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Waconia, MN Real Estate News

By Jeff Schulz
(ReMax Action West)
The Waconia real estate market, like all other areas, had a decrease in sales and prices of homes. Below is a look at year 2009 in the Waconia area, as well as surrounding cities. This is based on information from the REGIONAL MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE OF MINNESOTA, INC. Year End 2009 Median Sales Price Total Sales 09       Total Sales 08       Average Price 09      Average Price 08          Waconia 167 172 $211,057 $262,440 Norwood Young 46 41 $136,466 $167,300 Cologne 22 25 $216,293 $209,672 St. Bonifacius 39 33 $166,567 $220,323 2009 HOME SALES AS REPORTED BY MLS PARTICIPANTS Total Sales          Average Price         Median Price     Carver County                  408 $204,423 $185,500 The first week of January showed a surge upward in activity, but this was expected after the slowdo...
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If you are searching for the perfect home, in the perfect neighborhood, in the perfect city, keep reading!  This home was just listed and it has everything a homeowner could want and the breathtaking views of Burandt Lake are seen from nearly every room.  The house is located in Sterling Hills subdivision, an upscale community with 46 homes.  The subdivision is in an ideal location.  Everything you need is found within a two mile radius.  Restaurants such as Subway, McDonalds and Domino's are right around the corner while the popular, more upscale restaurant, Lola's Lakehouse is only two miles away.  Many popular parks are also very close, including Sugarbush Park, Waconia City Park and Pheasant Ridge Park.  The Waconia Library is just one mile from this subdivision.  If you enjoy keepi...
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Ridgeview Medical Center is an independent, 109-bed acute care hospital located in Waconia.  It serves a five-county area including Carver, northern Sibley, southern Wright, western Hennepin and eastern McLeod.  Ridgeview has earned many distinctions including being ranked among the top 5% of all hospitals in the nation for patient safety two years in a row and scored in the top three percent among more than 2,300 hospitals nationwide in surgical care improvement process-of-care measures. Ridgeview offers many services as well.  The Heart Center partners with the Minneapolis Heart Institute®  to provide a wide range of cardiology services.  The Cancer Center is nationally recognized and is a comprehensive program that offers all the services an adult cancer patient will need. The Orthop...
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If you plan to make improvements around your home before placing it on the market, take a look at popular trends first. This may give you ideas, or help your narrow down exactly where to start. According to Pittsburgh Paints, the 2009-2010 color trends are influenced by the earth and sky. Classic neutrals and exotic brights are the key shades. According to the Pantone Color Institute® “yellow speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation." Yellow is also the color of the sun, thus stays withing the same "earth and sky" concept. A designer's blog I recently read also stated green will be a 'hot' color as well as soft lavender. Landscaping trends include planting organic gardens. If you do not have room for this, add a couple of window boxes with organic h...
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By Jeff Schulz
(ReMax Action West)
Lake Waconia is a popular 3,000 acre lake located beside the town of Waconia, Minnesota. This makes it the second largest lake in the seven county metro area of Minnesota. The beach area sits on the southern shore of Lake Waconia and has views to Coney Island. There is a picnic shelter, volleyball court, swimming area and restrooms. Umbrellas for shade were also recently added. Lifeguard service is also provided. This is managed by the Carver County Parks and Recreation. Lake Waconia also has an Event Center. Here you can have wedding receptions, meetings, family reunions, banquets or corporate events. The Lake Waconia Event Center was previously known as the Waconia Lakeside Ballroom and is a well known historic landmark. It is spacious and can accommodate up to 800 people. The Event C...
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Waconia has many buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. The register is the US Government's official list of sites and buildings deemed worthy of preservation. The Charles Maiser House located on 16 W. Main Street was built in the mid 1800's and added to the register in 1980. It is privately owned and used as a single dwelling. The Mock Cigar Factory, also located on Main Street and built in the 1800's is privately owned but functions as Jim Gilbert's Wild Bird Store. Waconia City Hall and West Main Street Houses have all been added to the registry as well. Waconia is also home to Carver County Historical Society. According to the society's website, its mission is to "preserve and interpret the history of Carver County." The society has a museum which houses five local h...
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Now is a great time to buy a home.  The Home Buyer's tax credit has been extended and is now available to repeat home buyers. Interest rates are lower than ever, and affordable homes are abundant.  But many are scared to take that leap because they do not think they can sell their current home. There are things you can do if you want to sell your Waconia home and want it sold fast. Begin de-cluttering. Clean out closets, under beds, cabinets and donate the items, or have a yard sale. Replace broken light bulbs Touch up your paint including the molding, chair rails. Pack up family photos and extra wall art. The less your home looks 'personalized', the better. Trim bushes, weed eat, and perform other yard work you have been putting off Clean your windows and window sills Rent a storage un...
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By Jeff Schulz
(ReMax Action West)
Market update for Carver County is based on information from the REGIONAL MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE OF MINNESOTA, INC for the period July 1, 2009 through September 30, 2009. Average Price $276,600 # Homes on Market 1,476 # Homes Sold 364 # New Homes Built 51 Average # Days on Market                       74 Zip Code Average Price           # Homes Sold          Days on Market 55315                  241,400 13 66 55317 373,800 91 86 55318 237,400 117 69 55322 283,000 6 91 55331 554,100 8 73 55339 177,000 2 24 55360 225,000 10 82 55367 156,700 3 49 55368 231,600 6 53 55386 326,400 27 65 55387 210,600 59 77 55388 226,000 9 61 55397 143,700 13 89
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By Jeff Schulz
(ReMax Action West)
According to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors, there does not seem to be too much of a change in statistics from this time last year for the months of September. New listings in September of this year declined from 33 in September 2008 to 24 in September 2009. And the median sales price declined by $11,000, from $217 to $206 as well as the average sales price declined. However the remaining factors do not show a significant change compared to other areas of the country. The numbers are outlined below. Closed Sales  17, up from 16 Average days on market 109, down from 161 Single Family Inventory 77, down from 99  
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So far this year nearly 70 small businesses received more than $4.3 million in the form of grants and low interest loans to help  survive in this struggling economy. A second round of small interest loans became available and applications were received through September. The funding is again through the Pohlad Family, and the loans are awarded through Grow Minnesota!, a program of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and local chamber partners across the state. Loans will be awarded in early November. The Pohlad Family gives generously to the community through various organizations. The Pohlad Family Foundation’s mission statement is: To improve the lives of economically disadvantaged children and youth and participate in projects that positively impact the quality of life in the Minneapol...
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By Jeff Schulz
(ReMax Action West)
Nickle Dickle Day is an all day festival that brings thousands of people to Waconia.  There is music and entertainment, a book sale, 3 on 3 basketball tournament, and a mechanical bull.  There is also a duck race and if you adopt a duck, proceeds will go to Waconia West Carver Rotary to support children's charity.  Residents can also enjoy an antique car show as well as an arts and crafts show. Rides and games will be happening all day in the City Square Park. Local businesses also get involved by offering huge sales all day Friday and Saturday at their place of business.  There will also be sidewalk sales on Saturday. And if you are in shape, you can participate in the 5K or 10K run. If not, just stick around and listen to one of the many bands performing in the Gazebo, or on the 1st S...
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By Jeff Schulz
(ReMax Action West)
In the last year there has been a steady increase in pending sales of homes, according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors.  Sales have grown, and new listings have slowed as well. Buyer activity is definitely growing. Right now there are fewer homes available per buyer than there has been since 2005. Mortgage interest rates are still favorable. Loan Type           Interest Rate 15 yr fixed           4.60% 30 yr fixed           5.08% 5/1 ARM              4.23% The first time homebuyers tax credit of $8,000 is also still available. Looking to buy or sell real estate in Waconia, Cologne, St. Boni or Victoria, MN?Contact me at 612-709-4737 to get started.   Not quite ready?  Feel free to browse through my current listings.
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By Jeff Schulz
(ReMax Action West)
The Waconia Lions hosted the 18th Annual 'Take a Kid Fishing' on Lake Waconia last month and we had a great turnout!  In Towne Marina kindly allowed us the use of their Screenhouse and provided bait.  This year we had over 30 kids come out.  It was a little chilly in the morning but we fed them breakfast and took them fishing anyway.  They had a great time and caught tons of fish.  We cleaned the fish for kids that wanted to take some home so it would be ready to fry without the "dirty" work.  Each year we also try and send each child home with a bunch of fishing gear and this year was no different.  Thanks to Kelly from Rapala as well as Cabin Fever for your generosity!    
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When you think of the fair, does it remind you of your childhood?  The smell of kettle corn and funnel cake, or the sounds of the carousel and kids screaming while riding the tilt-a-whirl? This year Waconia will host the Carver County Fair. It begins August 5th and lasts thru August 9th. One highlight this year is the Supercross Championships which is open to all motorcycles and ATV's. This is provided by Motokazie and will draw a huge crowd. And like other years, the Demolition Derby will be on Saturday and Sunday night. It is always exciting to watch drivers deliberately ram their vehicles into one another. And just thinking about the food adds 10 pounds to my body. There will be apple pie on a stick, grilled pork chops, potato skins with toppings, nachos with cheese....My mouth is w...
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By Jeff Schulz
(ReMax Action West)
The cities of Waconia and Chanhassen in Minnesota are fortunate in that each of it's parks is located on a lake. Each park is also a natural resource based recreation area. So if you enjoy being outside in the fresh air, near water, consider purchasing a Waconia home for sale. Lake Minnewashta Regional Park This gorgeous park has it all! It offers a swimming beach, bathhouse, playground, volleyball courts and concession stand. There is also a walking trail that is over five miles long.         Lake Waconia Regional Park This 130 acre park is located on Lake Waconia. There are views of Coney Island from the park. The existing facilities include play equipment, restrooms, picnic shelter, swimming beach, and volleyball courts. There is also a boat dock located just outside the park. If you...
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By Jeff Schulz
(ReMax Action West)
Minnesota is not generally known for it's golf courses. If you like cold weather and snow, we've got that. Or if you want to live on a lake, we are the "Land of 10,000 Lakes". But you normally do not associate golf with this state. However, we do have award winning golf courses. The Wilderness at Fortune Bay is listed as one of America's 'Best Courses You Can Play' by Golfweek in 2009.  Giants Ridge Golf & Ski Resort is rated #20 in 'America's Greatest Public Courses' by Golf Digest. But a little closer to the Waconia area is Interlachen Country Club in Edina, MN. This club is rated in 'America's 100 Greatest Courses' by Gold Digest.  This club features 6,829 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 73. The club has hosted the 1919 Western Open, 1916 Trans Mississippi, 1930 US ...
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The concept of the 3/50 Project is simple, yet the effects are more than that. The idea is to spend $50.00 per month at 3 independantly owned businesses in your community that you would hate to see close. According to the Project's website, the impact is tremendous in that if just half the population spent that amount, it would generate 42.6 billion in revenue. They also state for every $100 spent in local stores, $68 remains in the community.  With the economic downturn, and the many small businesses closing, this is a great way to support the stores in your area. To learn more about how this project started, visit this blog.  ~Jeff
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By Jeff Schulz
(ReMax Action West)
In these economic times many of us are trying to find ways to cut costs. One way of doing this is to buy generic products. Usually there is not a noticeable difference, but in some cases there is a huge difference. My friend found out the hard way. About three months ago he bought Hartz flea drops, instead of the vet prescribed drops, for his dog. Later that day his dog, Lucy, started acting lethargic and crying out in pain. Ironically, Lucy also had an eye laceration so the veternarian attributed her pain to that.  Lucy's eye healed and after 10 days she stopped crying out in pain. About 5 days ago my friend gave his dog the flea drops again. The next morning, Lucy was again very lethargic. She was crying, wouldn't eat, and kept shaking. It was then my friend decided to investigate th...
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By Jeff Schulz
(ReMax Action West)
I don't think we can confidently say things are turning around, but it does give some glimmer of hope to read that the home sales across the nation increased by more than 5 percent last month.  This is the largest increase since 2003 and this contradicts analysts predictions that sales would continue to fall.However, the reason for the jump is not necessarily good. Distressed sales, including foreclosures, accounted for 45 percent of the market. This affected the sales price of homes which tumbled to year 2002 levels. Median home prices fell approximately 15% compared to one year ago. So many people who were never able to afford a home can now purchase one.  Couple that with the first time home buyers tax incentive as well as record low interest rates, and it is a seemingly win-win situ...
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