Although the Spring 2020 Parade of Homes was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the Fall Parade of Homes is back. This years Parade runs from Sept. 12th to Oct. 4th with doors open on Thurs. to Sundays from 12 noon to 6PM. A total of 385 new homes are showcased this year and…read more
There may be snow on the ground; but its time to think spring as the annual Parade of Homes (“POH”) kicks off this Sat. March 2nd. The POH runs from March 2nd to March 31st while homes are available for showings between 12 noon and 6PM. There are 472 showcased homes this year and guidebooks…read more
A newly released report by the Housing Affordability Institute stresses what I’ve been researching for year; Twin Cities new construction costs are higher than many other metropolitan areas across the country. Yes we live in a cold climate that requires increased costs for energy efficiencies; but the underlying factor is it cost more to build…read more
Over 400 new construction homes are features in this Fall’s Parade of Homes. This year’s tour runs from September 8 – 30. The tour is open Thursdays through Sundays from 12 to 6 p.m. A free, comprehensive guidebook including maps, photos and illustrations of the featured homes, is available at area Holiday Stationstores. For…read more
Like most areas across the country, the Twin Cities real estate market as drastically impacted by last decade’s housing downturn and the ensuing Great Recession. After peaking in 2005 and 2006, the median sales price of a home in the Twin Cities is finally back up to the pre-recessionary levels. However, the new construction market…read more
The Twin Cities condo market, in particular Downtown Minneapolis, is red hot as the inventory is nearly non-existent. A review of all condo listings in the Downtown Minneapolis area shoes there are only 76 active listings in Downtown and in the surrounding neighborhoods such as the North Loop, Loring Park, northwest Minneapolis, etc. These listings…read more
Without a question, the new construction sector has catered to move-up and executive buyers since the recession. Most of the new homes built since the Great Recession have catered to the $400,000+ buyer; a result of increasing land, labor, and material costs for new homes. Prior to the recession townhomes were the answer for first-time…read more
Recently the US Census/Commerce Department published its annual Characteristics of New Housing report and to no surprise from real estate experts….today’s buyers desire larger homes. The average size of a new home decreased during the Great Recession; however as the new construction has been rebounding over the past five+ years home sizes are growing again. …read more
Historically, starter homes have been a prominent housing type within the new construction segment. Prior to the peak of the real estate market in 2005/2006, starter homes priced under $200,000 represented a major share of the housing inventory. However, since 2005 the number of new homes priced under $200,000 had declined substantially. Today, there are…read more
Although we as hardy Minnesotan’s have been mostly sparred by Mother Nature this winter; the notion of a heated driveway could be the next fad in new construction and home renovations. Historically only high-end homes offered heated driveways, however the cost to install and operate a heated driveway has come down and more and more…read more
