The rebounding market that positively affected much of the Twin Cities area in 2013 seems to have passed over Columbus, Minnesota, proving once again that all real estate is local. Closed sales were down along with the average sales price and listings were; not signs of a recovering market. There were 29 homes sold and 51 new listings in this semi-rural, Anoka County community, just west of Forest Lake. Columbus is well known for its acreage properties in addition to the Running Aces harness racing track. However, after two years of solid recovery, it might just indicate a leveling off of the market. The average price of a home dropped just a bit, under 2%, in 2013 compared to 2012. This did impact the average price per square footage which also went down slightly from $108 to $107/sq ... 04/05/2014

Vaccination Clinic at Carlos Avery Wildlife Science Center   The wolf sanctuary in Columbus Minnesota is near and dear to my heart. It is just a few miles as the crow, or better yet, as the hawk flies from my home. On a cool crisp evening when the world is quiet in my Ham Lake front yard, I can easily hear the wolves howling from across the fields. The Wildlife Science Center (The WSC)is not only home to several types of wolves, a number of other animals call the refuge home including bobcats, fox, owls and hawks. A few of the wolves are somewhat celebrities as they were featured in the Animal Planet Series Growing Up Wolf.   The first weekend in April, the WSC has a special event planned for pet owners, and you don’t have to be from the Ham Lake, Forest Lake, Columbus area either. The ... 03/23/2014

      Closed sales were up again for the second consecutive year in Columbus, Minnesota in 2012. With 46 homes sold and only 35 homes listed in this semi-rural, Anoka County community, just west of Forest Lake. Columbus is well known for its acreage properties in addition to the Running Aces harness racing track. Inventory is no longer an issue for this area that is once again in high demand. The average price of a home rose over 23% in 2012 compared to 2011, so prices are on the rise. This did impact the average price per square footage which also went up from $97 to $108/sq foot. Other positive indicators for Columbus include homes selling faster and sellers getting closer to asking prices. Sellers received almost 94% of their asking price in 2012. Average days on the market is down c... 02/08/2013

It's not a trick question. But it can be tricky to get a realistic answer because whether it is a buyer's market, seller's market or something in between, there is no simple way to come up with an exact market value for the average homeowner Many people think if they pull out the big vinyl envelope from the last time they refinanced they have a document with an accurate home value. After all good money was paid, usually several hundred dollars, for an appraiser to come up with a dollar figure of value for the bank to approve the loan. So is the appraised value what your home is worth? Some people look to the assessed values that arrive on an annual basis from the Anoka County or Washington County assessor. It seems reasonable that this would be an indication of a property's current valu... 05/18/2012

  Vaccination Clinic Carlos Avery Wildlife Science Center The Wildlife Science Center in the Forest Lake/Columbus area is better known as the Carlos Avery wolf refuge. On a cool crisp evening when the world is quiet in my Ham Lake front yard, I can easily hear the dozens of wolves howling from their home. It is located a few miles as the hawk flies from my home so it is near and dear to my heart.  The Wildlife Science Center (The WSC) is not only home to several types of wolves, a number of other animals call the sanctuary home including several big cats,  a variety of fox, owls and hawks. There are even a couple of “celebrity wolves” that starred in the Animal Planet Series Growing Up Wolf. This April, The WSC has a special event planned for Anoka County dog and cat owners, (but pet ow... 04/08/2012

First Time Homebuyer Real Estate in Columbus MN       Columbus Minnesota is not normally and area a first time homebuyer would consider but with affordability up throughout the north and east metro, 2011 could make it one. This community is known for acreage properties which usually mean that the listing prices are out of reach for a first time buyer but as the average homes sold for just under $190K in 2011, there are opportunities for those first time buyers who dream of owning an acreage home.   Closed sales nearly doubled in Columbus, Minnesota in 2011 compared to sales in 2010. Only 12 homes were sold all of 2010 in this Anoka County community, just west of Forest Lake, which is well known for its acreage properties. Yet in 2011, sales came back with 23 sold properties. However ne... 02/09/2012

Closed sales took a nosedive in Columbus, Minnesota during 2010. Only 12 homes were sold all of last year in this Anoka County community which is well known for its acreage properties. Columbus is just west of Forest Lake and in this area home sales dropped over 63% from 2009 to 2010. The average price of a home dropped also dropped 12.5% but only a fewer homes were listed on the market. The homes that did list sold quickly and sellers were able to keep more dollars in their pockets during negotiations with sellers receiving nearly 97% of their asking price which is much higher than in many neighboring communities. Average days on the market is down considerably for the straight year to under three months so it appears that buyers are making decisions quickly on acreage homes in Columb... 01/29/2011