Pick the best town . . . . (Minneapolis, St. Paul: for sale, apartment, foreclosure)

[nrogers1122]

Here is a list of towns that I have researched and feel may be compatable for our move: Plymouth, New Hope, Crystal, Brooklyn Park, Hilltop,Columbia Heights, St. Anthony, Falcon Heights, Roseville, Lauderdale, Bloomington, Apple Valley, St. Louis Park, Edin Prairie, Edina.

This is part II to my postings trying to find a place to live. Since my last thread, we have decided to keep my car and just refinance; or to sell it and buy a cheaper model, thus effectively cutting the cost (in-part).

The lowdown is that I am a 27 year old professional from Iowa who is packing up with my Wife and three-year old to move to Minneapolis for law school. During law school, you can't work your first year and are limited to part-time your third year. Thus, we will be living off of one average-type income and student loans. Our budget for a house is in the neighborhood of 120k. More than likely we will pursue a foreclosure, which I believe should put some of these neighborhoods in our range. Condos and renting is out of the question a) because we can't cram a house full of stuff into an apartment, b) because we can't afford to move twice, and c) because we can't afford the amount of space we would need (buying is way cheaper per month). Plus, being homeowners already we have all of the lawn equipment to do the job. Townhomes would be acceptable so long as they have a basement, but single family is preferred. On campus housing is out of the question due to pet restrictions and only 900 sq. feet of space + cramped multi-family conditions.

Our concerns are as follows in order from most to least important.

1) SAFETY - we come from Urbandale, Iowa which is UBER SAFE!!!!!! We don't want to compromise our sense of security with our child. We were looking at Victory-Camden until we saw the crime statistics.

2) Proximity to the law school - It would be nice to keep the commute under 1 hour, and ideally under 45 minutes. I wouldn't mind using a bus or train but my Wife will need to drive to ferry around our kid.

3) Schools - I understand that the TC area has almost nothing but great schools, so in essence, we would like to simply avoid any terrible schools or exceptionally violent school districts.

4) Parks - Not absolutely necessary, but it would be nice to have some nice parks nearby to relieve stress and work off the study-gut.

So, the question remains. Which of the neighborhoods listed above would be the best fit? Are there any of these neighborhoods we are misinformed about and should avoid? Are there any neighborhoods we should include that aren't listed?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. The last post proved to be highly insightful and rewarding, and I'd like to refine my findings with this post.

[Kebinminn]

I think St. Anthony and Edina have the best schools that you've listed but they also have the highest property values.

Robbinsdale schools which is what you'd get in New Hope and Crystal are OK. I know some people love them, others don't. It depends on your needs. There's a neighborhood in New Hope that I love, it's around 32 and Boone, lots of nice parks and decent sized houses. It's a good family neighborhood.

St. Louis Park also has some great neighborhoods, I hear the schools are good.

You may be able to find something for 120k if you're willing to do some work on it but it's going to be hard. Parks are plentiful here, odds are good you'll be close to something.

You may want to look into Robbinsdale, there's some smaller houses here. There were a series of well-publicized break-ins but the guy was likely arrested, that wasn't so well-publicized. Another area is Golden Valley just south of Robbinsdale and Hopkins, Hopkins schools have a great reputation.

[golfgal]

Are you at the U of M for Law School or William Mitchell?

[nrogers1122]

I'm attending UM Twin Cities.

[Cruz Azul Guy]

I think you'll have a lot of difficulty finding a home for 120k in alot of those areas you mentioned (esp. Eden Prairie, Edina, Hopkins, Plymouth, Lauderdale, Falcon Heights, St. Anthony and Roseville) but maybe you know something I don't. I think it would make sense to find a good realtor who knows the areas surrounding the U of M West Bank and start looking at homes in those areas that meet all of your criteria.

For safety all those are fine except maybe Hilltop.

Proximity to Law School you'd be fine in most of those areas, although commuting from Plymouth, Eden Prairie and Apple Valley would be especially annoying in my opinion.

Schools shouldn't be a problem.

For parks, it depends on the location, before you check a home check a map to see if there are parks nearby.

[uptown_urbanist]

[quote=nrogers1122;12948601]Here is a list of towns that I have researched and feel may be compatable for our move: Plymouth, New Hope, Crystal, Brooklyn Park, Hilltop,Columbia Heights, St. Anthony, Falcon Heights, Roseville, Lauderdale, Bloomington, Apple Valley, St. Louis Park, Edin Prairie, Edina.


Hilltop has a bad reputation, I think, but I have no idea whether it's justified or not. I've only been through on the street, but I think it's just a mile or so long and has a lot of trailer parks. I think for most purposes it's indistinguishable from the surrounding areas of Columbia Heights and maybe Fridley.

St. Anthony: schools have a good reputation, it has some affordable homes, seems like a nice family area. I'd put this high on the list.

Falcon Heights: I think you'll have a tough time finding anything in your price range (maybe a townhouse?), but I'd put this at the very top if you can find something. It's right by the St. Paul campus (which has a direct shuttle to the Mpls campus). A lot of University families live there. The St. Paul campus is also very nice, very relaxing.

Bloomington: nothing special. Potential airport noise. Nothing wrong with it, either, but you might as well cut down on your commute and live closer to school.

Apple Valley: a long way away. Why bother with the long commute if you don't have to? One plus is the proximity of the Minnesota Zoo, but if you lived over towards the other side of town you'd have just as easy access to Como Zoo.

St. Louis Park: my favorite of all the areas mentioned, but your money won't go as far here. Still, you might find something, and it's a great place for families. Great schools, some of the best around.

Eden Prairie: wouldn't bother with the commute. It's a long way out, and doesn't offer anything you can't find closer to campus. I would put this and Apple Valley at the very bottom of the list due to location alone.

Edina: Good schools, but you'll get much more for your money elsewhere. You might be able to find something, but it will probably be really small and/or really in need up updates. It's also a longer commute (although not EP long).

Roseville: standard suburbia, but with a range of prices and one of the more convenient locations you're looking at.

I agree that you should consider Robbinsdale, if you haven't already. I have friends who have purchased homes there in recent years, and many of them are have or are starting families. Most of them are also younger (late 20s-mid-30s).

[golfgal]

I have to agree that your budget is going to be your biggest deciding factor on where you end up. Since you are at the U I would concentrate on the St. Paul side of things (Falcon Heights, etc.) You MIGHT be able to find a SMALL home in Highland Park (maybe around Cretin/Derham Hall school) so that would be something to consider.

Finding a townhome with a basement won't be an issue, at minimum you will be able to find one that is a split entry.

Another thought would be to look in Hastings. Highway 55 runs to Hastings making a commute into Minneapolis not so bad--especially since you will most likely not be going at peak rush hour. Hastings is a nice town, lots of parks, etc. and you will probably be able to find something in your price range.

[moving123456]

Originally Posted by nrogers1122

Here is a list of towns that I have researched and feel may be compatable for our move: Plymouth, New Hope, Crystal, Brooklyn Park, Hilltop,Columbia Heights, St. Anthony, Falcon Heights, Roseville, Lauderdale, Bloomington, Apple Valley, St. Louis Park, Edin Prairie, Edina.

How did you end up with Edina and Eden Prairie on the same list as Hilltop during your research?

Hilltop is nothing but a couple trailer parks in the middle of Columbia Heights that are incorporated into their own "city".

[MidwestHiker]

You don't want to commute from the south up 35W every day. YUCK! I would skip Apple Valley for sure.

[Dusty8940]

All factors considered I would say Roseville, St.Anthony, or Bloomington. These are all pretty good areas. The most important reason I say these three is your home budget. I live in NE Minneapolis it would also be an area to consider. You could definitely find a home in your price range. I just came across a foreclosed duplex the other day. It was an old 1900 solid brick 3 story building for 94K. it needed some minor repairs but with a few bucks you could get a place like this, rent one unit for the cost of the entire mortgage. Actually here is the link to it: Minneapolis, MN Multi-Family for Sale :: 1535 6th St NE 55413 :: RE/MAX Pro Team (http://www.remaxsearch.com/homes/6173505/MN/Minneapolis/1535-6th-St-NE-55413/?index=53 - broken link). This may not be what you have in mind, but I can tell you with a little paint, wood floor refinishing etc you could rent one of these units for $900-1100 which could be very helpful while your in school. Hope this helps.