Dreaming of Life on a Minnesota Lake? This Could be the Year to Make YOUR Move!

 
Is spending the summer on a Minnesota lakeshore your dream? What if you could walk out your backdoor and in a few steps be in at the lake? With well over 10,000 lakes in Minnesota, it is not just a dream but reality for many homeowners. Living in a lakehome.  Whether you are in Anoka, Ramsey, Chisago, Washington, Hennepin or any other county in our great state lakeshore is a plentiful and beautiful but sadly it is not always affordable. 

How do you find affordable lakeshore in Minnesota and which lake is best for you? That really depends on your needs and how your family will make use of the water. If you want to dock a speedboat or need room to set sail in a larger sailboat, your dream might be to live on a large acreage full recreational lake. But many love the idea of waking in the morning to the calls of nesting loons and or sitting on the deck in the evening to view a brilliant rosy sunset. This buyer might prefer an affordable natural wetland shore. A home with this type of shoreline is can be much less expensive than a home on lakeshore with a sandy beach to swim in and dock for a boat.

 A few years back, when lakeshore prices were seemingly out of reach, I wrote another article, Affordable Minnesota Lakeshore, that remains to this day one of the most popular pages on my website. It was written for those dreaming of a lake home but unable to afford the rising costs on shoreline property in Minnesota. (A full recreational lake will have few, if any, restrictions by the Minnesota DNR for usage of the lake…meaning you can have a speed boat, jet ski, etc.) Because not everyone needs, wants or can afford a home on a full recreational lake, I outlined the best affordable options and alternatives to a full recreational lakehome with shoreline. But with the changed real estate market, these variations on traditional lakeshore are now extremely affordable—usually not much higher than a home without water’s edge. And when you combine these affordable options with frigid temps, a home buyer with lakeshore dreams can find they can afford to live on Minnesota lakeshore!

Channel Shore Shoreline along a channel is a great option for a full recreational lake. Many large lakes will have channels or narrow extensions that lead to other lakes or ponds. Usually there is not a place for a beach but you can have a slip or short dock for your boat. The channel will provide access to the main lake. The view will probably include homes on the opposite shore of the channel but if your goal is affordable use of a full recreational lake, this is a great alternative.

Smaller Lake with Channel to Full Recreational Lake Often the lakes in Minnesota are connected to one or several smaller lakes. This can be a great opportunity. Shoreline that is shallow or weedy is not considered prime but if it has access to a larger lake, it could provide the same enjoyment at a much lower price.

Small Acreage Lake Smaller lakes can be of interest to the more laidback water lover. Often there will be restrictions disallowing motors or only small motors. These smaller lakes can still be great for fishing, canoeing, kayaking and swimming. Some will allow docks and beaches but check with the DNR for specific restrictions. A small lake will still offer wonderful natural views at a significantly lower price than a full recreational lake.

Environmental Lakes and Wetlands Very shallow lakes wonderful for privacy but not great for recreation. If you are looking for a home with awesome views of wildlife, this may be something to consider.Deeded AccessMany homes and associations near a full recreational lake have been developed with deeded access providing use of the lake. The ability to have a dock, use the beach, or moor a boat, will be outlined in a legal agreement specifying what uses are allowed. Not all deeded access is created equal! Request a copy of all of the specific uses and rules before writing an offer so you can fully understand the access available as a home owner.

Lake View A home with a beautiful lake view but no shoreline or lake access, can provide the wonderful picturesque views everyone dreams of without the high lakeshore taxes.Location with Public Access NearbyA final option is to look for a home that is near park with public lake access. I sold one such home where the public access to a good-sized full recreational lake was about a quarter mile down the street. This family uses the lake to canoe, cross country ski and fish without driving or trailers. There was none of the additional cost or taxes associated with lakeshore property but all of the benefits!

LINKS LAKE RESOURCES:

•  Department of Natural Resources Lake Finder Comprehensive search engine to find information regarding the size, depth and condition of Minnesota lakes by county and lake name. There is even information on approximate numbers and types of fish found in the listed lakes. 
• Shoreland Education   Need to know if you can have a dock? Put in a beach? If the water is safe? This site provides videos and resources to help answer for the most often asked water, lake and shoreline questions
  

Ready to buy a Minnesota Lakehome and need help from a professional REALTOR®? Let me be your professional guide. If you are buying, selling or relocating to Minnesota and need help from a professional REALTOR®, give me, Teri Eckholm of Boardman Realty, a call or visit my website for a FREE Home Buyer Success Guide or FREE Home Value Report. I specialize in acreage and lakeshore properties in the north and east Twin Cities metro area including Ham Lake, Lino Lakes and all communities in the Forest Lake School District. Serving Anoka, Chisago, Ramsey and Washington Counties in Minnesota.

Copyright 2015 www.terieckholm.com

AFFORDABLE Homes on Minnesota Lakeshore! (Under $400K...some way under too!)

Are there affordable lakeshore homes in Anoka County? You betcha!

I checked the multiple listing service (MLS) in the Minneapolis/St Paul area today (July 17, 2014) and found a baker's dozen lakeshore homes priced at less than $400K. This doesn't see like a lot but we are talking affordable lakeshore here. Some are as close as Coon Rapids and a few are further out in Ramsey and Nowthen but all are homes have shoreline on one of Minnesota's 10,000 Lakes.

And you don't have to break the bank either. There is a cute one bedroom cabin on Martin Lake with 50 feet of shoreline for under $90,000. Need a bigger home? There's a spacious two story on Ham Lake with a 100 foot shore for $350K. Looking for a one level home? There is one on Coon Lake with 2BR/2BA with 100 ft shore for just under $275K. And there is even one just minutes from Minneapolis on Crooked Lake in Coon Rapids for $210,000. 

If you are interested in Minnesota lakeshore, there are properties in every price range. There are hundreds of options more over $400K throughout the state but that is not affordable to most. These lower priced options often are on full rec lakes where you can boat, fish, jet ski, but they might not have the perfect sandy beach or executive style home. Sometimes they are perfect inside but have a channel shore line while others might be in need of updates. But they are an affordable way of getting a home on the lake.

If you would like a link to lakeshore homes currently available in Anoka County (or any other Minnesota county), send me an email with your price range and I will check them for you. I also have lakeshore search links set up for counties in the north metro in the POPULAR SEARCHES section of the "Buying A Home" page on my website, terieckholm.com.




Need Help Buying or Selling a Minnesota Lake Home?If you are buying, selling or relocating to Minnesota and need help from a professional REALTOR®, give me, Teri Eckholm of Boardman Realty, a call or visit my website for a FREE Home Buyer Success Guide or FREE Home Value Report. I specialize in acreage and lakeshore properties in the north and east Twin Cities metro area including Ham Lake, Lino Lakes and all communities in the Forest Lake School District! Serving Anoka, Chisago, Ramsey and Washington Counties in Minnesota.

Copyright 2014 www.terieckholm.com

Minnesota Lakeshore Question: What is a Channel Shoreline?

The Minnesota Lakeshore Question of the Week:

 What is a Channel Shoreline?

The shore of any lake whether located in Minnesota or not, is not going to be a straight line. It will follow the geography of the land defined by the flow of water and water table. Often there are inlets and channels that will lead to other bodies of water. In Minnesota, these can be other lakes or wetland marshy areas.

Owning property with shoreline along a channel can be an affordable option for home buyers who want access to a full recreational lake. Many large lakes will have channels or narrow extensions that lead to other lakes or ponds. Quite often channel shoreline is not ideal for a swimming beach but does allow a short dock or slip for a boat and access to the main lake. Many of these properties offer a view of homes on the opposite shore of the channel but if the goal is affordable use of a full recreational lake, this is can be a great alternative.


Copyright 2014 terieckholm.com

Life on a Minnesota Wetland--Affordable Beauty and Privacy!

The legendary 10,000 lakes in Minnesota are why so many people want to buy homes in our beautiful state. Yet lakeshore homes can be very pricey. Sometimes buyers want something beautiful and natural but not too expensive. A great option can be a wetland property. Wetland or marsh doesn't sound as attractive as lakeshore. It can often lead to the question, Is buying a home with environmental lakeshore a good option or a huge mistake?

As a REALTOR who works primarily in the north Minneapolis/St Paul metro, I often educate buyers on the benefits of wetland homes. There are many acreage properties in Anoka, Chisago and Washington County areas on marshland or wetland as well as lakeshore. 
From White Bear Lake to Wyoming and throughout the communities of Hugo, Lino Lakes Centerville, Ham Lake and Blaine, there are acreage properties abutting wetlands and natural environmental lakeshore. Many Minnesotans seek out these properties  because of the size of the acreage and find them very desirable. But as with any purchase, opting to live on a wetland is a personal preference.

So how do you decide if a marsh, wetland or natural environmental (NEDS) lake home is for you? Take time to consider some of the positives and negatives.

Positives:

Wildlife—White-tailed deer, raccoons, turtles, ducks, loons, cranes, hawks, eagles, and a host of other animals have been spotted living near Minnesota wetlands. In the spring there can even be a bear or coyote wandering along the shorelines.
Privacy—Whether the wetland is 20 acres or 200, it cannot be built upon so a property with a wetland or NEDS lake shoreline will limit neighbors.
Affordable—NEDS lakeshore and wetland properties are significantly less costly than lakeshore on a full use recreational lake.
Activities—Though there could be some limits on the use, wetland ponds, environmental lakeshore and NEDS Lakes have been used winter skating, summer canoeing or kayaking and more depending on the water depth.

Negatives:

Mosquitoes—Yes, wetlands are known to attract summertime pests like mosquitoes and deer flies.
Drainage Issues—If the home is on a smaller lot, the owner must pay special consideration to the foundation. A drain tile system and sump pump can be the best solution. Homes with private septic or sewer systems might have special DNR (Minnesota Department of Natural  Resources) or city point of sale requirements and additional criteria for a new installation if the system were to fail.
 
Copyright 2014 www.terieckholm.com

Is this the Summer to Buy a Minnesota Lake Home?

Early this spring, I was contacted by a potential seller on Coon Lake in Anoka County. They were contemplating listing their lake home but hadn’t quite decided if this was the year to make a move or not. I completed a market analysis for their beautiful home and property. The current activity really spurred my interest in that area so I have been keeping close tabs on that market ever since. It was simply amazing to me how affordable lakeshore was in the north and east Twin Cities metro even as prices on homes were rising. It should have been no surprise based on the affordability and low interest rates that lake homes really sold quickly in Anoka County this year.

So this got me thinking and once again I decided to check on what was happening on other lakes in north and east Minneapolis/St. Paul market. I decided to once again to ask the question, 

Is this the summer to make a  GREAT DEAL on a Minnesota Lakeshore Home?  

 

To see what kind of an impact the buyer’s market has had Minnesota lakes; I did some research on lake homes sold in first half of 2013. As a REALTOR® working in the north east metro for over a decade, I knew at one time it was difficult to find reasonably priced Minnesota lakeshore…especially properties located in areas with a quick commute to the downtowns and airport. During the slump, while home prices were affordable, lakeshore owners seem reluctant to sell at distressed prices. The market has changed once again so are metro lake homes now affordable or are prices on the rise?

Focusing on the north east metro counties of Anoka, Chisago, Ramsey and Washington, I discovered some interesting facts. I set up a quick search for lakeshore homes SOLD and closed after January 1, 2013. I found 181 single family lakeshore homes that met these criteria. I then took a closer look homes that sold for the lowest and highest price in each county. The 181 listings were on the market an average of 89 days. But as one can expect, the cumulative days on the market was significantly higher at 190 days on the market since many lakeshore homes are removed from the market every fall and relisted again in the spring. When cancelled and re-listed the DOM would start again at zero. However, just a few years ago, the average time on the market for north metro lakeshore was roughly 2 YEARS on the market instead of this more reasonable, six months. So market time has gone down on lakeshore homes, but have prices gone up? On average, no. 


So where were the deals on Minnesota Lakeshore during the first half of 2013? All over the north metro! 

Here are some of the highlights:

Anoka County

Lowest Sold Price $75,000 (Original list price $79,900)
Highest Sold Price $729,800 (Original list price $849,900)
Average $343,472
Total Homes Sold 39

The lowest priced Anoka County lakeshore home in the first half of 2013 was on Coon Lake in the northern community of East Bethel. It was a 1950 cabin being sold by a traditional seller as a tear down or fixer-upper. It was a 2BR/1BA and a 1 car garage with 200 feet of lakeshore. It sold for $75,000 after just 4 days on the market.

On the other end of the spectrum, in the south east corner of Anoka County  in the community of Lino Lakes, a 2004 built 2 Story executive home sold with picturesque views of the environmental Amelia Lake. After multiple price drops to $749,900 and well over a year on the market the home was sold for $729,800. This 3BR/4BA home was chock full of the upgrades including 7+ garage stalls, master suite and 6 acres of privacy.

Chisago County

 
Lowest Sold Price $ 72,500 (Original list price $ 90,000)
Highest Sold Price $ 585,000 (Original list price $625,000)
Average $247,073
Total Homes Sold 53

The lowest priced home was another cabin sold by a traditional seller that was in need of a good clean up or a tear down. It was a 1950’s rambler one bedroom with no bath or garage, located on North Center Lake in Chisago Lake Township. This cabin sold in 13 days for $72,500.

On the high end, there was a 1979 built lake home on Green Lake with 1200 ft. of peninsula shoreline located in Chisago City. This 4BR/2BA stucco/brick rambler with a 3 car garage was a beauty! The home was situated on 3 acres and sold by a traditional seller. It was listed this spring at $ 625,000 and sold in 13 days for $585,000 though its cumulative days on the market was well over a year.

Ramsey County

 
Lowest Sold Price $130,600 (Original list price $154,900)

Highest Sold Price $1,270,000 (Original list price $ 1,599,000)
Average $469,897
Total Homes Sold 36

Ramsey County is the heart of the east metro and is home to the capital city, St. Paul. On the low end of the spectrum, there was a 2BR/2BA/2 Car One and a half story in Maplewood built in 1944 on Carver Lake. It originally listed early in 2013 for $154,900 and took 85 days before it sold as a bank-owned/foreclosure property for $130,600.

The spendy side of Ramsey County featured a North Oaks executive home on Pleasant Lake. The two story stucco home was built in 1982 and sits on 1.4 acres with 5BR/4BA/3Car and 11,100 finished square feet. After being on the market for cumulatively nearly 2 years and a quarter of a million dollar price drop, it sold for $1,270, 000.

Washington County

 
Lowest Sold Price $ 55,500 (Original list price $ 93,900)
Highest Sold Price $800,000  (Original list price $ 995,000)
Average $457,066
Total Homes Sold 53

The biggest lakeshore bargain in Washington County in the first half of 2013 was corporate-owned lakeshore home on Sylvan Lake in Forest Lake. It sold for $55,500 cash after being originally listed for $93,900 earlier in the year. This 2BR/1BA home without a garage was built in 1960 home was sold by the bank as a foreclosure.

The Washington County high ticket home sold so far in 2013 is located in Baytown Township with shoreline on environmental McDonald Lake. The 1995 multi-level brick home was built on a 3.8 acre estate and included an indoor pool/spa and sport court. It took 493 cumulative days to sell this 5BR/5BA/3Car executive home.

Bargains are STILL out there!

Currently there are over 250 single family lakeshore homes on the market throughout the Twin Cities north metro. As of today, there are 28 listed in Anoka County, 80 in Chisago County, 68 in Ramsey County and 83 in Washington County. Prices range from $ 87,500 to $2.65 million and everywhere in between! The deals on Minnesota’s sandy shorelines are out there! Your Minnesota lakeshore dream home could be closer than you ever imagined!

Looking to make a deal on a Minnesota Lake Home? Email or call me for a current list of most promising, affordable lakeshore home listings in the north and east metro. If you are thinking of selling a lake home, there is still time to get listed and sold before the snow flies and lake freezes! 

Copyright 2013 www.terieckholm.com

Affordable Lake Reshanau—An Anoka County Hidden Gem

Did you know that not all full recreational lakes in Minnesota have public access? 

Yes, most larger lakes have several access points for the public to use boats, jet skis and other motorized water craft. But there are a few hidden gems that only allow homeowners along the lake to launch boats and use the open water for recreational boating and fishing. Lake Reshanau  in Anoka County is one of those hidden gems.

Located in the community of Lino Lakes, Lake Reshanau has about 100 homeowners along its banks. The shoreline also abuts a 22 acre park with picnic tables and a fishing pier but not a boat launch. This keeps traffic down on the lake and limits exposure to invasive species.

Renaushau is a 336 acre lake that reaches depths of 16 feet. If you like to fish, it is known for bluegill, crappie, sunfish and northern pike. It is one of seven lakes in the Rice Creek Chain of Lake Regional Park Preserve.  

Some of the home owners have acreage properties on the northern side of the lake so have private well and septic systems. However many homeowners are fortunate to have approximately half acre lots and city utilities.

Copyright 2011www.terieckholm.com

First Time Homebuyer’s Real Estate Word for Today is Deeded Access

The average home buyer only buys a home once every eight years. That said, even a repeat home buyer can forget some of the simple terms used in real estate on a daily basis. It can be hard to remember whether the earnest money or the money escrowed is a down payment and (if it is, on what?) Often buyers are easily confused by similar sounding terms like easement and encroachment as they both deal with property lines and usage but what do they really mean?

Whether you are a novice, first time buyer or someone who hasn’t purchased a home for several years, sometimes a refresher on real estate terms can be very helpful. I often notice buyers (and sellers) with a glazed look on their face when certain terms come up so I thought an online real estate glossary would be helpful. The real estate term for today is:

Deeded Access Deeded access is access to the lakeshore as outlined in the deed for the property. As a Minnesota REALTOR® I deal with lots of lakeshore properties. Heck, it is the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” after all. Some properties are right on the shoreline and the riparian rights (right to use the lakeshore) is obviously the property owners. But sometimes a property within close proximity to a lake will allow homeowners to use the lake as well. These rights can include the ability to use a private beach, put in a dock, dock a boat or other various rights. Not all deeded access is created equal. To understand the riparian rights associated with the property, a buyer must inquire and read the specifics outlined in the deed.

Copyright 2011 terieckholm.com