According to the above chart provided by the Minneapolis Area Board of REALTORS, the bottom of the Minneapolis real estate market is passed! This comes as sweet music to the ears of even the most discouraged MPLS home seller, and is a wake-up call to all of those prospective MN home buyers who think that they can wait around forever just because interest rates are below 4%. The combination of a strengthening economy, high affordability, and today’s low mortgage rates are the fuel that is thawing out the Minneapolis real estate market. Also, don’t assume that these rates will last forever. There aren’t many financial experts out there who think they will.

A New Way to Measure Minneapolis Home Sales Activity

Median sales price of homes in Minneapolis are up from last year, but, of course, the median sales price can be skewed by changing mixes of homes that be on the market, whether foreclosures, new construction, or condos. For example, more foreclosures on the market would tend to drive the median home sales price down because they tend to sell at lower prices. To solve this problem, the Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS(R) has developed a new home price index through its 10K Research and Marketing Division, and will now belong to its arsenal of indicators used to measure the temperature of the Minneapolis real estate market.

*Posted May 12th, 2012. Data provided by the Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS

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Should you buy Minnesota log homes? The answer is a resounding “YES!” However, I would qualify that by saying that not all log houses are the same. Contact us, and we can help you with the due-diligence needed to make a wise buying selection.

See Log Homes for Sale in Minnesota

Good Reasons for Buying MN Log Homes

• Minnesota log homes offer stronger aesthetic appeal than conventional homes. If they are built in forest or along Minnesota lakeshore, they compliment the beauty of the landscape rather than detract from it.
• Log houses create a relaxing atmosphere and they harmonize visually with the natural Minnesota environment.
• Minnesota log houses are enduring and last for many generations. In Europe, there are log homes that are still standing after several hundred years.
• Energy efficiency due to the high thermal mass is a major benefit. The R-values for walls of log homes greatly exceeds those of conventional homes.
• The Log Homes Council states that they are more fire resistant. Your Minnesota log home will have a one-hour fire resistance for four inches, and 1/2 hour for every two additional inches in thickness.
• Minnesota log homes and cabins stand up to the elements and are more storm- proof than conventional homes. Log homes in the southeastern United States have withstood severe hurricanes, including Hurricane Hugo and Hurricane Andrew.
• Log homes are “green.”
• Log houses in Minnesota can be built faster in many cases, because the log walls double as both interior and exterior walls.

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Just about the time the media has all of us believing that the sky was falling and that Minneapolis home sales would start to resemble the market in Detroit (with homes selling for $500 apiece,) the media changes its tune. Too bad that they did not do that earlier because I personally had home buyers stop their searches after listening to the local news channels. Doom-and-gloom reports added a self-fulfilling prophecy to the home price downturn. Now the local real estate news articles would have you believe that the Minneapolis home sales figures are now going through the roof.

See ALL Minneapolis homes for sale, right here, right now.

We all know that the media thrives on extremes, and you would never ever read some news articles that says Minneapolis real estate sales are “just so-so” or perhaps that they are “slow and steady.” Those kinds of news reports do not sell very well. So, is there any merit in what the local media is saying about current MPLS home sales trends? It appears that there is some truth to it.

The Truth About Minneapolis MN Home Sales

Fortunately, the Minneapolis Area Association has released a recent report for market activity for the week of April 21st, 2012. Here is the link to that report in pdf format:

MAAR market report.

According to this MAAR report, there is merit to what the local media is saying about market conditions. Hopefully they will control their excitement enough to maintain perspective.

Here are some trends that were highlighted in the market report:

In the Twin Cities region, for the week ending April 21:

• New MLS istings increased 13.9% to 1,677
• Pending Minneapolis home sales increased 41.2% to 1,281
• Inventory of Minneapolis property decreased 28.4% to 17,447

For the month of March:

• Median home sales prices increased 7.1% to $149,900
• Days on Market for sold Minneapolis homes decreased 9.7% to 144
• The percentage of Minneapolis home sales increased 3.8% to 92.1%
• Months supply of home inventory decreased 37.6% to 4.7

It looks like thing are trending upward, and the fact that mortgage interest rates can only go up, we will see more prospective first-time and move-up buyers take action.

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Leech Lake is known as the state’s premier muskie fishery, and has received national attention for the Federal Dam Leech Lake Muskie Rampage of 1955, two weeks of fishing ecstasy in July when the Leech Lake muskies were biting especially hard, especially large ones over 30 pounds who were giving themselves up in record numbers. Leech Lake cabin owners and lakeshore residents who fish know that muskies can be very large, and that it is usually a good idea to have someone with you to help you bring them in, but these were record-breakers.

Those who own Federal Dam Leech Lake cabins and Leech Lake riverfront properties know that the muskie bite is either at a high point or a low point, and there have been other muskie rampages on Leech Lake as well.

Get Ready for the Next Leech Lake Muskie Rampage in Federal Dam

If you want to catch muskies, fall is considered the best time, and we recommend that you troll the weed edges with with deep diving cisco perch colored crankbaits.

Check out Federal Dam Leech Lake Minnesota cabins and lakeshore homes for sale:

See ALL Federal Dam MN Leech Lake cabins and homes currently available..

At the time of this writing, there were only 12 waterfront properties in Federal Dam for sale on Leech Lake and Leech River in Cass County. However, these Federal Dam Leech Lake properties are quality, and it is not unusual to find a 7000 square foot log home that is uploaded with upgrades. You can leave the big city behind, but if you are lucky enough to catch one of these fine Leech Lake waterfront homes. you won’t have to leave any creature comforts behind.

Do you need some good reasons for purchasing Northern MN cabins in Fifty Lakes MN? The City of Fifty Lakes conducted a 2011 survey to determine what major factors influenced home owners to purchase Fifty Lakes MN lake homes, cabins, lakeshore, and other properties. Here they are in order of importance:

1. Environment: lakes, woods, fishing, hunting, and the “up north” feel. Own one of these Fifty Lakes lake homes or cabins and you will always have plenty of great outdoor adventures.
2. Small town: quiet, peaceful, rural, uncrowded. Owners of Fifty Lakes lakeshore cabins enjoy a serene environment.
3. Location: Close to Crosslake and Emily. Buy one of these Fifty Lakes lake homes and you will be able to drive to Brainerd to do major shopping. The Twin Cities is not very far.
4. Property and cost: Fifty Lakes lakeshore properties are affordable. Property taxes are low.
5. Family and friends: Don’t worry if you don’t have any family and friends up here yet. Own one of these Fifty Lakes lakeshore homes or cabins and your relatives will be visiting you all the time. You will also make plenty of new friends here.

Explore all of the Fifty Lakes lake homes, cabins, and lakeshore properties for sale, including waterfront on Eagle Lake, Butterfield Lake, West Fox Lake, East Fox Lake, Kego Lake, and Mitchell Lake:

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Looking for that perfect Northern Minnesota lake property getaway? This is the time to do it because the inventory is broad and eclectic, and prices indicate that the market is sharply tilted toward the lake home buyer. There are a number of lake cabin foreclosures and short sale listings available, causing downword pressure on lakeshore and Minnesota real estate prices in general. Cass County MN lake homes and cabins should be on your Minnesota lakeshore shopping itinerary if you are looking for bargains and a large selection.

The Wisconsin Glaciation pockmarked this entire area with plenty of nice deep lakes to choose from, including:

• Portage Lake
• Long Lake
• Ada Lake
• Agate Lake
• Woman Lake
• Lake Winnibigoshish
• Stony Lake
• Widow Lake
• Web Lake
• Girl Lake
• Blackwater Lake
• Birch Lake
• Big Boy Lake
• Barnum Lake
• Leech Lake

… to name just a few. All of these sparkling Northern  Minnesota lakes are teeming with fish, including walleye, northern pike, smallmouth, largemouth, panfish, and muskie.

Here are the top 30 Cass County MN lake home listings:

See ALL available Cass County MN lake homes currently posted on the Northstar MLS/IDX system.

The large number of lakes in this area means that there is generally a good selection of Cass County MN lake homes for sale. At the time of this writing, there were 146 Cass County Minnesota lakeshore listings for sale, according to the Northstar Regional MLS/IDX system.

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Deep clear lakes… skies spangled with more stars than you thought was possible…large, gullible fish.. eagles… deer.. snowmobile trails.. What will be your reason for falling in love with one of these Longville MN lake homes and lakeshore cabins? Come and tour some of these Longville MN lake homes and you will find a few reasons of your own. Buy one of them and spend some time here, and you will undoubtedly discover many more.

Explore some Longville MN lakeshore cabins and waterfront properties that are currently available on the Northstar Regional MLS/IDX system.

See ALL Longville MN lake homes and lakeshore cabin listings now.

Please note that there may be some current listings that are not posted on Northstar, so contact us for hidden lakeshore listings.

The Fish Outnumber the People by Several Orders of Magnitude

Longville MN is a small town in Cass County that has a population of about 150 people and about three million tasty walleye. Longville MN lake homes are selling at bargain prices right now because walleyes are included in the sale price. We are keeping them in the lakes right now and letting them swim around so they will be nice and fresh for you. You will appreciate the convenience of not having to drive to Morey’s in Brainerd to buy fish. All you will need to do is walk out into the back yard of your Longville MN cabin with a fishing pole and some black leeches. It doesn’t get any better than this! There are a number of Longville MN lake cabins that are suitable for seasonal use, but you will like your Northern Minnesota lake home so much that you will want to live here year round. It’s all good. It’s all here. It’s all yours for an easy price and an easy mortgage payment. Financing for both primary residences and vacation homes has never been more affordable.

Longville MN Lake Homes and Lakeshore Cabins for Sale

There are Longville Minnesota cabins available for buyers of all stripes, and prices can range from 149K for a nice lake property with a cute guest cabin and lake frontage on a 722 acre fully recreational fishing hotspot called Blackwater Lake, to 799K for a large walkout rambler on 22 acres of woods with 200 feet of coveted lakeshore on Inguadona Lake. Inguadona Lake is a popular choice for serious fishermen. At the time of this writing, Longville MN lake homes are available on Mule Lake, Girl Lake, Maple Lake, Hunter Lake, Kego Lake, and Heffron Lake. You could hardly go wrong buying Longville MN lake homes on any of these fine Northern Minnesota lakes, but call us before you head up here to confirm availability of these homes. Be sure to bring your fishing tackle with you.

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Buy a Minnesota home in the middle of everything,literally. It’s right smack-dab in the center of the state, and right in the middle of the Brainerd Lakes area, so you might as well look at Baxter MN lake homes while you are at it. Plenty of lakes were created here during the last ice age; in fact Baxter sits on a terminal moraine created by the Superior Lobe of the Labradorian Ice Sheet. Significant lakes in Baxter include Red Sand Lake, White Sand Lake, and Lower Whipple Lake.

strong>See ALL Baxter real estate for sale.

Baxter MN homes and Baxter lake homes are in abundant supply and the prices are favoring you, the homebuyer right now. Financing Baxter MN homes and lakeshore properties is dirt cheap right now. Interest rates are low, even for those who will not be using their Baxter properties for a primary residence.

Baxter is immediately on the west side of Brainerd, and covers about 17.5 square miles. It is characterized by urban sprawl and commercial development along the highways. There are also a number of newer subdivisions of Baxter homes developed in recent years in the wooded area west of MN Highway 371. Tourism and service industries are the bread and butter of the local economy.

Big Selection of Baxter MN Homes for Sale

At any given time there are usually about 90-100 Baxter homes for sale, with prices ranging from about 100K for two bedroom/one bath split entries on the lower end to about the upper 800′s on the top end for homes with lake frontage and about 4000 finished square feet of living space. A number of new one level patio homes are available for about 200K at the time of this writing.

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Why purchase a Woman Lake MN lake cabin or lakeshore home? Here are a few good reasons for doing so:

• Bluegill
• Sunfish
• Crappie
• Muskie
• Walleye
• Northern Pike
• Largemouth Bass

Not only are these fish lurking in Woman Lake, they are lurking in large numbers, making Woman Lake one of the undisputed top fishing lakes in Cass County if not the entire state of Minnesota, Woman Lake is the only Minnesota lake featured in Fishing Natural Lakes. I am not sure why they couldn’t find some other good Minnesota fishing lakes to write about, but they would have been extremely remiss to overlook this lake. This lake is on a major lake chain and boasts over 6000 acres of surface area, is 54 feet deep at the deepest point, and has water clarity down to nine feet. Note the quality beach along these lakeshore properties. Own one of these Woman Lake MN lake cabins and lakeshore homes and you will have plenty of true fish stories to tell, and nobody will believe you.

See some Woman Lake cabins and homes for sale that are currently available on the Northstar Regional MLS system:

See ALL Woman Lake lake homes and lakeshore cabins for sale.

Buying Woman Lake Cabins and Lake Homes

This is an ideal time to purchase one of these Northern Minnesota lake cabins, and prices are favoring buyers right now. Mortgage interest rates for buying a seasonal vacation home or year round lake home have never been better, and could only go up, so if you want to make this happen, you need to be decisive. Inventory for Woman Lake cabins and lake properties is limited, and makes for a great long-term investment.

Woman Lake Homes for Sale

Prices range from 300′s to 1 M for Woman Lake homes, found primarily in the towns of Hackensack and Longville. A Woman Lake lakeshore property in the low 300′s can usually be found, and will typically be a lake cabin with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and just under 1000 square feet, which makes an ideal Northern Minnesota vacation home getaway for your family and friends. If you are willing to spend in the mid 700′s, you might be able to find a nice custom log home in Walker that boasts about 200 or so feet of prime sandy Minnesota lakeshore.

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One thing for sure about Carver County lake homes, lakeshore listings, and riverfront homes- They hold their value. Small wonder considering so many people in Minnesota want to own MN lake property but don’t want to take the trek up MN 169 or 35W with boat in tow every weekend. Carver County lake homes are close enough to the Twin Cities that you don’t have to settle for seasonal property. All of Carver County is within a commutable distance to Minneapolis, and besides, driving west of town in the weekend is far easier traffic-wise than driving north. In fact, it is probably easier any time of the week.

See ALL of  the waterfront properties for sale in Carver County Minnesota.

Popular Spots for Carver County Lake Homes

Popular spots for purchasing Carver County MN lake homes and lakeshore properties include Lake Riley, Lake Minnewashta, and Lotus Lake in Chanhassen; Lake Bavaria, Pierson, and Hazeltine in Chaska, Reitz Lake in Laketown Township; Shutz Lake, Virginia, and Stieger Lake in Victoria; Lake Waconia, And Rice in Waconia. Lake Waconia is the premier body of water for buying Carver County lake homes and lakeshore, and the biggest in Carver County. The fishing in Lake Waconia is excellent, especially for walleye and northern pike.

Carver County Riverfront Property

Call us to check on availability of riverfront property on the Minnesota River, which is usually represented by upscale bluff-top properties in the multi-million dollar range. A spectacular luxury estate on large acreage with guest lodge, heated barn, and about 2000 feet of riverfront on the Crow River in Watertown Township might also be worth your while to check out.

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