From River Park Lofts in Lowertown to the Rowhouses at Snelling in Highland Park to Ramsey Terrace in Summit-University, St. Paul has some amazing condos, lofts and townhomes for sale.

 Buying one, however, is a bit different from the single-family home purchase – the process has a few more steps and, unfortunately, a few more areas where you may run into a problem. We’ve come up with the three most important things to consider when you decide it’s a St. Paul condo that you want.

 1. The Loan

 The FHA loan is probably one of the most popular loan products on the market today. FHA, however, has stringent qualifications when it comes to buying a condo, loft or townhome.

 First, lenders won’t loan on a condo that is in a community that isn’t

Congrats WILD!

As an official sponsor of the Minnesota Wild, the Kris Lindahl Team would be remiss in not offering up our heartfelt congratulations to the team for their huge win on Monday night at Excel Energy Center.

According to media reports every pub in every corner of St. Paul had the tube set to watch the game and fans started rolling in hours before the puck dropped.

Not only did our Wild shutout the Blues (3-0), but they took the lead in the finals. Game 4, also against the Blues, gets underway tonight at 8:30 p.m. at the Xcel Energy Center. With a 6-1 record at home in the playoffs we’re expecting nothing less than another huge Wild win.

Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments a Mess

If your kids came home from school yesterday

Started in October 1993, Capital View Cafe & Catering is a family-owned cafe with plenty to offer. This restaurant provides a great venue for breakfast and lunch. They also provide catering with plenty of home-made sauces and recipes.

The large portions make it a great place for the hungry and the friendly staff takes care of their guests as best as possible. If you want to enjoy a great breakfast or lunch, this is one of the places you should try.

The Menu

The menu is full of traditional breakfast options, along with lunch options and Mexican cuisine. They also offer a catering menu and a dessert menu. Some of the options you will find include:

• Breakfast Combos
• Cajun Breakfast
• Smoke Sausage Breakfast
• Fried Egg Sandwich
• Pork

On September 29th, 2000 the doors opened to the Xcel Energy Center, now it’s regarded as one of the finest arenas in the world. A completely one-of-a-kind multi-functional sports and entertainment facility. The Xcel Energy Center is situated at downtown Saint Paul’s. The center is home to more than 150 sporting and entertainment events and approximately 1.7 million visitors each year.

This center is built to showcase the game of hockey, and the “State of Hockey” tribute pays homage to the state’s official sport with exhibits throughout the Xcel Energy Center.

The Jerseys

One of the first things that greets guests to the center is the impressive circle of hockey jerseys. There is a jersey to represent every boy and girls high school hockey

The Buttered Tin is a local warm and friendly cafe situated in Saint Paul’s Lowertown. The corner cafe gives customers the choice of dining in one of their cozy, comfortable booths or at a table. You can also enjoy a sunny day by sitting at one of the sidewalk patio tables. This is a great way to spend a sunny day, while indulging in some delicious food and drinks.

The menu is based on American breakfast classics, which includes real farm food that is comforting,fresh and simple. Ingredients are bought locally, and there is a lot of thought that goes into the preparation of each dish.

Just some of the main dishes they offer include:

• Loaded Hash Browns (served with a house salad and cider vinegar) $10.95
• Breakfast Hot Dish (served with

Since April is National Volunteer Month we wanted to share with you three volunteer opportunities we thought you might be interested in.

Help the Kids

If the plight of abused and neglected St. Paul children is something that concerns you, consider becoming a volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate.

CASA volunteers, who come from all walks of life, are appointed by judges to advocate for the well-being and safety of kids who have been removed from their homes because of neglect or parental abuse. You will be expected to go to bat for the children in court proceedings and other settings.

CASA Minnesota needs your help and you can learn more about what it means to be a CASA volunteer by visiting their website.

Help St. Paul’s Four

Grand Avenue in St. Paul is the state’s most “notable avenue.” It has become the Twin Cities’ premier destinations for shopping, service, entertainment and dining. You can check it out at 752 Grand Avenue, Suite 1, in Saint Paul for some of the best in the area’s restaurants and shopping experiences.

When you’re looking for something to do in the Twin Cities, Grand Avenue is truly the perfect place to go because there is something for everyone to enjoy. Here is a look at the variety of shops you’ll find when head over to Grand Avenue.

About Grand Avenue

Grand Avenue is located just blocks away from downtown of Minnesota’s capital city. It’s also right by Summit Avenue which is one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in the state. Your

There is little worse than wanting to buy a home in St. Paul and knowing that your steady employment history, decent income and clean credit history don’t matter if you don’t have a huge chunk of cash to give the lender to secure a mortgage.

It’s known as “cash poor,” and you aren’t alone. If you’re thinking that zero to low down payment mortgages are a thing of the past, think again. They still exist and there are ways you can get into that home with little cash out of your pocket.

No down payment: VA Loan

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs doesn’t actually grant loans. They guarantee the repayment of a portion of the loan should the borrower default.

The loan is actually granted by a private lender but not all lenders

Red’s Savoy Pizza is Saint Paul’s favorite pizza joint. It opened in 1965 when Earl “Red” Schoenheider decided to start a great pizza place on the east side of St. Paul and it has since become a legendary pizza restaurant throughout the Midwest.

They are known for having the best spicy secret-recipe sauce in an old school atmosphere. You will definitely want to try the famous old-school thin-crust pizza that has made Red’s Savoy Pizza have an insanely huge fan base. When you’re ready for a great pizza after arriving in Saint Paul, check out Red’s Savoy Pizza.

About Red’s

Red’s has had such a growing fan base that it’s been able to expand to 14 locations throughout Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin. They offer a delicious and unpretentious

The St. Paul Craftsman Club started the construction of an O-gauge model railroad in 1934. This was the birth of what is now known as the Twin City Model Railroad Museum. It is a world wide known museum that is visited by hundreds of individuals each year.

Through the years, the museum has changed names and locations. It is now housed in Bandana Square. In the museum you will view replicas of the railroad system in the Twin Cities from the 1930s to the 1950s.

There are lots of exhibits to explore, and a load of events to partake in. Here are some of the things you will see when visiting the Twin City Model Railroad Museum.

O-Scale

This model is a replica of the 1891-1954 Twin City Rapid Transit Company’s streetcar. The power of the