Real Estate Blog for the North & East Twin Cities

Several years ago, just as we were about to step off the curb into the busy parking lot of the local Target, I attempted to take the hand of my almost three-year-old son when he announced to my husband and I, "I can hold my own hand!" And being obstinate and two, he did.
He put one chubby little fist inside the other behind his back and attempted to step off the curb and into traffic. Realizing his need for independence, we explained the dangers of his actions to him. (Hey Buddy...Drivers have no way of seeing a tiny person below their windows as they back up their cars.) We compromised. He was allowed to hold his own hand everywhere except busy parking lots and when crossing the street. Then he would be required to hold mommy or daddy's hand or hang on to the stroller for his own safety.

That precocious son will be heading off to college in a few weeks and the mom in me is again struggling as he "holds his own hand" and steps of the curb into his future. He doesn't need mom or dad to help with many things anymore. He is well prepared for the real world or at least this next part of it.

Holding your own hand is good in life but there are times when one must rely on a professional to help them through a new or difficult situation. As a real estate agent, I realize most clients want to "hold their own hand" through a transaction with the knowledge that when they will need to "step off the curb" I will be right by their side there ready to explain and guide them through every step of the process. Whether it is a question from a home seller at the time of listing the house about whether they should start looking for another home now or wait for an offer or a first time home buyer wondering whether a townhome or single family home would be a better investment, I am there ready to educate and assist. A good REALTOR® knows it is important for the client to make the decisions-it is our job to guide and educate our clients through the home buying or selling process.

Are you ready to step off the curb and need a good REALTOR® by your side?

The City of Ham Lake has a rich history. Incorporated in 1974, Ham Lake became a city after over a hundred years of humble but steady growth. The area was first settled in 1855 by a group of Scottish men on the southwest side of Ham Lake. Though, I can only assume that the lake itself got its name due to its unusual “ham hock” shape, the community started out with a different name. The original name of the community was Glen Carey, which is the Scottish translation of “beautiful valley”. Following a prairie fire in 1857, the first settlers moved but the community was resettled again. The new Scandinavian settlers had a hard time with the pronunciation of Glen Carey and soon the fledging community was known as Ham Lake. Anoka County officially was recognized it as a township in 1871. In the early 1900’s Central Avenue (Highway 65) was a slow commute as it was a wagon trail through the sand and swampland. And we think going through stop light after stop light slows traffic. Though it was graveled and paved at some point, it 1954 before was expanded to four lanes.

Those four lanes are in full use now as more and more people look to buying acreage, executive, luxury and lakeshore homes in the Ham Lake area. The real estate market is not quite as sluggish in Ham Lake, MN as it was in early 2009. Homes are selling again. There are bright spots across the board with homes selling in all price categories. Even several higher priced homes moved off the MLS in the first half of 2010.

Inventory is moving at a pretty good pace for most price points in Ham Lake. There are currently 117 homes active on the market. Homes listed at higher prices are starting to sell again. With only 7 listed homes over $500,000 and 3 sold in the first half of 2010 and one in pending, the absorption rate is just over a year. Lower priced inventory has continued to sell well. With 35 actives and 35 sales in the first half of 2010, it seems that homes under $200K are selling twice as fast as the half million plus properties in Ham Lake. The only price point with an over abundance of listings seems to be $400,000-$500,000 range. With 14 actives and only 4 sales in 6 months, there is well over a years worth of inventory and the cumulative time on the market seems to reflect this as well. Homeowners considering selling a home in the Ham Lake area must consider the average time to sell a home in the Twin Cities north metro is again over 6 months but in some price points it could take a year or longer. Right now inventory levels indicate there is about 10 months of inventory in the Ham Lake area and homes are selling again in every price point. But since the tax credit for home buyers has now expired, having your home properly priced and prepared for showings will be essential to sell a home in this Anoka County community as we continue into the second half of 2010.

First Half 2010 Ham Lake residential real estate statistics for single family homes:

Under $200,000~ 35 Active Listings, 4 Pending Listings, 35 Sold Listings, CDOM 105 (New Construction Subgroup ~ 0 Active, 0 Pending, 1 Sold)

$200,000-300,000 ~ 39 Active Listings, 7 Pending Listings, 20 Sold Listings, CDOM 187 (New Construction Subgroup ~ 1 Active, 1 Pending, 1 Sold)

$300,000-400,000 ~ 22 Active Listings, 4 Pending Listings, 12 Sold Listings, CDOM 312 (New Construction Subgroup ~ 5 Active, 1 Pending, 2 Sold)

$400,000-$500,000 ~ 14 Active Listings, 2 Pending Listings, 4 Sold Listings, CDOM 333 (New Construction Subgroup ~ 1 Active, 1 Pending, 3 Sold)

$500,000 and Up~ 7 Active Listings, 2 Pending Listings, 3 Sold Listings, CDOM 220 (New Construction Subgroup ~ 2 Active, 2 Pending, 0 Sold)

Lakeshore available in the City of Ham Lake

11 Active Listings  Ham Lake lakeshore price range: $100,000-$774,900

• 6 Homes on Coon Lake
• 2 Homes on Ham Lake
• 1 Home on Lake Netta
• 2 Home on Little Coon Lake

**All Statistical information based on information from the REGIONAL MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE of MINNESOTA, INC. for the period of 1/1/10 through 6/30/10.

 Click HERE to Search for Minnesota Lakeshore or Acreage Homes!

Articles on Ham Lake, Lakeshore and Minnesota that might be of interest:

1. Where's the Playground? A Key to Parks in Ham Lake Minnesota
2. Extremely Affordable Minnesota Lakeshore!
3. Buying a Home on Minnesota Wetland--Affordable Beauty and Privacy!
4. Dreaming of Life on Minnesota Acreage? Must have INFO Before YOUR Move! Home Sales Statistics for other communities in the north metro:

• 2009 Year End Snapshot of Andover, MN Home Sales Statistics
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of Blaine, MN Home Sales Statistics
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of Centerville Market Statistics
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of Chisago City, MN Home Sales Statistics
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of Circle Pines, MN Home Sales Statistics
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of Columbus, MN Home Sales Statistics
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of Coon Rapids Market Statistics
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of East Bethel, MN Home Sales Statistics
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of Forest Lake MN Home Sales Statistics
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of Ham Lake, MN Home Sales Statistics
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of Hugo, MN Home Sales Statistics
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of Lino Lakes, MN Home Sales Statistics
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of Linwood, MN Home Sales Statistics
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of White Bear Lake, MN Home Sales Statistics
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of White Bear Township, MN Home Sales Statistics
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of Wyoming, MN Home Sales Statistics

This morning there was a warm steady spring rain with drops glistening off the budding trees in Ham Lake, Minnesota. As a REALTOR in Anoka County, I loved seeing this as we have had a very dry March and April. Hopefully this will ease the fire restrictions in the area soon. This rain will bring even more beauty as yards, prairies and fields turn that bright green of spring!

The City of Ham Lake has a rich history. Incorporated in 1974, Ham Lake became a city after over a hundred years of humble but steady growth. The area was first settled in 1855 by a group of Scottish men on the southwest side of Ham Lake. Though, I can only assume that the lake itself got its name due to its unusual “ham hock” shape, the community started out with a different name. The original name of the community was Glen Carey, which is the Scottish translation of “beautiful valley”. Following a prairie fire in 1857, the first settlers moved but the community was resettled again. The new Scandinavian settlers had a hard time with the pronunciation of Glen Carey and soon the fledging community was known as Ham Lake. Anoka County officially was recognized it as a township in 1871. In the early 1900’s Central Avenue (Highway 65) was a slow commute as it was a wagon trail through the sand and swampland. And we think going through stop light after stop light slows traffic. Though it was graveled and paved at some point, it 1954 before was expanded to four lanes.

Those four lanes are in full use now as more and more people look to buying acreage, executive, luxury and lakeshore homes in the Ham Lake area. The real estate market is not quite as sluggish in Ham Lake, MN as it was in early 2009. Homes are selling again. There are bright spots across the board with homes selling in all price categories under $400,000. New construction sales have picked up a bit with 2 sold and 4 pending compared with zero sold in the first quarter of 2009. The average Cumulative Days-on-Market (CDOM) is down for the first quarter in Ham Lake at 181 days compared to 249 for the same time period in 2009 so there are signs of an improving market. However, first quarter average sales prices were much lower at $216,291 compared with an average sales price of $247,748 for all of 2009. (See homes sales snapshots below for additional details.)

Inventory is down in Ham Lake from the levels seen in 2009; most notably in the higher price points. There are currently 101 homes active on the market compared to 110 in January of 2009. Homes listed at higher prices continue to take months to sell but lower priced inventory seems to sell. There still are more Ham Lake homes than Ham Lake buyers but there are only a handful of homes over $500,000 this year compared to 20 last year. Homeowners considering selling a home in the Ham Lake area must consider the average time to sell a home in the Twin Cities north metro is approximately 6-8 months. Right now inventory levels indicate there is about 11 months of inventory in the Ham Lake area and homes are selling again in every price point. But as in 2009, having your home properly priced and prepared for showings is essential to sell a home in this Anoka County community in 2010.

First Quarter 2009 Ham Lake residential real estate statistics for single family homes:

Under $200,000~ 19 Active Listings, 15 Pending Listings, 13 Sold Listings, CDOM 82 (All existing homes)

$200,000-300,000 ~ 41 Active Listings, 10 Pending Listings, 9 Sold Listings, CDOM 295 (New Construction Subgroup ~ 4 Active, 1 Pending, 1 Sold)

$300,000-400,000 ~ 22 Active Listings, 7 Pending Listings, 2 Sold Listings, CDOM 260 (New Construction Subgroup ~ 5 Active, 2 Pending, 0 Sold)

$400,000-$500,000 ~ 13 Active Listings, 2 Pending Listings, 2 Sold Listings, CDOM 174 (New Construction Subgroup ~ 2 Active, 0 Pending, 1 Sold)

$500,000 and Up~ 6 Active Listings, 3 Pending Listings, 1 Sold Listings, CDOM 525 (New Construction Subgroup ~ 1 Active, 1 Pending, 0 Sold)

Lakeshore available in the City of Ham Lake
11 Active Listings

Ham Lake lakeshore price range: $135,000-$774,900

5 Homes on Coon Lake
3 Homes on Ham Lake
1 Home on Lake Netta
1 Home on Little Coon Lake

**All Statistical information based on information from the REGIONAL MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE of MINNESOTA, INC. for the period of 1/1/10 through 3/31/10.

Click HERE to Search for Minnesota Lakeshore or Acreage Home!

Articles on Ham Lake, Lakeshore and Minnesota that might be of interest:

Where's the Playground? A Key to Parks in Ham Lake Minnesota
Extremely Affordable Minnesota Lakeshore!
Buying a Home on Minnesota Wetland--Affordable Beauty and Privacy!
Dreaming of Life on Minnesota Acreage? Must have INFO Before YOUR Move!

Home Sales Statistics for other communities in the north metro:

• 2009 Year End Snapshot of Andover, MN Home Sales Statistics
  
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of Blaine, MN Home Sales Statistics
  
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of Centerville Market Statistics
  
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of Chisago City, MN Home Sales Statistics
  
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of Circle Pines, MN Home Sales Statistics
  
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of Columbus, MN Home Sales Statistics
  
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of Coon Rapids Market Statistics
  
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of East Bethel, MN Home Sales Statistics
  
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of Forest Lake MN Home Sales Statistics
  
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of Ham Lake, MN Home Sales Statistics
  
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of Hugo, MN Home Sales Statistics
  
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of Lino Lakes, MN Home Sales Statistics
  
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of Linwood, MN Home Sales Statistics
  
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of White Bear Lake, MN Home Sales Statistics
  
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of White Bear Township, MN Home Sales Statistics
  
• 2009 Year End Snapshot of Wyoming, MN Home Sales Statistics

Sometimes living in “the sticks” can be frustrating. The area of Ham Lake where we live (near Carlos Avery and Coon Lake is a virtual dead zone for most cell phone service. When we moved here years ago, few people had cell phones or needed to be so “connected”. But as a REALTOR®, it is very difficult to keep in contact with buyers and sellers when you have poor cell phone service. And I have noticed that I am not the only one that finds a good connection on the MUST HAVE list for a home either. I have noticed over the years of selling acreage throughout that things have changed. These days it is a common occurrence to see buyer flip out their phone in during a showing in communities like Ham Lake, Linwood, Wyoming or Columbus to see how many bars of service they will receive at a particular home.

When I switched over to Sprint from previous wireless provider about a decade ago, it was because the sale person handed me a Twin Cities coverage map that included Ham Lake. I happily headed home with my new phone but soon discovered I had NO service. I remember calling tech support and having a smart-mouthed tech quip, “What do you expect us to do? Put a tower in your yard?” Not missing a beat, I answered, “YES!” He responded that my neighbors might not be too pleased. (Actually, they would have been ecstatic as they need answer their phones at home from time to time too.)

Okay…so there is no tower in our yard. And our unenhanced service is still less than perfect but Sprint did finally come up with a solution—The AIRAVE. It’s like a mini cell tower for your home. It takes about 5 minutes to set up through your broadband connection and it really works! Now I no longer have to stand in the middle of my driveway facing east without moving to have enough of a signal to use my cell phone.

So homebuyers if you find the perfect home at the perfect price but there aren’t enough bars to make a call on your cell phone, the Sprint AIRAVE might be the perfect solution!

Living on acreage in Anoka County, we are often unexpectedly treated to the beauty nature has to offer. Whether it is a doe and fawn chasing across a sod field, a red fox sneaking through the brush or an eagle soaring near the clouds, if we keep our eyes open, we see many wonderful sights. Today was no exception. As the fog dissipate with the warmth of the sun this morning, I notice the tips of the trees stretching into a brilliant blue sky with the rime or hoar frost on the upper most branches as I drove through Carlos Avery. I hurried home to get my camera to capture a few shots of this quickly disappearing masterpiece to share. Enjoy!

Home sales are up in Columbus, Minnesota which is well known for its acreage properties but like most neighboring communities, prices are not. In this Anoka County community, just west of Forest Lake, home sales rose over 37% from 2008 to 2009. The average price of a home dropped nearly 11% and fewer homes were listed on the market. Decreased inventory helped sellers to keep more dollars in their pockets during negotiations than in some neighboring communities although the ratio of percentage of list to sale price did go down. With average days on the market also down considerably for the first time in two years, it appears that buyers are making decisions quickly on acreage homes in Columbus, Minnesota. 

The City of Ham Lake has a rich history. Incorporated in 1974, Ham Lake became a city after over a hundred years of humble but steady growth. The area was first settled in 1855 by a group of Scottish men on the southwest side of Ham Lake. Though, I can only assume that the lake itself got its name due to its unusual "ham hock" shape, the community started out with a different name. The original name of the community was Glen Carey, which is the Scottish translation of "beautiful valley". Following a prairie fire in 1857, the first settlers moved but the community was resettled again. The new Scandinavian settlers had a hard time with the pronunciation of Glen Carey and soon the fledging community was known as Ham Lake. Anoka County officially was recognized it as a township in 1871. In the early 1900's Central Avenue (Highway 65) was a slow commute as it was a wagon trail through the sand and swampland. And we think going through stop light after stop light slows traffic. Though it was graveled and paved at some point, it 1954 before was expanded to four lanes.

Those four lanes are in full use now as more and more people look to buying home on acreage in the Ham Lake area. Though the sluggish real estate market  has affected Ham Lake, MN and Anoka County in 2008, homes did sell. Homes are stayed on the market longer with an average Cumulative Days-on-Market (CDOM) of 180 days for homes during 2009 versus 158 CDOM in 2008. Note that CDOM for homes over $500,000 are the only homes with extremely long market times, selling with an average CDOM of 261. The average price of a home sold in Ham Lake in 2009 was $248,424.

While there are 20% fewer homes on the market in Ham Lake now compared to January 2008 (88 versus 110 active listings), homes are continuing to taking a bit longer to sell and even with the $8000 tax incentive for first time home buyers that boosted last year's market, there continues to be more homes on the market than buyers. But we are making progress. Homeowners considering selling a home in the Ham Lake area must consider the average time to sell a home in the area is approximately 6 months but inventory levels indicate a more complex story depending on the home's list price.

Inventory levels are manageable for homes under $300,000 with about 6 months of inventory. But inventory levels rise to approximately 12 months in prices between $300,000 and $500,000. While over $500,000 there is about 18 months of inventory in the Ham Lake area. This is much better than how Ham Lake real estate started 2009 where there was upwards of 5 YEARS of inventory in the half million plus properties. Seller have seem to have gotten the message that having a home properly priced and prepared for showings was essential to sell a home in this Anoka County community in 2009.

Year End 2009 Ham Lake residential real estate statistics for single family homes:

Under $200,000~ 26 Active Listings, 7 Pending Listings, 59 Sold Listings, CDOM 175 (New Construction Subgroup ~ 0 Active, 0 Pending, 1 Sold)

$200,000-300,000 ~ 20 Active Listings, 6 Pending Listings, 45 Sold Listings, CDOM 173 (New Construction Subgroup ~ 1 Active, 0 Pending, 3 Sold)

$300,000-400,000 ~ 24 Active Listings, 1 Pending Listings, 31 Sold Listings, CDOM 186 (New Construction Subgroup ~ 5 Active, 1 Pending, 2 Sold)

$400,000-$500,000 ~ 6 Active Listings, 1 Pending Listings, 9 Sold Listings, CDOM 209 (New Construction Subgroup ~ 1 Active, 0 Pending, 0 Sold)

$500,000 and Up~ 11 Active Listings, 1 Pending Listings, 8 Sold Listings, CDOM 261 (New Construction Subgroup ~ 2 Active, 0 Pending, 4 Sold)

Lakeshore available in the City of Ham Lake

7 Active Listings 

Ham Lake lakeshore price range: $135,000-$804,000 

• 4 Homes on Coon Lake
• 1 Home on Lake Netta
• 2 Home on Little Coon Lake

Acreage Listings in the City of Ham Lake

• 38 Properties listed on 1-2 Acres Priced from $67,900-$599,800
• 16 Properties listed on 2-3 Acres Priced from $113,000-$980,000
• 7 Properties listed on 3-5 Acres Priced from $145,000-$778,000
• 3 Properties listed on 5-10 Acres Priced from $249,900-$805,000
• 2 Properties listed on 1-2 Acres Priced from $241,000-$499,900

**All Statistical information based on information from the REGIONAL MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE of MINNESOTA, INC. for the period of 1/1/09 through 12/31/09.

Featured Acreage Listing in Anoka County: 22201 Holly St NW, Oak Grove MN 55011

Articles on Ham Lake, Lakeshore and Minnesota that might be of interest:

• Where's the Playground? A Key to Parks in Ham Lake Minnesota
• Do you Have your Eye on a Real Estate SLEEPER?
• Extremely Affordable Minnesota Lakeshore!
• Buying a Home on Minnesota Wetland--Affordable Beauty and Privacy!
• Dreaming of Life on Minnesota Acreage?  Must have INFO Before YOUR Move!   

The morning of Christmas eve, Muffin decided it would be a great time to sit on the new dining room table. It had been up for a couple of weeks and he never put a paw on it but there he was. So I removed him with a thump and swat...Moments later he returned with a very smug look. He was mocking me...So I bought him a gift...Merry Christmas!