Saturday, January 15 is the deadline for nominating homes to the 2011 Minneapolis & Saint Paul Home Tour. The tour, in its 24th year, will be held Saturday and Sunday, April 30 and May 1.

“People who attend the tour are looking for ideas on how to remodel or expand their homes,” said Tour coordinator Margo Ashmore. “Homeowners on the tour enjoy fabulous feedback on their projects and find it’s also a great promotion for their neighborhoods.”

Contractors often help staff the homes, and homeowners ask family and friends to contribute a few hours hosting. “A good support network makes it fun. It’s also a great incentive to finish up the last few little projects,” Ashmore said.

Who should nominate a home? The homeowners usually offer their homes themselves. Also, contractors and other vendors may nominate homes they have worked on, and are encouraged to call for more information about sponsorship. Green, energy efficient, and historically-sensitive remodels and expansions get special notice among the 50 homes. It is not necessary to have remodeled the whole house.

Minneapolis Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) manages the tour as a celebration of city living that encourages homeowners to improve existing homes. For more information, call Tour Coordinator Margo Ashmore at 612-867-4874 or email link@nrp.org. The application can be downloaded from www.MSPHomeTour.com, click on “nominate” and there is a link in the text.