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Teri Eckholm, REALTOR® Anoka County Acreage & Lakeshore Homes

2009 3rd Quarter Real Estate Market Statistics for Ham Lake, MN

It will probably not come as a surprise that the unique Ham Lake name wasn't the first choice by the settler's to the area. After all, not many towns would chose to be named after a cut of pork (but the lake really does look like a ham hock from an aerial view). Incorporated in 1974, Ham Lake became a city after over a hundred years of humble but steady growth. The area was first settled in 1855 by a group of Scottish men on the southwest side of Ham Lake. The original name of the community was Glen Carey, which is the Scottish translation of "beautiful valley". Following a prairie fire in 1857, the first settlers moved but the community was resettled again. The new Scandinavian settlers had a hard time with the pronunciation of Glen Carey and soon the fledging community was known as Ham Lake...most probably because the lake in the area has a unique "ham-hock" shape. Anoka County ofHam Lake Sod Field by Teri Eckholm REALTORficially was recognized Ham Lake as a township in 1871. In the early 1900's Central Avenue (Highway 65) was a slow commute as it was a wagon trail through the sand and swampland. And we think going through stop light after stop light slows traffic. Though it was graveled and paved at some point, it 1954 before was expanded to four lanes.

There are still four lanes on Highway 65 but traffic is traveling at a brisk 65 mph round the clock now as more people commute to the north. There are many people who look to the Ham Lake area for acreage, executive, luxury and lakeshore homes. However, lately the real estate market has been quite sluggish throughout Anoka County. Ham Lake, MN is seeing homes sell in 2009. There are bright spots across the board with homes selling in all price categories under $400,000, but the bulk of sales is found in the under $300,000 price categories.

New construction sales are not just stagnant; they have completely stopped with only one builder owned new construction home sold since the first of the year. The average Cumulative Days-on-Market (CDOM) is bouncing around in this Anoka County town...down a bit from first quarter in Ham Lake at 202 days, to 158 in the 2nd quarter and back up to 175 for the 3rd quarter.

Inventory is down in Ham Lake from the levels seen in 2008. There are currently 122 homes listed as active on the Twin Cities MLS but a good portion of those homes are in high price categories that are not seeing much activity. Homes over $500K continue to linger on the market for month after month. Homeowners considering selling a home in the Ham Lake area must consider the average time to sell a home in the Twin Cities north metro is approximately 6-8 months but high priced homes are selling in 2-3 years! Right now average inventory levels indicate there is about 15-16 months of inventory in Ham Lake. Having a good price strategy for your home and being prepared for showings will be essential if planning to sell a home in this Anoka County community in 2009.

3rd Quarter 2009 Ham Lake residential real estate statistics for single family homes:

Under $200,000~ 25 Active Listings, 6 Pending Listings, 10 Sold Listings, CDOM 202 (All existing homes)

$200,000-300,000~ 33 Active Listings, 2 Pending Listings, 10 Sold Listings, CDOM 120 (New Construction Subgroup ~ 2 Active, 0 Pending, 0 Sold)

$300,000-400,000~ 36 Active Listings, 5 Pending Listings, 3 Sold Listings, CDOM 295 (New Construction Subgroup ~ 8 Active, 1 Pending, 0 Sold)

$400,000-$500,000~ 9 Active Listings, 1 Pending Listings, 1 Sold Listings, CDOM 130 (New Construction Subgroup ~ 2 Active, 0 Pending, 0 Sold)

$500,000 and Up~ 19 Active Listings, 1 Pending Listings, 0 Sold Listings, (New Construction Subgroup ~ 2 Active, 0 Pending, 0 Sold)

Lakeshore available in the City of Ham Lake

6 Active Listings

Ham Lake lakeshore price range: $185,000-$950,000

7 Homes on Coon Lake
1 Home on Lake Netta
1 Home on Ham Lake
2 Homes on Little Coon Lake

**All Statistical information based on information from the REGIONAL MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE of MINNESOTA, INC. for the period of 7/1/09 through 9/30/09.

Click HERE to Search for Minnesota Lakeshore or Acreage Home!

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

Home Sales Statistics for other communities in the north metro:

Real Estate Investor? Home Buyer? Analyze the Cash Flow on YOUR Home Purchase!

When buying a home or making any big investment for that matter, a shrewd buyer will want to understand the long term value of the purchase they are making and compare this to the cash outlay over time. Smart investors will run the numbers to see what the return on their investment will be on any real estate purchase. So it would make sense that homeowners do the same thing. But how does a homebuyer or first time investor “run the numbers”?

RE/MAX makes that easy. If you are considering buying a home, visit the my webpage on the RE/MAX.com site by CLICKING HERE to check it out. Start by clicking one of my featured listings, the local property search from the tool bar or one of two featured searches at the bottom of the page. Set up a search and click on any listing in the Twin Cities. Off on the left side of the page there is a tool bar for each specific listing. Notice the calculator icon with Cash Flow Analysis at the bottom of the tool bar. Click that button.

It opens a new window for RE/MAX North Central’s cash flow analyzer for investors and homeowners. On the main page, basic equity and cash flow numbers are given but the reports can be personalized to your unique situation too. The analyzer assumes a 20% down payment and 30 year fixed rate loan but if you are putting down 3.5% for your first home in an FHA program, you can adjust the numbers for a better idea of your equity position in 5, 10 or 20 years. For investors, the rental competition is analyzed for the market as well as your potential monthly cash flow. This analysis can also be tweaked to better reflect your unique buying situation.

The RE/MAX cash flow analyzer is simple to use and gives essential information to any home buyer at the click of a mouse! Best of all, buyers can analyze any property currently listed on the Twin Cities MLS not just the RE/MAX featured listings. If you are considering buying a home, probably the single biggest investment you will ever make, you owe it to yourself to check it out!

Check out the RE/MAX Cash Flow Analyzer!

2009 3rd Quarter Real Estate Market Statistics for Forest Lake MN

Forest Lake, Minnesota is well known throughout the Twin Cities area. It was a favorite summer vacation spot, an annual ice fishing tournament tradition or as a destination when going for a Sunday a drive in the country in days gone by. Today, the lakeside cabins have been replaced with year round residences, the fishing tourney is but a memory and the farmFL Ranger Watertower in Forest Lake MN by Realtor Teri Eckholms are few and far between in this third ring St. Paul suburb.

Real estate in Forest Lake, MN in north Washington County and east Anoka County has seen homes priced under $200,000 continue to sell in the 3rd quarter which is consistent with most of the Twin Cities area. A total of 24 single family homes priced under $200K were sold in Forest Lake and Forest Lake Township during this time period. This is a 50% increase in unit sales from the previous quarter. The Cumulative Days on Market (CDOM) Statistic was again slightly lower than the previous quarter with 126 CDOM compared to 129 CDOM in the 2nd quarter. This is quite a bit better than what was seen in the first half of 2008 when the CDOM ranged from 211-286. This surge in home sales in the lower price points is almost certainly a result of the $8000 first time homebuyer tax credit.

It appears the high end homes will continue to struggle into 2009 with only 2 homes sold over $400,000. Obviously, there weren't too many first time buyers looking at homes in THIS price range. And as most of the homes sold in the lower price points were foreclosures or vacant homes, there wasn't the "move-up" activity seen in a normal market. When the lower value home sold in the past, a family generally moved to a larger more valuable home. Not the case in this market...and the statistics in Forest Lake back this scenario up. Forest Lake continues to have about 5-6 YEARS of lakeshore and executive home inventory...much of it on the very desirable Forest Lake's picturesque First Lake.

With this abundance of inventory, some sellers have aggressively priced their home to sell. Facing another winter with an empty home is not an option many home sellers want to consider so it is now a great time for buyers to get deals. There are a few beautiful homes are currently on the market in Forest Lake at amazing prices; many are lakeshore and acreage properties. With this much inventory, motivated sellers will need to be flexible on pricing.

There are 45 active lakeshore homes for sale in the Forest Lake area and some are at attractive and affordable price points. Many have been on the market for several months; some over a year. With the amazing low interest rates and few high-end buyers, it could be a great time to negotiate a deal on your piece of Forest Lake Minnesota shoreline!

3rd Quarter 2009 Forest Lake real estate statistics for single family homes:

Under $200,000~ 34 Active Listings, 10 Pending Listings, 24 Sold Listings, 126 CDOM (Lakeshore Subgroup ~ 0 Active, 1 Pending, 2 Sold)

$200,000-$300,000 ~ 56 Active Listings, 8 Pending Listings, 9 Sold Listings, 207 CDOM (Lakeshore Subgroup ~ 7 Active, 1 Pending, 0 Sold)

$300,000-$400,000 ~ 32 Active Listings, 4 Pending Listings, 4 Sold Listings, 87 CDOM (Lakeshore Subgroup ~ 4 Active, 2 Pending, 0 Sold)

$400,000-$500,000 ~ 13 Active Listings, 0 Pending Listings, 3 Sold Listing, 306 CDOM (Lakeshore Subgroup ~ 8 Active, 0 Pending, 1 Sold)

$500,000 and Up~ 38 Active Listings, 0 Pending Listings, 1 Sold Listings, 306 CDOM (Lakeshore Subgroup ~ 26 Active, 0 Pending, 1 Sold)

Lakeshore available in the Forest Lake area:

45 Active Listings, 4 Pending Listings, 4 Sold Listings

Forest Lake lakeshore price range:

$259,000-$2,600,000

41 Homes on Forest Lake
1 Homes on Clear Lake
2 Home on Comfort Lake
1 Home on Shields Lake

1 Home on Shields Lake

**All Statistical information based on information from the REGIONAL MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE of MINNESOTA, INC. for the period of 7 /1/09 through 9/30/09.

Click HERE to Search for Minnesota Lakeshore Home!

Articles on Forest Lake, Lakeshore and Minnesota Real Estate that might be of interest:

Home Sales Statistics for other communities in the north metro:
· Forest Lake, MN Real Estate Market Statistics First Quarter 2009
· Forest Lake MN Real Estate Market Statistics 2nd Quarter 2009
· Forest Lake, MN Real Estate Market Statistics 2008 Year End Report
· Blaine, MN Real Estate Market Statistics for Second Quarter 2009
· Lino Lakes MN Real Estate Market Statistics 2nd Quarter 2009
· Ham Lake Real Estate Market Statistics 2nd Quarter 2009

Speechless Sunday--Skol Vikings!

Carved Viking by Teri Eckholm Realtor

For all the football fanatics out there...This guy is a year-round fixture in the front yard of a Roseville home.  I took this photo a year or so ago....Wonder if he now has a number four painted in gold on his back? Maybe not yet but if plays keep coming in the final seconds of the game, it could be added to the back of the shirt rather easily!

TEN GREAT Reasons North St Paul, MN is a Perfect Place to Call Home!

North St Paul Snowman by Teri Eckholm REALTOR

People love living in North St Paul. And I am not talking about living on the north side of Minnesota's capital city; I am referring to the City of North St Paul, located just EAST of St. Paul Minnesota along Highway 36. It is a quaint little town with a rich history that was founded in 1870 by Henry Castle on the banks of Silver Lake. He named the town's main streets after his children, Henry, Helen, Margaret and Charles. When it incorporated in 1887, 221 people called the Village of North St. Paul home. From those humble beginnings, the town has grown considerably. As of 2008, nearly 12,000 people call the City of North St. Paul, Minnesota home.

Here is a top ten list of reasons why this community is such a great place to live.

#10-Water and Electric. Most cities provide the basic utilities of water and electricity to its residents. But few communities can boast water from five wells drilled deep into the earth for a pure, natural source of drinking water and their own power grid like North St. Paul can!

#9-Local Police and Fire. The City of North St. Paul is proud to have its own police department and volunteer fire department.

#8-Cowern Elementary, Richardson Elementary and North St Paul High School. Go Polars! North St. Paul has two K-5 grade schools and a high school within its borders. Cowern Elementary is located on the south side of 36 at Margaret St and South Ave. While both Richardson Elementary and North High School are located on the north side of 36. Richardson bisects 16th Avenue and North is located along 11th Avenue. All three schools are an integral part of the North St. Paul/Maplewood/Oakdale School District #622.

#7-Silver Lake Park, Beach and Fishing Pier. Many North St. Paul children have learned to swim on brisk summer mornings in the water of Silver Lake , a tradition that continues into today! And few resident can say they have never dropped by the annual Historical Society summer Ice Cream Social for a vanilla cone scooped by a neighbor. Although there are several other parks and playgrounds scattered throughout North St. Paul, Silver Lake is one of the most often visited.

#6-Unique taste treats! Homemade French fries at Village Pizza, Broasted Chicken from Pizza Factory and award winning homemade ice cream from the HomeTown Creamery ice cream shop are just a few of the delectable treats served daily in North St. Paul.

#5-Booya! The fall tradition of the North St. Paul fireman's booya is an experience that no resident of North St Paul can resist! After a night of cooking up a ‘secret recipe'stew in giant pots, the volunteer fire department serves up their brew for all. Whether purchased by the bowl or pot, it is a fall tradition enjoyed by community residents for nearly a century!

#4- Friday Night History Cruz. Love classic cars? Spend a Friday evening in North St. Paul for the History Cruz. Hundreds of car enthusiasts invade the main street of downtown North St. Paul, 7th Avenue, to show off their prized vehicles and see the shiny chrome fenders of yesteryear.

#3-The Snowman. The snowman has been greeting the residents of North St. Paul since it was constructed in the 1970's. It was originally downtown behind what is now K&J Catering, but later moved to a park at the corner of Hwy 36 and Margaret Street. For those keeping statistics, the snowman is 44 feet tall and ways about 20 tons!

#2-Eclectic Options for Living. Whether you want the convenience of a low-maintenance townhome, a historical turn of the century treasure, a 1950's rambler or bungalow, or a recently constructed, modified two story, you can find an affordable option to rent or purchase in North St Paul.

#1-Friendly People. The number one reason for living in North St Paul is the welcoming community atmosphere. Isn't that what most people search for in a place to call home?

FEATURED NORTH ST. PAUL LISTING:

2338 South Ave E, North St. Paul, MN 55109

Additional Articles that might be of interest:

Think You Could be At Home in North St. Paul, MN?