Columbia Heights Homeownership Resource Night - English

Thursday, October 16, 2025

Home buying process overview

City of Columbia Heights' role in homeownership

Sustainability and energy cost-saving programs

Q&A session for residents

Areas of Interest (4)

Impact of city 'Truth in Housing' inspection requirements on late-stage real estate transaction failures.
Tensions between real estate agents and the regulatory restrictions preventing them from discussing local school districts and neighborhoods.
Effectiveness of the 'Key Communities' grant program in educating diverse demographics about home ownership.
Homeowner compliance challenges and the 'cringe' factor associated with municipal code enforcement.

Notable Quotes (2)

If the city didn't realize that there was a mistake... my clients for the next winter will be without furnace or they have to replace it.
— Gay Garza

Home InspectionsHighlighting the importance of inspections after a city reporting error nearly cost a client thousands.

The seller can choose to do the repairs themsel before the sale or if they can come into agreement with the buyer, the buyer can take on that responsibility.
— Emily Voit

City Time of Sale ProgramDescribing the negotiation process following a time of sale inspection.

People (3)

Emily VoitCommunity Development Coordinator

Coordinates city development programs and facilitates resource nights for residents.

Gay GarzaBoard of Directors Member, SPAR

13-year real estate veteran, founder of NARB and Women's Council Realtors Twin Cities.

2 quotes

“The first step is the lender. The lender is the one who is going to oversee all your finances.”

Explaining the sequence of events in property acquisition.

“We cannot talk about schools. So now my mouth is like what I want to talk about now how can I advise the clients what is a good way to go.”

Explaining Fair Housing restrictions on agents regarding neighborhood demographics.

Jane HannonRepresentative, ICF

Represents the Home Energy Squad, a partnership between CenterPoint Energy and Xcel Energy.

Places Mentioned

Columbia HeightsSt. Paul

Events & Meetings (1)

Columbia Heights Home Ownership Resource Night: 5:00-6:00 p.m. (English), 6:00-7:00 p.m. (Spanish)

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