Jokinen's Blog

If you love Italian food – and who doesn't? – you'll have plenty of great restaurants to choose from around Minneapolis. From eateries that serve elevated dishes to ones that focus on the tried-and-true prepared in a delicious way, you're sure to find something to please your taste buds.

Treat yourself to dinner from one of the following Italian restaurants located near Minneapolis homes for sale as well as St. Paul homes for sale, and work your way through the list for delicious meals in the weeks to come:

• Pizzeria Lola – 5557 Xerxes Ave., S. Minneapolis, MN 55410
  Pizzeria Lola is full of surprises – starting with the fact that chef/owner Ann Kim is a James Beard Award-winning chef originally from Korea. The pizza-focused neighborhood restaurant makes traditional pies like pepperoni but also serves signature pizzas like the Lady Zaza (with red sauce, kimchi, Korean sausage, serrano peppers, scallions, sesame, and soy-chili glaze). If you'd like to try one of their pizzas, the restaurant is currently open for takeout only. Hours are 4 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Sunday. Orders can be placed starting one hour before the restaurant opens.

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Home tours have stepped into a whole new world – the virtual world, that is. Our agents were among the first in our area to launch virtual showings for homes. That early commitment to keeping sellers and buyers alike moving forward has now been echoed by the rest of the industry. Virtual tours are common, and they might persist in 2021 and beyond.

Minneapolis homes for sale are some of the most desirable in North Carolina – that hasn't changed. But the right way to showcase a home's unique features has. Recent research shows that buyers taking a virtual tour have priorities a little bit different from those in a traditional walk-through.

Sellers – and their real estate agents, of course – need to adapt. Here are five big things buyers notice on virtual tours.

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Cold weather is upon us, and with the furnace running more often, our heating bills are climbing. On a budget this year? Here are a few tips for lowering your heating bill, based on what our real estate agents see in the most energy-efficient Minneapolis homes for sale.

1. Turn down the thermostat. One of the most simple ways to save money on your heating bill is to turn down the thermostat, especially when you don't need the house to stay warm. For instance, overnight and when you're at work are two times when you can turn the heat down and save some money. If you keep forgetting, you might invest in a programmable thermostat that will do it for you. Smart thermostats are also a popular feature we see in Saint Paul homes for sale.

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The fun is just beginning when the snow flies in Wayzata, Minnesota! This small community is just a short drive from the Twin Cities, making it a popular destination for outdoor adventure near these Minneapolis homes for sale and Saint Paul homes for sale. These are some of our favorite places for winter fun near Wayzata:

1. Gro Tonka Park - 17003 Prospect Pl, Wayzata, MN 55391
   Popular for family outings in all seasons, Gro Tonka Park is a cozy 15-acre park just outside Wayzata, MN. It also happens to be the city's oldest park, established in 1959, and offers picturesque walking paths and wide-open fields that provide prime sledding and snowman-building territory. But the grandest winter attraction at Gro Tonka Park is its seasonal ice skating ring, which gives families from all over the region an opportunity to don skates and take to the ice.

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Does the thought of selling your home over the holiday season intimidate you? In past years, many buyers have wondered whether selling in December is a good idea. And whether you've got Minneapolis homes for sale or Saint Paul homes for sale, it's important to time things right.

You might have heard that the market is slower at year's end; that showings can interfere with holiday plans, or even that harsh winter weather can keep buyers from your doorstep.

2020, however, brings us a winter selling season unlike any other.

In short: Not only is this the best holiday season in years to go forward with your sale, it may be the best time to sell period. A unique combination of economic factors is driving a sellers' market that's enormously favorable to your plans – like no other time in decades.

And this window of opportunity will likely close by the start of spring. What is it that makes this holiday season unique for sellers? Let's take a closer look.

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