Affordable Beauty and Privacy! Homes on Minnesota Wetlands

While browsing through the Q&A section of the real estate website, Trulia the other day, I ran across a question from a Twin Cities resident who was considering purchasing a home on a Minnesota wetland. This homebuyer was wondering whether buying a home with environmental lakeshore would be a huge mistake.

I found this question very interesting. As a Realtor who works mainly in the Anoka, Chisago and Washington County areas there is an abundance of wetland and lakeshore homes. From Hugo to Wyoming and throughout the communities of Ham Lake, Lino Lakes and Blaine, there are properties abutting wetlands and natural environmental lakeshore. Many Minnesotans find these properties extremely desirable but as with any home it is a personal preference.

So how do you decide if a 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, eagles, and a host of other animals have been spotted living near Minnesota wetlands.
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 the other Minnesota State bird too.
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 could be required. Also homes on private septic systems would have special DNR (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources) considerations if the system were to fail.

Need to know more about buying home on a Minnesota Wetland? If you are buying, selling or relocating and considering a home on a Minnesota wetland and would like the assistance of a professional Realtor, give me a call or visit my website for a FREE Relocation Packet. 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 2008 terieckholm.com

Mosquitoes Moving in YOUR MN Neighborhood? Here’s the Buzzzzz on a NEW Way to Pinpoint Treatment!

Have you noticed the green trucks and people in hip boots slogging in ponds and roadside ditches? Wonder what they are scooping out of the muck? It is the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District (MMCD) out in full force working hard to protect us from Minnesota’s "other state bird", the mosquito!
The MMCD works throughout the seven county metropolitan area (Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington counties), controlling the insect population all summer long. With hundreds of beautiful lakes and wetlands in the Twin Cities metro area, this is a huge undertaking.

To help property owners understand what work is being done to control mosquitoes near their home, the MMCD has created a cool interactive map.

The interactive map is simple to use! Enter your street address and an aerial view of your property will be displayed. When you click an area outlined in yellow, an information box is available that includes the level of mosquitoes that were present at the last testing and what treatment will be performed to combat the pests.

I quickly pulled up a map for an area of residential acreage in Ham Lake that I frequent as a real estate agent. It was amazing how many breeding grounds and treatment areas in just one neighborhood of Anoka County!

Did you know MMCD does more than just protect against mosquitoes?

They provide several services including:

• Testing for and controlling harmful mosquitoes


• Monitor deer tick populations


• Testing and controlling nuisance mosquitoes, biting gnats, and mosquitoes that transmit dog heartworm


• Public education to reduce risk of mosquito and tick-borne diseases

If you are relocating to Minnesota, are looking for Homes for Sale in the north and east Twin Cities metro area and need help from a professional Realtor, give me a call or visit my website for a FREE Relocation Packet. I specialize in acreage properties! Serving Anoka, Chisago, Ramsey and Washington Counties in Minnesota.
Copyright 2007 terieckholm.com