established 1991
Serving the Minneapolis, Saint Paul Metro Area and the Upper Midwest.
For over 30 years Lake State has been a leading provider of real property appraisal, valuation, consultancy, and brokerage services to our clients throughout Minnesota and the upper midwest. Government agencies, attorneys, engineering firms, nonprofits, businesses, and individuals rely on our expertise to provide objective clarity to complex real estate projects.
Why We’re Different
-
Expert Experience
Our experience with real property spans far and wide. We have decades of expert experience in valuation and professional liability. We routinely perform expert witness testimony and are regularly court-appointed for neutral valuations.
-
Legal & Government Specialization
We specialize in assisting legal counsel and government entities with their unique and complex real property issues. A large number of our clients are either government entities or law firms.
-
Real Estate Brokerage
We are a family-owned and operated brokerage that provides all your real estate services under one roof. We have a proven track record of successfully completed transactions across Minnesota, and we regularly provide both residential and complex commercial brokerage services to a diverse client base.
Real Property Services
Lake State Realty Reviews
Jessi Aakre
Julie was fantastic to work with as we were dealing with an insurance issue. She not only had the knowledge and expertise that was critical in the “dueling appraisal” process, but was was incredibly responsive throughout, and worked collaboratively to reach a fair outcome (even with a challenging insurance contact). I would highly recommend Lake State Realty for any appraisal services!!
Warren Retzlaff
We called Lake State Realty Services in White Bear Lake, Minnesota and spoke with Alex Schwartz about road noise and our property value. The County moved a road so close to our home that the house now sits under the minimum county setback requirement. Now, the road noise is terrible, our house sits crooked on the lot and it’s 30 feet closer to the road.
Alex patiently listened to our concerns and immediately offered ideas for what we could do. He even took time to consult with his colleague Julie, who is the company’s lead appraiser. She has decades of experience in real estate.
It was a true joy to speak with someone who truly wanted to help us and wasn’t trying to sell us anything. Alex explained things so clearly and was so helpful, despite not knowing if we would use his company’s services or not. It was such a relief to talk with someone like Alex, since we’ve been dealing with so much stress with the road noise and property damage.
When we are ready to sell our home, we will truly consider using this company. We wished we had talked with them before we signed any paperwork with the County.
Lesson learned: Get your own appraiser before you agree to do anything concerning your home and the county’s requests for road improvements!
Thank you, Alex, for helping us with our property problem!
Clint Hansen
I was recently looking for a third opinion on the cost/benefit analysis of an addition to my current home. I contacted Julie for her opinion on the construction plans and what the home could be worth to assess if we should move forward or not. I called multiple professionals, but Julie was the first the respond. She got all the required information to do her analysis and within the week we were able to have a conversation that not only covered my plans for this house, but some alternative options as well. Her knowledge and professionalism was refreshing as being the industry myself, that’s not always the case. I would highly recommend Julie and Lake State Realty, even if it’s for some general questions to help point you in the right direction.
Featured Clients
Julie Jeffrey Schwartz
President/Owner
Julie has almost 40 years of experience in the real estate industry, over 35 of those years as an appraiser serving public- and private-sector clients. Since 1991 she has been president and owner of Lake State Realty Services, Inc. and has been the project manager for multi-parcel projects for the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the Metropolitan Council, the General Services Administration, and other federal, state, and local units of government. These projects include right-of-way easements, other easements, rental analysis, corridor planning services, and expansion services. Julie has extensive expert witness testimony background, offering testimony for arbitrations, mediations, depositions, Commissioner’s Hearings, District Court, Federal Court, and Congress. Julie has wide geographic competency spanning the upper midwest. She is licensed in Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio.
