Twin Cities homeowners' advice for aspiring buyers

💰 Julie Gardner says to set aside money for inevitable repairs, even if it means putting off a renovation: "Live with the linoleum and honey oak cabinets. Regardless of what you see on HGTV, a house is where you live, not necessarily a showcase."

📈 Thomas Schubbe, who plans to age in place in his single-level Bloomington home: "Jobs, kids, pets, market crashes, etc. come and go, but the home is a stable family center."

⏱ Catherine Hurley, who's renting after moving back to Minnesota with her husband to help out their parents: "Be patient and wait for the right timing. Or stretch and buy some real estate — you can refinance later if interest rates are high."

💸 Mike Weiss, who with his wife bought their first home when interest rates were close to 11%: "We put our nose to the grindstone, made good budget decisions and made it work."

🗝 Susan Holmen says homeownership is more than a path to generational wealth: "It is a great way to build a network of friends and family life. It's being an owner in a community. It is making a contribution to a community by saying, 'I believe and I want to make it better and I'm staying.'"

😅 James Utt: "People need to think of real estate as a long game. The shorter the time period you are in a place, the tougher it normally is to come out ahead."

💡 Bonus tip from Heather Posthumus, who used to work as a housing counselor: Homebuyers should "determine what they can afford, not let the lender tell them what they could afford. Lenders will not take all household expenses into account when pre-approving a buyer."

• She recommends the Minnesota Homeownership Center for free homeownership education resources and workshops.