Can we afford any safe neighborhoods? (Minneapolis, Coon Rapids: for sale, real estate, crime)

[Moving To MN]

Hello. My husband, my new baby and myself are thinking of moving to the twin cities. My husband has family in Mound, but we cannot afford to live in Mound or the Lake Minnetonka area. We would like to find an affordable neighborhood where we would feel totally safe raising our family. We are used to leaving our doors unlocked at night and going for walks with the stroller any time of the day. We'd like to spend around $100,000. Is this going to be possible anywhere around the cities? We don't have jobs there yet, so any area would be a possibility.

[Camden Northsider]

Moving, I just direct messaged you (hope that was alright) - you will find a number of homes close to your price range in Minneapolis right now, just research online and on this forum (keeping in mind that there are vastly differing perspectives on many areas) to get a feel for different neighborhoods. But I did forward you some homes in what I would consider very safe areas of Camden that were in your price range (most are fixer uppers, but there's 2 that looked pretty decent for their prices).

[lalife]

Originally Posted by Moving To MN

Hello. My husband, my new baby and myself are thinking of moving to the twin cities. My husband has family in Mound, but we cannot afford to live in Mound or the Lake Minnetonka area. We would like to find an affordable neighborhood where we would feel totally safe raising our family. We are used to leaving our doors unlocked at night and going for walks with the stroller any time of the day. We'd like to spend around $100,000. Is this going to be possible anywhere around the cities? We don't have jobs there yet, so any area would be a possibility.

There are alot of safe areas in the Twin Cities, however I would never leave my doors unlocked at night here or anywhere.

Stay away from the northside of Minneapolis!!

[nick is rulz]

11. Stay away from 5 of them.

[lalife]

There is a reason why houses can be had for $40,000 or less on the North Side. It is because to live there is to put your life and property in danger on a daily basis. I have been watching the real estate sites because I am looking for a townhouse. I see all of the incredibly cheap properties listed in that area that are cheap for the reason that it is a dangerous area, period. The same houses would be assesed at a much higher price if in a safe neighborhood.

Also, while I live in Southwest Mpls, the north side pretty much gives me the creeps if I ever have to go there.

[lalife]

Oh Mr Camden. I am a musician and had an audition a few years back in the 26th and Penn N area. I sat in my car for awhile cause I was early. The drug dealers on the corner of your beloved North Side, kept saying to each other " I bet she is a cop or a narc"... It went thru my mind that they may just shoot me. After the audition, I wondered if my car would still be there. Anyway, while I didn't get the gig, it was cool because I didn't want to go back to that hellhole neighborhood ever again.

[nick is rulz]

People dont put their lives in danger residing in North Minneapolis on a daily basis. Theres plenty of areas of the Northside that do suck, but there are decent spots as well.

[lalife]

Originally Posted by nick is rulz

People dont put their lives in danger residing in North Minneapolis on a daily basis. Theres plenty of areas of the Northside that do suck, but there are decent spots as well.

Correction, I mean if you live in the pit of hell that is the 26th and Penn / Knox area, then you expose yourself to danger. I agree that the Camden area probably is ok, however I detest those awful looking little chicken coop houses without character up there. Horrifyingly ugly.

I better shut up now. I am a southsider and always have been. I love the lakes and cosmopolitan feeling in this part of Mpls.

see ya..

[MNNative]

Originally Posted by Moving To MN

Hello. My husband, my new baby and myself are thinking of moving to the twin cities. My husband has family in Mound, but we cannot afford to live in Mound or the Lake Minnetonka area. We would like to find an affordable neighborhood where we would feel totally safe raising our family. We are used to leaving our doors unlocked at night and going for walks with the stroller any time of the day. We'd like to spend around $100,000. Is this going to be possible anywhere around the cities? We don't have jobs there yet, so any area would be a possibility.

My husband and I are in a similar situation so I think I can speak pretty honestly. We have a pretty tight budget for the Twin Cities as well and I can attest to wanting a good, safe neighborhood for my family (we have 2 kids). I won't lie, it will be pretty tricky on your budget. However, there are areas that are affordable and you don't have to be on edge all the time.

What we are finding is:
a) get a realtor who is really knowledgeable about this area. You'd assume any local realtor would know the in's and out's but really, from talking with home-owning friends and this being our 3rd time dealing with a realtor (bought and sold a home before), you might be surprised how much easier purchasing a house (and feeling confident about it afterwards) can be with the right representation.
b) you will find a plethora of inexpensive homes in Mpls and St Paul. This is when having a knowledgeable realtor will come in handy (particularly cause you are from out of town).
c) don't be afraid of living in Mpls or St Paul but be cautious of which areas you move into. A whole ton of homes will be in the northern area of Mpls for instance. One thing I've learned, primarily from posters on this site, is that the warnings about "North Mpls" are justified but not entirely helpful considering North Mpls is quite a large area with decent neighborhoods despite other "absolutely not gonna happen" neighborhoods. My husband and I are actually very interested in the Victory neighborhood (part of a larger neighborhood called Camden) and believe it or not, there are homes in that spectacular neighborhood that are in your price range! I can't attest to how much of a fixer-upper they are, but one thing we are coming to terms with is that with a budget under $150k you won't have much luck finding something that doesn't need carpets replaced or a good scrubbing and paint at the very least.
d) You'll also find many homes in Anoka county (mostly Anoka and Coon Rapids), in Osseo school district and Robbinsdale school district (we personally prefer Robbinsdale to Osseo schools). And as a matter of fact, the last time I checked, there was a home in Mound that was for sale at a surprisingly inexpensive price but I would assume it has some major defect (maybe it's just the ugliest house on the block...lol). The areas I mentioned are encompassed by some great and not so great neighborhoods and I wouldn't be quick to judge them until you've spent some time there around 6:30-7pm, you've done a good crime stats review and you've spoken with those who actually live in the area. For the most part, those are the places you'll find homes closest to the cities (where I assume you and you're husband will have the most luck finding a job). If you're looking for a long commute or find employment further out from the cities then you can find homes in Southern Dakota County (Northfield, etc) and way west of the Lake Minnetonka area. I'm noticing Eastern Suburbs tend to run a bit higher but you may find some diamonds in the rough if you look that-away.
e) everything I just wrote about is based on 3 bedroom, single family home searches. You might have more luck if you are looking for a 2 bedroom and definitely more luck if you are looking for townhomes. <~We found that at such a low budget range, having to factor in the association fee that comes along with most townhomes would make purchasing a home even tougher...just something to think about.
f) I would definitely suggest looking for employment and then starting a search...otherwise it's pretty overwhelming.

So sorry for being so long winded but I hope it helped. I figured I'd lend some hands-on experience to this thread since many of the times when people request moving info it turns into a crime-rant and such. Are you planning a trip here anytime? If you do plan to pop up here I'd recommend doing a property search, writing down addresses or mapping out the areas you find high concentrations of homes and then on your visit, spend some time hanging around those areas.

P.S. I am not a realtor, just to throw that out there.

[sfw1979]

Can you try and go up a little on your budget? Like 20 or 40 k more? There are some decent deals in Delano, Rockford, Buffalo not sure if that is to far out for you guys or if you wanted to live in the cities? Here is an awesome website : ZipRealty Real Estate -- Homes for sale and local real estate agents

Good luck!