The perfect place to live in Minnesota (Minneapolis, Duluth: crime rate, homes)

[mudmuffin]

Too many places to choose from but a toss up between the North Shore (Beaver Bay area) and SE MN (Winona/Redwing area).

[TornadoAlley]

Originally Posted by mudmuffin

Too many places to choose from but a toss up between the North Shore (Beaver Bay area) and SE MN (Winona/Redwing area).

We would like a house with some land. We have a 1/2 acre now and would want same or more. At least 2400sq ft is possible for $200k and 1995 or newer. Possible?

[mudmuffin]

It's possible in outstate but not the metro area.

If you check the Minneapolis Star Tribune or St. Paul Pioneer Press, both have on-line versions. The St. Paul paper may have more properties in the eastern half of the state and western Wisconsin.

[snowlandcook]

You could buy a 2400 sf home on 1/2 an acre for around $200,000 in the St Cloud area, and it's not a bad place to live. Lots of retail (good shopping), low crime.

I think we could help you more if we knew whether you were looking for urban, rural, tourist haven, or what. Give us some parameters.

[TornadoAlley]

Originally Posted by snowlandcook

You could buy a 2400 sf home on 1/2 an acre for around $200,000 in the St Cloud area, and it's not a bad place to live. Lots of retail (good shopping), low crime.

I think we could help you more if we knew whether you were looking for urban, rural, tourist haven, or what. Give us some parameters.

I personally would like a small town.

[mudmuffin]

There are lots of small towns within driving distances of larger towns. Just a note, you will probably not be likely to find lake frontage in that price range. You may however find yourself living across the road from a lake in that price range. Don't know if that's a priority or not.

[VALT]

Is there an upcoming area in downtown - or a mile away - in Minneapolis that has houses, yards, good schools. We can spend between 250-300.

PS Cities where we have found this possible: Pittsburgh, Chicago

[T.S.]

Originally Posted by dannl

If you could live in any place in Minnesota where would it be ?

Anywhere on Lake Minnetonka.

[TornadoAlley]

Originally Posted by mudmuffin

There are lots of small towns within driving distances of larger towns. Just a note, you will probably not be likely to find lake frontage in that price range. You may however find yourself living across the road from a lake in that price range. Don't know if that's a priority or not.

That would be fine. Close is good. Can you name some lakes in SW or SE area?

[MidniteBreeze]

Originally Posted by TornadoAlley

That would be fine. Close is good. Can you name some lakes in SW or SE area?

Generally speaking, there are more and larger lakes the further north you go in the state. The largest lakes (other than Superior) are Mille Lacs, Winnibigoshish, Red, Leech and Lake of the Woods (on the Canadian border). All are in the northern half of the state. The "arrowhead" region of Minnesota (the northeastern part, which consists of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness) has a particularly large concentration of lakes, many of which are inaccesable by road.

We really DO have 10,000 lakes in MN, so no matter where you are in the state, you're usually never far from some body of water...but most would agree that the "best" (prettiest, biggest, least developed, best fishing) lakes are up north.