Shoreview vs. Lakeville (Minneapolis, St. Paul, Mounds View: renting, low crime, houses)

[IndyBoise]

Hello all


We're looking to make the move from the Boise area in Idaho.


We're looking to relocate to either Shoreview or Lakeville, but haven't quite decided which one would better suit us, so we're looking for some help
We have family members in each town, that's why we've narrowed in on these 2 towns.
We will be taking a trip out around the end of October but would also like some advice from this forum.


We will be looking for a home in a new subdivision that is either brand new or within about 5 years old. Our price range will be between $200k and $400k


Employment is not an issue at this time, as I am on disability and my wife works from home.


We want a city that is safe with little crime and a place we can feel safe going for walks at night with our 2 young children, and also not having to worry about home invasions, which is also becoming a trending problem here in Boise as of late.


We're also looking for a town with friendly people.


Also, we aren't a huge fan of lots of traffic, and huge crowds. Right now, the Boise area is exploding, and traffic and crowds are becoming a huge problem at all times of the day. So we DO NOT want a place that is similar to that.


And lastly, I read somewhere that the air quality in Shoreview isn't very healthy. Is there any truth to this? I don't know how reliable the source is. Can anyone shed any light on this topic?


Thank you for all who reply, and enjoy your weekend!

[Citykid3785]

First and foremost, our suburbs are all much more similar thanks different (good schools, low crime, good parks, etc.) I can personally speak to Lakeville much more as my current city borders it, and my wife grew up there.

Lakeville has better schools, but once again, splitting hairs.

Your budget will be tough, but doable. New construction right now averages $450-$550 I would say, although you can find bare bones (no deck, no finished basement, standard finishes) from $350 - $400k. We are a very expensive inland housing market, in large part to having the strictest building codes, which drives up costs.

As for friendliness, do research MN N(ice)/passive aggressiveness just so you are aware.

Our highway do have traffic, but county roads do not. Hope this helps.

[Teak]

I know people who live in Shoreview and they like it. There are more lakes in Shoreview than in Lakeville (oh the irony).

Shoreview is to the north of St. Paul and Lakeville to the south so it might depend upon where you want to go for fun, northern Minnesota or southern Minnesota.

I would say that schools are a tossup. My friend's daughters went to Mounds View high school which is probably as highly rated as either Lakeville high school. Both draw from rich suburbs, which of course tend to place a strong emphasis on education.

As for air quality, I am curious as to what you read. I can't tell the difference when I drive through Lakeville or hang out in Shoreview. They both smell rich to me.

[Tyryztoll]

Originally Posted by IndyBoise

Also, we aren't a huge fan of lots of traffic, and huge crowds. Right now, the Boise area is exploding, and traffic and crowds are becoming a huge problem at all times of the day. So we DO NOT want a place that is similar to that.

Um, hate to break this to you, but...

Metro Boise : 650,000
Metro Twin Cities: 3.8 million

There are crowds and traffic here, and you can bet your bootie that both are loads more than what you get in Boise, Idaho. Minneapolis/St. Paul is a major metropolitan area.

Sorry.

[Citykid3785]

Originally Posted by Tyryztoll

Um, hate to break this to you, but...

Metro Boise : 650,000
Metro Twin Cities: 3.8 million

There are crowds and traffic here, and you can bet your bootie that both are loads more than what you get in Boise, Idaho. Minneapolis/St. Paul is a major metropolitan area.

Sorry.

So I agree with you that generally a larger city has more traffic, but how traffic affects you has everything to do with your driving patterns and the way the city functions. If you don't need the highways here, I would argue you are minimally effected by traffic.


My brother on the other hand lives in Sioux Falls, which is much smaller than the Twin Cities. Hardly anyone uses the interstate, but EVERYONE uses the country roads, and backups through the stoplights are very common, especially on weekends as it's the largest retail area for a 2 hour radius, so all the small town people drive in. It's not uncommon for restaurants to get on 2+ hour waits on a Saturday there. Sioux Falls is such that you want to avoid needing to run errands on weekends if possible, because the whole system get's taxed by all the out of towners. I imagine Boise could be the same way (I've never been there)?

[pvoyd]

Cannot comment much on Shoreview vs. Lakeville (both 2nd or 3rd ring suburbs, both appear somewhat-but-not-really-affluent), but I would discourage buying the new construction - acquaintances in the industry mention frequent sloppy workmanship, substandard contractors, and "buried" problems. From personal experience, I am the 3rd owner of a house built in 2000, bought in 2012 and spent considerable money and time resolving building quality issues (granted, the first 2 owners did not seem particularly interested/capable of dealing with those.) Can provide details on request

Here is a link to "interesting" photographs of new construction by a respected local inspection company.

https://structuretech1.com/category/...n-inspections/

[Atalanta]

I am only familiar with Shoreview.

Very nice area, safe, allot of walking paths around several lakes (Turtle and Snail Lake)and nature area.
Schools are good.

A family community for most parts.
Good police and fire departments and close to several major hospitals.

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by pvoyd

Cannot comment much on Shoreview vs. Lakeville (both 2nd or 3rd ring suburbs, both appear somewhat-but-not-really-affluent), but I would discourage buying the new construction - acquaintances in the industry mention frequent sloppy workmanship, substandard contractors, and "buried" problems. From personal experience, I am the 3rd owner of a house built in 2000, bought in 2012 and spent considerable money and time resolving building quality issues (granted, the first 2 owners did not seem particularly interested/capable of dealing with those.) Can provide details on request

Here is a link to "interesting" photographs of new construction by a respected local inspection company.

https://structuretech1.com/category/...n-inspections/

Wow. That is a very interesting and informative link. Thanks.

[BryaninMSP]

I grew up in Shoreview but have sold houses in both places.

Personally, the traffic IN Shoreview is better than Lakeville, but the traffic TO each is fairly comparable. There's definitely more shopping close to Lakeville, and the housing stock is slightly newer, since Shoreview really started to boom in the late '60s/early '70s and Lakeville was a decade or so later.

The "newest" house in your price range in Shoreview currently listed was built in 1987. In Lakeville there is new construction available in your price range.

I'm always hesitant to recommend new construction because of the current premium they're going for over pre-owned. Nationally the average used to be a 6 percent premium over existing; now it's somewhere closer to 25 percent. That premium goes away almost immediately after you take possession, just like driving a new car off the lot. Especially if you're moving in from out of the area and aren't renting for a bit before firmly deciding on an area, I'd recommend buying something that you won't have to take a huge loss on if you decide to change towns in 2-3 years. There are many quality homes 20 or more years old — no matter how old or new a house is, it will require maintenance and periodic updates just the same.

[Atalanta]

Originally Posted by IndyBoise

Hello all


We're looking to make the move from the Boise area in Idaho.


We're looking to relocate to either Shoreview or Lakeville, but haven't quite decided which one would better suit us, so we're looking for some help
We have family members in each town, that's why we've narrowed in on these 2 towns.
We will be taking a trip out around the end of October but would also like some advice from this forum.


We will be looking for a home in a new subdivision that is either brand new or within about 5 years old. Our price range will be between $200k and $400k


Employment is not an issue at this time, as I am on disability and my wife works from home.


We want a city that is safe with little crime and a place we can feel safe going for walks at night with our 2 young children, and also not having to worry about home invasions, which is also becoming a trending problem here in Boise as of late.


We're also looking for a town with friendly people.


Also, we aren't a huge fan of lots of traffic, and huge crowds. Right now, the Boise area is exploding, and traffic and crowds are becoming a huge problem at all times of the day. So we DO NOT want a place that is similar to that.


And lastly, I read somewhere that the air quality in Shoreview isn't very healthy. Is there any truth to this? I don't know how reliable the source is. Can anyone shed any light on this topic?


Thank you for all who reply, and enjoy your weekend!

IndyBoise, what are home invasions? I'm assuming burglary of some sort?
Thanks