Spring Open House “Extravaganzas” Held March 13, April 3, May 1

Edina, Minn. – March 7, 2011 – Edina Realty is holding a spring Open House Extravaganza on Sunday, March 13 as well as Sunday, April 3 and Sunday, May 1. Hundreds of homes will be held open throughout Minnesota, western Wisconsin and Fargo, N.D., making it easy for people who are hunting for a home to drop in on properties that fit their search criteria.

Edina Realty’s website, www.edinarealty.com, enables house-hunters to easily determine and search for the features they most value in a home as well as the areas and neighborhoods they want to live in. Edina Realty’s mobile-friendly website, m.edinarealty.com, and Edina Realty’s iPhone and Android phone apps enable consumers to access key parts of the site, the area’s most popular real estate site.

All properties that match their search criteria will pop up as little house icons, and homes that will be held open feature an “Open” flag. Mouse over the icons, and they can pull up photos, property details and print out a list of homes to visit, along with a map and door-to-door directions. This information is updated in real-time by the listing agents.

Consumers can currently view over 50,000 active residential homes for sale and almost 30,000 lots for sale on edinarealty.com, which includes Edina Realty’s own listings as well as those of other brokers.

Today’s historically low interest rates means home buyers can choose between two really good options: either a lower mortgage payment or a bigger, nicer home. A good rule of thumb is a one percent reduction in the interest rate equals a 10 percent reduction in the sale price of a home.

There are now many government programs available for qualified borrowers—even those whose equity has vanished in the current market. And listings that are eligible for down payment assistance programs through the Down Payment Resource are flagged with a down payment icon on www.edinarealty.com. Interested potential buyers can answer a few questions to determine their own eligibility for the available down payment assistance.

Edina Realty’s mortgage specialists can guide first-time home buyers through the mortgage process and explain different down-payment and financing options.

“You can buy more house for your money today than you could have even just a year ago,” said Bob Peltier, president and CEO of Edina Realty Home Services. “This market favors first-time home buyers and people who want to move up to a larger home or make a lifestyle change. If you’ve been on the fence, it’s time to take action now that housing affordability is at or near its peak.”

For more information, or to find a real estate agent in your area, visit www.edinarealty.com.

Edina Realty, a subsidiary of HomeServices of America, is one of the nation’s largest real estate companies with approximately 60 real estate offices throughout Minnesota, North Dakota and western Wisconsin and nearly 2,300 REALTORS®. Edina Realty’s family of companies includes Edina Realty, Edina Realty Title, and Edina Realty Mortgage. Edina Realty handled more than 25,000 transactions and $5.3 billion in sales volume in 2010. For more information, visit www.edinarealty.com.