Before any residential property in Hopkins is put up for sale, it must have a "Truth-In-Housing" evaluation. These evaluations provide prospective buyers with information about the condition of the house and garage, as well as help to eliminate any health and safety concerns in Hopkins neighborhoods.
You will need to contact a licensed independent evaluator to evaluate your property. Evaluators are private inspectors who have passed a certification test with the Cities of Minneapolis, St Paul, or Bloomington. Fees for the evaluation are set by the individual evaluator, and currently range from $150-$250.
The evaluator will conduct a visual inspection of all aspects of the house and garage and rate them, based on current codes, as:
After the evaluation has been completed, the evaluator will file your Truth-in-Housing Disclosure Report (download page A of the report) with the City of Hopkins, as well as provide you with a copy. You must make this report available to potential buyers at the time of a showing and share it with every prospective buyer.
Your report is valid for one year from date of issue and only for the owner named on the report. Any questions concerning the content of the report should be directed to the Truth-in-Housing evaluator whose name and phone number appears at the bottom of the report.
In order to close on the sale of your house, you must provide the buyer with a Certificate of Approval. This is issued after all repair/replace items on your Truth-in-Housing Disclosure Report have been corrected or arrangements have been made for their future correction. Learn more about receiving your Certificate of Approval.
Once you've sold your home and are ready to move out, be sure to cancel your utilities (gas, telephone, electricity, etc.) by contacting each company that provides service to you.
To stop your water, garbage, and recycling services, call the City of Hopkins Utility Billing office at 952-548-6332 to schedule a final water meter reading. The City will finalize charges for all City services through the date of the final water meter reading and forward your final bill to your new address.
If you sell your homesteaded property or change your primary residence, State law requires you to notify the City Assessor within 30 days. Fill out and submit the Notice of Move form.
This Truth in Housing Disclosure Report does not address the issue of lead-based paint and the potential hazards. The seller of the property is required by federal law to provide the buyer with a disclosure of information on lead-based paint hazards.