Website e-Property Valuations
There are many ways to get an e-property valuation.

Several websites have popped up over the past few years offering this service.
These sites use public information such as # of bedrooms, # of bathrooms & square footage to determine values of homes by comparing to recent sales.
Some limitations are lack of necessary details in the tax records to be able to perform the comparisons, incomplete or incorrect data or trying to compare homes on cul-de-sacs or with redone kitchens with those lacking updates or on busy roads--the kinds of details requiring a person to filter thru.

www.Zillow.com - Accuracy is advertised as approximately 20%


www.HouseValues.com - you complete a form and the site forwards your request to a licensed real estate agent

www.cyberhomes.com - enter your address and get a nice page of overhead imagery, trend charts and a summary from tax records. Try using only your zip code. When I tried city and zip code, it couldn't find my house.

If you want a hybrid of these features, try the e-CMA route. You need to provide an address, # BR, # BA, # car garage and a brief list of updates performed. You often will get a response in a day or less. Click HERE and then select Expert Answers.

Great New (almost) Maple Grove Restaurant -- Three Squares
Located in the old Green Mill location on Main Street in Maple Grove is a great new restaurant.
I recently brought my family there for dinner and was impressed by the menu items and by the GREAT SELECTION of craft and micro brew beers ON TAP :)))
The food ranges from old stand-bys like steak or burgers to new twists like the Roasted Duck & Grits that we tried (quite yummy).
The prices were reasonable and the atmosphere casual and welcoming. For an extra bargain, try happy hour specials - before 6 p.m. appetizers and drinks are HALF-OFF!
http://www.3squaresrestaurant.com
Give it a try and leave me comments on my blog to let me know what you thought.

Park Reserve Plans

Many of you have asked me about the plans to build a campground in the Elm Creek Park Reserve. I spoke with the Three Rivers Park District office, they said current priorities and funding limitations don't support building the campground this year and that it will likely be 5+ years out.

From an October 2006 planning document to the Met Coucil, the Park District planned to spend around $2,850,000 to build a family campground:

• 75 sites, grading, roads - $1,750,000
• Campground services/disc golf center building (2,000 SF with
showers, toilets, office) - $600,000

• 10 cabins ($40,000 per cabin

From the map below, you can see the planned location of the campground just below Mud Lake.

Road Construction (610 and 169)

169 (Devil's Triangle)
Due to be completed in fall 2011
Much work has already been done on southbound Hwy 169, County Road 81 and the north half of 85th Ave. Current construction this spring/summer will focus on 169 with 169 traffic switching to the new lanes of southbound Hwy 169 so work can begin on northbound Hwy 169.
Also, continued construction of the south half of 85th Ave and continuation of bridge and retaining walls with 85th Ave east and westbound lanes fully open by Fall of 2010.
http://bit.ly/169Project

610
Due to be completed June 2011
Current schedule: (note the Zachary Lane road closure)
Noisewalls: Fall 2009 and March – August 2010
Pedestrian Bridge (Nathan Lane): Fall 2009 – June 2010
Hemlock Lane: Fall 2009 – June 2010. Road will be closed
Revere Lane: Fall 2009 – June 2010. Road will be closed
Sanitary Sewer: Fall 2009 – August 2010
Zachary Lane: April 2010 – June 2011. Road will be closed
Jefferson Hwy: June 2010 - September 2010
Hwy169: May 2010 – November 2010
http://bit.ly/DOT610

Local News

It's not surprising considering how it's been slipping as of late to see that Brookdale Mall is going into foreclosure -- their sheriff sale is scheduled for Friday February 12.
Read more at http://bit.ly/BrookdaleMallForeclosure

2009 Home Selling Statistics

In our Fountain Park park reserve neighborhood, there were 24 homes sold in 2009 with 10 of these being foreclosures and short sales (a bank-involved pre-foreclosure sale) and 14 being traditional sales.
The average sale prices:
►Foreclosures/short sales (10) $131,700
►“Traditional” sales (14) $224,843

The market appears to beginning an initial recovery. There may be ups and downs as it balances itself but with the number of homes for sale down, the market has shifted from a buyer’s market to what is currently being described as a balanced market with a five month supply of homes for sale.