About Anoka County, MN

The place: Minnehaha Academy

The time: 1pm 11-7-2009

The teams: Meadow Creek vs Mayer Lutheran

The stakes: Who goes to State?

Minnehaha was rocking with the pep bands from Meadow Creek and Mayer Lutheran switching back and forth. Meadow Creek played after games 1 and 3 and Mayer played game 2 and 4 if necessary.

Game one our Saints started off a little slow but quickly gained an edge in the match. The score was close throughout but our Ladies took game 1 25-22. Great start girls!

Game 2 had Mayer Lutheran scoring the first 6 points. Our girls slowly fought back to even the score at 12. Then Mayer jumped out again. We fought back but Mayer ended up winning game 2 25-19.

Game 3 was another closely fought battle with Mayer looking to take an edge in the match. Both teams were fighting hard for every point. The score was 20-18 when Meadow Creek checked in a player who had been on the bench for 3 weeks with an ankle sprain. She finished out the game serving 5 consecutive points and Meadow Creek had the edge once again!

Game 4 and Mayer Lutheran looked like they weren't going out without a fight. They had some great kills and had the edge. Mayer won the game to force a decisive game 5 winning 25-19. State rides on the final game! The crowd from both teams were ready for a great finish!

Game 5 was close throughout. Each point was critical. The fans were louder than ever. With the saints leading 13-12, Mayer had a kill go out, but wait, the up ref says Meadow Creek touched the ball. 13-13 game 5, what else could you ask for?

Meadow Creek went on to win the last two points even though Mayer had several great spikes, Meadow Creek simply refused to let the ball hit the floor. Once again they fed off the opponents energy to catapult them to victory and to the Minnesota State High School tournament! Unbelievable! They have the hearts of champions and are ready to take on the top teams in the state!

See you at the Xcel Energy Center Thursday! Don't miss it.

Our 8 seniors below!

Did you hear it? That big woosh of air was all of those buyers, sellers, REALTORS, loan officers and title representatives that had a purchase agreement with a November 30, 2009 closing date breathing out a collective sigh of relief. An extension for the tax credit for first time homebuyers was approved by both the house and senate and is scheduled to be signed by the president today. Professionals in the industry were worried about the potential bottleneck of all the closings trying to happen before the original deadline because we all know, S*** Happens on the way to the closing table from time to time. (Yep that stands for STUF…wink, wink!) Most closings will go off without a hitch but occasionally there can be delayed a day or so. However, not closing on time could have cost some first time buyers big bucks had the extension not passed.

And, as many buyers, sellers and real estate professionals had hoped, the Homebuyer Tax Credit was not only extended but expanded to include homebuyers who have owned homes in the past. Specifically someone who has owned a home and lived in it for five consecutive years of the last eight, you could qualify for the up to a $6500 tax credit. There are guidelines and limitations so understanding the program is essential. Here are a few key details of the plan:

1. First time buyers qualify for up to $8000.
2. Current Homeowners qualify for up to $6500.
3. Purchase agreements must be written by April 30, 2010.
4. Closing must be finalized by July 1, 2010.
5. Income Limits are $125,000 for a single person or $225,000 for married couples.
6. Home must not cost more than $800,000

For additional details the NAR has two pdf links to additional information on their website:

NAR Homebuyer Tax Credit Changes

NAR Frequently Asked Questions and Answers on the Homebuyer Tax Credit Changes

The first game of the night pitted #1 seed Southwest Christian against #2 seed Mayer Lutheran. Mayer Lutheran won the match 3-0. So now we know who we will face on Saturday if we get by Heritage Christian.

Heritage came out strong and took an early lead in the first 2 games. Our Lady Saints just kept playing at a strong pace and limiting their own errors. The first game was won 25-15 by the Saints who were pounding the ball. In the 2nd game after trailing 6-2, we pulled even at 7 and then the match stayed even to 18 with every point being fought hard for. One last run by Meadow Creek proved too much for Heritage and the Saints won 25-20. 20 points was the most Heritage had managed in 5 games so far this year against our girls.

The final game of the match was amazing. The Saints seemed to feed off the power of Heritage. As Heritage pounded harder, our Saints fought even harder. At one point Heritage had several spikes in a row and should have easily had the point, but we never let the ball hit the ground and made a few statement kills of our own. If they can manage to feed off of the oponents energy like this every game, they will be tough to beat again this year.

The Saints ended up winning 25-18 to maove on to Saturday Section Finals at Minnehaha Academy 1pm. You'll want to be there to see them first hand. One of the Heritage parents said they were the best team they have played all year long. A nice compliment from a team who had only lost 5 games all season.