Minneapolis and St. Paul Truth in Housing (TISH) Reports and Winter Repair Escrows — Loon & Lintel
Updated October 2026
A Minneapolis house can have a completed Truth in Sale of Housing report and still need repairs before its mortgage closes. Across the river, St. Paul uses its own Truth in Sale of Housing process. Neither city's report replaces a buyer's inspection, an appraisal, or the lender's review of property condition.
Separate city requirements from mortgage conditions
Request the actual report before negotiating repairs. Identify which findings require correction, which require acknowledgment, and whether the municipality permits the buyer to assume responsibility. Minneapolis and St. Paul do not have identical enforcement procedures, so a repair arrangement accepted in one city may not work in the other.
The mortgage appraisal adds a separate checkpoint. Peeling paint, unsafe stairs, missing utilities, or a damaged roof can trigger lender conditions even when a municipal disclosure obligation has been satisfied. FHA financing also evaluates safety, security, and soundness; a city report does not establish FHA eligibility.
Ask the lender to review the report and proposed repair agreement early. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau explains how inspections and appraisals serve different purposes.
Build a winter escrow around an approved repair
Frozen ground can delay grading, exterior concrete, or other seasonal work. A repair escrow is possible only when the lender, loan program, title company, and municipality accept the arrangement. An unresolved immediate safety issue may prevent closing rather than qualify for a holdback.
- Obtain a written contractor bid describing the exact work.
- Confirm the required holdback, including any contingency above the bid.
- Identify who supplies the money and who absorbs overruns.
- Set a completion deadline and inspection requirements.
- Specify how unused funds will be released.
Do not substitute a seller credit for an approved escrow. Credits generally offset eligible closing expenses; they do not automatically satisfy repair conditions. Compare the alternatives in our seller-credit guide.
Protect the rest of your closing budget
For 2026, Minnesota's baseline conforming loan limit is $832,750 in all 87 counties. That ceiling does not relax property-condition requirements. Eligible buyers using Minnesota Housing should also verify whether assistance and a repair holdback can coexist under their selected program.
Minneapolis and St. Paul sit in Hennepin and Ramsey counties, where Mortgage Registry Tax is 0.24% and State Deed Tax is 0.34%. Use the closing-cost estimator to budget transaction costs separately from repair reserves.
Compare Current Mortgage Rates
Compare current APRs, points, fees, and estimated monthly payments from participating lenders below.
Loan Program Comparison: 2026 Benchmarks
Minneapolis and St. Paul Truth in Housing (TISH) Reports and Winter Repair Escrows — Choose a mortgage by comparing eligibility, upfront cash and total monthly costs, not the advertised rate alone. Conventional, FHA, VA and USDA serve different borrowers. Confirm county limits, taxes, insurance and lender requirements before comparing personalized Loan Estimates for your household.
Historical 2025 one-unit comparison: conforming $832,750; FHA floor $541,287. County and unit-count limits can differ.
| Loan program | Down payment / equity | 2026 one-unit baseline | Costs and page-specific comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional | 3%–5% subject to eligibility | $832,750 | PMI generally below 20% down |
| FHA | 3.5% at 580+; 10% at 500–579 | $541,287 floor | 1.75% upfront MIP; 0.55% annual for >95% LTV, base loan ≤$726,200, term >15 years |
| VA | 0% for eligible borrowers | No VA limit with full entitlement | No monthly PMI; funding fee unless exempt |
| USDA | 0% for eligible borrowers | Income, address and repayment eligibility | Guarantee and annual fees; confirm current schedule |
| Jumbo | Lender-specific cash and reserves | Above applicable conforming limit | Lender-specific pricing and insurance |
| Home Equity / Refinance | Equity and underwriting dependent | Property and lender dependent | Compare closing costs, term and break-even |
Sources: FHFA limits; HUD FHA limits.
Editorial Methodology & Primary Sources
Verification date: Not recorded; check the primary source and lender timestamp before relying on an estimate.
Rate comparisons use participating lender feeds, not a whole-market survey or guaranteed offers. Freddie Mac PMMS is a market benchmark, not a personalized quote. Calculator models rely on published regulatory formulas and disclosed assumptions rather than fabricated first-person loan testing.
Monthly principal and interest use the amortization formula P × r / (1 − (1 + r)−n), where r is the monthly note rate and n is the number of payments; at zero interest use P / n. PITI adds monthly property taxes and homeowners insurance; PMI is separate. APR includes applicable finance charges under Regulation Z and is not the note rate used for payments. Compare lender Loan Estimates for actual APR and fees.
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) — Loan Estimates, APR and borrower disclosures; Regulation Z.
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD / FHA) — FHA program guidance.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) — VA loan eligibility and benefits.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) — published rate benchmarks.
- U.S. Census state tax collections — state property tax benchmarks; confirm parcel-specific assessments and exemptions with the state revenue department and local assessor.
- Minnesota Housing — state housing finance and property tax authority.
- Minnesota Department of Revenue — state housing finance and property tax authority.
The payment snapshot uses illustrative annual taxes of 1% of home price, $1,200 insurance and 0.5% PMI below 20% down, not verified local quotes. Other calculators disclose their inputs and assumptions. Published guidance and lender feeds may change independently; confirm current program rules, taxes and offers before a decision.