We buy houses in New Hope, MN
A direct offer on your New Hope house, in any condition, closing on the date you choose. No agent, no commissions, no showings.
What is different about selling in New Hope?
New Hope started out as farmland. It was first called Hope, part of Crystal Lake Township, and in 1936 the rural residents split off and chose the name New Hope. After the Second World War the farms turned into a suburb, and the western part of the old township became a village in 1953 and a city by 1974. It sits west of Crystal and south of Brooklyn Park, and almost every home is close to a small city park.
New Hope is one of the few places where the city itself steps into a home sale, so the rules for an as-is sale matter more here than almost anywhere else nearby.
How does the legal side work here?
New Hope is in Hennepin County. Probate is filed with Hennepin County District Court at the Government Center in downtown Minneapolis, and deeds are recorded by the county Recorder. New Hope has run a point-of-sale inspection since 1978: sellers of any residential property get a city inspection and a repair list before the sale can finish. Rental houses must also register with the city every year.
Neighborhoods and areas in New Hope
Civic Center Park. The city's central hub, with City Hall, the police station, a performance center and the outdoor aquatic park.
Northwood Park. The largest park in the city, on Boone Avenue at 38th Avenue, with ball fields and a disc golf course.
Hidden Valley Park. In the western part of town, with an outdoor hockey rink and a sledding hill in winter.
Meadow Lake area. A quiet western neighborhood around a small lake, with slightly newer mid-century homes.
Cooper High School and Meadow Lake Elementary. Part of the Robbinsdale Area Schools in the city.
New Hope's point-of-sale inspection
This is the part of New Hope that matters most to a seller. The city has required a point-of-sale inspection since 1978, and it covers houses, condos, townhomes and apartment buildings. A city building inspector walks through the home and writes a list of repairs. The repairs have to be done and checked again before the city issues a Certificate of Property Maintenance, which is needed to close.
Any open permits on the property must be closed first. The inspection fee covers the first visit and one reinspection.
What if you cannot do the repairs?
The city has a way out for owners who cannot make the repairs, whether they cannot do it physically or cannot pay for it. The house can be sold as is if the buyer signs a Temporary Dwelling Maintenance Agreement for Compliance and Escrow. The buyer then finishes the repairs within a set period after closing. The city sets an escrow based on the cost of the work, and a title company, closing company or attorney usually holds it until a reinspection shows the work is done.
We buy houses as they are, with no repairs. We will explain how the city's process would work on your sale. Do not guess at it alone, and do not spend money on repairs first.
From farms to houses
New Hope grew after the war. Farm fields turned into blocks of homes, and the village form of government came in 1953. A lot of those houses are now old enough to show it. Roofs, furnaces, windows, old water heaters and original electrical work are the usual items.
Because the city checks for safety and upkeep at every sale, a house that has been neglected can turn into a long list. If you do not want to deal with the list, tell us what shape the house is in.
Rental houses and rental registration
New Hope requires all residential rentals to register every year. For single-family homes, condos and duplexes the certificate runs from July through June. The city also asks for a certificate on short-term rentals like Airbnb. Small rentals are contacted by mail on a regular cycle to schedule an inspection, and any problems found have to be fixed, then checked again.
If you own a rental here and you are done with the cycle, we buy with tenants in place. Whatever the situation, the point-of-sale inspection is something to ask about, and we will help you sort out what applies.
Parks, schools and neighbors
Nearly every New Hope home is within a short walk of a city park. Civic Center Park, Northwood Park and Hidden Valley Park are good examples. New Hope sits in the Robbinsdale Area School District, with Cooper High School, Meadow Lake Elementary, Sonnesyn Elementary and Robbinsdale Spanish Immersion among the schools you will hear about.
Families often like the area for those reasons, which helps listed homes. It does not help a house that needs a lot of work, because buyers know the city inspection comes with it.
When listing may be the better move
If your New Hope house is in good shape, the city inspection may be a small step, and an open-market sale can reach families who want a home near the parks and schools. If you have time and the house is ready, an agent may bring a stronger price.
If the house is tired, if you live far away, if tenants are there, or if the inspection list worries you, a direct sale gives you a firm date and less to manage. Show us the house and we will say honestly which way we think it goes.
Related reading: Selling a house that needs repairs and Selling a rental house with tenants in place. Also see What is a TISH inspection and do I need it to sell?
Where in New Hope we buy
All of it. If you are just outside and not sure, send the address anyway and we will tell you straight.
Two situations that fit New Hope
New Hope questions we get asked
Does New Hope make me get a city inspection before I sell my house?
Yes. New Hope has required a point-of-sale inspection since 1978, and the city issues a Certificate of Property Maintenance once repairs are done. We can explain how an as-is sale works with that process.
What is the New Hope Temporary Dwelling Maintenance Agreement?
It is the city's paper for an as-is sale. The buyer agrees to finish the required repairs after closing, and an escrow is held until the city reinspects.
I cannot afford the repairs the New Hope inspector listed. Can I still sell?
Yes. The city allows an as-is sale under its agreement, and we buy houses without asking you to make repairs first.
My New Hope rental is registered with the city. What happens to that if I sell?
The city has one- and two-unit rentals register each year. We buy with tenants in place, and the city can answer registration questions for the new owner.
Where does probate go for my parent's New Hope house?
To Hennepin County District Court at the Government Center in downtown Minneapolis. You can call us before it is finished, and you do not have to empty the house.
What would we pay for your New Hope house?
Tell us the address. It costs nothing and you are never obligated to take the number.