Posts tagged as:
It’s amazing to look at the photo I took just last August and see how far stadium construction has come in such a short time. The photos were taken from the same spot. It’s also unbelievable how brave these constructions workers are, especially the ones who walk along the top beams. Gives me the shivers just thinking about it!
August 2014
April 2015
The National Association has just released some statistics about how green home features are affecting buyers decisions when purchasing a home. While commuting costs are a big concern for younger buyers, energy heating and cooling costs are the number one concern as buyers get older. Even though the data paints a broad stroke over the entire nation, it is safe to say that commuting and energy costs rank high in Minnesota, too. Local builders are taking building “green” into account, some becoming GreenStar certified.
On Friday, March 7, 2014, the Minneapolis City Council voted 13-0 to immediately enact a moratorium on residential redevelopment in the Armatage, Fulton, Kenny, Linden Hills, and Lynnhurst neighborhoods. This action was brought by newly elected Ward 13 Councilmember Linea Palmisano, and will last for ONE YEAR!
Highlighted Neighborhoods of Minneapolis Moratorium
This means if you are looking for new construction in these neighborhoods, you can’t build. If you want to sell your home to a developer as a tear down, you can’t because the developer won’t buy it. If you were thinking of adding on an addition to your home, you can’t do it unless the total above ground square footage is less than 1500. Oh, and if you are having a hardship, you have to appeal to the City Council and prove your hardship…if it isn’t good enough for the council, than you will be denied!
Is this stupid??? Ummm, YES!
The official council motion reads:
Motion by Palmisano to introduce an ordinance amending Title 21 of the Minneapolis Code of Ordinances relating to Interim Ordinances, for first reading and referral to the Zoning & Planning Committee (adding a new Chapter 590 providing for a moratorium on the demolition, new construction, or establishment of single and two-family residential dwellings in the R1, R1A, R2, and R2B zoning districts in neighborhoods of Linden Hills, Fulton, Armatage, Kenny, and Lynnhurst, and authorizing the department of Community Planning and Economic Development to conduct a study to inform future development of the area and to propose such amendments to the city’s official controls and other regulatory devices)
The full text of the ordinance can be found here.
Due to the invocation of the city’s Zoning Code Chapter 529, the council was able to make this ordinance effective immediately upon passage.
According to the Minneapolis Association of Realtors, “neither the housing industry nor the public was invited to engage with the city on any issues of concern leading up to this moratorium vote. We are very disappointed that the City moved to put a yearlong ban on housing in these critical Minneapolis neighborhoods. The disregard for constituents, both current and future, saddens and dismays all of us in the housing community. This moratorium will be incredibly damaging the overall housing market, and especially to the property rights of Armatage, Fulton, Kenny, Linden Hills, and Lynnhurst residents”.
A public hearing will be held on Thursday, March 20, 2014 by the City’s Zoning and Planning Committee at 9:30 am. That committee is chaired by Lisa Bender (Ward 10) with Vice-Chair Andrew Johnson (Ward 12).
I strongly suggest that the public attend this public hearing to voice your concern and thoughts on how this will affect the housing industry in these neighborhoods.
One of my favorite luxury neighborhoods is located in Credit River Township, just south of the Twin Cities. I came across Cressview Estates years ago when two of the homes were on the Parade of Homes. Since then, even more luxurious homes have been built in the development, with every home having its own unique style. Home sites range from 2.5 – 13 acres, allowing you all the privacy you could desire. The Legends Golf Course is just down the road, as is the Cleary Lake Golf Course.
[idx-listings linkid=”304358″ count=”5″ showlargerphotos=”true”]
You may not be in the market for a new home, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy looking at other people’s homes and possibly finding your “dream” home. Of course your dream home will most likely be out of your price range, but hey, that’s why it’s called a dream home!
If you haven’t had the chance yet to view the Parade of Homes, then today is your last chance to check out the newest trends in luxury new home construction. I was able to check out a few in my spare time this week, and I have to say that some of the homes are simply stunning. My favorite by far was the “Dream Home” located in Edina.
Not only does it sit on a fantastic lot, the design inside and out is classic. Designed by Charles Cudd De Novo, one of the premier luxury home builders in the Twin Cities, the home boasts 8700 square feet.
From this home and others on the market, here are some of the newest trends found in luxury homes in the Twin Cities:
There are tons of additional features highlighted in the newest luxury homes found in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Edina, and Lake Minnetonka, but if you want a first hand glimpse, take a free day and visit some of the local open houses on weekends throughout the area.
In light of recent experiences I have encountered with local Twin Cities home builders, I make it a point to tell buyers that they should thouroghly research any builder they might contract to build their new home. Some builders are barely keeping their business above water, and others are slowly sinking, but if you spoke with these builders, most likely they would tell you they are doing” a lot” of business. Don’t believe them. Here are some tips to consider when building a new home:
These are just a few things to think about. “Google” the builder, too, and see what pops up. For instance, a recent article in the Star Tribune highlights how some local builders have lost their license recently or been fined in the past few months.
If you forgot about the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Lake Minnetonka Luxury Home Tour, aka the Twin Cities, then you have one more weekend to get off the couch and out of the house to view some major architectural homes for sale. Half of the homes surround Lake Minnetonka, and the rest are mostly in Edina, Prior Lake, Credit River Township, so there should be no excuse that the homes are too spread out.
If you have been on the tour in the past few years, you might have already visited a few of the homes as they are repeats, but hey, sometimes it’s fun to keep dreaming. I have always like the home in Credit River Township, so it might be interesting to see it again, but I know I just have to visit the home on Palmer Pointe in Minnetrista.
Tickets cost $20 at Caribou Coffee, or $25 at the luxury homes, but if you only want to see one or two of them, you can always just go the $5 route for each single home. Let me know which homes you liked the best!
I was reading today about a Luxury Mansion in Florida being listed for sale at a staggering price of $75 Million. Problem is, the house is not entirely finished. In fact, it doesn’t go much past the studded walls. The unfinished 90,000 square foot home includes a roller rink in the basement, home theater, bolling alley…oh, the list goes on. Needless to say, but selling an “as-is” home is pretty difficult. Buyers have a hard time envisioning the final product, and many will discount the home even more.
The article got me wondering if there were any new construction homes listed in the Twin Cities MLS database that were priced above a million dollars and being sold “as-is”. I was able to find one on Long Lake with 5200 square feet of unfinished space that is for sale for $1.1 Million. It originally started out at $2.2 Million, but with the market crash, and the simple fact that it is not finished, I am not surprised it hasn’t sold yet. Once a potential buyer also looks at the $18,000 yearly property taxes, they might think twice about buying the home. Oh, and did I forget to mention that the home is now lender owned?
