Winter's Finale: A 70-Degree Saturday in St. Paul

Minnesota really contains multitudes. A blizzard last weekend. Seventy degrees this Saturday. No explanation, no apology — just the full emotional arc, delivered in seven days. We've had a tense season, and whether it's the headlines or the hard conversations around us, it's easy to feel like the ground is shifting. But even the longest winters have a Saturday like this one coming. I've been holding onto the things that bring quiet clarity — music, stories, and design that grounds us in something deeper. This edition's Reads & Rhythms features a haunting winter track from Humbe ("Morfina") — he was supposed to play Minneapolis on Sunday, until the blizzard had other ideas — a book that finds the unexpected gifts in even the hardest seasons and helps us finally say goodbye to this one (Wintering by Katherine May), and a look at the 2026 design trends that remind us: home is where we begin again.

MARKET UPDATE: FEBRUARY 2026

• 🌨️ Closed Sales ↓ 9.4% — the blizzard part
• 💪 Average Sales Price $447,695 — essentially flat
• ☀️ Affordability ↑ 7.4% — the 70° Saturday part
• 🏠 Inventory ↑ 2% — more to choose from
• ✅ 97.4% of list price received — well-priced homes are still moving

Fewer sales. Same prices. Better affordability. More choices. The market isn't broken. It's doing what Minnesota does — making you question everything right before it turns beautiful.

READS & RHYTHMS.

Humbe — "Morfina" If you haven't heard of Humbe yet, start here. The rising Mexican artist blends alt-pop with raw emotion. It's haunting, wintery, and intimate — and somehow even more powerful when the show gets cancelled because of a blizzard.

Wintering by Katherine May Part memoir, part meditation on the seasons of life. Set against literal and emotional cold, it invites us to slow down, reflect, and honor rest as a form of resilience. It's the gentlest kind of wisdom — and the perfect companion for a season we're finally ready to leave behind.

The Design Trends to Look Forward to in 2026 From natural materials to climate-resilient architecture, the design trends shaping 2026 reflect a shift toward sensitive, responsive living. Home as sanctuary has never felt more relevant.

💌 A NOTE FROM ME

It's been a season. This Monday I'm heading to Washington D.C. for the Homeownership & Housing Policy Conference — to be in community with advocates and policymakers shaping the future of Hispanic homeownership, and to make sure home is a place we can all get to and most importantly — feel safe.

Even the longest winters have a Saturday like this one coming.

- Natasha