What is Deeded Access to a Minnesota Lake?   For each deed, there is a different answer to this question. With over 12,000 lakes in Minnesota there are often lakeshore listings which will include access to a lake via the deed. So what does this mean?Deeded access is access to the lakeshore as specified in the deed to the home or property. As a Minnesota REALTOR® I have represented both buyers and sellers where there was some lake access even though the home was not directly on a lake shore. When a property is located on the shoreline, the riparian rights (right to use the lakeshore) will appear obvious; that the right to the shore belongs to the property owners. While this is usually the case, there are instances where even homes on the lake do not include the shoreline. Sometimes a pr... 07/08/2017

  Many people throughout the Minneapolis/St. Paul area have fond memories of Forest Lake, Minnesota as a family summer vacation spot, an annual ice fishing tournament tradition or as a destination when going for a Sunday a drive in the country. Today, the lakeside cabins have been replaced with year round residences and the fishing tourney is but a memory. While there still is an agricultural presence, the farms, barns and silos are few and far between these days. The northern Washington County and east Anoka County community of Forest Lake is now considered an integral part of the Twin Cities.  Real estate in Forest Lake, MN sold quickly in the five months of  2017 especially in the lower price points. A total of 133 properties sold in the Forest Lake Area since January 1. Roughly 75%... 06/18/2017

At the end of 2015 there were only 2.5 months of inventory in the Forest Lake area for single family homes including all condos, townhomes and new construction. The housing market in Forest Lake is stable and stronger than has been in several years though it has come back slower than communities closer to the Minneapolis/St Paul metro.  New listings were up a substantial 13% from 2014 to 2015 and closed sales up a whopping 36.4%. This is most likely due to abundant new construction in the area. The continued lack of inventory throughout the metro has pushed buyers north but that has not had a significant effect on the sales price.  Prices in this north metro suburb were 2% under the average price in 2015 but home sellers have little to complain about as this is still well above a few y... 02/24/2016

  Forest Lake residents who work in downtown Minneapolis can skip the frustrating traffic jams and backups! There is a convenient commuter station, or transit center, is just a hop, skip or jump from most Forest Lake homes!  As a REALTOR® in the north and east Twin Cities metro, I often am asked about the commute to downtown Minneapolis from the Forest Lake area. It is a concern for anyone considering a move to the Chisago, Forest Lake and Wyoming area. A normal traffic free commute from Forest Lake by car to downtown Minneapolis is about 45 minutes. Add in rush hour traffic and travel time can stretch the ride into the city by an additional 20-30 minutes especially with winter storms or summer road construction. A few years back, Metro Transit started a Forest Lake express route which ... 12/09/2015

    Most people have no idea how many communities are a part of Forest Lake School District #831.  The district with the motto, “Inspire the Learner…Ignite the  Potential!,” is geographically huge. Located 35 minutes northeast of the downtown St. Paul, Minnesota, this district encompasses one of the largest areas in the state with over 240 square miles. Forest Lake schools are the educational home of 12 communities in 3 different counties. Students come from Columbus, East Bethel, Ham Lake, Lino Lakes, Linwood in Anoka County. Other attendees are from Wyoming and Stacy in Chisago County. Many children are from homes in New Scandia Township, Forest Lake, Hugo, Marine on the St. Croix or May Township in Washington County. As a REALTOR® that works throughout the north and east Minneapolis... 05/05/2015

Newer home brand-new hardwood floors throughout main level. Lower level and garage have heated floors. A few minutes from both freeways: 35E & 35W. 701 3rd Street SE, Forest Lake, MN Walking distance to Forest Lake Public Beach: lake-side park, playground, public boat dock and access ramp… Newer 2-bedroom home with open floor plan! Brand-new hardwood floors throughout the main level, natural woodwork, Garage: attached, 2-car, finished, insulated, in-floor heat, storage shelving, garage door opener, service door leading to backyard $200,000 Home features: Close to 35E & 35W Walking distance to public beach, park, playground, boat access… Newer home 2 Stories, 2 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, Master Suite Newer hardwood floors, natural woodwork, deck, porch, vaulted ceilings Tasteful, natural déc... 03/13/2015

Forest Lake Open House Sunday 1-3pm       This incredible home sits on an acre lot with plenty of space to enjoy the outdoors! The lot has beautiful mature trees, nestled on a quiet cul-de-sac and surrounded by awesome neighbors. 4 beds 3 baths 2,314 sq ft $239,900 This one you will surely want to visit and the home captivates you from the moment you walk in! Enjoy fun movie nights beside the fireplace, entertain with family and friends on the expansive double deck and you won't want to miss the private guest suite with walkout! Plenty of storage, bright open windows, functional kitchen and more!! Hope to see you there!! For more Open House info click HERE!! 10/23/2014

 Welcome to 7976 230th St. Lane N, Forest Lake! Spacious 5BR/3BA/3Car home on 0.66 Acres!      5 Spacious Bedrooms! Plenty of Space to Entertain in Style! This spacious home is a treasure full of upgrades & updates! Conveniently located just minutes from 35 to commute downtown or to the public access on Forest Lake, this wonderfully maintained  & updated property is full of the features homebuyers wish for!Upgrades Throughout!—Hardwood floors, upgraded light fixtures, regressed lighted shelving, tiled entry & gas fireplace are just a few of the features making this home stand out above and beyond the rest!  Perfectly Appointed Kitchen—Custom Cabinetry, built-in pantry, granite counters & breakfast bar, and oak hardwood flooring. NEW in 2011, high quality stainless steel appliances and a... 08/15/2014

  Real estate sales statistics for the Forest Lake area have improved for the second year in a row. All major indicators improved in 2013 compared to 2012 and some quite significantly. New listings were up almost 21% but this didn’t push up inventory numbers since closed sales were up almost 30%. The additional inventory was absorbed by the rebounding market which pushed the average sales price up from just under $200K in 2012 to almost $216K in 2013. The lower inventory helped homes to sell more quickly too. Days on market in 2013 were down by almost 26%! The price per square foot statistic also saw a healthy increase to $108/sq ft which is an increase of nearly 12% from $97/square foot in 2012.   Closed sales and prices are good indicators of a stronger real estate market for sellers ... 02/15/2014

  I have always loved to play Scrabble; so much so that my family will groan at the mere mention of this game as a potential pastime.When I received a Kindle last Christmas, I quickly installed and became hooked on Words with Friends and my family rejoiced!   I have a few people I play games with every evening. Some of the other players are really my friends and some are random opponents who are apparently as hooked as I am. (FYI—I refuse to put this or any other game on my phone or I would never get anything done.)   The other day my college student son saw me playing and said, “You know people cheat at that game, right?”   I said that yes, I did know. I know there are apps that will give the best words and online resources to find words ending with x or z. I could play that way too, b... 10/04/2013

This home has sold!     Vaulted Open Floor Plan—Soaring vaults enhance the living room that is open to entry foyer & dining/kitchen area. The very spacious living room area features a floor-to-ceiling stone surround, gas fireplace, upgraded lighting, neutral paint & carpeting and view of both front & back yards. 2919 finished square feet plus unfinished utility room.   Huge Lower Level Family Room—Spacious area for watching television, entertaining & relaxing.   Perfect Play Area!—Lower level playroom features ceramic tile flooring and walks out to a huge paver patio!   Well Appointed Kitchen—Custom Cabinetry, built-in desk, spacious island. walk-in pantry, and oak hardwood flooring. Just off garage and opens to dining room with easy access to deck.   Main Floor Laundry Room—Great locat... 06/29/2013

  Forest Lake Area School District #831 is more than it appears--Much More. Many people would not realize how many communities and neighborhoods are a part of school district located in the northeastern Minneapolis/St Paul metro area. It is a district that strives to Inspire the Learner…Ignite the Potential which is the district motto.Located 35 minutes northeast of the downtown St. Paul, Minnesota, the Forest Lake School district is geographically quite large. Its borders encompass with over 240 square miles of area making it one of the largest school districts in Minnesota geographically, Forest Lake schools are the educational home of 12 communities in 3 different counties. Students come from Columbus, East Bethel, Ham Lake, Lino Lakes, Linwood in Anoka County. Other attendees are fr... 06/11/2013

   This Home is SOLD!   Vaulted Open Floor Plan—Soaring vaults enhance the living room that is open to entry foyer & dining/kitchen area. The very spacious living room area features a floor-to-ceiling stone surround, gas fireplace, upgraded lighting, neutral paint & carpeting and view of both front & back yards. Over 2900 finished square feet plus unfinished utility room.   Huge Lower Level Family Room—Spacious area for watching television, entertaining & relaxing.   Perfect Play Area!—Lower level playroom features ceramic tile flooring and walks out to a huge paver patio!   Perfectly Appointed Kitchen—Custom Cabinetry, built-in desk, spacious island. walk-in pantry, and oak hardwood flooring. Just off garage and opens to dining room with easy access to deck.   Main Floor Laundry Room—G... 05/31/2013

        What's there to do in Forest Lake MN for entertainment in the summer? When considering a move this "lake-sentric" community in the north metro Minneapolis/St Paul area some might wonder, what is there to do besides hanging out on the lake. Is there a cultural side to  Forest Lake, MN?  In a word, YES!While the community of Forest Lake is well known for its full recreational chain of lakes, there are abundant options for land-lovers too. There is a strong tradition of music in the community and this year's line up for Arts in the Park was recently finalized. Arts in the Park, is a tradition that keeps Forest Lake families and visitors entertained all summer long.These FREE concerts are held Tuesday evenings at the Lakeside Park Gazebo (located just east of the Broadway/Hwy 61 rou... 05/14/2013

    Forest Lake is starting to show signs of improvement after a very stable 2011. All major indicators improved In 2012 compared to 2011 though some were just ever so slight. New listings were down pretty significantly (almost 15%) for the second year in a row pushing prices up a bit due to lack of inventory. Closed sales were pretty stable with only one additional sale but the average sales price did rebound in 2012 to almost $200,000. Days on market in 2012 were down by almost 6% and price per square foot  also saw a rebound to $97/sq ft which is comparable to other communities in the Washington County/east Anoka County area. Closed sales and prices are good indicators of a stronger real estate market for sellers in the Forest Lake area as we head into the 2013 spring market.   For a... 02/26/2013

  I usually keep most of my posts to real estate and buying homes in the north and east Minneapolis/St Paul metro but I came across a photo of  potato soup made in a crock pot a few weeks ago that looked oh so good that I thought I might give it a try. The main ingredient was frozen hash browns…not a staple in our house. I love well made hash browns from restaurants but the ones from home are usually less than edible. So I kind of stored away the idea in my computer…because well, at this time of year the back of my head gets a bit full. So a week or so ago we were having breakfast at Keys Cafe in Forest Lake. If you have ever ordered a Keys breakfast whether at the original restaurant in St Paul or one of the 8 other locations across the Twin Cities, you know you’d better be hungry. The... 12/03/2012

Yesterday I shared a few of the amazing deals on lakeshore homes I saw listed in Anoka County. It seems that whenever I search the MLS in the north Twin Cities metro, I find some incredible deal on lakeshore. After years where lake homes were priced out of reach of the average homebuyer, now they are amazingly affordable. Our local and national news outlets have been talking about the comeback in the housing market over the past few weeks. And, there are some homes in some areas are starting to sell again. Yet, lakeshore properties are not flying off the proverbial shelves like other homes. This means there are tremendous opportunities out there if you want to own a lakeshore property in the north and east Minneapolis/St Paul metro area. Out of the hundreds of homes on the market in th... 09/28/2012

Welcome to 23085 Havelka Ct N, Forest Lake MN! SOLD  Spectacular HomeFull of upgrades! Granite, Vaults, Slate Tile and More Move in perfect! BEAUTIFUL Inside and OUT!  Love the huge yard and privacy from the moment you drive into the cul de sac! inside this home is also a treasure! GRANITEcounters! SLATE Tile floors! Hardwood Floors! PAVER patio! MAINTENANCE-Free DECK! NEW Hot Water Heater! Master suite with private full bath designed with in-floor heat, granite vanity and separate tub & shower! 2300+ Finished square feet plus three stall garage.   ·Perfectly Enhanced Kitchen—Custom Cabinetry, Slate tile backsplash, Granite Counter & Breakfast bar, walk-in pantry, and hardwood flooring.  Vaulted Open Floor Plan—Soaring vaults enhance the living room that opens to dining area and kitchen... 08/25/2012

When considering a move to a north metro community in the Minneapolis/St Paul area some might wonder, what is there to do for entertainment besides hanging out on the lake? Is there a cultural side to a north metro community like Forest Lake, MN?  YES!While the community of Forest Lake is well known for water activities on its chain of lakes, there is lots of options for land-lovers too. There is a strong tradition of theater in the schools, churches and community that has several productions keeping residents entertained year round. Musical options are also part of the mix with a in-the-park concert series. Arts in the Park, is a tradition that keeps Forest Lake families and visitors entertained all summer long.This summer, Masquers Theatre Company, a community dinner theater located ... 07/03/2012

Homebuyers for Multigenerational Acreage Homes   When I started selling real estate over a decade ago, one of my very first clients was a family: mom, dad, two daughters, three horse AND a grandma! My goal as a REALTOR® was to find a home on acreage that accommodates horses within the Forest Lake School District that had a mother-in-law apartment for grandma. There weren’t too many options at the time. Sure the market was overloaded with McMansions on small lots but few homes were designed to accommodate a multigenerational family with horses. We did eventurally find a Scandia home that would work…but it was not ideal. About a year later, an administrator at my sons’ school had a discussion with me about the difficulties his family was having finding a home in the Mahtomedi school distr... 03/01/2012