Relocating to Minneapolis, Saint Paul, or
the Greater Twin Cities region

While I love helping folks move around the Twin Cities, I also really love helping people relocate to Minneapolis, St Paul, or the Greater Twin Cities region.

I enjoy sharing my knowledge about the Twin Cities and everything it has to offer and have worked hard to streamline my relocation process to make it as stress-free and informative as possible. 

 

PS – I was featured in a local news segment (along with some incredible clients!) discussing how I help LGBTQ+ homebuyers relocate to Minneapolis & St Paul.

“My husband and I were coming from out of state with a hard deadline of when we needed to be in a house. Mariah helped show us multiple neighborhoods in our initial visit to help narrow down where we wanted to live. In the end, we had an offer accepted on a beautiful home we weren’t able to visit in person. We were incredibly nervous, but Mariah’s expertise, thoroughness, and completely honest communication made us feel secure in our decisions. We wholeheartedly recommend Mariah to anyone looking to buy or sell a home! Thank you Mariah!”

Ellyn + Lucas

“Mariah made everything about the experience of relocating and buying a home better. They were the best part of the process, a steady support and source of wisdom for all kinds of things we didn’t know. They provided great communication and we couldn’t have asked for a better person in our corner. I never want to move again but if I need to Mariah is the first person I’m calling.”

Anton + Mike

What to know

Buying a home in Minnesota

The process of buying and selling a home varies pretty significantly from state to state. Even if you have previously bought or sold a home in another state, check out a quick guide to some key differences in the process here in Minnesota!


• Attorneys are rarely involved in closings in MN. Realtors have a fiduciary relationship with their clients and handle most aspects of the process. Your title company will handle the official closing of the sale of the property and all funds will go through them.

 

• Basements are a thing! Expect 99% of the homes to have basements, both finished and unfinished. Most Minnesotans love their basements (even though they can sometimes be a bit creepy!). They’re great for storage, laundry, or to eventually finish and add equity to your home. We will attention to how the basement smells and if there is any evidence of moisture present – this will be most noticeable in the spring and summer months.

 

• An arbitration agreement is a part of every Minnesota purchase agreement (aka offer). You’ll have the option to agree or decline arbitration by a real estate arbitrator as a way to resolve any major potential disputes that may arise after closing, instead of going to litigation.

• 2 in 5 homes in Minnesota have high levels of radon according to the MN Department of Health. Radon is a natural gas that is released from the soil. Radon tests are optional and can be completed as an a la carte inspection add-on during the inspection period. Radon tests are around $200 and generally take 48-72 hours to complete. If a mitigation system is recommended, they typically start at $1500.  

• Several cities in the Twin Cities region have pre-list code inspections done by a city code inspector. They are typically called Truth in Sale of Housing inspections (TISH inspections) but can have different names depending on the city. Minneapolis and St Paul have them! It’s important to note these do not replace a third-party home inspection. You can find an example of a Saint Paul TISH inspection report here.

• The state of Minnesota participates in dual agency. This means that the same brokerage can represent both the buyer and the seller in a transaction, but cannot advocate for one party over the other. However, the buyer and seller must agree to this arrangement prior to entering into dual agency representation.