Have you noticed a difference in how newer subdivisions look compared to older ones? Yes, because of the housing downturn, they tend to be emptier right now, but they also tend to look a little better and are planned more carefully.

The reasons are threefold. First and most obviously, construction methods have evolved. Second, the people moving into subdivisions want more from their neighborhoods, like walkable streets, low traffic and nearby schools. Third, some cities are requiring that subdivisions be ranked, at least in part, on how nice they look.

Maple Grove and Shakopee are two local communities that have taken the appearance of a subdivision into account during the approval process. But now that the city is no longer one of the metro-area leaders in new building permits, Shakopee is backing away from that system. Given the low levels of platting in recent years, it may no longer be as necessary and may even be holding up approval processes on the few proposed construction projects.

Shakopee still wants to work with developers to ensure attractive neighborhoods, but it will approach the issue in different ways.

Developers say they have no interest in building crummy-looking subdivisions. Now is a particularly competitive time for new home construction. Not because there are many people or companies looking to build, but for the exact opposite reason. Because there are so few people that want a new home construction, builders are doing their best to make their properties attractive to buyers and that includes aesthetics.

Source: Building a Better-Looking Subdivision

Home building permits increased in October compared to previous months, though the number of units decreased versus a year ago.

According to statistics within the Keystone Report for the Builders Association of the Twin Cities, there were 289 permits issued last month compared to 227 in October 2010.

Though permits increased, the number of units permitted last month fell to 378 from 551. There were more single-family construction projects and fewer large multifamily projects. Year to date, permits declined to 2,450 though October versus 2,512 in the same period last year. The year to date number of permitted units dropped to 3,519 from 4,486 in the same period a year ago.

Top cities last month for permits were Blaine, Woodbury, Plymouth, Lakeville and Maple Grove. Blaine and Woodbury also topped the list for planned units in the month, followed by Farmington, Plymouth and Savage.

Home-building permits issued throughout the Twin Cities rose to their highest level for a single month of 2011 in September.

Single-family construction in the Twin Cities area increased while multifamily construction dropped, according to statistics compiled by the Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC). According to the Keystone Report, there were 272 permits issued for a total of 352 units during four weeks last month. That compared with 228 permits for a total of 604 units in September 2010. Maple Grove had the most permitted units, with 44, followed by Plymouth and Forest Lake. Year-to-date, Blaine had the most units, at 263, followed by Bloomington and Minneapolis.

The BATC reports the number of permits issued last month was more than any September since 2007. For units, however, it was the slowest month in more than five years. That’s actually a good sign for home builders because it means more single-family homes are being constructed, versus apartment complexes.

“The permits are up. They’re going in the right direction,” said Rich Riemersma, president of the Builders Association of the Twin Cities and co-owner of Imperial Homes. “But it’s a more gradual return to the norm than we were hoping for.”

For the year-to-date, though, 2011 new construction is below last year’s level. Through September, 2,161 permits were issued for a total of 3,141 units, while by this time last year 2,285 permits had been issued for 3,935 units.

On a related note, another type of construction happening in the Twin Cities right now is homeowners who have decided to stay in their homes are moving ahead with remodeling projects. Though in some cases they are scaling back the scope of their home improvement projects and spending less, other people are getting such good deals on houses they can afford to fix them up or make changes. The average remodeling permit estimate has dropped, though, to $1,600, down from more than $2,000 in 2010.

Are you thinking about buying a new house? How about remodeling your current home?

Newly constructed homes are energy-efficient and clean, but most don’t have the same kind of charm of an older home. True “vintage homes”, for all their beauty, tend to have problems just beneath the surface that reveal their true age.

Now, builders and architects are turning to reclaimed materials and classical decorative elements to give high-performance new homes and remodeling projects a less “cookie-cutter look” and give them more character. Some are doing so by giving new life to reclaimed or vintage materials like antique slate roof, reclaimed barn stone, and salvaged timbers as accents inside or outside the home. Others are replicating historic architectural styles, with cornices, columns and all!

One place in the home that is perfect for using recycled or reclaimed materials is the bathroom. Reclaimed wood or stone can be used for countertops. Recycled glass tiles create a unique look for bathroom walls. The giant, old-style cast-iron tubs and sinks are in high demand.

Check out this Star Tribune article for more ideas on how the bathroom can be particularly eco-friendly in a remodel or new home construction project.

The Builders Association of the Twin Cities’ Fall Parade of Homes began this weekend and will run through October 2. The parade features 278 model homes in 74 cities this year.

The Parade of Homes is one of the top local marketing events for new homes throughout the Twin Cities metro area. In a sign of the times, the number of homes featured is down from 331 homes in 2010, 325 in 2009 and 497 in 2008. At its peak in 2006, 1,210 homes were shown off in the fall Parade.

But the Twin Cities Parade of Homes is one of the most successful events of its kind in the country and 278 is still plenty of homes to explore. They range in price from a $129,900 attached home in Andover to a $2.6 million custom home in Edina. About 70% of the homes are listed below $500,000.

As the Parade of Homes has been shrinking, the Remodelers Showcase has been growing, reflecting a trend in which some people have improved their homes to make due instead of trying to sell. The Remodeler’s Showcase, which runs September 30 through October 2, features 86 entries, compared with 74 last year and 94 in 2009. The spring Remodeler’s Showcase displayed 69 remodeled homes. The combined 165 entries for this year’s spring and fall shows exceeded BATC’s estimate of 140.

Visit Parade of Homes online.

New home construction has nationally fallen to new lows and 2011 is expected to be the worst year on record for the industry. But Minneapolis and the Greater Twin Cities Area are looking good for residential permitting.

According to the Minneapolis data the city permitted construction of 1,571 units in 2006, but hit a bottom in 2009 when it permitted only 274 units. That year the city tied with Blaine for the second-most permits. Shakopee was No. 1 at 328.

This year alone Minneapolis will issue permits to build more than 1,500 new housing units, according to the Minneapolis Community Planning and Economic Development. That’s double last year’s total and likely the highest number of units for any metro-area city since at least 2006 when Minneapolis issued 1,571 permits.

For a comparison:

Year Number of Units

2006     1,571
2007     1,012
2008       464
2009       328
2010       865
2011     1,500

The construction isn’t all single-family home construction, though. According to a new analysis of aerial photography and land-use data from the Metropolitan Council, the metro area’s regional planning agency, the type of new housing construction has changed. In the 1990s, 67% of permitted residential units were single-family detached homes. In the past decade, that number has dropped to 44%, resulting in denser new residential construction like town homes and apartment complexes.

In the rest of the metro, there were 257 permits for a total of 370 units issued in the Twin Cities. Year-to-date, there were 1,581 permits issued for a total of 2,294 units. Farmington led the suburbs in building activity for July with 71 units. Blaine followed with 42 units, then Chanhassen with 32 and Plymouth and Prior Lake with 19 each. For the number of permits issued, Blaine was the leader with 21, followed by Chanhassen with 20, Plymouth at 16, Prior Lake with 14 and Shakopee and Lakeville at 13 each.

For the first seven months of the year, the top five communities in the metro area for permits issued were Blaine, with 160, followed by Maple Grove at 117, Woodbury with 106, Plymouth at 95 and Shakopee with 71.For sale housing is part of the mix, as well. Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity plans to build or rehab 60 for-sale houses in the metro area, including 16 townhouses in Minneapolis. Habitat is increasing its production goals in 2011 compared with 2010 because it can take advantage of lower land and labor costs to build its houses more affordably.

Many home buyers now require more environmentally-friendly products in the construction of their homes. However, while some products are obviously green, others make great contributions to a home’s efficiency without being noticed. Here are some products that can contribute to a more earth-friendly and sustainable home.

Wood Look. FSC-certified bamboo plywood and flooring have the look of wood, are urea formaldehyde-free and carry Indoor Advantage Gold and FloorScore certifications.

Water Savers. Showerheads with flow rates of 1.5 or 1.75 gpm but feature an oversized 4.4-inch diameter spray head and a pressure-compensating device ensure optimal performance regardless of water pressure.

Power Flush. The dual-flush toilets offer users the option of a 0.9-gallon flush for liquid waste or a traditional 1.6 gallons for solid waste.

Get Plugged. In. The new electronic thermostats feature multi-room monitoring, as well as customizable levels of programming.

Ventilation Matters. Energy Star–rated ventilation fans are designed for 4- or 6-inch ducts. New technology can detect and compensate for additional interior pressure by increasing airflow to achieve the specified output.

“Green” comes in many forms, so it helps to look beyond the obvious and investigate other little-known benefits.

Read about more products like these at Builder Magazine.

Trying to build, or remodel, a home is costly enough. Trying to do one or the other while also trying to finish it with a stylish look without breaking the bank can be more challenging.

Here are 5 money-saving tips and tricks picked from Builder magazine’s 10 Ways to Save on Your Interior and Exterior Finishes.

• Salvage Yards. Reuse centers and salvage yards might not be ideal for high-volume builders, but they are great for small builders and remodelers looking for character-filled architectural elements such as flooring, bath vanities, urns, fireplace mantels, and doors.
• DIY Frosted Glass. Regular flat glass is boring, but some architects have solved this problem by sandblasting or frosting their own and popping them into cabinet fronts and doors. Frosted glass spray creates a semi-transparent effect, and can be handled in three hours.
• Hip Faucets. You could stick with the traditional faucet brands if you have money, but if the budget is tight you might want to investigate other brands and other sources. Besides, Consumer Reports says that better valves and tougher finishes are now common on all but the cheapest faucets so you don’t have to worry.
• Happening Hardware. You could change the look of a kitchen just by using cool hardware that stand out. Again look to non-traditional sources for inexpensive options.
• Creative Countertops. Most buyers want granite (or some other solid surface), even when they can’t afford it. Solid wood is a happy medium. Butcher block reminds buyers of grandma’s house and adds a warm look to a kitchen.

Read about and view the rest of 10 Ways to Save on Your Interior and Exterior Finishes, including a photo of beautiful polished plywood flooring. Yes, plywood.

Universal design features for homes have been discussed by builders at length this year as something that must be addressed as the Baby Boomer generation ages. Physically challenged and older individuals navigate the home differently. But universal design products aren’t just better for older people, they can be better for all members of a household, young or old.

Here are 6 product types to consider for a new home or even kitchen or bathroom remodeling projects.

• Safety Tub: Easy to get in and out of, walk-in safety tubs have a door that opens and closes so a person using it doesn’t have to step over the rim.
• Lever Handle Door Knobs: Lever handle door knobs are so much easier to operate than a round door knob that they can be opened with a wrist, elbow or even hip.
• Freezer Drawers: Refrigerators with accessible freezer drawers that are at the bottom of the unit instead of the top make it easy to for individuals in wheelchairs to reach frozen items.
• Flat Switches: Flat rocker light switches require less pressure and are easier to operate than standard toggle switches.
• Zero-Clearance Drain: Line drains allow home owners to eliminate the barriers and thresholds of a shower entirely. They make showers much more accessible for people in wheelchairs.
• Accessible Range: An ADA-compliant stove makes cooking safer and more comfortable. The handles, buttons, and graphics are located on the front, positioned closer to the user.

Read 13 Universal Design Products Builders Should Be Using Now at Builder Magazine.

Though the housing bust has shattered home property values and changed the landscape of neighborhoods, one thing is still the same: Americans are committed to homeownership. Whether they own their home, are underwater on a mortgage, rent or live with roommates (or parents), a recent poll found that a large majority of U.S. residents want to own their own home.

The poll, conducted this May by the firms Public Opinion Strategies and Lake Research Partners on behalf of the National Association of Home Builders, had a sampling of 2,000 likely voters. It found that 94% of respondents ranked owning their own home as at least somewhat important. A decided majority of the respondents, 74%, said it was “very important” or “one of the most important” priorities in their lives. Owning a home ranked just below being successful at work and slightly more important than the ability to pay for an education or that of a family member.

Three out of four of those polled said they agreed with the idea that “owning a home is the best long-term investment they can make,” even with the ups and downs in the market. Even 20% homeowners who were underwater on their mortgage agreed with the statement.

“Despite the current housing downturn, Americans still see homeownership as a core value and a key building block of being in the middle class and creating strong jobs in their communities,” said Celinda Lake, president of Lake Research Partners, in a press statement. “The bipartisan consensus outside the Beltway is that owning a home remains an essential part of the American dream.”

Having the money to invest in the first place seems to be the biggest challenge. When non-homeowners were asked about their biggest obstacle to buying a home, lack of savings for the down payment and closing costs came first, at 31 percent. Presumably, that answer stems in some measure from the fact that 20 percent of those polled indicated that either they or a member of their immediate household was out of work and looking for a job.

Respondents were evenly split in their feelings on the idea of requiring home buyers to put a minimum 20% down on a home purchase. Their opinion seemed to hinge largely on whether they were already a homeowner or had yet to take the real estate plunge, however.

Read the rest of the report at Builder Magazine.

Single-family construction in the Twin Cities area is steady, according to a report from the Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC).

In June, more permits were issued than in any other month in the last year, and planned units were up 13 percent from June 2010. There were 260 permits for a total of 385 units during four weeks in the month of June. Year-to-date through June, there were 1,325 permits issued for a total of 1,925 units.

Blaine was the leader, with 139 permits, followed by Maple Grove with 106, Woodbury with 94, Plymouth with 79 and Shakopee with 58.

“This year has been challenging for the local community,” said BATC President Rich Riemersma. “Bad weather, including the devastating tornadoes in North Minneapolis, uncertain economic news, and distressed property sales dragging local sales prices down have all contributed to lackluster home sales. New construction is still down about 23% from last year, and just as we’re beginning to catch up.

“The government shut down is something we just don’t need.”

While most construction work can continue, electrical inspections for new or remodeled homes will be put on hold throughout the state government shutdown.

For people planning to build their dream home, one of the most important steps is to find the most reliable general contractors in the Twin Cities. A new home is an investment that should be enjoyed for years, even decades. Choosing a high-quality, qualified new home builder is vital to a well-built house that stands the test of time.

We offer the following tips and advice to help in that decision-making process.

1. Make a list of qualities you want in a general contractor. Then pick someone with those qualities. Some examples to consider include honesty, dependability, knowledgeable, trust-worthy, skilled, helpful and good at communicating. This will be someone literally building the foundation for your future. It will also be someone with whom you will be working for a while, so it makes sense to find a contractor with a compatible attitude.
2. Get references. Do not just choose the first new home construction company that pops up in an internet search. Though a company’s website is a good place to compare and assess their experience and expertise, browsing the internet won’t give a complete idea of the kind of service they provide. Ask some friends and acquaintances if they personally know of any designers or contractors in the area, especially if any of them have already had to opportunity to build a new home or are familiar with other individuals who have.
3. Do the research. Look for reviews of past customers. If possible, try to arrange to meet with some of their customers, maybe even in the homes the contractor built. A first-hand account like this give deep insight as to whether the new home construction company you are considering is worthy of being hired.
4. Approve their floor plans. Many existing homes have useless rooms or square footage. Modern building techniques and uses of space are one of the appeals of new home construction. Ensure the contractor’s floor plans are geared toward maximizing usable space, minimizing energy costs and simplifying maintenance needs.
5. Check their work. A common complaint from people who have had new homes built has been careless workmanship. Confirm with your references that the contractor’s work was superior. During the construction phase, visit the work-site often to ensure that your wishes are being carried out. With electricians, plumbers, laborers and others, building your dream home is a huge task. Good communication can go far in preventing expensive mistakes.
6. Consider their schedule. Don’t choose a contractor embarking on too many projects at the same time you approach them with your building needs. Because this is your dream home, you want a crew that has can focus its attention on prioritizing the details of your home. A good approach is to choose a Twin Cities area general contractor instead of a larger, regional residential builder. A smaller, local construction company will likely have fewer projects than the larger ones, meaning they can devote more attention to yours.
7. Estimate their costs. Ask for price quotes from a few of the most reliable residential construction companies in the Twin Cities. Compare the estimates and the services that they provide. If their offer is greater than your budget, ask if there are ways they can cut down on costs without sacrificing your dream – or the quality of the materials used during construction. A well-established new home construction company should have a network of suppliers that can provide alternative materials that are less costly.
8. Get it in writing. Getting an agreement in writing is essential for the well-being of both the contractor and the home buyer. A homeowner should hire the services of an attorney to review any contractual agreements before they sign anything. Any reputable builder will expect you to do this.

Building a home is one of the most significant events to occur in many people’s lives. By following these steps toward finding the right contractor to build your dream home, you can increase the likelihood of a happily ever after when the keys are handed over.

One of the first decisions a potential home buyer should make is whether buy a new construction home or purchase an existing house. There are some serious advantages to purchasing a new house over a resale.

1. New Home Pricing. Though new homes are generally priced higher than an equivalent existing one, a new house will likely need fewer repairs or replacements.

2. A Well Planned Neighborhood. In addition to having a choice for home sites, such as in a cul-de-sac or located near a park, new home buyers get to choose what type of community in which they want to live. Builders incorporate desirable amenities such as recreation areas, neighborhood clubhouses, swimming pools, playgrounds, sidewalks and paved trails into new communities to attract residents.

3. Modern Design. New ways of building homes are constantly being developed. Consumer trends also changing, motivating builders to respond by drafting floor plans to include what clients want, like large family rooms, over-sized closets, built-in media areas and up-to-date kitchens.

4. Warranties. Something an older home can never provide is a builder’s limited warranty. A new home warranty typically covers appliances, carpets, mechanical equipment, and overall construction. Though warranties do eventually expire, they can cover various items for between one to ten years!

5. Energy Efficiency. Modern insulation, windows and heating and cooling systems are much more energy efficient than in the past. New home builders are required to meet stricter energy codes. This can be of great benefit, considering the current costs of energy.

6. Modern Wiring. New homes are generally wired to accommodate electrical components that weren’t around when scores of existing homes were built, such as home computers, media centers and surround sound systems.

7. Modern Appliances. New homes are capable of accommodating latest state-of-the-art equipment, right off the bat. Dishwashers, stoves, microwaves and refrigerators installed in new homes function within modern water and energy standards.

8. Health Conscious Construction. New homes built with modern building materials offer some health advantages. No asbestos or lead paint to be found in a new home, but it could be costly to have it removed from an older house.

9. Low Maintenance. The latest in building materials also means convenience for new home buyers. Because it was just built, new homes are practically maintenance-free for up to ten years and in some cases, longer.

10. A New Home Is All Yours. Buyers of new homes can have a hand in creating the home they desire, instead of having to adapt an older home to their preference. Whether its the type of flooring to the brand of appliances, all aspects of a new home can be fit to your tastes from the beginning.

Though they tend to be more expensive than existing homes, purchasing a new construction home offers many advantages a resale residence simply cannot. Its worth making the price comparison to see if a new home is within your budget.

Lots of Updates for Legacy Creek in June:

3541 126th Ave NE and 3548 127th Ave NE are SOLD!!!    Stay tuned for updates on our two newest models currently under construction - the Tucson and Phoenix!

A recent report on new residential permits shows that more were issued in May than in any of the previous 11 months. There were also more units than any month since March, except for November.

The statistics come from the Keystone Report for the Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC). It shows that there were 259 permits issued in May 2011, for a total of 639 units. For the year so-far, there were 1,017 residential permits issued at a total of 1,490 units.

Sixty-three percent of all planned units were for multifamily buildings, including three projects in Bloomington with a total of 234 units. In Minneapolis, builders planned to build 68 units, including one 64-unit apartment building. Expect more of the same in coming months as developers pull permits to build what is expected to be a near-record number of apartment buildings this year.

The leading communities for new home and residential construction were Blaine and Maple Grove with 22 each, followed by Woodbury with 21, Shakopee with 15 and Lakeville with 14.

BATC President Rich Riemersma remarked that while 2011 still lags 2010 in year-to-date production, May’s permit numbers are welcome news for builders.

For the second month in a row, more people bought new homes in April, but sales remain well below a pace that would indicate a turnaround for the real estate market.

New-home sales rose 7.3% during April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 323,000, according to figures from the United States’ Commerce Department. A healthy housing market would produce about 700,000 new-home sales per year.

New-home purchases rose in every region during April, after severe winter weather had pounded many areas during winter. Sales jumped over 15% in the West, 7.7% in the Northeast, nearly 5% in the Midwest and over 4% in the South.

Last year, Americans bought the fewest new homes on records dating back nearly 50 years. High unemployment, restricted credit and fears that prices will start slipping again have discouraged many would-be buyers. A further obstacle is gas prices putting a hitch in big-ticket purchase plans.

The number of new homes on the market — about 174,000 — is at its lowest point since record-keeping began in 1963. At the current pace of sales, it would take 6.5 months to clear them off the market. That’s the lowest supply in a year.

Last month was the slowest April for local residential construction in at least five years, though optimism abounds for builders to see a rebound in single-family home construction later this year.

Residential construction in the Twin Cities remains lethargic, according to the Builders Association of the Twin Cities’ (BATC) Keystone Report. There were 203 permits issued in April for a total of 230 units, a decline of 33% and 38% respectively from April of 2010. Those are the lowest numbers for April local residential construction in at least the past five years, according to the BATC.

Year-to-date it is a similar story. During the first four months, there have been 758 permits issued for a total of 851 units. That is lower than the number of permitted units during the same time period of any for the last five years.

BATC President Rich Riemersma said the organization expected construction to be down in the first quarter of 2011 compared to 2010 due to the frenzy of interest last spring’s federal homebuyer tax credits generated. There is no such incentive now.

“But while new housing nationally is expected to remain down, we have hopes that the Twin Cities will catch up and surpass last year in single-family construction,” Riemersma said.

Maple Grove saw the most building activity in April with 28 permitted units. Blaine followed closely with 22 units, trailed by Plymouth with 16, Minneapolis with 15 and Woodbury with 13.

Source: Local Residential Construction Still Struggling
Source: A bootless month for builders

Home builders accelerated their pace in March as construction of new homes and apartments increased 7% from February, according to a U.S. Department of Commerce report. The Midwest experienced the biggest increase in activity, as new construction starts rose 32%. In the West, housing starts grew 28%, while the Northeast saw modest boost of just 5%. Construction declined 3% in the South.

Building activity, particularly in the Midwest, usually increases in March and April when the weather warms up. Comparable home starts information isn’t available on a local level, but requests for building permits in the Twin Cites metro area rose slightly in March from the previous month, according to data from the Builders Association of the Twin Cities. Some national builders also reported stronger sales last month.

Spring new home sales were buoyed last year by the federal home buyer’s tax credit, but there are no such incentives in 2011. March sales improved because the weather was particularly bad in February, keeping house shoppers safe at home. Sales in March also got a lift in sales activity due to the Builders Association of the Twin Cities Spring Preview.

The results come at a critical time for home builders, pummeled by the lowest demand for new homes in 30 years. What March’s results will mean for the long-term future of the housing construction market remains to be seen.

According to an article in the April 2011 issue (PDF) o The Costco Connection, now is the time to buy a home, as the likely rise in interest rates predicted for the near future may entice buyers from the sidelines and push residential real estate sale prices up.

As long as rates remained stable, potential buyers and sellers could afford to remain indecisive. Although rates are still near historic lows, people are motivated to take action since waiting could mean a higher rate and a larger mortgage payment, experts say.

Yes, mortgage interest rates are still low. But because of the foreclosure crisis, it’s not as easy to get home loans as it once was and may get harder in the future. It is best to get the process started as soon as possible.

New and pending regulations in response to the mortgage lending crisis mean new loans and refinancing will be more complicated, more time consuming and more costly. Expect higher fees, higher mortgage insurance payments and bigger down payments.

Not enough incentive? Expect to see fewer and fewer 0% to 5% down-payment loans. Think more like 10% to 20% down. Such is the future of the mortgage lending practices, so it’s a good idea to get on it now while interest rates are still low.

Residential building in the Twin Cities declined in March, with fewer apartments being constructed than a year earlier.

According to statistics compiled by the Builders Association of the Twin Cities for its Keystone Report, there were 155 permits for a total of 201 units permitted during four weeks in March. That’s down from 236 permits for a total of 733 units in March 2010. Additionally, most of the units permitted in March were for rental apartments and senior housing.

Lagging multi-family construction has detracted from the overall residential construction in the region since the beginning of the year and continued to do so in March. Year-to-date, planned units have dropped by 52% from 2010 to 555 permits issued for a total of 621 units. Of those units, 80 are multi-family compared to 710 multi-family units permitted in the year-ago period. By contrast, single family homes were down 8% from last year. Permits are off overall by 8% this year compared with 2010.

Permits may be down overall, but the shift toward houses over multi-family dwellings is relatively new. During much of the past year, multifamily housing represented nearly 50% of all permits, though that has been declining in recent months.

Hudson, Wisconsin, actually led the Twin Cities metro area in building activity in March with 33 units permitted for one multi-family project and one single-family home. Blaine and Woodbury tied for second with 23 units, and Chanhassen and Maple Grove each issued permits for 13 units.

Source: Slow start for Twin Cities residential construction; permits off 33 percent in March
Source: Building gloom in the Twin Cities

913 104 Lane NE is almost finished! This home will be complete by the end of April.

Blaine Have | 913 104th Lane NE | Exterior View

The Lancaster model is almost finished! Completion will be within the month of April.

Blaine Haven | 901 104th Lane NE | Front Exterior

Blaine Haven | 901 104th Lane NE | Back Exterior

869 104th Lane NE in Blaine Haven is almost completed! This home will be finished by the end of April.

Blaine Haven | 869 104th Lane NE | Front Exterior

Blain Haven | 869 104th Lane NE | Back Exterior

This Austin II model home in Legacy Creek is now in the framing stage.

Legacy Creek | 3548 127th Ave NE | Front Exterior

Legacy Creek | 3548 127th Ave NE | Interior Framing

Legacy Creek | 3548 127th Ave NE | Back Exterior

Thanks to an improving U.S. economy, rising employment and more income flowing into consumer pockets, many real estate markets could be considered healthy. Minneapolis is one of them, according to Gathering Strength: The Healthiest Markets for 2011 from Builder online. The Minneapolis-St. Paul metro was ranked sixth according to their index. Here is what Builder had to say about the Twin Cities area’s real estate market:

2011 Building Permit Forecast: 9,403

Percent Change in Building Permits: 66%

The Little Apple appears poised for growth. Last year’s strong rebound in permit activity–filings were up 22 percent in 2010, led by a surge in multifamily–is expected to accelerate in 2011. If builders actually pull 9,403 permits this year, as Moody’s forecasts, that would equal half the volume of 2005.

Foreclosure filings actually fell in Minneapolis last year, though banks still have inventory to work through. Median existing home prices, which stood at about $167,000 at the end of last year, have fallen only 27% from their peak in 2005. The market enjoys decent household growth (1.77% is forecast for 2011) for a Northern city, though most of it comes from natural growth. It still has a hard time attracting residents.

The housing industry in Minneapolis, a major hub for medical technology, is supported by a relatively high median income level among residents. Median incomes reached nearly $66,000 last year, and Moody’s expects another 2% increase this year, which would be a marked increase over the pace of the last seven years.

The top five were as follows:

5. Gulfport-Biloxi, MS – 2011 Building Permit Forecast: 1,783 – Market Health Indicator: 78.1
4. Huntsville, AL – 2011 Building Permit Forecast: 4,283 – Market Health Indicator: 80.3
3. 3. Durham-Chapel Hill, NC – 2011 Building Permit Forecast: 3,250 – Market Health Indicator: 81.5
2. Austin-Round Rock, TX – 2011 Building Permit Forecast: 11,079 – Market Health Indicator: 86.5
1. Raleigh-Cary, NC – 2011 Building Permit Forecast: 9,604 – Market Health Indicator: 86.9

To read about the top 20 healthiest markets for builders in 2011, view the rest of the article here.

Multifamily permit activity has been unpredictable, rising 17% one month and then falling 8% the next. An analysis of year-wide 2010 permit data shows where 2011 development activity is likely to be concentrated. The Twin Cities area is ranked in the top 20 for projected apartment construction.

Based on sharp permit increases in many major markets, the rise in demographically favored multifamily construction may be imminent. Some of the greatest growth for households within the U.S. over the next ten years will be in the 25 to 34 age group that’s more likely to rent apartments. On the other hand, multifamily construction has been so depressed that an increase in activity isn’t really a surprise.

Marcus & Millichap, a research and brokerage firm, forecasts that vacancies and rents will increase in 44 apartment markets in 2010. The firm says that years of very light construction activity has made apartments scarce, allowing landlords to charge higher rents and helping owners recover lost value in their apartment portfolios.

Its not that easy just to build new multi-family dwellings, though. Owners and developers constantly weigh the cost of building new apartments against buying older buildings and remodeling them, or even refurbishing in their current buildings to justify raising rents. The availability of financing is another critical component in decisions to develop new apartments.

Metro areas on the coasts such as New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle and Washington, D.C. are in the top 10 multi-family residential development hot spots in 2011. Activity is also picking up in other traditionally large apartment markets with strong business centers such as Houston, Dallas and Chicago. The Minneapolis – St. Paul Twin Cities area was ranked at #14, with 1,921 permits, an increase of 85%.

New statistics offer some suggestions of recovery in the Minnesota real estate market, though troubles still remain.

According to numbers from by the Minnesota Housing Partnership report, foreclosures in the Minneapolis – Saint Paul Metro Area dropped to the lowest number in about two years in the last quarter of 2010. However, during the same period, the number of families living in homeless shelters within Hennepin County was nearly unchanged compared to the same period last year.

“There’s some rays of hope, but overall what we saw in this report is that the housing market and all the people impacted by the housing market have a long way to go before we can call it any kind of real recovery,” said Leigh Rosenberg, the research and outreach manager for the Minnesota Housing Partnership.

Rosenberg said the decrease in the number of foreclosures was probably the result of several banks declaring a temporary moratorium on foreclosures.

“It’s hard to say what to make of that in trying to understand trends,” Rosenberg said.

There are some positive signs for home owners in the report. The percentage of people falling more than 60 days behind on mortgage payments dropped for a fourth consecutive quarter to 6.%.

The Builders and Remodelers Product & Service Show is being held this afternoon, Thursday, February 24, at the Minneapolis Convention Center from 3:00pm to 8:00pm. Previously the Builder Product & Service show, the Builders’ Association of the Twin Cities event has undergone a few changes in the past few months. It now more truly captures the representation of the show’s audience and membership. The theme of this year’s event is sports-related: “Game On.”

The number of housing construction permits issued in January increased in the Twin Cities area compared to 2010. However, the number of units that were permitted declined, along with the total value of the permits released.

According to the Minnesota Keystone Report issued by the Builders Association of the Twin Cities, the total number of permits issued last month was 205, compared to the 189 permits issued in January 2010 and the 127 issued in January 2009. Total permitted units including multi-family housing projects was just 214, declining from 350 a year ago.

The total value of new residential building permits in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area fell to $62 million, down from $67 million in the same month a year ago. The decline in spending paired with the increase in permits means builders are constructing smaller projects.

Woodbury led the metro area in building activity for January with 22 units permitted. Maple Grove was next with 19 units, Blaine followed with 17, with Rosemount and Shakopee at 12 and 11 respectively.

Source: Single-family homes see rise in construction – MPR
Source: Home construction permit activity mixed – Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal

869 104th Lane NE is almost finished! Completion will be the end of February/early March!

Blaine Haven | 869 104th Lane NE | Exterior View

Blaine Haven | 869 104th Lane NE | Cabinets being installed

The Lancaster is sheetrocked and ready for painting.

Blaine Haven | 901 104th Lane NE | Great Room

Blaine Haven | 901 104th Lane NE | Vaulted Ceilings

913 104th Lane NE is sheetrocked and ready for painting!

Blaine Haven | 913 104th Lane NE | Exterior View

Blaine Haven | 913 104th Lane NE | Great Room

Blaine Haven | 913 104th Lane NE | Kitchen

The Brockton III is in the finishing stages. Completion will be the end of February.

Legacy Creek | 3500 127th Ave NE | Exterior View

Legacy Creek | 3500 127th Ave NE | Living Room & Fireplace

Legacy Creek | 3500 127th Ave NE | Stairway

Legacy Creek | 3500 127th Ave NE | Detail

Legacy Creek | 3500 127th Ave NE | Bathroom

Legacy Creek | 3500 127th Ave NE | Detail

The Brockton is now complete!

Legacy Creek | 3541 126th Ave NE | Exterior View

Legacy Creek | 3541 126th Ave NE | Front Entry Way & Living Room

Legacy Creek | 3541 126th Ave NE | Living Room

Legacy Creek | 3541 126th Ave NE | Living Room & Kitchen

Legacy Creek | 3541 126th Ave NE | Kitchen

Legacy Creek | 3541 126th Ave NE | Kitchen

Legacy Creek | 3541 126th Ave NE | Kitchen & Dining Room

Legacy Creek | 3541 126th Ave NE | Dining Room & Staircase

Legacy Creek | 3541 126th Ave NE | Master Bedroom

Legacy Creek | 3541 126th Ave NE | Master Bedroom & Bathroom

Legacy Creek | 3541 126th Ave NE | Master Bathroom

Legacy Creek | 3541 126th Ave NE | Bedroom Upper Level

Legacy Creek | 3541 126th Ave NE | Bedroom Upper Level

Legacy Creek | 3541 126th Ave NE | Bathroom Upper Level

Legacy Creek | 3541 126th Ave NE | Laundry Room Upper Level

Legacy Creek | 3541 126th Ave NE | Upper Level View

Legacy Creek | 3541 126th Ave NE | Ready to Finish Lower Level with Egress Windows

A variety of factors affecting the construction industry, with the obvious reasons being high unemployment and the foreclosure crisis. But there’s also a less obvious reason for dwindling demand for new homes.

The formation of new households has basically stopped, dragging down home sales and construction. The weak economy is forcing college graduates to move home, friends to become roomates, and extended families getting cozy under the same roof. Home owners have rented out rooms to complete strangers, forming a symbiotic relationship that puts roofs over heads and helps mortgages get paid.

Though some metro areas and other states are suffering from crippling unemployment, Minnesota and the Twin Cities seem to be holding their own. People have even begun to relocate to the state in search of work, which should boost demand and create a need for new housing. But instead, families and friends are doubling up in their homes.

The trend is a nationwide phenomenon. Taking into account declining immigration levels during the recession, the U.S. is experiencing the lowest household formation rate in more than 60 years. The nation usually adds 1.3 million new households a year, but in 2009 and 2010, that number fell below 400,000. That is the lowest level since 1947. In Minnesota, the state estimates that only 8,000 households were formed in 2009. About 15,000 were formed in 2010. That’s down from the usual rate of 23,000 new households a year.

To home builders, that’s a problem. Most home construction is in response to new household formation. If Americans were forming new households at the usual rate, excess available housing on the market would eventually subside and demand for new housing would accelerate.

Todd Bjerstedt, president of the Builders Association of Minnesota, believes the household formation issue is critical for his industry. Builders can talk about how population increases foster demand for new homes, but growth doesn’t automatically give rise to more new households.

“The fact is that 12 people can live in one home, and until one person gets married and forms a new household, there may not be a need for a new home,” he said.

According to IHS Global Insight, national household formation rates won’t return to normal until at least 2013. That is consistent with forecasts for the state of Minnesota. In the meantime, home builders and other businesses tied to new housing, like furniture stores and interior design companies, will suffer at least in the short term.

Source: With fewer new households, home construction slows – MPRNews

The main rule of real estate — “Location, location, location” — doesn’t explain how housing developments can succeed or fail in the same city, in the same place, literally across the street from each other.

The winners and losers in the Great Housing Crash are obvious throughout the Twin Cities suburbs. A project in Woodbury languishes with a single house stands in contrast to acres of bare lots. Yet across Cottage Grove Drive a thriving development boasting 600 homes and working on its seventh addition. Location doesn’t explain the difference. Nor does the quality of houses.

Winning developments have good timing low prices, and sales pitches that understand the psychology of homebuyers in the midst of the Great Recession. They also have homes that fit the new economy, trimming some of the extras and average square footage. The losers acquired too much debt, have houses that are too big, and started their projects too late. As many as 100 home builders in the metro area have gone out of business.

For winners like Norton Custom Home Builder, with their Legacy Creek and Blaine Haven developments in the thriving Blaine MN community in the northern Twin Cities, things are very different. Construction is nowhere near the pace it was before the real estate crash, but it’s steady. And buyers are stepping up even before the $250,000 to $300,000 homes are completed.

Not all developments are making progress. Part of the problem with developments that started before the real estate crash was bad timing. Another drawback to some developments are amenities: Without a few extras, it can be daunting for potential home owners to become “pioneers” in these new neighborhoods. Some don’t even have trees!

Legacy Creek in Blaine MN offers a quiet, pedestrian friendly environment that is like a retreat. Landscaped trails and sidewalks are flawlessly integrated with the Blaine trail system. Large community gathering areas combine to create a neighborhood that encourages both recreation and socialization.

The beautiful neighborhood known as Blaine Haven features 34 homes. This quiet development is adjacent to Madison Elementary School. Walkout and lookout lots offer a picturesque setting.

Another difference between housing development winners and losers is the builders’ relationships with real estate agents. Many developers try to forgo them. Some even bicker about sales commissions when a home is sold.

Not Norton Custom Homes. They have partnered with Barker & Hedges Real Estate and Homes of Minnesota RE/MAX Realtors to attract prospective buyers. When there is work to be done, houses to be sold and families ready to move into a new home at the right price, its time to work as a team so everyone can win. This effort has been so successful with the Blaine MN developments, Norton Homes will soon be building new homes in Farmington’s Hometown Addition and in Apple Valley’s Eastwood Ridge second Addition.

Homes and lots are available in both of the Blaine MN developments right now. More information will be coming soon regarding construction in Farmington’s Hometown Addition and Apple Valley’s Eastwood Ridge second Addition. Contact info@twincitiesbuilder.com
if you just can’t wait for more details.

We have had quite a few inquires about this nearly completed home so I thought I should get a quick blog post up.  The bad news is this beautiful home has recently sold, but the good news is we have several other fantastic homes nearing completion.  These homes will be completed in the next few weeks and several additional homes within the next few months so check back often!

Wondering what home interiors are going to look like in 2011? Interior design trends for the future are all about making a home look more optimistic, functional and personal. Here’s what is happening on the home front:

Lighten up the kitchen. “A kitchen is like an operating room: You want it to be clear and bright so you can see all the details,” says New York interior designer Vicente Wolf. In addition to good task lighting, the author of “Lifting the Curtain on Design” prefers white cabinets or lighter woods.

Tone down hardwoods. Although espresso and dark hardwood floors have been the norm for years, we’re noticing a little lighter look for the surface you walk on. “You’re starting to see two-tone and gray finishes,” Wolf says. “Like driftwood.”

Think pink. The color of 2011 is an optimistic pinkish-red called Honeysuckle, according to Pantone, which provides color services for design professionals. It can go Barbie in a hurry, but small doses could go a long way: accent pillows, a Moroccan pouf, a dish towel or one wall of a bedroom.

Re-imagine materials. The “who knew?” factor of upcycled house goods will be even bigger in 2011, according to those at Etsy, the online marketplace for handcrafts. Look for plastic bags turned into bowls and bike parts into clocks. Richardson is seeing more recycled-content countertops.

Mix it up. We like [Canadian designer Sarah] Richardson’s recipe: “Masculine and feminine in equal parts. You don’t want to alienate anyone. Light and dark, and old with new, also both in the same amounts. That way the room is not a time capsule, but then it’s not trying too hard to be cutting-edge.”

Check out the Star Tribune article to read about the rest of the 10 Homes Trends for 2011.


New residential construction, in Minnesota and throughout the U.S., has slowed down, but it certainly hasn’t stopped. And the houses are getting smaller due to the economic crunch, but the most important room in the home – the kitchen, – isn’t yielding much. Kitchens have changed a lot in the last 50 years, as evidenced by these great photos from the Parade of Homes Blog show. More than a space for cooking, as multi-purpose spaces where dining, entertaining, homework, telecommuting and more can occur, flexibility is an absolute must for the modern kitchen. But money is tight these days, so thrift is a virtue – along with sustainability, energy efficiency, and functionality. We’ve picked five of 20 Kitchen Design Ideas that today’s buyers love, according to Builder Magazine Online (and our own experience, of course!).

Design for all. Kitchens should work for everyone in the house. Universal design elements like right-height appliances, ergonomic hardware, and reachable storage make homes accessible to home residents of all ages.

Get some green. Not every new home construction budget can accommodate solar power systems or geothermal heating and cooling, but small changes in kitchens can make a big difference in energy efficiency and savings. Some ideas could include WaterSense plumbing fixtures, Energy Star-rated appliances, and recycled or renewable materials.

Make short and long-term decisions. Trends come and go, so they can be a little risky. Take a chance on finishes and materials that can be easily and economically replaced and keep the permanent stuff more neutral. A maroon appliance is a 10- to 20-year investment, but a maroon wall can easily be painted over.

Warm it up. Homeowners are entertaining more at home. Its easier to imagine friends intermingling over drinks in paces that feel welcoming. Craftsman style is popular for this, with its emphasis on natural materials and simple beauty.

Exercise restraint. Paying attention to details is fine, but don’t’ overdo it. Add drama in ways like veiny countertop stone or wood cabinetry with a pronounced grain, but keep the rest simple so it can stand out without having to fight for attention.

These are just 5 of the best 20 Kitchen Design Ideas from Builder Magazine Online. Read the rest of the article for more ideas for your Minnesota New Construction Custom Home.

Green building is going mainstream. But what developments are likely to become popular for eco-minded builders and consumers? The nonprofit Earth Advantage Institute recently made some green building trend predictions for 2011. Here are our top 5 choices from their list.

• Affordable green. Development of new business models, technologies, and the mainstreaming of high-performance materials is bringing green and energy efficient homes within reach of all homeowners. Leading the charge are affordable housing groups like Habitat for Humanity, which is now building LEED for Homes and ENERGY STAR-certified homes. In the existing homes market, energy upgrades are now available through new programs and tax incentives.
• “Grid-aware” appliances. Manufacturers are increasingly developing appliances that are “grid-aware.” Endowed with more sophisticated energy management capabilities and timers, these appliances monitor and report their own electricity usage to homeowners. Whatsmore, grid-aware appliances can increase or decrease their usage by timers or even remote commands.
• Accessory dwelling units. With fewer people moving or building due to financial concerns, many have chosen to stay put for the time being. When they need to expand, they’re installing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) – small detached structures which can be used for offices, studios, or in-law space. They are the ideal size for energy savings and sustainable construction.
• Rethinking heating and cooling. Advances in technology have resulted in homes that are so tightly sealed and insulated that furnace-less homes are now a reality, even in Minnesota with its nearly-arctic temperatures. The increasingly popular “Passive Houses” are actually heated by everyday activity of their occupants, from cooking to computer use. Even in ENERGY STAR-certified homes, builders are now encouraged to bring all ductwork inside the insulated envelope of the house to eliminate excess heat or cooling loss, and to use only small but efficient furnaces and air conditioners to avoid wasting power. Geothermal heating and cooling is another option gaining broader acceptance.
• Sharing and comparing home energy use. As social media sites like Facebook and Groupon increase in popularity and people share even more of their information, tracking and sharing home energy consumption data is on its way. Website’s Earth Aid lets people track home energy usage and earn rewards for energy savings from local vendors. A household’s energy use can also be shared on Earth Aid to see who can conserve the most energy.

To read the rest of the list, check out Builder Online’s 10 Green Building Trends for 2011 article.

Compared to December of 2009, Twin Cities residential construction activity fell the last month of 2010. For the full year, though, 2010  bested 2009 for Twin Cities home builders by 13% for permits and 27% for units .

The worst year for local residential construction in over a decade occurred in 2009, according to data from the Builders Association of the Twin Cities. Though the housing market remains depressed, construction firms were issued 2,942 permits to build 5,611 residential units in the Twin Cities metro area during 2010. It represents the first increase in seven years.

While the increase in construction activity is a positive sign for the battered construction industry, there hasn’t been a corresponding increase in home sales. About half of all new units built in the Twin Cities area in 2010 were part of multifamily projects, mostly rental apartments. The new jobs that the projects provide have been a welcome relief, however.

More units were built in Minneapolis than anywhere else last year. The city issued builders 47 permits to build 810 units, including several projects with more than 100 apartments.

The Brockton is sheetrocked and ready for paint!  Completion will be the end of January/Early Feb

Completion is near!  The Austin II model was recently sheetrocked and primed.  Cabinets and flooring get installed this week!

The Brockton III is framed and being insulated.   This is the newest floorplan being built in the popular Legacy Creek development.

Norton Homes newest floorplan – The Lancaster.  Framing is almost complete!

Builder Magazine recently gave its forecast of residential design themes that are likely to proliferate in the New Year.  Now, they’ve released a list of design fads that likely won’t make appearances in 2011. Here are our Top 5 choices from their list of negative design trends.

Trophy Space – Gratuitous volume spaces are getting cut out of plans now that lending standards have tightened and builders are racing to build more affordable, energy efficient homes.

Just for Show - Industrial-grade kitchen ranges that never so much as touch a pan or the spa tub in the master bath that the owners never fire up because they don’t want to clean are falling by the wayside. “Use it or lose it” is the new mantra for right-sized kitchens and baths.

Greenfield Growth – There won’t be many new outlying master-planned communities breaking ground in 2011, considering investors are still recovering and cutting their losses from existing stalled projects. Smart builders are turning their attention to smaller infill neighborhoods or pockets of homes in established communities with existing school districts.

Egocentric Houses – Thinking a house’s value is inherent only in its interior is folly. Also important is the presence of nearby parks, amenities, and neighborhood connections that create the sense of community that don’t significantly increase what a homeowner has to pay. Buyers are happy to trade extra space for a smaller house that has a nice environment outside its front door.

Home Flipping – According to Census figures, the average American moves 11 times. That number is destined to fall as the idea of a home as a short-term money maker is essentially gone. Now when people buy, they’ll likely stay 10 years instead of 2. When people plan to stay a while, they tend to care more about home design that feels right – not profitable.

Check out the rest of Builder Magazine’s 10 Residential Design Trends You Won’t See in 2011.

New houses are still popping up in the Twin Cities, there are just fewer of them than in years past. With the reduction of quantity has come an emphasis on the qualities of what goes into each home. Builder Magazine Online recently published an article laying out their ideas for 10 Design Trends for 2011 and in the years ahead. Here are our three picks from their list which can be observed in the construction of new Twin Cities housing stock.

Portion Control

Medium-sized house?  No, wait.  Make that a small, please.  The average house lost a few pounds in the recession and is still managing to keep the weight off as buyers (and banks) avoid biting off more debt than they can chew. “Demand for very large houses over 4,000 square feet remains, but there is a diminishing demand for middle-sized homes,” observes architect Don Taylor of D.W. Taylor Associates in Ellicott City, Md. “Instead of the previously common request for a home in the 2,800- to 3,200-square-foot range, we are now seeing more requests for homes of 2,400 to 2,800 square feet. Cost obviously has helped precipitate this change, but I also think many buyers are coming to their senses and looking for homes that meet their practical needs rather than satisfying their egos.”

Village Vibe

The suburbs are starting to feel more like little cities as planners and developers find ways to weave density and walkability into existing hot spots. “Fewer large-scale development opportunities have shifted the emphasis to smaller infill projects,” AIA chief economist Kermit Baker wrote in a recent design trends report. But these new nodes of “light urbanism” aren’t replacing existing subdivisions; they are popping up between them and connecting the dots. Prime targets for infill redevelopment include big box parking lots, dead shopping centers, strip malls, and transit stations. “People who want an urban lifestyle but either do not want to live in a ‘big city’ or cannot afford to will look to live in the many suburban town centers that have been emerging,” Urban Land Institute senior resident fellow John McIlwain wrote in a recent white paper.

Green Grows

Yes, we say it every year, but it’s true: green building is going mainstream. The latest anecdotal evidence comes by way of California’s CalGreen building code, which takes effect January 1, mandating many green building practices that were previously only voluntary. “I expect we’ll see an uptick in simple, low-cost approaches such as rainwater catchment, drought-tolerant landscaping, permeable hardscapes, passive solar design, and more recycling and landfill diversion,” says Mike McDonald, a green builder in Oakland, Calif. Watch also for more flat roofs with parapet walls hiding unsightly solar panels, predicts Costa Mesa, Calif.-based design consultant Miriam Tate.

Read the entire article: 10 Design Trends for 2011

Blaine Haven | 913 104th Lane NE, Blaine, MN | Foundation

As you can see, Norton Homes has started construction on yet another home in Blaine Haven! The foundation has been poured at 913 104th Lane. Make sure you keep checking back for more photos of the progress.

Blaine Haven | 901 104th Lane NE, Blaine, MN | Foundation

The cold weather doesn’t stop Norton Homes from getting their jobs done. The foundation has been poured at 901 104th Lane NE in Blaine Haven in Blaine, MN. We will be adding pictures as the building progresses, so make sure you are checking back!

Blaine Haven | 869 104th Lane NE, Blaine, MN | Foundation

The foundation has been poured at 869 104th Lane NE in Blaine Haven in Blaine, MN. Stay tuned, new pictures will be coming soon to show the progress!

104th Lane NE

Blaine Haven is one of Blaine’s newest developments featuring single-family homes from the $240′s. This affordable community in Blaine, MN features 34 homes which come together to create a beautiful neighborhood.

To learn more about Blaine Haven, CLICK HERE!

Legacy Creek | 3509 126th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Front of House

It’s almost time for siding at 3509 126th Ave NE in the Legacy Creek development in Blaine, MN.

Legacy Creek | 3509 126th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Front Stairway

Future front stairway as you enter 3509 126th Ave.

Legacy Creek | 3509 126th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Tech Tube & Fireplace

A tech tube has been added so you can mount a Plasma TV about the fireplace!

Legacy Creek | 3541 126th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Front of House
Even though it’s cold outside, the workers will begin siding 3541 126th Ave NE shortyly in the Legacy Creek development in Blaine, MN.

Legacy Creek | 3541 126th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Side Yard
3541 126th Ave NE has spacious side and backyards!

Legacy Creek | 3541 126th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Master Bedroom
Future master bedroom

Legacy Creek | 3541 126th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Kitchen
Future kitchen

Legacy Creek | 3500 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Framing | Front of House

Framing is underway at 3500 127th Ave NE in the Legacy Creek development in Blaine, MN!

Legacy Creek | 3500 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Framing | Backyard

3500 127th Ave has one of the largest backyards in Legacy Creek!

For more information about this property and Legacy Creek visit TwinCitiesBuilder.com

Builder Magazine recently published online “10 Products You Should Consider Including in Your Houses in 2011.” In this time of belt tightening, high-end products aren’t an option for every situation, but there are some things that may be worth the splurge. And homeowners, some are also great suggestions for existing homes. Here are our top 5 picks from Builder’s list that could be part of plans for a new construction home or one that someone would just like to improve.

• Humidity-sensing fan – A bath ventilation fan is one of the most under-valued and under-used products in a house. Designed to remove moisture and odor, bath fans are often improperly sized and, because home buyers don’t run them long enough, frequently misused. In contrast, a humidity-sensing fan doesn’t rely on human behavior. As the name suggests, it recognizes excess humidity and automatically activates, running for the recommended amount of time to take care of extra moisture. Such fans are great for laundry rooms too.
• Incandescent-style CFLs – If you like compact fluorescent bulbs but you hate their spiral design, try a CFL product that looks exactly like an incandescent. The manufacturer has found a way to place the spiral tubes inside of a typical incandescent bulb’s glass dome. The dome is made from frosted glass, which gives it the appearance of a standard bulb. The undeniable coolness of this approach is not up for debate, unlike the topic of how people feel about CFLs, which is another story altogether.
• Hybrid electric water heater – Many people know the principles of flight; they just don’t quite believe them. The same goes for tankless water heaters. Even though a tankless water heater is a great energy-saving product, many home buyers are suspicious of the technology. But they’re likely to believe in a hybrid electric water heater—and the reduced electric bills that come with it. The unit looks like a regular tank, but it’s made with a heat pump that draws heat from the surrounding air and uses it to produce hot water. When there is peak demand for hot water, a traditional electric heating element kicks in. It costs more initially than a standard water heater, but the payback can be as fast as three years.
• A distinctive kitchen faucet – No doubt the slumping economy has forced you to value-engineer the heck out of your homes—perhaps to the point where they may have lost all character. If that’s case, it’s time you start thinking strategically about adding cool products with impact, such as a kitchen faucet that adds a little wow-factor. You could go for the gold with a high-end brand, but you can also check www.overstock.com or www.efaucets.com for products that costs as little as $120 but look like a million bucks.
• A good entry door hardware – Architects like to say the entry door handle is the handshake of a house. It sets the tone for what the buyer will see—or might see—inside. So, when it comes to entry door hardware, go big or go home. That doesn’t mean going overboard with something exorbitantly expensive; it just means finding a product that will grab your buyers’ attention.

View the rest of the list and Builder’s article about the list and the Top 10 slideshow.

Minnesotans are finding home ownership more affordable for several reasons these days.

First, historically low interest rates have resulted in reduced monthly housing payments, making it easier to purchase a home. Consumers with good credit, a down payment, and consistent employment are benefiting the most from the current real estate market climate.

“Slower sales activity and aggressive Federal Reserve Board actions have lowered the rates on fixed term mortgages,” said Russ Portele, President of the Minnesota Association of REALTORS®. “Because of the lower interest rates, home buyers at every price point are able to purchase homes at much lower monthly costs than they would have five, 10 or even 20 years ago.”

Secondly, pressures on the market are keeping home prices low. Home sales in the Twin Cities metro area are falling and the number of houses on the market continue to rise. The increased presence of foreclosure and short sale homes are keeping the prices of traditional listings down, too.

Home prices, both the median and average, have stabilized and remain at about the 2009 price level. Throughout Minnesota, the median home price was $154,000 in October 2010. The average price is $186,843.

Low home prices and low interest rates are adding up to serious savings for home buyers ready to take the plunge!

Home sales fell 43.5% in October from a year earlier Blaine MN according to data released by the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors.

There were 61 homes sold in Blaine during October 2010. The $150,000 median sales price of a Blaine home sold in October was an -11.8% decrease from last year. The median is the point at which half of all homes sell for more and half sell for less. New listings in Blaine MN were down -8.4 percent in October.

Anoka County as a whole saw just a -3.6% median price decrease, to $154,450. That was on 272 sales that closed in October, down from 490 in October 2009. There were 558 new Anoka real estate listings during the month, a decline of just -1.9% from 2009.

The steep declines for October are in line with year-over-year changes since the tax credit for first-time and move-up homebuyers ended.

Buyers have the edge in negotiating. The percent of original list price received at sale declined -4.2% to 90.9%. For Anoka County as a whole, the decline was -4.3 to an even lower level of 90.1%.

New residential construction around the Twin Cities continues. Municipalities issued 228 construction permits during September 2010, down slightly from 235 in September of 2009.

The total number of planned housing units permitted rose 38% to 604 from 437 in September as more permits were issued for apartment buildings, according to the a report from the Builders Association of the Twin Cities. Minnetonka ranked at the top of last month’s list with 149 units permitted for a senior housing project being built near North Glen Lake Park. Minneapolis ranked second with 88 units. Elk River and Oak Park Heights tied at 54 permitted units.

“As most sectors of the economy show signs of expansion, we’re feeling confident that the Twin Cities housing market will remain ahead of the national curve and continue stable for the rest of the year and into 2011,” BATC President Gary Aulik said in a statement.

Year-to-date, 30% more building permits have been issued compared to this time last year. About half the building activity is towards the construction of multifamily housing.

With 25 permits last month, Maple Grove saw more building permits for residential housing in August than any other locality in the Twin Cities. Woodbury was second with 20 and Blaine was third with 18.

In year-to-date rankings, Maple Grove also tops the list with 185 permits, ahead of Blaine, which has 171, and Shakopee with 136. Most of the permits issued have been for developments that have been approved for some time. The economy has created a drought in the number of new plots being sold.

Additionally, the amount of standing inventory and the amount of distressed properties under foreclosure or short sales are weighing down the market. Currently, these properties make up about 30% of the Twin Cities market of residences for sale.

Construction activity across the nation jumped unexpectedly in August, a sign that the housing market is still alive and kicking, though it is still far from a recovery. A report released this week by the U.S. Commerce Department showed housing starts nationwide rose 10.5% during August, with much of the increase coming from new apartment buildings. The one-month increase may not continue for September, but it does reflect a market trying to find its bottom,

A National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, another report released this week, showed builders’ sentiment and sales activity remained near record lows. Those who responded to the survey say two indicators, like jobs and foreclosures, stand in the way of a better market.

The Twin Cities housing market continues to struggle. Both the number of sales and the median sales price of homes in the area dropped in the month of August, according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors.

Pending sales in August were down over 30% compared to August 2009. However, that decrease was the smallest it has been in about three months. The median sales price of a home in the Twin Cities was $172,165, down 1.6% from last year. Though foreclosures and short sales drag these numbers down, traditional sellers saw a 9.2% price increase for their homes.

There are now more than 27,000 active sales listings for homes in the Twin Cities. Inventory of homes on the market grew by almost 9% during August. That is the biggest increase in inventory since February 2008.

As housing inventories increase, Brad Fisher, president of the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors, said in a press release that the expired federal tax credit for home buyers has led to a decrease in demand for homes. The double-whammy has resulted in a drop in home prices.

“There are just more sellers than buyers and the buyers are able to negotiate, especially if you get sellers that are fairly desperate,” Pat Paulson, president-elect of the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors said. “It’s a buyers market they have the upper hand.”

Minneapolis and Saint Paul saw fewer sales but higher prices in August compared with a year ago, according to the St. Paul Area Association of Realtors. Sales dropped 39% in St. Paul, to 241 while the median sale price rose 2% to $150,675. In Minneapolis, sales dropped 41% to 336 and the median rose 21% to $222,804.

New statistics from the Builders Association of the Twin Cities indicate home construction has picked up over the summer. After bottoming out at record lows in 2008 and 2009, builders and city planners are cautiously optimistic about the wave of new home construction that has been occuring over the summer.

The Builders Associations reports that Blaine was the leader in the number of building permits issued for July with 28. Maple Grove was next with 26, followed by Woodbury with 17, Hugo had 14, and Shakopee approved 12. In July, the total number of units for each of those cities was Blaine with 28, then Maple Grove with 27, Woodbury was next with 25, Hugo produced 21, and Shakopee was the same at 12.

For the entirety of 2010 through July, Maple Grove issued 160 permits, followed by Blaine with 153, Shakopee had 126, Woodbury approved 98, and Lakeville had 85. Oakdale, Woodbury, Cottage Grove and Forest Lake have already issued more permits in the first seven months of this year than in all of 2009.

The hammers and nails have been flying in Woodbury and Hugo. Woodbury leads the Twin Cities metro area in terms of planned units for 2010, in addition to the valuation of permits issued. Through the end of July, Woodbury approved 98 permits for 373 units valued at $49.8 million. In 2009, 255 units were approved.

Though this is a documentable improvement, it is unlikely that new home construction will ever return to the boom years the Twin Cities saw during the last two decades, during which Woodbury saw more than 1,600 new units each year.

July residential building activity in the Twin Cities was down slightly compared to the same month last year, according to the Builders Association of the Twin Cities

Twin Cities builders were granted 230 permits in July 2010, down from 238 in July 2009. The number of permitted housing units in the metro area also fell to 265, down from 269. July building activity was also down compared to June, when builders received 246 units for 341 housing units.

Blaine led the Twin Cities area in building activity in July. The city had 28 units permitted. Builders like Norton Homes Inc. are constructing brand new homes in highly-demanded developments like Legacy Creek and Blaine Haven.

Maple Grove came in second, with 27 units. Woodbury, Hugo and Savage complete the top five.

It seems like every week, mortgage interest rates are pushed to a new low. Last week, interest rates of 4.54% for a 30-year fixed loan were reported, the lowest since since Freddie Mac began tracking rates in 1971. This week the trend continues.

Mortgage rates are now at probably at their lowest level in at least 60 years. Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 4.49%, offering the most attractive opportunity for those who qualify to refinance or purchase a home. 15-year fixed-rate loan average l3.9%, the lowest on record. It is the sixth time in seven weeks that interest rates have reached a new average record low.

The last time home loan rates were lower was during the 1950s, when most mortgages lasted just 20 or 25 years.

So why have sales of previously occupied homes been sinking? A variety of reasons may be keeping people from house hunting. Many home buyers already took the plunge into the housing marking when the federal government was offering $8,000 first time home buyer rebates. Some potential borrowers don’t have the income or down payment to buy. And for home owners, refinancing is difficult because so many mortgages are now under water.

Are you one of the lucky ones with a secure job and a ready down-payment? Twin Cities home builders like Norton Homes are striking great deals with would-be home owners.

Mortgage rates fell for the second straight week to the lowest point in 50 years. However, many people either don’t qualify for new mortgages or aren’t looking for a home because they already took advantage of low rates and a tax credit earlier this year.

Mortgage company Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the average interest rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage dropped to 4.57% this week. That’s down from the previous record low of 4.58% set last week. It’s the lowest since Freddie Mac began tracking rates in 1971. The last time rates were lower was in the 1950s.

Low rates have yet to fuel home sales. The housing market has slowed since federal tax credits for homebuyers expired on April 30th. Mortgage rates have hovered near record lows for a while, so most people who can afford to buy homes or qualify to refinance their loans have already done so.

Rates on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages increased to an average of 4.07%, up from 4.04% last week. That was the lowest on records dating to September 1991. Rates on five-year adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 3.75%, down from 3.79% a week earlier. That was also the lowest on Freddie Mac’s records, which date back only to January 2005.

Thinking of buying a new home? Though the first time home buyer credit has expired, interest rates are low and home builders like Norton Homes are making incredible deals available to potential home owners.

Another series of real estate reports show that there is both good news and bad news for Twin Cities home buyers and sellers.

Good news! According to the monthly Case-Shiller survey, home prices in the metro area during April were 9.5% higher than April 2009. That’s much better than the 3.8% increase recorded for the national average. For the 20 metro areas Case-Shiller tracked, the Minneapolis market’s year-over-year gain in home prices was topped only by San Francisco, whose price index rose 18%, and San Diego, where home prices rose 11.7%.

The increases in sale prices are likely the result of a spike in home sales triggered by the federal housing tax credit, which ended in April. April results from the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors showed the median home sale was $169,800. MAAR has since reported the Twin Cities median home sales price rose 6.1% from May 2009 to $175,000 in May 2010, with some of those sales having trickled over from when the tax credit was still available.

More good news? RealtyTrac reports that sales of foreclosure homes in the Twin Cities have gone down. Foreclosures represented about one in five home sales in the Twin Cities that month. Those homes sold for an average of about 23% less than those not in the foreclosure process. Foreclosure sales in Minnesota have actually declined 17% for the first quarter of 2010 compared with the same period a year ago. Across the U.S., foreclosure homes accounted for 31% of all residential sales in the first quarter of 2010.

Now for some bad news. A Commerce Department report shows that Americans were far less likely to buy new homes in May after the government stopped offering the homebuyer tax credit. Sales of new homes fell 33% to a seasonally adjusted annual sales pace of 300,000. That was the lowest in the 47 years records have been kept. Sales of new homes have now sunk 78% from their peak five years ago.

Possibly more bad news. Sales of existing homes dipped nationally, too. Sales of pre-existing homes fell 2.2% in May from April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.66 million, according to the National Association of Realtors. Specific statistics for the Twin Cities have not yet been released.

Because all of these reports are for May and April, it could be deceiving for June statistics. The Twin Cities real estate market has been doing better than average when compared to national figures. Additionally, interest rates that were already low have dropped further – to the lowest rates in more than 50 years! As a result of the low rates, mortgage applications increased nearly 9% this week compared to last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

With the low interest rates and the abundance of affordable real estate available, now may be a great time to buy a first home! Though sales made now no longer qualify for the federal first time home buyer credit, there are still many buyer incentives available to people seeking a home in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the surrounding Twin Cities!

Do you have your first home and seek the next step up? Great Twin Cities Home Builders are ready to build a home in great developments like Legacy Creek and Blaine Haven.

A recent report shows that interest rates for mortgages are affordably low. FreeRateUpdate.com researches over 2 dozen wholesale lenders’ rate sheets on a daily basis to determine the most accurate rates available.

Conventional 30-year fixed mortgages are still available at 4.375% for well-qualified consumers. 15-year fixed mortgages remain available at 3.875%. Even 30-year fixed jumbo loans are available today at 5.375%.

FHA mortgage rates at a similar rate, with 30-year fixed FHA loans offered at a 4.375% rate. APR for FHA loans is higher, though, because of MI and other FHA fees. Still, because of its minimum down-payment of just 3.5%, FHA loans have been most popular among home-buyers.

Wells Fargo, which originates the greatest volume of new mortgages, recently advertised a 30-year fixed-rate of 4.75% with an APR of 4.939.

Thinking of buying or building a home? Even if the federal first time home buyer credit and the related credit for next-home seekers isn’t available, interest rates are low enough to make it worth your while.

Twin Cities pending home sales fell steeply in May, according to new data from the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors. The drop was expected after the expiration of the federal home buyer tax credit.

Signed purchase agreement for pending home sales plummeted in May by nearly 25% compared to May of last year. There were 3,910 signed agreements last month, compared to 5,183 signed purchase agreements in May 2009.

Closed sales are up, but that’s because buyers who signed purchase agreements in time to qualify for the tax credits must close on the sale by June 30 in order to qualify for the $8,000 federal first time home buyer tax credit.

The Twin Cities median home price last month was $175,000. That is a 6.1% increase compared to last May. That was the fifth consecutive month of year over year gains. However, the slowing of pending sales and demand could continue, which may bring that price down.

On the other hand, potential Twin Cities home buyers should realize that interest rates are still at historic lows. And real estate prices are still down significantly compared to the top of the bubble, meaning there are some great housing deals out there.

Additionally, though the summer selling season might have slowed, 2010 is shaping up to be the best year since 2007 for homebuilders in the Twin Cities. During the first five months of the year, builders received 1,249 permits for 2,159 residential housing units in the Twin Cities metro area, according to numbers released at the end of May by the Builders Association of the Twin Cities.

Maple Grove issues 30 permits in May, Shakopee issues 26, and Blaine was next with 22 permits. Rounding out the top five communities were Prior Lake with 18 and Lakeville and Hudson, Wis. tied with 16 each.

Now is a good time for people who want to custom-built homes like the ones constructed by Norton Custom Homes. Construction costs currently are about 15% lower than two years ago. Again, interest rates are at historic lows. Need more incentives to build this year? There are various tax credits for “green” construction projects which could be included with your new home’s plans.

Are you a dog lover considering building or buying a new home in Blaine MN?

Dog owners in Blaine can bring their dogs to Happy Acres Park for fun and exercise. A dog park and off-leash area opened there earlier this month with signs, bag dispensers, waste containers, and all.

Both the Blaine Park Board and Blaine City Council agreed to allow dogs within the three hockey rinks at Happy Acres Park. The first hockey rink to the east will be for small dogs, and the second and third hockey rinks will be for medium and large dogs.

New Hope, Crystal and Eden Prairie are successfully using hockey rinks as dog parks at a very minimal cost. The dog park and off-leash area at Happy Acres Park, located at 11900 7th Street in Blaine MN, will stay open through mid-November.

The dog park is available on a 1-year trial basis. It will be monitored, and a follow-up study will be presented to the Park Board and City Council.

The City of Blaine has again been named a Tree City USA community by the Arbor Day Foundation. This marks the 16th consecutive year the city has earned the distinction. The Tree City USA program provides direction, assistance, public attention, and national recognition for community forestry programs in cities like Blaine.

Although Arbor Day is officially recognized in Minnesota on the last Friday in April, the City of Blaine will observe the day at its annual tree sale, which will take place on May 8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Blaine’s Public Works facility.

To learn more about the available trees, ordering trees, and Arbor Day History, please visit the City of Blaine website.

Jim Hafner, Blaine’s storm water manager, says too much rain goes down city storm drains. Rain and snowmelt flow off surfaces like roofs and roads, sweeping salt, sand, fertilizer and other contaminants into storm drains – which take the water to creeks, rivers and lakes.

Though the Blaine City Council is contemplating an ordinance to promote the creation of rain gardens to catch runoff, Jim Hafner has already installed one in his own yard, at 12309 Goodhue St. NE, in Blaine. The demonstration rain garden is meant to appeal to and educate neighbors and other interested people.

“Storm water is the No. 1 polluter of our surface waters. I don’t think we can be that cavalier about it. It is either naive or arrogant to think that our water resource is always going to be there for us.”

Rain gardens are depressed garden plots planted with native plants that capture runoff and get the water back into the ground where it is needed. They are becoming popular landscaping alternatives that aesthetically brighten yards and provide much needed assistance to managing stormwater.

Blaine residents who are willing to take street runoff may soon be able to get help to create rain gardens. The council is considering providing aid and materials to residents for rain gardens built in the city’s right of way between residents’ yards and the streets.

What is one of the best parts of having a rain garden? There is less need to water the lawn and garden surrounding it.

“I don’t think people think about capturing water to reduce the amount they have to put on the yard themselves,” Hafner said. “The missing link in creating a rain garden is if you catch the flow, it will look nice and also save money.”

Hafner will teach a water conservation/rain gardening classes on May 8, with a deadline to register on April 30. The cost is $5 to attend. To register, go to www.blaineparks.com, click registration and search for stormwater.

Check it out! The new homes being constructed at the Legacy Creek housing development in Blaine, MN, are going up rather quickly now.

3525 126th Ave NE, Blaine MN

The exterior of the home at 3525 126th Ave NE in Blaine is almost done. You can see the siding is up, but plastic over the windows, doors, and garage indicate that part of the building process isn’t done yet.

3524 127th Ave NE, Blaine MN

The homes at 3524 and 3521 127th Ave NE in Blaine MN walls are about neck-and-neck in terms of construction stages.

3521 127th Ave NE, Blaine MN

The walls are complete, or nearly complete, the shingles are on, and siding should be going up on them pretty soon.

3512 127th Ave NE, Blaine MN

Construction on the new home located at 3512 127th Ave NE in Blaine is trucking right along, too. As you can see, a lot of the siding is up and plastic on the walls indicates that windows, doors, and the garage door will be coming shortly, too.

All in all, Legacy Creek is really beginning to look like a the neighborhood it intends to be!

There has been some activity in the local home building industry in 2009. As we mentioned earlier in this blog, residential building permits issued throughout the month of November 2009 were up 28% from the same month of 2008. Well, 89% more residential permits were issued in December 2009 than in the same month of the previous year.

With the vast increase in permits for the last two months of 2009, Twin Cities home builders are much more optimistic about the industry’s recovery. Though progress may move slowly yet during these winter months, it could pick up some speed as 2010 moves forward.

According to the Keystone Report from the Builders Association of the Twin Cities, which tracks permit activity in the 13-county metro area, residential construction in the Twin Cities metro declined for the sixth year in a row in 2009 as measured by planned housing units. Metro area cities approved 2,599 permits for 4,405 new housing units, a much lower number compared to the peak of 11,472 permits for 19,000 units in 2003.

Builders are encouraged, however, by 2009′s strong finish. In just November and December of 2009, the Twin Cities saw 523 homebuilding permits for 997 housing units, up from 365 and 644 in the same two months of 2008. For those keeping score, there were 250 permits issued in December for 423 units.

Shakopee was the leader of the pack when it came to issuing metropolitan-area building permits and the number of units approved in 2009. The city issued 304 permits for the year and approved a total of 328 new units. More than 92% of Shakopee’s new construction was single-family.

Blaine was second in the number of permits issued in 2009 with 203 (including several in the Legacy Creek development),  followed by Maple Grove with 197, Woodbury at 181, and Lakeville with 140. For the number of units approved, Blaine again was second in the Twin Cities area with 274, followed by Minneapolis with 274, Woodbury with 245, and Maple Grove with 232.

An extension of the federal homebuyer tax credit is possibly contributing to the improved numbers. Since home buyers are now eligible for up to a $6,500 tax credit through April, builders are hopeful about the first quarter of 2010.

Hope you had happy holidays and a Happy New Year! It has been a few weeks since we posted an update about what is building up at Legacy Creek in Blaine, MN. Most of us may have taken a long holiday, but our home builders didn’t. Check out what they’ve been up to!

Two of the homes we first visited during construction have come a long way. The framing is done, walls are up, time to start putting in exteriors and interiors!

Two of the homes that we visited at Legacy Creek were just pits in the ground last time we wrote a post. Well, as you can see, framing on both of them has started.

Building these 4 homes seems to be moving right along. The 2 homes already completed in the background are already purchased and inhabited. The construction of a brand new community is happening right now in Blaine MN!

Earlier this week we shared pictures of the 4 new houses Norton Homes is in the process of building in Blaine’s Legacy Creek development. Construction on these homes is happening very quickly and we are very happy to be able to show you just how fast the process is going.

This future home located at 3512 127th Ave NE in Blaine was just a hole in the ground in the last set of pictures. Heck. there were still construction workers on site helping to dig it out. Now you can see the foundation is poured.

Pictures of 3521 127th Ave show that almost all of the framing has already been put up! Soon enough, some of these pictures will show the insides of the homes as they begin to take shape.

Here you can see the foundation poured at 3524 127th Ave NE in Blaine MN. Interest in these Legacy Creek homes is hopping, that’s why Norton Homes is in such a rush to get them done. What better way to begin the New Year than to plan to live in a new neighborhood?

With all the snow and slush out there, construction will likely slow for the holiday, but it will be cranking right back up next week. Have a happy holiday! Stay safe and warm!

A week ago we wrote that Norton Homes is in the process of building 4 new houses in Blaine’s Legacy Creek development. These homes are going up so quickly, by the time those pictures were put up, they were out of date because even more work had been done in that time.

This future home was just a hole in the ground last week. In fact, the backhoe was still there and in the process of digging the hole. Now a portion of it has been framed.

Here is a closer look, since no construction workers were at this particular site when I was there taking pictures.

This future home was photographed from the end of the driveway in the previous post. At the time of these pictures, though, the construction scene was hot and people were everywhere. More than half of it has been framed!

So two houses in framing and now here you can see a new basement is being dug. This future Blaine MN home is being built right next door to two houses which have already been completed and sold!

New pictures will be coming soon to show the progress. Even more framing has been put into place since these pictures were taken!

The amount of residential building permits issued in the Twin Cities throughout November 2009 increased 28% compared to November 2008. According to the figures released by the Builders Association of the Twin Citiies, permitted units were also 37% higher than last year. So far for all of 2009, building activity is down 11.5% from 2008. Construction is still well below numbers from 2007 and the booming years before.

Minneapolis had the most building activity in November with 218 units. 175 of them were for a single project. Lakeville MN was next with 45 units. Blaine MN, Savage MN, and Maple Grove MN pulled permits for 41, 29 and 28 units respectively.

November had the highest number of units permitted for any month of this year. The total of permits issued in November was the third-highest in 2009. There is a tendency to see an increase in November permits because builders want to get foundations in before the ground freezes.

These numbers came on the heals of reports that home prices and sales in the Minneapolis – St. Paul area increased in September and October. Prices in the Twin Cities have shown the greatest increase among many metro areas. The real estate market here in the Twin Cities has proven itself be resilient.

Norton Homes is in the process of building 4 new homes in Blaine’s Legacy Creek development. These pictures were taken last week.

Here you can see one of the homes under construction. This picture is taken from the end of the driveway and shows the front of the home’s foundation from end to end.

This was an active construction site, so I didn’t want to get too close. You can see the backhoe and bobcat excavating in the back.

Again, an active construction site and this is all the closer I felt comfortable. They really fly around on that equipment.

New pictures will be coming soon to show the progress. Some framing has been put into place since these pictures were taken!

Legacy Creek | 3540 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | SOLD!

3532 127th Ave NE, part of the Legacy Creek subdivision in Blaine, MN, is SOLD!

Norton Homes plans to build 4 similar properties in Legacy Creek. Check back for details on these listings.

Legacy Creek | 3540 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | SOLD

3540 127th Ave NE, part of the Legacy Creek subdivision in Blaine, MN, is SOLD!

Norton Homes plans to build 4 similar properties at Legacy Creek. Check back for details on these listings.

Legacy Creek | 3532 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Sheetrock Phase | Living Room

The sheet rock has been installed throughout the house! The living room is beginning to take shape!

Legacy Creek | 3532 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Sheetrock Phase | Master Bedroom

The sheet rock shows the detailing in the master bedroom.

Legacy Creek | 3540 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Sheet Rock Phase

The siding goes up on 3540 127th Ave NE

Legacy Creek | 3540 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Framing Phase | Front of House

3540 127th Ave

Legacy Creek | 3540 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Framing Phase | Future Garage

Future Garage

Legacy Creek | 3540 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Framing Phase | Laundry Room

Future upstairs laundry room with floor drain.

Legacy Creek | 3540 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Framing Phase | Master Bath

Future master bathroom includes separate shower and tub.

Legacy Creek | 3540 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Framing Phase | Master Bedroom

Future master bedroom features vaulted ceilings and recessed lighting.

Legacy Creek | 3540 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Framing Phase | Basement

Future basement with temporary concrete supports.

Legacy Creek | 3540 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Framing Phase | Radon System

Radon system was added to eliminate the harmful gas from the home and to ultimately keep your family healthier!

Legacy Creek | 3540 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Framing Phase | Kitchen

Future Kitchen

Legacy Creek | 3540 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Framing Phase | Window Frame

The windows were framed with extra support to allow for future window treatments.

Legacy Creek | 3540 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Framing Phase | Insulation

Foam insulation was used for increased energy efficiency.

Legacy Creek | 3540 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Framing Phase | Fireplace

Extra framing has been added to the fireplace to support a wall mounted TV. Black tubing has also been added to allow for cords to be easily hidden.

Legacy Creek | 3540 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Framing Phase | Backyard View

Backyard View

For more information about this property and Legacy Creek visit TwinCitiesBuilder.com

Legacy Creek | 3532 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Framing Phase | Outside

Framing is underway at 3532 127th Ave NE in the Legacy Creek development in Blaine, MN!

Legacy Creek | 3532 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Framing Phase | Outside Lights

The electrical work is starting to be done. This picture of the future front porch shows how the recessed lighting is progressing.

Legacy Creek | 3532 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Framing Phase | Future Master Bathroom

Future Master Bathroom features separate room for toilet and shower.

Legacy Creek | 3532 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Framing Phase | Future Master Bathroom

Future Master Bath also features large bathtub!

Legacy Creek | 3532 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Framing Phase | Future Master Bedroom

Future master bedroom features vaulted ceilings and recessed lighting.

Legacy Creek | 3532 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Framing Phase | Insulation

Foam insulation provides added energy efficiency.

Legacy Creek | 3532 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Framing Phase | Framing Details

Window frames show Builder’s attention to detail with extra support added for future window treatments.

Legacy Creek | 3532 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Framing Phase | Radon System

The integrated radon system eliminates the harmful gas from the home.

Legacy Creek | 3532 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Framing Phase | Fireplace

The fireplace has been installed and the frame has been set up to support a wall mounted TV!

Legacy Creek | 3532 127th Ave NE, Blaine, MN | Framing Phase | Backyard View

Future backyard view of the home.

125th Avenue NE & Legacy Creek Parkway, Blaine, MN 55449

Legacy Creek is one of Blaine’s newest master-planned communities featuring single family homes from the $270′s.

To learn more about Legacy Creek, CLICK HERE!

Hello! Welcome to the TwinCitiesBuilder.com Blog! This blog is dedicated to keeping you informed on new home construction projects in the Twin Cities. We’ll be covering new developments, area home builders and new home construction in general.

Stay tuned!!

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