What About Cannon Falls (price, moving, housing market)

[odem03]

I finally made the trip to Cannon Falls and looked at the house we are considering putting an offer on. I got there early so I could drive around and check out the town.

Honestly, I did not find it dumpy at all. Mill Street (where the house is) seemed very nice... It wasn't Northfield or Stillwater, but the downtown seemed quaint enough.

I owned a house on the West End (Saint Paul) for years, so I know what dumpy is...

[brymeyer]

Although there are a few eyesore as you drive along main road in Cannon Falls, the majority of the town is very well kept up. I don't think Golf Gal has gotten out much from her gated Edina community. I have lived in the Cannon Falls area for five years, lived in Rosemount for 10 years prior to that. I bought 20 acres about 4 miles outside of town between Northfield and Cannon Falls. I spent two years searching the entire South Metro area from Hudson, Wisconsin to Jordan, MN and I think the scenery, the lake, the river, plus golf courses (I'm a golf addict) can't be beat and especially for the price of a membership at Cannon Golf Club. You do have to be willing to drive. Econo Foods in Cannon Falls is a nice small town grocery store and Northfield is less than 20 minutes away with Cub Foods, Target, Menards, Kmart, etc.

The commute up 52 is still the easiest commute in the T.C. area. It takes me 33 minutes from my house to my office off of 35E and 494 in the morning, every morning except maybe once every few months when there is an accident. I have heard from developers that own land in Hampton, that this community will explode once they get a new waste water treatment facility. It use to take me 25 minutes to drive from Rosemount, for 8 more minutes, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I am happy to hear that some people find it dumpy as it would be nice to keep the small town atomsphere but I am afraid the realtor is right. They are already planning a 500 home development and I'm sure more will be coming, at least I have 20 acres and won't worry about neighbors for awhile.

The schools do rank a bit below other T.C. Schools but that is typical for a small town. I think if you compared it to other out state schools it would be do OK. The majority of parents I know have at least one person that commutes so in some sense it is a bedroom community. Also, as the community grows you will see the schools improve. Overall, I think the schools are pretty good. I have two in highschool and two in diapers.

Well, that is my two cents worth.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by brymeyer

Although there are a few eyesore as you drive along main road in Cannon Falls, the majority of the town is very well kept up. I don't think Golf Gal has gotten out much from her gated Edina community. I have lived in the Cannon Falls area for five years, lived in Rosemount for 10 years prior to that. I bought 20 acres about 4 miles outside of town between Northfield and Cannon Falls. I spent two years searching the entire South Metro area from Hudson, Wisconsin to Jordan, MN and I think the scenery, the lake, the river, plus golf courses (I'm a golf addict) can't be beat and especially for the price of a membership at Cannon Golf Club. You do have to be willing to drive. Econo Foods in Cannon Falls is a nice small town grocery store and Northfield is less than 20 minutes away with Cub Foods, Target, Menards, Kmart, etc.

The commute up 52 is still the easiest commute in the T.C. area. It takes me 33 minutes from my house to my office off of 35E and 494 in the morning, every morning except maybe once every few months when there is an accident. I have heard from developers that own land in Hampton, that this community will explode once they get a new waste water treatment facility. It use to take me 25 minutes to drive from Rosemount, for 8 more minutes, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I am happy to hear that some people find it dumpy as it would be nice to keep the small town atomsphere but I am afraid the realtor is right. They are already planning a 500 home development and I'm sure more will be coming, at least I have 20 acres and won't worry about neighbors for awhile.

The schools do rank a bit below other T.C. Schools but that is typical for a small town. I think if you compared it to other out state schools it would be do OK. The majority of parents I know have at least one person that commutes so in some sense it is a bedroom community. Also, as the community grows you will see the schools improve. Overall, I think the schools are pretty good. I have two in highschool and two in diapers.

Well, that is my two cents worth.

Well we must have driven through a different Cannon Falls then. Since my Gated Edina community is in Rosemount we have spent some time in Cannon Falls and like you said, 3 golf courses were a HUGE attraction for us as well but the town itself just didn't have much to offer. We are very much 'small town' people having grown up in Stillwater, hubby in Northfield and spending most of our adult life in Marshall, MN, Cannon Falls just doesn't compare to other places we have lived, sorry.

When we first decided to move back to the metro area Cannon Falls was #1 on our list actually. The staff at the schools was GREAT, extremely helpful. We were actually very impressed with the schools even though they rank lower the smaller school has it's advantages. It came down to the fact that our kids love band and Rosemount can't be beat in the state or region for their band program.

[cavewoman]

How close is this place to Northfield???
I went house hunting last weekend and almost blew a casket., the older homes are outrageous in price., half of them do not appear to even be in code., and pricey., (Northfield) miost needing instant rehab., the newer homes, a much better steal... but again unless you have big bucks cannot afford much. I love the town, just afraid I may have to rent awhile till I get a feel for the neighborhoods.

So Robert...How much are these new homes going for and what is the tax rate there?

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by cavewoman

How close is this place to Northfield???
I went house hunting last weekend and almost blew a casket., the older homes are outrageous in price., half of them do not appear to even be in code., and pricey., (Northfield) miost needing instant rehab., the newer homes, a much better steal... but again unless you have big bucks cannot afford much. I love the town, just afraid I may have to rent awhile till I get a feel for the neighborhoods.

So Robert...How much are these new homes going for and what is the tax rate there?

I am not Robert but Cannon Falls isn't going to be any less expensive then Northfield, sorry. The older homes in Northfield are a big attraction there and thus are priced accordingly. Cannon Falls is about 10-15 miles from Northfield.

[Robert P Stewart]

Its not too bad Vagus - its a straight shot to Mayo with minimal traffic.

40 minutes isn't bad when you're essentially on a country drive. I mean, there's an elk farm on the way there. Elk!

Refer back to my earlier post now and in 5 years. I'll go one further and suggest some fairly crazy appreciation rates there too for the right property built in the right place.c av

[Robert P Stewart]

Cavewoman,

If you're referring to the homes that I'm building, you're probably talking 900K to 2 mill. For average new construction in a decent neighborhood? Probably $300K-$450K. But if you're thinking Northfield, don't buy new. Northfield is all about beautiful old homes with character - and buying a recently constructed home in Northfield should be a sin.

I've seen the new neighborhoods in Northfield - might as well live in Woodbury... follow the smell of vinyl siding!

I spent my youth swinging a hammer - and I appreciate the **craftsmanship** of these older homes. Simply irreplaceable!

As for tax rates, Northfield isn't horrific. Tax rates are determined by how "hungry" the county is. Rice County isn't bad.

[deanbean]

Hi!

I live in Cannon Falls, so hopefully I can help and give you my insight:

1. Schools--Cannon Falls High School/Elementary School is really nice (I'm a senior this year). The buildings may look pathetic...but that's not really what counts. The teachers are absolutely fantastic in my view, and they really care about their students and their success. They offer a range of classes, from basic auto to AP Biology, along with many extra-curriculars (we have a history club, etc...). CF actually passed a referendum, so we are, within the next few years, going to build a fieldhouse and auditorium. So that will help out with the school's impression. Overall, an excellent school.

2. Community--Cannon Falls, a community of roughly 4,000, is very pleasant! The community is very supportive and very caring towards others! We have a rich history, and the downtown area is really nice. It may not be ideal if you are looking for a big shopping spree, (we don't sport a Wal-Mart or Target, whatelse) but we have many different antique shops for those interested in vintage items. Overall, the community is very friendly and nice! CF is actually smack-dab in between Rochester and St. Paul, so if you are looking for somewhere else to go with variety, each city is only 1/2 hour away.

3. Sports--not much except high school athletics, although we do have a community baseball team if you are into that. I'm not much into athletics, so I don't pay much attention.

4. Fine arts--various art shows come through town during the summer months, if that's your thing. There is also a community choir, consisting of the CF Women's Choir and the CF Men's Choir.

5. Churches--many, many, many to choose from, in almost every Christian denomination. Lutheran, Catholic, Baptist, etc, are to be found here. I belong to Spring Garden Lutheran Church, which 10 miles out of town. The religious community here in CF are very active...we host the Crop Walk every summer along with other events...missions trips, etc.

I've probably rambled on a bit too much, but if you have any other questions, please post and let me know! I'll be happy to help you out!
Dean

[sturmjohn]

My wife and I are a professional couple looking for a well-kept house to rent in Cannon Falls area for 1 year – beginning October 1. We commute between the Twin Cities and Rochester Mayo Clinic. We are very clean and orderly! We have 2 small dogs and we are non-smokers. Please contact John at (210) 385-5712 if you are interested.

[cavewoman]

Tell your wife to pick a lovely home in Cannon Falls, and drive to Northfield when she is bored. The home prices in Northfield are crazy...but they do have some nice ones.
Do you have children?

Perhaps you need to mention what is important to you, and we can help you a little more. Me, I was fooled on here from these Northfield folks and was I in for a rude awaking once I moved there.