The 5 things you need to start your house hunt

One of the biggest investments in your life will be a home purchase. Whether you are a first time home buyer, an investor, or you're looking for a vacation home there are five things you need in order to be prepared for a successful home search!

Click here to see homes available in the Twin Cities south metro area.

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 1. A timeline for your move
There are many different variables to consider when you are thinking about a move. Many of these variables are tied to a significant life event such as a job relocation, a wedding, a baby, or retirement. It is so important to time your move so that you can maximize your home search and get the right home to suit your needs.

2. A Real Estate Agent
Do you know the proper steps to secure a home? Are you familiar with the legal forms? Do you have good relationships with title companies, home inspectors, and other brokers? A great agent is one that will take the time to listen to your needs and will represent you in negotiations. They will guide you on your home search to keep you focused on purchasing the right home for you. A real estate agent should be able to tell you what the market conditions are, inform you of each step of the purchase, and should provide excellent service. Your agent should be someone that you will want to refer all your friends, family, and co-workers to!

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3. Pre-approval from a lender
Are you looking to spend $1,000 per month or $4,000? What is your household income compared to your expenses? It's imperative to know your numbers. If you don't know a loan officer personally, I would recommend reaching out to friends or family for their recommendations.

I have been working with Marketplace Home Mortgage and I have been very pleased. They have a 5 day commitment which means that once you fill out an application and provide the necessary documents, they will underwrite your loan in 5 business days to determine if you qualify for a loan based on your income, credit, and assets. This is a huge advantage as a home buyer and can help address any issues that could surface prior to closing.

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4. Money
We all know money makes the world go round and it certainly helps to have money saved when you are purchasing a home. The two things buyers pay for are a home inspection and earnest money.  A home inspection is something I recommend doing as the inspector will tell you about the age of the appliances and mechanicals. The inspection will also go into further detail about the home and will show any items that may need attention.

Earnest money is something you submit with your written offer to show the sellers that you are interested in the home and that you intend to purchase it. Earnest money shows that you have "skin in the game." This is not the same as a down payment. A down payment is money that you bring to the closing table in order to close on the home. The earnest money you provide with your offer will be deposited into an account and credited to you at closing.

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5. Open Mind
The most common things that are important to people are the location and the details in the home such as the number of bedrooms, baths, finished square footage, and style of home. Based on the location, interior details, and price, you may not get everything you asked for. A home is a place where you can feel relaxed and safe. It may not have the granite counter tops you were hoping for or the perfectly landscaped yard, but those are things you can add yourself to make it yours! While shopping for a home is a serious task, you should also have fun with it.

To find your dream home or investment property, please contact me!

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Homes near High Schools in Lakeville

Lakeville is one of the fastest growing suburbs south of the Twin Cities. The population is estimated to be just shy of 60,000 people. Lakeville is located about 30 minutes south of Minneapolis off of Interstate 35. This up-and-coming suburb is very desirable due to it's excellent schools and was named as one of the best places to live in 2012 by Money Magazine!

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There are two public high schools that currently service the City of Lakeville. There is Lakeville North High School and Lakeville South High School.

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Lakeville North High School is located at 19600 Ipava Avenue in Lakeville and was established in 1906. The current school was built in 1993 and added on to in 1998 to accommodate more students. The current student population is roughly 1,800 students who are in grades 9-12.

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Lakeville South High School is located at 21135 Jacquard Avenue in Lakeville and was built in 2005 after the city experienced significant growth and development. They currently serve about 1,800 students.

Lakeville North and Lakeville South are affiliated with the Minnesota State High School League and members of the South Suburban Conference. These schools offer a broad array of sports available including; Alpine Skiing, Baseball, Basketball, Cheerleading, Cross Country running, Dance Team, Hockey, Golf, Lacrosse, Nordic Skiing, Soccer, Softball, Swimming and Diving, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball, and Wrestling.

via www.mnhockeyhub.com

Lakeville North and Lakeville South offer a number of AP classes and co-curricular activities that students engage in. Not only do they offer AP classes, they average about 50-60 percent enrollment! The Lakeville North Marching Band has participated in a number of parades including the Tournament of Roses parade as well as the second inauguration of George W Bush.

When you think about your children attending top rated high schools in Minnesota, Lakeville North and Lakeville South have proven track records for strong academics and athletics.

Find all homes for sale in Lakeville.  Just click here to contact me! I would be happy to help you find a home nearest to your favorite Lakeville high school.

Homes near Middle Schools in Lakeville

Lakeville is one of the fastest growing suburbs south of the Twin Cities. The population is estimated to be just shy of 60,000 people. Lakeville is located about 30 minutes south of Minneapolis off of Interstate 35. This up-and-coming suburb is very desirable due to it's excellent schools and was named as one of the best places to live in 2012 by Money Magazine!

via panoprog.org

You will love coming home to a great community in the Lakeville school districts. There are three school districts that serve Lakeville: 192, 194, & 196.

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There are three middle schools that serve the City of Lakeville. The first is Century Middle School which is located at 18610 Ipava Avenue in Lakeville. The school is located a few miles east of Interstate 35 just northeast of  Lake Marion. The school day starts at 7:24am and finishes up at 2:00pm. There are about 900 students at Century in grades 6-8. Century Middle School also has a little more than 100 staff members to help your child learn and grow. The mission statement for the school is, "To inspire, educate, develop, and guide all students."

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McGuire Middle School is located at 21220 Holyoke Avenue West in Lakeville. This middle school houses over 950 students in grades 6-8. According to their web page, "McGuire offers a core curriculum in math, science, social studies, language arts, music, and physical education/health. They also offer exploratory classes in industrial technology, family and consumer science, art, and computer technology." McGuire Middle School is an award winning school that emphasizes student focused learning.

Kenwood Trail Middle School is located at 19455 Kenwood Trail in Lakeville. The school's mission statement is "Kenwood Trail Middle School is a caring community dedicated to the promotion of excellence through knowledge, inquiry, and citizenship." This school offers traditional classes as well as honors classes. Kenwood Trail really focuses on it's students and strives to attain learning on all levels.

Find all homes for sale in Lakeville.  Just click here to contact me! I would be happy to help you find a home nearest to your favorite Lakeville middle school.

Homes near Elementary Schools in Lakeville

Lakeville is one of the fastest growing suburbs south of the Twin Cities. The population is estimated to be just shy of 60,000 people. Lakeville is located about 30 minutes south of Minneapolis off of Interstate 35. This up-and-coming suburb is very desirable due to it's excellent schools and was named as one of the best places to live in 2012 by Money Magazine!

via panoprog.org

You will love coming home to a great community in the Lakeville school districts. There are three school districts that serve Lakeville: 192, 194, & 196.

There are 10 elementary schools in the City of Lakeville to chose from. Eight of the ten schools are in School District 194 - Cherry View, Christina Huddelston, Eastview, John F. Kennedy, Lake Marion, Lakeview, Oak Hill, and Orchard Lake Elementary, while North Trail Elementary is in School District 192, and Parkview Elementary is in School District 196.

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Each of the elementary schools is focused not only on the students, but also the participation of it's parents. The cooperation of the teachers, staff, students, and parents combine to create a positive and safe environment for children to learn and grow. Lakeville elementary schools continue to perform well on reading and math tests and acknowledge that there is always room to improve.

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Find all homes for sale in Lakeville.  Just click here to contact me! I would be happy to help you find a home nearest to your favorite Lakeville elementary school.

Homes near New Prague School District 721

Find all homes for sale in New Prague School District 721. 

You will love coming home to a community with great schools in the New Prague School district.

It's a small town with roughly 8,000 residents. New Prague is conveniently located between Hwy 169 and Interstate 35 with easy access to the Twin Cities. The outstanding schools and affordable cost of living are two reasons why people chose to call this place home.

Picture via www.npaschools.org

• As a district, 78.3% of our New Prague students are proficient in math. This is 17.8% above the state average of 60.5% proficiency. New Prague ranks #1 in math when compared to our nine neighboring school districts.
• As a district, 73.1% of our New Prague students are proficient in reading. This is 14.3% above the state average of 58.8% proficiency. New Prague ranks #1 in reading when compared to our nine neighboring school districts.
• As a district, 74.8% of our New Prague students are proficient in science. This is 21.5% above the state average of 53.4% proficiency. New Prague ranks #1 in science when compared to our nine neighboring school districts.

The statistics above were provided by the New Prague Area School District website. 

There are 5 schools in New Prague; Eagle Ridge Elementary, Raven Stream Elementary, Falcon Ridge Elementary, New Prague Middle School, and the New Prague High School. Each of the schools offer a variety of sports and after school activities suitable for all ages. The schools also offer smaller class sizes which dramatically improve test scores, better grades, and attendance.

Provided by www.ci.new-prague.mn.us

Some of the benefits of living in New Prague include several parks located around the city, plenty of nearby lakes for fishing, and the city pool offering swimming lessons or a convenient place to cool off! They are also home to Creeks Bend Golf Course and the New Prague Golf Club.

Picture by wanderfull365.com

The annual city celebration is Dozinky Days which is held in September. It's a great reason for the community to gather and celebrate the Czech heritage which the city was founded on. Dozinky Days includes a car cruise, parade, live bands, and several food vendors.

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The Mayo Clinic Health System is located in New Prague and offers a clinic, express clinic, and hospital to address all your health care needs for you and your family.

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New Prague has a low crime rate when you compare it to other suburbs in the Twin Cities Metro Area. Between 2012-2013 there was an overall decrease in calls for service as well as a decrease in burglary, vandalism, and disturbing the peace. There has been an increase in traffic citations and DWI violations. All information was provided by the City of New Prague police department. 

If you are thinking about moving to New Prague please contact me. 

Minnesota State Fair Time!

Every year people look forward to the Minnesota State Fair. The anticipation of the hot temps, the endless food options, animals, rides, games, and seeing friends and family! The time is upon us and I cannot wait to sample some of my favorites. For homes near the Minnesota State Fairgrounds click here.

The best place to start is to purchase your discounted tickets for admission, games, and rides. You can find these tickets until August 20th at most Cub Foods locations around the Twin Cities while supplies last.

The fair runs from Thursday, August 21st until Monday, September 1, 2014.

 

A new feature this year, in addition to the wacky foods, is the mobile app!

Now you can navigate where your favorite foods, the haunted house and the big yellow slide all from your phone!

The information below has been provided by the MN State Fair website.

2014 STATE FAIR GATE ADMISSION

& FEE SCHEDULE

REGULAR ADMISSION AT THE GATE

• Adults (13-64): $13
• Seniors (65 & over): $11
• Kids (5-12): $11
• Children (Under 5): Free

2014 PROMOTIONAL DAYS

THRIFTY THURSDAY (Aug. 21)

• Adults (13-64): $11
• Seniors (65 & over): $11
• Kids (5-12): $8
• Children (Under 5): Free

SENIORS & KIDS DAY (Monday, Aug. 25)

• Adults (13-64): $13
• Seniors (65 & over): $8
• Kids (5-12): $8
• Children (Under 5): Free

MILITARY APPRECIATION DAY (Tuesday, Aug. 26)

Active military, retired military and veterans receive the following discounted admission ticket price when they purchase a ticket at the gate and present valid documentation of military service.

• Active military, their spouses and kids: $8
• Retired military and their spouses: $8
• Military veterans and their spouses: $8

READ & RIDE DAY (Wednesday, Aug. 27)

Public library card holders receive the following discounted admission ticket price when they purchase a ticket at the gate and present a valid library card. (One discount per card.)

• Adults (13-64): $11
• Seniors (65 & over): $8
• Kids (5-12): $8
• Children (Under 5): Free

SENIORS DAY (Thursday, Aug. 28)

• Adults (13-64): $13
• Seniors (65 & over): $8
• Kids (5-12): $11
• Children (Under 5): Free

KIDS DAY (Monday, Sept. 1)

• Adults (13-64): $13
• Seniors (65 & over): $11
• Kids (5-12): $8
• Children (Under 5): Free

How to get to the fair:

If you live nearby, biking is the best, most Eco-friendly option to avoid parking chaos. The second option is the State Fair Express Bus Service. Various locations around the Twin Cities offer service to and from the State Fair every 15-30 minutes. If you want to get there for free, there are several Park and Ride locations to accommodate you. The last option is to drive. There are so many places to park, but be prepared to be patient! Here is a list of parking lots available.

No matter how you get here, what foods you eat, or how exhausted your feet become, the MN State Fair is the biggest (and best!) state fair in the nation. It's a great time for everyone! If you're looking for a home in Minnesota, so you can be a regular at the fair, contact me today!

What are you looking forward to most about the Great Minnesota Get Together?

Twin Cities Water Parks

In addition to the 10,000 lakes, there are plenty of water parks in the Twin Cities where you can cool off and have some fun! Before summer winds down in Minnesota, it's time to get out there and enjoy the warm temperatures with the kids.

Living near one of these fantastic water parks has many advantages, especially in the summer months when the kids are out of school. Whether you're looking for a family day, a fun play date idea, or get your teens outside and active, these parks offer fun for everyone!

1.  Apple Valley Family Aquatic Center
The outdoor water park is open from June thru August and the admission is $9 per person. The water park includes water slides, a lazy river, diving board, zero depth entry for toddlers and babies. Swimming lessons are also available. The center also has ample space for picnics or just lounging in the sun. Homes for sale near Apple Valley Family Aquatic Center.

Photo via City of Apple Valley, MN

2.  Cascade Bay Water Park 

There are plenty of things to do and see at Cascade Bay! The water park is located in Eagan, MN and has an admission price of $10 or less depending on your height and age. The water park includes Captain Ship Slides, a lazy river raft ride, miniature golf, lap pool, zero depth entry, and Sand Piper Beach. This water park also offers a variety of classes and camps during the summer months. Homes for sale near Cascade Bay Water Park.

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3.  Valleyfair - Soak City

Valleyfair has been a huge attraction in Shakopee since May 1976. The park has grown each year to include new thrill rides as well as the water park known as Soak City.  Regular admission to the park is pricey at $36.99 per person, however you get access to the entire park including rides, Planet Snoopy, live entertainment, Dinosaur's Alive, and Soak City.  The water park showcases a wave pool, raft rides, splash pad, and body slides to name a few.  Who wouldn't want to spend a beautiful summer day outdoors enjoying Valleyfair? Homes for sale near Valleyfair.

Photo via Valleyfair.com

4. Water Park of America

This indoor water park is the mecca of all water parks, even in the winter! The Water Park of America is located in Bloomington near the Mall of America. It's an indoor space and you can purchase an all day pass for $30-40 depending on the date. Homes for sale near Water Park of America.

Photo via travelandleisure.com

Contact me for more information on any of these great South Metro areas. Now step away from the internet and go soak up the rest of Summer!