We buy houses in Bloomington, MN

What is different about selling in Bloomington?

Bloomington sits along the Minnesota River, south of Minneapolis and near the airport. Residents formed the Town of Bloomington on May 11, 1858, the day Minnesota became a state, and voters made it a city in 1960. Interstate 35W splits it into a west side with mostly newer homes and office towers along I-494, and an east side with more industry, retail and older houses. Mall of America sits in the south end, on the old Metropolitan Stadium site.

Bloomington is a suburb of ramblers, split-levels, townhomes and condos, and many of those homes are no longer new. Older kitchens, older baths and a to-do list that nobody wants to start before a sale are common.

How does the legal side work here?

Bloomington is in Hennepin County, so probate cases are filed in Hennepin County District Court at the Government Center in downtown Minneapolis. Deeds are recorded with the county's Recorder and Registrar of Titles office. Bloomington also has a Time of Sale evaluation rule for single and two family homes, condos, townhouses and mobile homes, which is filed with the city before a home is listed. Rental homes also need a Bloomington rental license, and the city schedules an inspection after the application.

Neighborhoods and areas in Bloomington

Oak Grove. In 1839 Chief Cloud Man moved his Mdewakanton Dakota band here, in the southern part of today's city.

Nine Mile Creek. A Dakota village called Titanka Tannina stood at its mouth in the 1780s, and the creek still runs through the city.

Normandale Lake. A small lake in the west, next to an office district along I-494.

Penn American. One of the city's busy commercial nodes near the I-494 corridor.

South Loop. The district around Mall of America, which opened in 1992 on the former Met Stadium site.

Hyland Lake. A large park reserve in the west run by Three Rivers Park District, with a ski area and Nordic ski jumps.

Old Cedar Avenue. A road near the east end of the city, along Highway 77, close to Wright's Lake Park.

The Time of Sale evaluation, in plain words

Bloomington asks sellers to get a Time of Sale evaluation before a home goes on the market. This covers single and two family homes, condos, townhouses and mobile homes. Buildings with four or more units are left out. A city evaluator looks at the visible structure and the heating, electrical and plumbing systems, plus accessible spaces like attics and crawl spaces. Since 2021 the report also includes an energy disclosure.

The report is not a warranty, and it is not a loan inspection. It is a snapshot that the city wants a buyer to be able to read.

If you list with an agent, this is a cost and a step you will deal with before the sign goes up. When you sell to us, you do not have to repair what the report finds. How the rule applies to a direct sale depends on the house and the closing, so we will go through it with you, and a Minnesota attorney or title company can confirm it for your address.

Ramblers, split-levels and townhomes

Bloomington is mostly a suburban city, and that shows in the houses. Ramblers and split-levels with attached garages are common, and many neighborhoods also have townhome rows and condo buildings.

Houses of this age often still have the original furnace, the original windows and a bathroom that has not been touched in a long time. None of that is a crisis. It just adds up to a list that an older owner may not want to take on before moving.

We look at the whole house, including what is wrong with it, and make an offer that reflects that.

Near the airport and the freeways

Bloomington sits right beside the Minneapolis Saint Paul airport, and Interstates 35W and 494 and Highway 77 cross the city. Some homes sit close to a busy road or under a flight path. Buyers shopping on the open market sometimes avoid those houses, which can slow a normal listing.

We do not ask you to fix the noise, and we do not need the house to look perfect for photos. We care about the house, the lot and the numbers.

Rental houses and condos in Bloomington

Bloomington requires a rental license for every rented dwelling, and the license covers single family homes, townhouses, condos, duplexes and larger buildings. After the application, the city schedules a rental inspection, and things like failed smoke alarms can fail it.

If you inherited a rental or you are tired of the inspections, we buy with tenants in place. You do not have to wait for a lease to end. Tell us about the lease and the license, and we will take it from there.

A family home to sort out

Bloomington has many long-time owners, so we talk to a lot of adult children who are handling a parent's rambler from another state. A Minnesota court has to name someone to act for the estate before a sale can close, and in Hennepin County that goes through the probate court in Minneapolis. You can ask us for an offer before that is finished, and you do not need to clear out the house first.

When listing in Bloomington may be better

If your house is in good shape, you are not in a rush, and you do not mind getting the city evaluation done and having people tour the home, an agent may get you more on the open market. That is especially true for a house that has been kept up.

A direct sale makes more sense when time, repairs or showings are the problem. If we think listing is your better path, we will say so.

Related reading: Selling an inherited house in the Twin Cities and Selling a house that needs repairs. Also see What is a TISH inspection and do I need it to sell?