S. of European immigrants. “I don’t care if they are Polish, Irish, English, Italian, or Norwegian! European immigrants are responsible for the most violent and heinous crimes in the history of the world, including genocide and slavery! It’s time to restore the sovereignty of people native to this land!”

In the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, the first time home buyer’s credit in effect for much of 2009 effectively stimulated home buying in this year, even though only 6% of first time buyers said the credit was the definitive thing that encouraged them to purchase. According to a recent National Association of Realtors (NAR) survey, housing prices and interest rates were cited as more powerful factors, but along with the credit, the combination was irresistible to many buyers. What happened in many areas was that the stimulus to housing was uneven, so lower priced homes have depleted inventories, while more costly ones sit unsold.

The Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors colorfully described this in the recent edition of the Monthly Skinny: “Lower priced home sold like hotcakes, while higher priced ones moved like popsicles in January.”

The actual numbers match the flair of the Skinny:

Homes under $120,000 up 114.%
$120,000-150,000 up 52.9%
$150 ,000 – 190,000 up 10%
$190,000 – 250,000 down 7.5%
$250,000 – 300,000 down 10.4%
$300,000 – 500,000 down 14.9%
$500,000 – 1 million down 26.1%
$1 million – above down 36.7%

This situation reflects the basic economics of first time buyers who are often just starting out in their careers: they tend to buy homes priced under $200,000. In Minneapolis-St. Paul, local housing experts agree that sales increase over last year were due to first time buyer activity. For example, in October, the 4,500 signed agreement were up 34% since this time last year – the 16th month of year-over-year rising sales. The result is that inventories of lower priced homes are depleted.

Given those dynamics, a credit just for first timers wouldn’t have done much more to jumpstart housing had not repeat buyers been put in the equation this time around. Typically, people outgrow their starter homes and they want to move up. The $6,500 incentive for repeat buyers who are likely to buy homes at higher price points is expected to create a new pool of homes priced for first time buyers and start moving housing at higher price points.

The credit does not require repeat buyers to purchase a more expensive home, so theoretically, some repeat buyers might be in competition for some of the same houses as first time buyers. A smaller home appropriate for empty nesters will not necessarily be cheaper though, so hopefully most repeat buyers will be shopping at higher price points and finding great deals on homes that are still priced lower than a few years ago. The credit does not require an owner to sell his home; he could turn it into a rental and buy a new permanent residence. Since many first time buyers already took advantage of the credit last time, the new credit will still work to reduce inventories of higher priced homes and stabilize that part of the market.

First time buyer who still want to buy may be faced with dilemma. Unless the stock of homes for first time increases, would-be buyers will be faced with several choices:

• Buy a more costly home. This is not a workable option for most new buyers, as it could put their payment into the unaffordable range. Some buyers have bought homes with friends or family members to increase their buying power, but most people prefer to house their nuclear family
• Wait for an appropriate home to become available – and possibly become entangled in a bidding war for it.
• Settle for a home that is not really what they want
• Wait for the newest round of bank owned homes to hit the market. These homes tend to be priced at market value or below, but the ones with most attractive prices either need a lot of costly work or are snapped up by investors.
• Put off buying and miss the credit.

The best thing a buyer can do right now is hook up with an experienced real estate agent, such as one from the Ashworth Team. The agent can’t pull the perfect house out of a hat, but a good agent who knows the market can be a useful ally in finding a workable house in an area the buyer hadn’t considered or in being on the lookout for a newly-available house the buyer would like. The agent can also be a sounding board for a buyer considering a distressed property or one that might be a step above their normal affordability.

If you are thinking of buying a home in the Minneapolis / St. Paul area, give us a call. We can help you figure out what is affordable and then help you find a great house in line with your budget and your lifestyle as well as familiarize you with the fine points of the credit for first time homebuyers and repeat homebuyers.. We would love to earn your business!

Tony and Lori Ashworth952-997-8899

Mary Anne Hobbs rode out a recent US tour in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and 507projex was on scene to document the dubstep wobblemare at hand during her last show in the States.  Large thanks going out to TC Dubstep for bringing her through!

If you are looking for a special handmade gift,

check out this great work by local lady artists.

Holiday Art Sale

featuring

Pottery by Lesley Witt

Jewelry by Connie Kuhnz

& Purses created by Molly Diers.

Here is Molly as my lovely assistant.  Although it looks like she thinks the whole event is verging on catastrophe.

Saturday December 5th

10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

& Sunday December 6th

Noon – 4:00 PM

Molly Made

Peek at Molly’s handmade purses at mollymadepurses.blogspot.com

Horse Hair Pottery by Lesley Witt

“The horse hair firing method is taken from the Native Americans who used this technique to honor a favorite horse or celebrate the birth of a horse.

I start by throwing my shape on the wheel. Once the piece is trimmed and dried, I coat it with many layers of terra sigillata, a slip of extremely fine clay particles. A hand buffing with a cloth creates a  glassy sheen. The piece is first bisque fired to 1900 degrees. Allowed to cool, the pot is then brought back to the kiln and refired to 1000 degrees.  At peak temperature, the hot piece is removed and I apply the horse hair by hand. The cinging hair on the heated surface creates the distinct look without the use of any glaze.”

For more information about the sale, contact lesleywitt@hotmail.com.

Fun show last night at First Ave and 7th St. Entry last night for those who missed it. There was a festive feel to the night as you walked back between the main room and the Entry, almost like it was a summer block party (which was definitely welcome as the days get colder and summer seems less and less like a reality in Minnesota but more like some half-remembered dream). Highlights of the night were Gospel Gossip who opened the main room with covers of “Left of the Dial” and “Can’t Hardly Wait” along with a couple others and John Swardson in the Entry who I arrived in time to hear playing Hüsker Dü’s “Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill” followed by The Replacements’ “The Ledge.” And hello to everyone I talked to at the show!

It was a pleasure to shoot this wedding for a couple of great friends from college.  I have known Tera & Eddie for 4 years now, and it is easy to see why they get along with each other so well, they are both caring and genuinely fun-loving people to be around.  Congratulations you guys!

~Dan

Beth and Bill traveled from their home in Maryland to Minneapolis to exchange their vows in the elegant Semple Mansion.

This stunning couple exudes a great sense of style, grace, and humor.

Consequently, we had an easy time getting some wonderful photos.

I recall the sender of that text message but not its content. At the time, the words were probably significant.

Gamini - Minneapolis

If you happen to live in Minneapolis and are looking for something to do on the Friday after Thanksgiving, head on down to First Avenue where they’re putting on a tribute show to commemorate both the 25th Anniversary of Let It Be and the paperback release of Jim Walsh’s The Replacements: All Over But the Shouting. Along with nearly two dozen bands and a countless covers, the night also promises a song-by-song recreation of Let It Be sung by a bevy of vocalists. For more information, here’s the link.

Yesterday (Thanksgiving), I went to work to check on everything and make sure everything was running smooth, which it was.  Our hotel is full and they were so behaved yesterday and had tuns of fun playing on Thanksgiving.   I spent about 6 hours with the dogs yesterday and enjoyed every minute of it, and I know that the dogs did as well.  On the holidays, we are closed for drop off and pick up, but for the dogs staying over it is just a regular day of play.  Many other boarding places in the Twin Cities have ver limited play hours on holidays, and we did not think this was fair for the dogs (or the customers, since you are paying for it).  We would much rather pay our staff a little more, and make it a regular day for the dogs.  Yesterday,  Ash, one of our managers brought out the bubbles and Jackaroo really got into the fun!  Watch the video below.

We’ve had two fun visits to The Walker in November. First we went to the Dan Graham show on the first Saturday, which is always a good kid’s day. Sadly we missed the Suicide Commandoes because I went to a conference with the Twin City Media Alliance. The conference was good – but the Suicide Commandoes would have been good too.

Back to what we did do – Dan Graham is very modern art. He uses plastics, perspectives and a video from Minor Threat circa 1983; sadly not filmed in the Twin Cities, but still fun to watch. Actually one work I really liked was installed in a small room; on one walk you could see a video of someone rolling down the hill holding a video camera; on the other wall you could see what was being videotaped.

Despite the fact that it was November in Minnesota, it was also a great day to visit the sculpture garden. So we walked around there too.

A couple of weeks later, Patrick and I went back for the After Hours show – where they gave a sneak preview of the benches and binoculars exhibit. Even Patrick liked the new exhibit, which was really lots of classic Walker pieces all posted in one very tall room. It included the Chuck Close face, which I think is the most classically Walker piece ever. Except of course for the talking dolphin, which they are taking down. That’s the family favorite exhibit. In fact I’ve started a “Dave the Dolphin” Facebook group you can join if you too love the Dolphin. I read where they were talking it down mid-December – but someone at the museum said February.

Anyways the After Hours was a lot of fun – great people watching. We saw a fun band. I tried a new cocktail, which really reminded me that I’m a beer girl.

Selecting coordinating furnishings is a fun task. I love to mix and match stripes, florals and solids–just remember to use complementary colors in the same family.

Play with varying patterns to achieve an interesting balance! 

For a dramatic look, choose opposite colors on color color wheel–lavender and lime, red and green, white and black, etc…

The possibilities are endless!

Check out Minneapolis musician Chris Koza’s catchy track, “Adjust” off his most recent album The Dark Delirious Morning. Actually, just check out the whole album while you’re at it. Spice up these dreary November days.

I am a xenophile, and so being asked to document an event from a culture other than my own is a no-brainer.  Although, neither Adam and I speak Vietnamese, we had a terrific time capturing the love between Evelyn and Hai.  And it seems love really needs no translation.

We met with this beautiful couple a week before their Window’s on Minnesota wedding, to take some time for pictures. Scheduling a separate day for a photo shoot is a great way to really get some awesome pictures!

We highly recommend scheduling a couple’s portrait session.

The couple decided on shooting at the Landmark Center in St. Paul, on the streets of downtown, and at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

Today we spent most of the day making sure everything is ready for the Thanksgiving weekend.  Our hotel is full and we went through today to make sure everything was in place for all of the dogs checking in.  If you are looking for boarding between now and January 1st make sure to make a reservation ASAP, since we fill up fast.

Are you on our email list?  Did you get the email with our Black Friday deals?  If not, they are on our daycare page.  These deals are good on Friday, only.

In the picture, are Duncan (mastiff) and Mila (Australian Sheppard mix).  They took some time out from playing to rest next to each other.

Have a good night.

The Ninijanisag Drum Group from the Ain Dah Yung Center was a moving highlight from last year’s memorial service. We are thrilled that they will be returning this year and will open the service.

Full event details.

Ain Dah Yung, which means “Our Home” in the Ojibwe language, is a culturally based organization whose mission is to strengthen American Indian youth and families.

Ain Dah Yung has been serving the community since 1991 and their programs include an emergency shelter (for youth ages 5-17), a transitional living program for youth ages 16-21 (the Beverly A. Benjamin Youth Lodge), a family counseling and mental health services program (Oyate Nawajin), and a street outreach program.

The Ninijanisag (Our Children) Program was launched in 1993 to combat the strikingly high rates of violence, chemical use and abuse, suicide, and other self-compromising behaviors among American Indian youth.

Ninijanisag teaches youth ages 10-21 problem-solving, leadership, and communication skills in a community and cultural context.

Traditional American Indian cultural activities are offered weekly and include drum and dance, sweat lodge, traditional crafts, and traditional talking circles.

Leadership opportunities include public speaking, mentoring, and planning community cultural events. The long-term impact of Ninijanisag is to provide American Indian youth with cultural and community connections to sustain them and deter them from substance abuse, crime, violent behaviors, suicidal ideations, and other self compromising behaviors.

I do not have a well-thought-out opinion to offer on this case yet, so I am simply going to point you to two good links.

The Washington Post summarizes where things stand:

Federal authorities unsealed terrorism-related charges against eight men Monday, accusing them of recruiting at least 20 young Somali Americans from Minnesota to join an extremist Islamic insurgency in Somalia.

The newly named suspects make up one of the largest suspected terrorist networks in the United States since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, analysts said. Assistant Attorney General David S. Kris said the government continues to investigate the alleged recruitment, and sources indicated that FBI and grand jury inquiries are active in San Diego, Boston and Columbus, Ohio, into the disappearance abroad of dozens of Muslim Americans since 2007.

The charges cap a year-long FBI investigation into the departures, most of them among men of Somali descent in their teens and 20s, to join al-Shabaab, an extremist group with ties to al-Qaeda.

[...]

Since the departures, U.S. officials have reached out to the Somali American community, estimated at up to 200,000 foreign-born residents and their relatives. Officials are concerned that decades of political strife in Somalia and a recent influx of younger, poorer immigrants could make them vulnerable to radical appeals.

Officials praised the cooperation they have received in their investigation of al-Shabab.

“The sole focus of our efforts in this matter has been the criminal conduct of a small number of mainly Somali American individuals and not the broader Somali American community itself, which has consistently expressed deep concern about this pattern of recruitment activity in support of al-Shabab,” said Ralph S. Boelter, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis field office.

“The sad reality is that the vibrant Somali community here in Minneapolis has lost many of its sons to fighting in Somalia,” said U.S. Attorney B. Todd Jones. “These young men have been recruited to fight in a foreign war by individuals and groups using violence against government troops and civilians.”

The BBC provides further context through a portrait of several young men from Minneapolis who died while in Somalia.

Everyone obviously knows about the tragedy that occurred in Minneapolis yesterday. It’s hard for a lot of people to comprehend the state of shock the city is in following it… but it’s one of those things that no one can even begin to understand. How does a freeway bridge just collapse?

It’s something I can’t get out of my head… can’t stop thinking about. Luckily, the one friend I still hadn’t heard back from as of today finally got in touch with me at about 11 pm tonight and I can safely say all my loved ones are safe.

Last night, I stayed at work late. My phone rang at 6:30 and I was further annoyed assuming someone needed something… only to hear my sister’s voice on the other line asking me “have you heard?” My mind raced to dozens of different possibilities in those split seconds, never imagining what she was going to tell me. I told my coworker and we went into an office to check the news. We then turned around to see a cloud of smoke rising up in the distance and news helicopters already circling overhead.

Had it not been for the phone call from my sister, I wouldn’t have known she was ok and would have been frantic… knowing how often she’s on that bridge, how close it is to her apartment, etc. I stayed at work for a while longer to watch the news… and then headed to catch a bus. People walked up and down Nicollet Mall visibly in shock. Some were crying… some were pacing back and forth… others were seemingly oblivious to what had happened and simply didn’t notice. Dozens of people were gathered around the WCCO studios watching the news and I watched as people on the bus one at a time received phone calls telling them what had happened.

I got home and I started calling. I know that we were supposed to keep the cell phone use to a minimum but I had good reason to believe that any number of my friends could have been in the area due to where they live and work.

Downtown was eerie today. Strangers asked each other if their families were ok, people were especially courteous, smiled the all-knowing half-smile to comfort the people they passed on the street. People gathered around the TVs in the skyway level by the dozen… everyone with their hands over their mouths, shaking their heads, and standing wide eyed.

Throughout the day, I’ve caught myself on the verge of tears for no other reason than that it is slowly hitting me. It seems somewhat over-dramatic to feel so affected by it… it’s not like we were the victims of a terrorist attack or anything… and yet it is a numb feeling that I can’t brush off… and when I do for a few seconds, I get emotional about the devastation–and yet the resiliency–of the people of Minneapolis. More than anything, I am proud.