Apologies if this is not a post that's allowed but my fiancé and I (who are both transplants ourselves from the east and west coasts, respectively!) just bought a house in South Minneapolis, so we'll be leaving our apartment, hopefully sometime in January (preferably mid- to late-Jan).

Problem is we're likely on the hook for rent until end of February unless we find someone to take over the lease. Could that be you?

The stats:

2 bed (+1 sunroom), 1 bath, 950ish sq ft

Garage, free laundry in basement (shared with upstairs), front/backyard with porch

TBH we've had such an incredible experience living here. Rent is reasonable (can share more via DM if interested), place is super well taken care of, new appliances, great neighborhood, and a very professional landlord (this is her only property).

I know Zillow and Hotpads aren't the greatest so thought I'd throw this out there for anyone who happens to be looking. Thanks for reading, and hope you all move to Minneapolis! It's awesome!

Poached and indeed don’t seem to be used in Minnesota, so where do you guys search for or apply for jobs?

Hi! My partner and I are looking to move up to Minneapolis or St Paul from GA(with our cats). We are looking at renting a house and are very excited. If anyone has any tips on finding rentals or neighborhoods they recommend please let me know!

I see most graphic design jobs range from $50k-$60k. Assuming I get the lowest amount, can I live comfortably after other bills are paid like utilities, car insurance, groceries, gas etc.

I am hoping to find 1 bedroom apartments in Minneapolis or St. Paul no higher than $1,000 that will not be a dump or in a dangerous area. I will also be living alone so only my income will be used.

Also my version of comfort is being able to afford going out maybe once a week to a dinner and having enough to save up for other things like a vacation.

If that isn’t a decent income then what would you recommend I go no lower then?

I asked this question in Quora and only one person answered and basically said I would be raped if I moved there. I should also ask how safe is it outside of the very wealthy neighborhoods? Not like I can afford a $2,000 studio apartment that is 450 square feet just because it’s in the ‘good neighborhood’.

Hey, I'm thinking of accepting a job offer to Eden Prairie. I'm 22M, and wondering where would be a good place to live. I'll have a good income but I'd like to keep rent under 2k, and I don't want to spend an hour a day commuting. Ideally it would be somewhere with a good chance of meeting other young adults. I'm not an avid clubber or party animal, and I spent most of my time exercising, or staying in reading/watching movies, but I'm always interested in some weeknight activities plus a bar or two on the weekends. What are some suburbs or areas in West Minneapolis that are close ish to Eden Prairie that would provide what I'm looking for?

My wife is an Ethiopian immigrant and we're looking for a place to move to that has a decent Ethiopian presence. From what I'm reading online, it looks like the Twin Cities might fit that bill. Any suggestions on where we should look into or places to find other Ethiopians in the area?

Hello Minnesotians!

I currently live in Kentucky and my family is thinking about moving to MN to escape the red bullshit in the South. (We've done extensive research about states to go to so I'm not open to comments on why I shouldn't live there.) I'd love insight on good cities to live in. We'd like to be away from major cities, but not enough to be an hour away from the nearest grocery store. Employment opportunities isn't a big concern to us because we will have remote positions before moving. Thank y'all in advance :)

Hi, Im sure most of you can imagine how scared I am right now. I don’t know whats gonna happen but i know for a fact it’s only gonna get worse for me if i stay here.

I was wondering if Minneapolis or any surrounding areas offer any services or programs that provide housing and job opportunities for lgbtq and/or disabled folks? Right now i’m on disability and only make around $700 a month. I don’t have very much to my name so my only option unfortunately is to just hit the ground running. Any suggestions would help please I REALLY need to leave oklahoma.

I'm an American currently living in Vietnam and would love to bring my immigrating wife and foreign-born toddler to live in Minnesota in a couple months. I grew up in the Midwest and I think it's a great place to raise a kid! There are just a few parts of the plan that concern me, so was hoping to get some advice / reassurance. Thanks for any ideas!

I work as a software developer (2 years experience as a full-stack web dev) but the US market seems to be incredibly bad and difficult to penetrate at this time. Working as a dev in Vietnam, the standards can be pretty lax but I'm very driven to learn and improve and have a lot of experience interfacing with clients. Do you have any ideas what MN companies would be good to apply to? I studied biomedical engineering in university so was thinking that companies with ties to healthcare such as 3M, the Mayo Clinic, would be good to look into. I'm particularly interested in working on tech that involves climate change solutions, medical improvements, or social causes / education. For those who wouldn't recommend trying to pursue a dev job right now, do you have other ideas for how I can work in MN?

More generally, as my wife won't be working for at least a year when we come, would shooting for a target salary of around 100k for me be enough to us to live fairly comfortably in a larger metro area like the twin cities or not? We are naturally quite frugal so I think rent and childcare would be the main expenses. Would it be possible to find a cozy apartment to rent for a budget of around 1000 per month and childcare at least a few days per week for 1000-2000 per month?

What's the impression of Vietnamese in Minnesota? I see some places like Rochester have a large Asian population. My wife is from the north and we know American Vietnamese are usually quite anti-current government but we aren't into politics much and don't intend to argue

Is my plan to move back to the US by myself first, get a job in Minnesota and figure out renting a place, then bringing my family over feasible? I know it's a lot, but I don't want them to be in limbo when they first come here

Thanks for reading, friends

Hi there, my fiancé 27(m) and I 28 (F) are moving to the Albertville area in the middle of December ! We are coming from southern Cali, and we would love any advice from you guys🙂

Hello,

I have been living in Minnesota for the past couple of years but due to the end of a relationship I had to quickly move back to my home state. I absolutely do not believe I can live in my home state and stay in a good mental state. I need to move back to Minnesota, I just know it's where I belong. I had a job I loved there, one of my best friends is moving there in 2 months. I just am struggling to find affordable housing near where she will be in Minneapolis. I am not a student and the only options I'd be able to afford are listed as university housing... does ANYBODY have any leads or any advice on how I can get back home?

In case anyone on here is looking for a home to rent and a mom and pop landlord, we have a 3 bedroom, 1.5 bathroom home that will be available for rent in the Longfellow neighborhood! This home has never been rented before and it is our only rental property. Walkable and bike friendly location and close to bus and light rail. Detached garage, heat and A/C. Laundry room. Quiet, family-friendly neighborhood with a great sense of community. Message me for more info and photos. Thanks!

I'm beyond excited about moving to Minneapolis in April! I've been looking at groups to meet friends. I do enjoy pickleball, outdoorsy stuff, anything to do with food, and cycling, which will be exciting. The Meetup groups don't seem to have alot up there. For those who have moved there, how have you met friends?

Hello, we might be relocating from Europe to Minnesota-suburb, and we are trying to collect info on usual expenses during the month, can you help us out? If we search online it varies a lot… We are family of 4, - 6years old and 3years old, it would be only one income for now.

Housing - rent most likely, Electricity, gas, other cost related to having a house, TV, telephony, Car, insurance, gas…, Daycare, school? Weekly groceries ,

Thank you in advance

Hi!

My husband and I (33 & 40) are moving to the area in the next year. We need help narrowing down some neighborhoods that you think would be a good fit.

We like the South Minneapolis area, but it are open to other ideas. We love Linden Hills, but I’m worried there might not be enough people our age that live there. We are coming from AZ where our neighbors are all retired, so we’d like to live near younger couples with families.

We’d like a nicer home ($650k-1.5m) so budget isn’t really an issue.

• Safe neighborhood
• great area for families (parks, schools, kids activities)
• dog friendly (dog parks, trails)
• walkable to restaurants, bars and coffee shops
• near bike trails or paths
• farmers markets nearby
• ideally close to Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods

My family is relocating to the Minneapolis area within the next several months. We haven’t totally committed to a particular area but leaning toward southeast Minneapolis if we stick to the city. (Also considering a few suburban areas.) Both my kids (13 and 10) are active in theater where we currently live. We’ve been fortunate to live in a place with a thriving arts scene and multiple choices for young actors of all experience and talent levels to be on stage, not to mention strong theater programs in their schools. I’m curious if there are any options like this around the city. My google searches mostly yielded results for professional performances (adult actors) geared toward children’s audiences…which is cool but not what I’m looking for.

Anyone wanna name drop some rental management properties for me to avoid? I’ve been looking all over the Twin cities.

Also I’d take any recs on who to try and rent from too.

We’re looking for a house with a yard and a garage with no particular area in mind, so if ya have recs or advice on where to stay, pls feel free to lmk.

Hello, I (32M) am currenty struggling picking the best place to live in Minneapolis. I am still looking for a job which could obviously affect where I move. Hoping to get an interview lined up next week for a place near Normandale Lake. To be honest the area doesn't really speak to me. What does speak to me is Downtown I have an absolute love of tall buildings. I will be spending a large amount of my time riding my bike and going to the library. I have a car and not opposed to commuting up to 40 minutes with traffic. I currently live in the DC metro so I am used to it. There are so many options to choose from its really difficult to narrow it down. What I am hoping to get from this post is clarity on either the best studio apartments in the downtown area or if I should look at getting a 1 bedroom condo. Max rent is $1550 not including utilities and such. Thank you for any insight and I can't wait to move to MPLS!

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share some exciting news with you all. The First-Generation Homebuyers Community Down Payment Assistance Fund has re-opened its application process, and they're accepting applications once again.

What's New:

• A short instructional video is now available, covering who may qualify for these funds and how to navigate the approval process. https://www.firstgendpa.org/#video
• A shortened and combined industry training video has also been added to help you get up to speed.

Important Reminders:

• Don't start shopping for a home until you've been approved and issued a Fund Reservation Letter. This ensures you can shop with confidence and helps streamline the loan closing process. The approval process doesn’t allow for applying after you've signed a purchase agreement.
• Underwritten Pre-Approval Required: Make sure you have an underwritten pre-approval from your mortgage lender before applying. Desktop Underwriting won’t be accepted.

If you're interested or know someone who might benefit, be sure to follow the step-by-step instructions on their site to ensure a successful application. https://www.firstgendpa.org/

Is it possible (after the NAR Settlement) that a MN buyer's agent can be negotiated with to accept a flat fee? I don't know if they would laugh or if it is something worth trying. If not, what should I expect to pay them for a property in the 200k range?

If you could describe the vibes of the families that live in Linden Hills, King Field, Lynnhurst, and Fulton in a sentence or two, how would you?

Is one neighborhood more community focused vs individualistic? One more local and diverse? One have more families with young kids vs older kids? One have more street get togethers? LGBTQ+ families?

We are moving to Minneapolis and love specific things in each neighborhood but can only get a glimpse of the vibes during our short visits.

Hi friends!! My boyfriend and I are looking to move within half an hour from Minneapolis, any recommendations on places nearby some good movie theaters and pizza places? My boyfriend also LOVES walking trails, so we'd love a place nearby some good ones. Thank you!

Two mid 20 people moving to Minneapolis. Looking for a two bedroom apartment. I want to keep rent less than $2000/month. One dog, tea cup yorki. Roommate works in the city. I work anywhere. They want to live directly in the city. I want to live right on the outskirts of the city (example: Ventura village, not exactly that place but still like it). I also need to go to a community college to finish up some credits before I transfer to UofMN. I would appreciate thoughts. I’ve lived in Minnesota before, they haven’t. I drive my roommate so preferably don’t want to drive more than 30 minutes to get in the city since winter will double it. I also want to be close by my community college. We’ve googled as much as we can. It has now come to ask the people of reddit.

My partner and I are queer, so we're wondering about things like LGBTQ+ safety? Also, we're curious about the cost of living and the relative crime rate out there? We just want to live in a city that is relatively safe, has some new opportunities for us, and isn't so incredibly expensive just to live. Thank you for any and all responses!

Me (37F) and my husband (40M) are considering a move to the Twin Cities and looking for advice on what neighborhoods to check out!

We’d like something in a neighborhood that’s walkable. We will still have cars so can commute if necessary, but want to be able to walk to coffee shops, restaurants, etc. We don’t drink so don’t really care about nightlife/bar scene.

We’re child-free, progressive, love older homes and looking for community. Into arts & music, etc. We’ll likely want to rent for the first year while we get to know the area, and will be looking for a 2 bedroom around $1500/mo (budget is fluid but no more than 2k). Houses or duplexes/similar preferred over apartments.

Any neighborhoods in Minneapolis or St. Paul that we should focus on?

### Key Changes to Realtor Compensation Rules Effective August 17, 2024

1. **Written Agreements Before Home Tours:**

   • Realtors must have a signed agreement with buyers before showing homes listed on the MLS (a marketplace where real estate agents share property listings).

   • The agreement must clearly state:

• The exact amount or rate of the agent’s compensation.

• That the compensation is fixed (e.g., a flat fee, percentage, or hourly rate).

• The agent cannot receive more than the agreed amount from any other source.

• Broker fees and commissions are negotiable and not set by law.

  • In Minnesota, this practice has been in place for 30 years, but the new rule emphasizes securing these agreements sooner.

2. **Changes to Compensation Communication:**

   • Offers of compensation from one broker to another will no longer appear on the MLS.

   • Brokers can no longer make blanket offers of compensation on the MLS.

   • Instead, offers of compensation must be communicated through other means.

   • Sellers can still offer buyer concessions on the MLS (e.g., covering closing costs).

3. **Impact of the Settlement:**

   • Most Realtors will be protected from lawsuits about seller-paid commissions.

   • This change ensures everyone understands and agrees on how compensation works.

   • Realtors will need to discuss compensation practices more with clients and develop new methods to maintain high service standards, especially for underserved communities.

What This Means for Buyers and Sellers:

• **For Buyers:**

  • You must sign an agreement with your agent before touring homes (both in-person and virtual tours).

  • No agreement is needed for open houses or general inquiries about services.

  • Agent compensation is fully negotiable.

• **For Sellers:**

  • You can offer buyer concessions on the MLS.

  • Discuss compensation details with your agent directly.

Tips for Working with an Agent:

• Ask about their services, compensation, and the written agreements.

• Understand exactly what services are provided and at what cost before signing any agreement.

Hello everyone, we are considering moving to Twin Cities area so I can finish my degree at UoM

We'd like space, quiet and don't mind driving around 45 mins to get to the university. (We plan to get an AWD SUV) Where should we be keeping an eye out? Other posts mentioned Saint Paul as being quieter and slower but we also like more modern homes. We are also avid hikers so nature is a plus.

(Because Space means different things to everyone we mean 1/4+ acre)

Don'ts:

• Skip the Listing Agent: Those agents on Zillow ads are typically not the ones who listed the property. They pay for placement and might not have your best interests in mind.
• Rely on Facebook Recommendations: While Facebook can be a great resource for connecting with people, asking for realtor recommendations can be a mixed bag. Be prepared for a variety of (potentially biased) opinions. And hundreds of Dm's
• Make Big Financial Changes: Avoid large purchases or messing with your credit score (except paying down credit cards to 10% or less utilization) before buying a house. This keeps your financial situation stable for mortgage approval.
• Stretch Your Budget: Just because you're pre-approved for a certain amount doesn't mean you should borrow that much. Leave room for savings, emergencies, and unexpected expenses.
• Skip the Home Inspection: Don't waive a home inspection! This crucial step can uncover potential problems and save you money (and headaches) down the road.
• Bid Blindly: Don't get caught up in bidding wars over a staged house. Maintain perspective and stick to your budget.

Do's:

• Seek Out Gems: Look for well-maintained older homes, often called "grandpa houses." These single-owner properties might not be trendy but could be structurally sound with updated essentials like roof and mechanics.
• Explore Neighborhoods: Drive around different areas to get a feel for the vibe. Ask friends and family for realtor recommendations, but remember to interview them yourself.
• Plan for the Future: Consider your lifestyle needs and future plans when choosing a house. Think about your life in 5-10 years and find a place that can grow with you, avoiding the need to move soon after.
• Attend Open Houses: Open houses are a great way to see different properties. If you don't want to be pressured to talk to an agent, politely let them know you already have representation.
• Interview Agents and Lenders: Find a realtor and lender you trust! Interview 2-3 of each and ask for references you can contact. This is a big decision, so make sure you feel comfortable with your team.
• Get Pre-Approved: Talking to a lender first can help you understand your budget based on current interest rates and your comfort level with monthly payments.
• Wait for the Right Time: The best time to buy a house is when you're financially stable and don't feel pressured to rush into a purchase.

The hunt for a realtor and lender can feel overwhelming. If you'd like some tips on finding the right people, I'm happy to share some resources or answer any general questions you have :)

I will be moving to MN for studies soon and it is a huge move for me and my family. We currently live in asia and have been in apartments our whole lives. Looking for a place to rent has been rather challenging as we can't physically tour the places we're keen on. We very quickly ruled out houses as we were afraid of break-ins and the general unfamiliarity with maintaining one. Any advice for us? There are 4 of us (2 adults and 2 elementary sch-going kids). Hoping to stay below 2K for a 2B 2BA with easy access/commute to the U of M. Safety is top priority in my consideration for where to stay. Would appreciate any insights and advice!