EcoVillage Rehab to be Featured in Minneapolis/St. Paul Home Tour!

Post and photo by the Hawthorne Hawkman

The list of properties for the Minneapolis/St. Paul Home Tour has been released! This time around, Hawthorne's representative is 3011 6th St N. This house is part of the MURL program, and has a buyer. The photo above was just taken, while work is still being done. This place will look terrific when the work is complete - which includes preservation or restoration of much of the original woodwork inside.

ADDENDUM: This post originally credited the North News with releasing the information regarding properties on the home tour. A Hawthorne resident gave me a paper copy of the North News and inside that was a separate paper copy of the home tour. Since I had worked with a contact person, Realtor Margo Ashmore, at North News on getting the property on the home tour, I assumed that the two newspaper items were one and the same. They are not, and that has been corrected in how the post appears now.

I remember this property well. Back when I had to make regular passes through the EcoVillage just to be sure that nothing had been broken open or burned down, I came across a squatter in the place. Days after that incident was reported to the Realtor, the price dropped.

Now the house will soon boast yet another new owner-occupant in the EcoVillage and we get to use it to also show off the new construction that will begin soon. This is progress!

(Do not click "Read More," but do check out the Home Tour.)

Unlock the Door to Home Ownership with MURL

Guest post and photo by the Hawthorne Hawkman

The Hawthorne EcoVillage isn't just a focal point for new types of energy-efficient and environmentally friendly construction and rehab. It (and several surrounding blocks) received "MURL" designation for innovative financial products to help people get into home ownership. Click here for a link to the JNS pdf site where you can see fliers about the two MURL houses in the EcoVillage.

MURL stands for Minnesota Urban and Rural Homesteading Loan Program, and here's how it works...

The program is designed for people who most likely would not qualify for a traditional mortgage, either due to credit or income issues or religious beliefs against paying interest. It is set up as an interest-free contract for deed, and once the contract amount is paid to zero, then you own the house outright.

This already sounds great, but it gets even better. The payment amount is set up to be 25% of your monthly income. So let's say that you get your hours reduced at work due to the economic downturn. You could present proof of this and your payment would go down accordingly. And if you get a higher-paying job, your payment will go up. However, since the dollar amount for the contract was already set (without interest) all this means is that what you owe gets paid off that much faster.

I know this is going to sound like a bad infomercial, but wait! There's MORE! Hawthorne and PPL are intentional about partnering with local contractors whenever possible. We've been in discussions with two of them for these two homes, and the hope is that when a buyer does come along, that we'll be able to set up bids and scopes of work that allow NoMi businesses to get the job.

3023 4th St N is a 5-bedroom, 2-bathroom house that's great for large families. And 3011 6th St N is a smaller house perfect for a single person or couple looking to get into home ownership. It still has a lot of original features like a built-in hutch, hardwood floors, and some leaded glass windows. They may not look like much from the photo above or driving by, but that's because rehab work can't start until a buyer is identified.

If you are interested, contact Abbie Loosen at PPL, 612-455-5100, or email her at abbie.loosen@ppl-inc.org.