We buy houses in Robbinsdale, MN

What is different about selling in Robbinsdale?

Robbinsdale is one of the older suburbs in the northwest metro, right next to Minneapolis. The railroad came in 1880 and the stop was called Parker's Station. In 1888 a developer named Andrew Bonney Robbins bought land west of Lower Twin Lake for a subdivision, and the village was organized in 1893. Crystal Lake and Lower Twin Lake shape much of the map. The city mixes older houses near the old village center with homes from later years around the lakes.

An older city means many houses carry decades of wear. As-is selling lets an owner skip the fix-up.

How does the legal side work here?

Robbinsdale 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 Hennepin County Recorder at the same address. The city requires a Rental Dwelling License for any house the owner does not live in, even when a relative lives there, and the license cannot be transferred. Sale rules for housing can change, so ask the city's Housing Inspections office what applies to your address.

Neighborhoods and areas in Robbinsdale

West Broadway. Once called Crystal Lake Avenue. Farmers hauled produce to Minneapolis along it in the 1880s.

Crystal Lake. A lake where local firms began cutting ice in the 1890s.

Lower Twin Lake. Where Andrew Robbins built a large home in 1890 and planned the first Robbinsdale subdivision.

Lakeview Terrace Park. A city park that borders Crystal Lake and has boat access.

North Memorial Medical Center. Began as Victory Hospital in 1940 and is now a regional trauma center.

Robbinsdale Park. The subdivision Robbins started, served by a streetcar line he built in 1891.

The old Terrace Theatre site. A mid-century theatre, redesigned in 1951, that closed in 1999 and was replaced by a grocery store in 2016.

A railroad stop that became a lake village

Before it had a name, the spot was Parker's Station, a depot near a farmer's land. Then Andrew Robbins arrived in 1888 and bought acreage west of Lower Twin Lake. He built a streetcar line to his new park in 1891 when the Minneapolis company would not, and the village was organized in 1893.

That long history means many Robbinsdale houses have seen a lot of years. Older houses near the village center can come with old plumbing, small rooms and additions built over the decades. They have charm, and they also have a list. We buy them as they are.

Lakes, a hospital and a few big employers

Crystal Lake and Lower Twin Lake are the named lakes, and Lakeview Terrace Park sits on Crystal Lake. North Memorial Medical Center began as Victory Hospital in 1940 and is now a regional trauma center. Highway 100 and County Road 81 are the main routes.

Sellers near the water and sellers near the hospital can have very different stories. Either way, we start with the house you actually have.

Rental licensing in Robbinsdale

Robbinsdale is serious about rentals. Any house the owner does not live in needs a Rental Dwelling License, even when a relative lives there. The license cycle is two calendar years, with an inspection at each renewal, and the license is issued only after the house passes.

The city also requires new rental properties, and properties that change owners, to attend a Crime Free Housing class. The license cannot be transferred. If you are a landlord who is tired of the cycle, or you inherited a rental you never wanted, we buy with tenants in place. You do not have to pass an inspection to sell to us.

Older house, older questions

The city's own guide to buying reminds people to check what remodeling was allowed and to ask for an as-built survey. It also says to confirm that a house sold as a duplex or with an extra rental unit is legal. Those are the kinds of questions an older Robbinsdale house can raise.

If you have an addition or a second unit and you are not sure it was permitted, tell us. We would rather know up front. It does not mean we cannot buy the house, it means we plan for it.

Family homes and quiet sales

Many Robbinsdale sales start with a death in the family, a move to be near children, or a landlord retiring. When a parent has passed, the house is usually tied up in probate in downtown Minneapolis. A court has to name someone to act for the estate before a sale can close.

You can call us early. We will make an offer, you pick the closing date, and you do not have to empty the house or clean it. A title company closes the sale.

When listing may be the better move

A Robbinsdale house on a lake street with a fresh kitchen and a good roof can draw strong interest from buyers looking in the area. If you have the time, the patience for showings and a commission, an agent could net you more than a direct sale.

A direct sale fits better when repairs are heavy, tenants are in the house, you are across the country, or you simply want one clean closing. We will walk through the house with you and give you an honest read on which route we think suits you.

Related reading: Selling an inherited house in the Twin Cities and Selling a rental house with tenants in place. Also see Selling an inherited house in Minnesota: where to start.