Jim Buchta
Reporter
Residential real estateBuchta has taken breaks from those beats to edit the Star Tribune's Real Estate sections and Travel, and to ghost write a book about getaway homes. He also has an intense interest in architecture, agriculture and the environment. He lives part-time on a tree farm and has a particular expertise in building science and food.
Latest from Jim Buchta
Why white might be the new gray for home sellers
Can Cloud Dancer white replace the more than 50 shades of gray that for years seemed to be the go-to for buyers and sellers?
January 2, 2026
Expect even more homebuying assistance competition after fed rule
House hunters in need of down payment or closing cost funds have options, but they’ll need to apply early in the year to secure financial help.
January 1, 2026
Minneapolis grain silo for sale near the U a ‘long shot’ for redevelopment
Near Malcolm Yards and Huntington Bank Stadium, the site is in the right place but in major disrepair.
December 28, 2025
A bulk of Minnesota’s housing market is slowing down
As first-time buyers sit on the sidelines, luxury homebuyers have been driving the market and edging up prices.
December 16, 2025
For $2.25M, a concrete compound in Farmington ‘ideal for doomsday preppers’
A former Cold War-era missile launch site is among three Minnesota listings with their own “safe rooms.”
December 5, 2025
Consumer anxiety hastens winter chill for Twin Cities housing market
Sales are on pace to outpace last year, but purchase orders were down in October and homes were on the market longer.
November 19, 2025
High mortgage rates halve number of working-class homebuyers in the Twin Cities
A new study from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis found a more than 60% drop in homebuyers with modest budgets from 2021-24. Meanwhile, sales of more expensive homes rose.
November 18, 2025
Eden Prairie’s most expensive house for sale is a $5.3M estate with its own ski hill
The south metro suburb, where there are dozens of $1 million-plus listings, is a go-to for luxury homebuyers who want to be close to corporate HQs along I-494 and the airport.
November 7, 2025
Editor's Pick
In Minnesota, it now takes a six-figure income to buy a home
House prices in the state are rising faster than incomes, making homeownership — long a marker of middle class status — out of reach for many.
November 3, 2025
Luxury homebuyers cushioning Twin Cities housing market
Prices are still rising, but houses are taking longer to sell, and buyers are asking for more breaks.
October 16, 2025
South Minneapolis' Tulip House hits market for $650K, sans tulips
The duplex near Lake of the Isles was originally a single-family home built in 1904.
October 15, 2025
Share your story: What is it like trying to buy or sell a home in Minnesota right now?
Share your experience to help inform our reporting.
October 14, 2025
