Dear Pat,
We just heard that the city has a whole new set of requirements for selling a house in Minneapolis.  Is it true?  I am mad as heck, and I’m not going to take it anymore!

Dear Sick,

I assume you're referring to the city's Truth-in-Sale-of-Housing inspection requirements. Yes, there are changes, although nothing to get up in arms about (by the way, do you have a permit for that shotgun?). We'll get to the new requirements in a minute, but first, here's a brief sketch of the TSH program as it functions today:

Truth-in-Sale of Housing reports are a requirement for all sellers of property in Minneapolis (St. Paul has a program too). A city-licensed inspector walks through the house before it goes on the market, and notes deviations from current code standards. Until two years ago, this report was done solely as an informational service for prospective buyers, with no action required from sellers to bring their property up to current code. But now, while our older homes are not expected to meet all of today's standards, the city has decided to place certain items that relate to health and safety in a category called "repair/replace." Repair and replacement on these items must be accomplished within 90 days of the report, and usually undertaken by the seller. Sale of housing can proceed with R/R items undone, however, if the buyer agrees to take responsibility for them. Here are the most common R/R items:

Electrical-all outlets and junction boxes must have proper cover plates. Broken or cracked switches, outlets or fixtures must be replaced. Ground wire is required from the house side of the water meter to the street side. Properly located smoke 

Plumbing-Threaded faucets must have anti-siphon devices, or be removed. All gas appliances must be connected properly and all unused lines must be capped. New this year: basement showers must be properly installed and vented, or removed.

Now that's not so bad, is it? Unfortunately, there's a rub: once cited on the report, a city-licensed contractor must do the above work, and a permit is required. But don't pull ol' Bertha down off the rack just yet, Sick-we've gained a lot of experience in the two years since the new requirements have been in place. We've learned to guide sellers through the maze and advise them in advance of the written report so that the whole process is smoother and cheaper. Please feel free to call with any more specific questions about the reports. If we don't know the answer, we'll find out for you right away. Stay calm and good luck!