Apple Valley/Eagan - Specific Question (35E Noise) and general thoughts wanted (Minneapolis: for sale, mortgage) - Minnesota (MN) - City-Data Forum

SlyFrog · 03-19-2007, 09:06 AM

Looking for houses for months in the Apple Valley/Eagan area without much success. In my armchair opinion, there seems to be a big gap between seller asking prices and buyer bid prices, as further evidenced by my seeing large numbers of homes still hanging around on MLS ever since I started watching things back in October/November.

Anyway, a more specific question, though I may have some others later. In Eagan, what is up with the Kingswood area?

I have seen a few houses up for sale their recently, one of which on Kingswood Road appeared to be delisted by the seller after failure to sell over a period of time.

I have driven out their and listened from a few places (Kingswood Road, Kingswood Lane, Englert Road).

I really like the area, but am also very concerned about traffic noise from 35E and its affect on resale value. From Kingswood Lane, for example, it seems to be nice, but there is still this constant traffic background noise. Not necessarily each individual vehicle, but a relatively loud white noise.

I am concerned about its affect on resale value in particular. I'm not looking to flip a house; I would plan on living there forever and ever. However, I'm not stupid, and also know that people get fired, change cities for jobs, etc., and even not intending to sell, I don't want something that becomes an albatross to resell due to an area flaw that can't be fixed (assuming they won't let me rerout 35E to sell my house).

I'm also interested in the Guild Avenue/Pennock area of Apple Valley, but there does not seem to be much going there right now. There is a place actually on the corner of Guild Avenue and 140th, but it seems to be overpriced, and again, I'm leery for noise and other reasons of paying half a million bucks for a house on a fairly busy corner (as 140th is a four lane in that area, and I assume a lot of people are coming down there in rush hour to swing on and off of 77).

Any thoughts?

golfgal · 03-19-2007, 01:28 PM

140th is a pretty busy street at most times of the day with the school, commuters, the park there in the summer, etc. Resale would be more difficulty with a home on 140th. I am not familiar with the area of Eagan in your question so I can't help much there but when I drive 35E and see the huge houses with the lovely view of 35E I always wonder why people would choose to live there. I personally would not live in an area with highway noise.

I do have to say that the RE market in the area is picking up. I know the houses in our neighborhood have all sold in the past week, some of them had been on the market since last July. Most of my RE friends have said the past couple weeks have been very busy for them as have my mortgage compay friends.

I think the prices from last summer's really, really slow RE market are bottomed out so now would be a GREAT time to buy. Have you looked a little further SE from Apple Valley/Eagan into Rosemount? There are some GREAT houses on the market here that you can probably get a good deal on.

SlyFrog · 03-19-2007, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by golfgal

140th is a pretty busy street at most times of the day with the school, commuters, the park there in the summer, etc. Resale would be more difficulty with a home on 140th. I am not familiar with the area of Eagan in your question so I can't help much there but when I drive 35E and see the huge houses with the lovely view of 35E I always wonder why people would choose to live there. I personally would not live in an area with highway noise.

I do have to say that the RE market in the area is picking up. I know the houses in our neighborhood have all sold in the past week, some of them had been on the market since last July. Most of my RE friends have said the past couple weeks have been very busy for them as have my mortgage compay friends.

I think the prices from last summer's really, really slow RE market are bottomed out so now would be a GREAT time to buy. Have you looked a little further SE from Apple Valley/Eagan into Rosemount? There are some GREAT houses on the market here that you can probably get a good deal on.

Thought about Rosemount, but I am moving in part because I want to be a bit closer in (currently in north Lakeville) in addition to getting a bigger and nicer home. In stating my reasons (and not looking to start an argument) not to look at Rosemount, Rosemount seems about five minutes further away from downtown than Apple Valley/Eagan no matter how you slice it.

I've actually driven it out from Evermoor, etc. I think to know, you honestly have to drive in rush hour, non-rush hour, etc. a few times with an actual watch. Otherwise, it is just too easy to fudge it in your head if you like a house and say that it "feels like it is the same amount of time." I've found from painful experience that that fudge factor tends to go away after years of living somewhere and taking an extra 10-20 minutes a day to get to work, day in and day out.

Also, there are no real wooded lots out there that I see; all executive lot construction houses thrown together on .25-.3 acre postage stamps like sardines in a can. Rosemount really bears a lot of the scars of the late 90s-2000s building boom and greed (again, obviously in my opinion).

I have also thought about Summit Oaks in Burnsville. Right now, there really does not seem to be a lot of interest on the market. As mentioned, a few nice homes that are grossly overpriced, and some junk, all of which has been sitting there forever (in my opinion, your mileage may vary, obviously).

Eagan is actually kind of wierd. It feels like it should be closer to downtown Minneapolis than it is. But the really nice housing seems so much further east (and now, under the new airport runway noise), that I'm not convinced you won't spend all of the time you saved being further north going west (compared to Apple Valley, which is still a straight shot up 77 from many areas).

golfgal · 03-19-2007, 02:17 PM

What about the Mendota Heights area? I know the Ivy Falls/Cherry Hill neighborhoods have a lot of great houses and very wooded lots and would get you about 5 minutes closer to Minneapolis then Eagan.

As for Rosemount, yes, many of the Evermoor lots are fairly small but others aren't. Evermoor is probably 5 minutes closer then North Lakeville to Minneapolis but like you said, 5 minutes further then Eagan.

Inver Grove Heights might be a good option too, have you looked there? It seems further away but with a quick hop down 52 to 94 it might be faster to get to Mlps that way?

SlyFrog · 03-19-2007, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by golfgal

What about the Mendota Heights area? I know the Ivy Falls/Cherry Hill neighborhoods have a lot of great houses and very wooded lots and would get you about 5 minutes closer to Minneapolis then Eagan.

As for Rosemount, yes, many of the Evermoor lots are fairly small but others aren't. Evermoor is probably 5 minutes closer then North Lakeville to Minneapolis but like you said, 5 minutes further then Eagan.

Inver Grove Heights might be a good option too, have you looked there? It seems further away but with a quick hop down 52 to 94 it might be faster to get to Mlps that way?

Information that I did not give before but should have - I'm looking to stay in the 196 District, which rules out Mendota Heights (I think) and large chunks of Inver Grove Heights. I have looked in IGH as well, when it corresponds with 196.

golfgal · 03-19-2007, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SlyFrog

Information that I did not give before but should have - I'm looking to stay in the 196 District, which rules out Mendota Heights (I think) and large chunks of Inver Grove Heights. I have looked in IGH as well, when it corresponds with 196.

I don't blame you for wanting to stay in this District. The parts of IGH that would be in 196 would probably put you further from Mlps then Rosemount and then AV/Eagan.

There is a great house for sale on Diamond Path and Pilot Knob for a cool 1.7 million! It has a large lot, lakefront and convienent

.

golfgal · 03-19-2007, 02:38 PM

Also, be aware that much of Eagan is not in 196, it is in the Mendota Heights schools, which are good as well so if you did end up there it isn't the end of the world.

SlyFrog · 03-19-2007, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by golfgal

Also, be aware that much of Eagan is not in 196, it is in the Mendota Heights schools, which are good as well so if you did end up there it isn't the end of the world.

Mendota Heights Schools being 197 West St. Paul?

golfgal · 03-19-2007, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SlyFrog

Mendota Heights Schools being 197 West St. Paul?

Yes, they high school, Sibley, is technically in Mendota Heights but they have schools in Eagan, West. St. Paul and Mendota Heights. There is also the open enrollement option but I know many of the 196 schools are not accepting any in the near future because of current enrollement.

catluvr · 03-19-2007, 06:32 PM

ISD 196 Starts from Rahn road to just about everything East of it I believe. There is only a small chunk of 191 (West of Rahn) and the other district which I can't recall it's numbers as I never hear anything about it.

I don't know much for the specifics of neighborhoods around the Eagan area even though I live here, but I know a great realtor that can help you find what you are looking for that works for a much smaller commission that other realtors if you are interested. He could at least answer your questions, which is what I recommend, as they can access MLS listings.

I just wanted to let you know that dist 196 is Huge. Just as good in Apple Valley is Padilla Academy, but there is a potential waiting list it is so popular and outstanding. Keep looking and you will find something, but stick to your guns. Dist 196 is well worth hunting around for.