Buying here in this market.

When I was a kid, we built forts. We averaged at least a fort every six months depending on whether some deed wielding property owner discovered us. We weren't concerned about title at that point in our lives. We chose a location and then we started building. We relied on the material that made itself available from the closest legitimate build job and reprieve from the mosquitoes. I was a bit more enthusiastic about it than my friends. You can actually carry a full sheet of plywood on your back while riding a ten speed - go easy into the corners.


There is something in my DNA related to real estate. My Grandfather came from a stretch of hardscrabble in Norway to homestead in North Dakota. My other Grandpa farmed in Walnut Grove. You can't shake that in a couple generations. You can't leave that packed in a box in a rented apartment too long.


Buying may make sense in this market if you are planning to own for at least the next six or more years. The mechanics of a wise purchase include decent rates, ample inventory, and a solid local economy. Those three factors exist in the Twin Cities. The grandpa that used to farm in Walnut Grove had it out with the old man, packed his bags, and joined two guys that were starting a bank called Twin City Federal. He rode the street car selling pass book savings accounts. The ride was a nickle. The bank was good to him. He still had an office there when he was 90 years old. He always said that we are insulated here. Milling, Technology, Agriculture, Health Care, a diverse entrepreneurial economy. We never go as low as the rest of the country and we recover faster.