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Teri Eckholm, REALTOR® Anoka County Acreage & Lakeshore Homes

Fireworks are not Always in July—City Water/Sewer Discussion Ends Amid Controversy

fwFireworks are not limited to celebrations in July. The City of Ham Lake's Mayor was at the center of a hullabaloo due to a misused metaphor that was construed as bigoted. The spark of controversy was amplified by local media last week when Mayor, Paul Meuiner as voiced his frustration as the only one on the bandwagon for development proposal including a town center and city water and sewer.

Read the full story of Mayor Meunier's controversial racial comment HERE.

That situation aside, the real news is that city water and sewer and the town center appears to be off the table in Ham Lake's comprehensive plan that will be presented to the Met Council later this year. The Ham Lake Planning Task Force has completed its mission and the proposed comprehensive plan will be available for community review on May 13, 2008. It appears that the tremulous and emotional meetings filled with Ham Lake residents are at an end.

Residents that are unavailable on May 13, will have a final opportunity to review the plan at another open house on June 9 when the public hearing will be held. Information and maps are also posted on the Ham Lake City Website.

Highlights of the plan include:

  • Residential lot size will remain at one unit per acre.
  • Individual septic systems will be used for waste water treatment.
  • No centralized or municipal sewer system.

The city council is open to the possibility of batched systems paid for by direct users for the businesses at Hwy 65 and Crosstown and residents in the Coon Lake/Hiawatha Beach area to address concerns noted and discussed in the task force meetings.

If you are buying, selling or relocating to Minnesota and  need help from a professional Realtor, give me a call or visit my website for a FREE Relocation Packet.  I specialize in acreage and lakeshore properties in the north and east Twin Cities metro area including Ham Lake, Lino Lakes and all communities in the Forest Lake School District! Serving Anoka, Chisago, Ramsey and Washington Counties in Minnesota.

Copyright 2008 Teri Eckholm  http://www.terieckholm.com/

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Lino Lakes, MN Real Estate Market Statistics 1st Quarter 2008

Real estate in Lino Lakes, MN in Anoka County is still selling. Active homes in the lower price ranges seem to be up a bit but also continue to sell more quickly than homes in the higher priced categories. Lino Lakes existing homes continue to compete with available new construction in Hugo and Blaine. But as it is in southern Anoka County, it's sales figures do not tend to be as stagnant as northern Anoka County communities  like Ham Lake and Linwood.

High end home sales continue to struggle for sales. No homes were sold in the last 3 months, for sellers in above the $500,000 price and just a handful of sales in the $400,000-$500,000 category. The DOM seems skewed by the quick sale of two listings compared to a 215 DOM last quarter. No doubt these homes were priced to sell from the time they were listed.

Acreage opportunities are abundant in the Lino Lakes area! From one acre parcels to 15 acre hobby farms, Anoka County as quite a selection of homes in the Lino Lakes area. Many have been on the market for a quite a while. With continued low interest rates, it is a great time to negotiate a deal on your piece of Minnesota acreage!

1st Quarter Lino Lakes residential real estate statistics for single family homes:

Under $300,000~ 54 Active Listings, 4 Pending Listings, 15 Sold Listings, 156 DOM

$300,000-$400,000 ~ 31 Active Listings, 2 Pending Listings, 4 Sold Listings, 215 DOM

$400,000-$500,000 ~ 13 Active Listings, 1 Pending Listings, 1Sold Listing, 68 DOM

$500,000 and Up~ 16 Active Listings, 0 Pending Listings, 0 Sold Listings N/A DOM

Lakeshore available in the City of Lino Lakes

1 Active Listings Lino Lakes lakeshore price range: $450,000

1 Home on Otter Lake

Acreage properties available in Lino Lakes

9 properties listed on 1-2 Acres priced between $189,900-$859,900.
2 properties listed on 2-3 Acres priced between $254,000-$269,900
1 property listed on 3-5 Acres priced at $269,900
2 properties listed on 5-10 Acres priced at $319,900-$379,900
1 property listed on 10-15 Acres priced at $408,900
1 property listed on 80 Acres priced at $6,000,000

**All Sold and Pending Statistical information based on information from the REGIONAL MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE of MINNESOTA, INC. for the period of 1 /1/08 through 3/31/08.

Articles on Lino Lakes, Lakeshore and Minnesota that might be of interest:


If you are buying, selling or relocating to Lino Lakes, Minnesota and need help from a professional Realtor, give me a call or visit my website for a FREE Relocation Packet. I specialize in acreage and lakeshore properties in the north and east Twin Cities metro area including Ham Lake, Lino Lakes and all communities in the Forest Lake School District! Serving Anoka, Chisago, Ramsey and Washington Counties in Minnesota.

Uniquely Minnesota Artful Distractions—Homeowner Version: Grrrr....Black Bear in Columbus

bearDaily trips from Ham Lake to Forest Lake are a part of my routine. If I have to travel to the south part of town my options are limited due to the wetlands in the Carlos Avery Nature Preserve which stretches from Anoka to Chisago County.

My favorite short cut through Columbus, Minnesota is well traveled. County Road 19 or Potomac can shave several minutes off a commute to Forest Lake Senior High by avoiding the stoplights on Broadway. My daily travels take me down this 55 mph road but I often slow down when I pass this wonderful piece of chainsaw art...the black bear and tree.

The first time I saw it, I marveled at the detail in the bear contrasted to the tree he is entwined with. The tree is as smooth as a piece of driftwood. Both figures seem to be carved out of the same tree...but yet they don't. '

At either rate, it is another wonderful example of a uniquely Minnesota roadside distraction!

Other Uniquely Minnesota Artful Distractions:

Don't be distracted when making important real estate decisions! If you are buying, selling or relocating to Minnesota and need help from a professional Realtor, give me a call or visit my website for a FREE Relocation Packet. I specialize in acreage and lakeshore properties in the north and east Twin Cities metro area including Ham Lake, Lino Lakes and all communities in the Forest Lake School District! Serving Anoka, Chisago, Ramsey and Washington Counties in Minnesota.

Copyright 2008 Teri Eckholm http://www.terieckholm.com/

Real Estate Market Statistics Ham Lake, MN 1st Quarter 2008

oakEven though existing single family home sales in Ham Lake, Minnesota remained sluggish during the first quarter of 2008, there were some indications of better days ahead. The Days on Market (DOM) statistic was reduced slightly from 220 to 214. Conversely, homes in the higher price categories have been worse than stagnant. There is a complete lack of any sales at all! Only 2 in pending and one sold in the over $400,000 price category all quarter. With over 60 listings currently on the market, Ham Lake is over saturated with high end homes.

Under $400,000 there is some good activity. Currently there is about 10 months of inventory in this price category which is similar to other communities in the north and east suburbs of the Twin Cities. And if you look just at the homes under $300,000 the inventory level is even more promising with approximately 8 months of inventory on the market.

This presents a great opportunity for the move up buyer. If you have a starter home in good condition and well priced, it should sell in a decent time frame. These buyers then have quite a selection of homes to chose from in the higher price categories. After 300+ days on the market, many sellers are waiting to negotiate with a strong, non-contingent buyer!

Additional 1st Quarter Ham Lake residential real estate statistics for single family homes:

Under $300,000~ 35 Active Listings, 2 Pending Listings, 13 Sold Listings, DOM 195 (All existing homes)

$300,000-400,000 ~ 27 Active Listings, 5 Pending Listings, 5 Sold Listings, DOM 301 (New Construction Subgroup ~ 3 Active, 0 Pending, 0 Sold)

$400,000-$500,000 ~ 27 Active Listings, 0 Pending Listings, 1 Sold Listings, DOM 163 (New Construction Subgroup ~ 4 Active, 2 Pending, 0 Sold)

$500,000 and Up~ 36 Active Listings, 0 Pending Listings, 0 Sold Listings, DOM n/a (New Construction Subgroup ~ 7 Active, 0 Pending, 0 Sold)

Lakeshore available in the City of Ham Lake
5 Active Listings

Ham Lake lakeshore price range: $699,900-$1,450,000

2 Homes on Coon Lake
3 Homes on Lake Amelia

**All Statistical information based on information from the REGIONAL MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE of MINNESOTA, INC. for the period of 1/1/08 through 3/31/08.

Featured Listing in Ham Lake Minnesota: 15139 E Vermillion Circle NE

Articles on Ham Lake, Lakeshore and Minnesota that might be of interest:

Where's the Playground? A Key to Parks in Ham Lake Minnesota
What Makes a House a Home-Ham Lake, MN
Does "Minnesota Nice" Affect the Real Estate Market? "Yah, You Betcha!"
Dreaming of Life on MN Acreage?--What YOU Need to Know Before YOUR Move!
Affordable Minnesota Lakeshore

If you are buying, selling or relocating to Ham Lake, Minnesota and need help from a professional Realtor, give me a call or visit my website for a FREE Relocation Packet. I specialize in acreage and lakeshore properties in the north and east Twin Cities metro area including Ham Lake, Lino Lakes and all communities in the Forest Lake School District! Serving Anoka, Chisago, Ramsey and Washington Counties in Minnesota.

Copyright 2008 Teri Eckholm http://www.terieckholm.com/ ******************************************************************************************************

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Let the Bidding Begin! Forest Lake High School Rangers House Construction Project is Up for Auction!

under constructionAfter the successful sale of last year of the home built by Forest Lake construction students in the parking lot of their school, did it again!

Forest Lake High School Students built an awesome 3BR/2BA in 2007 which sold for $65,000 and was moved by its new owners to its permanent location this past spring. The proceeds from the sale of the home funded a new construction project during for this school year.

Now that the second home is complete, let the bidding begin!

As you can see, from these pictures taken at the beginning of second quarter, the students hit the ground running in September. The one story rambler home was framed and the exterior wo2008houserk complete prior to the cold Minnesota winter.

As a Realtor in the north metro, I have watched the construction of many homes throughout the Forest Lake School District. From what I can see, there is not a crew out there that can match the passion and dedication as the construction students of the Forest Lake Rangers!

Don't miss out on your opportunity to buy this solid 3BR/2BA home.

This year's home even features custom oak kitchen cabinetry, maintenance free vinyl siding and gas fireplace to keep the new owners cozy during the Minnesota winters.

Bids will be accepted on Thursday, April 10 at 6 p.m. Minimum bid is $49,900 plus Minnesota sales tax of 6.5%. All bids require a bid security of $1000 at time of bid submission.



CLICK HERE to see a floorplan and details of the house in this pdf brochure.


More Articles on Forest Lake, Minnesota that might be of interest:


If you are buying, selling or relocating to Minnesota and need help from a professional Realtor, give me a call or visit my website for a FREE Relocation Packet. I specialize in acreage and lakeshore properties in the north and east Twin Cities metro area including Ham Lake, Lino Lakes and all communities in the Forest Lake School District! Serving Anoka, Chisago, Ramsey and Washington Counties in Minnesota.

Copyright 2008 Teri Eckholm  http://www.terieckholm.com/

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LIKE MY BLOG? Subscribe and let me email you an update!

Subscribe to Teri's Notes & Anecdotes on Twin Cities Real Estate by Email