October 2015

The North Oaks real estate market is probably one of the healthiest in the Twin Cities metro area. With more homes on the market than we’ve seen in a long time it’s appealing to homebuyers and the rising prices, good for sellers, doesn’t seem to be dissuading those buyers from jumping in wholeheartedly.

Last month’s North Oaks real estate market numbers recently came out, so let’s take a look at them.

New Listings

North Oaks is a small market, so even moderate changes bring about wild-sounding statistics. For instance, compared to this time last year, the North Oaks real estate market sees a 375 percent increase in the number of new listings to hit the market.

Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? In fact, we saw only four new homes come on the market

Sure it’s more exciting to look at homes for sale in North Oaks when you make the decision to buy, but it’s not the first step. Nope. That would be securing a loan so you know how much you can spend on a home.

First-time buyers, especially, find the lending process confusing and for good reason ― it IS confusing. So today I thought we’d take a look at the very first step in the home purchase process, finding the right lender.

Don’t Buy into the Myth

I don’t know if it’s a “myth,” so much as a misconception among consumers that the best loan is the one with the lowest interest rate. This may not necessarily be the case, and here’s why.

The lender’s advertised rates may not be for the loan you want. For instance, you may want a 30-year fixed

We so often feature homes that are priced for first-time buyers that we thought this week we’d take a look at homes for sale in North Oaks’ luxury home market. We think you’ll agree that all three are yummy.

Colonial beauty

This is one gorgeous estate, from the brick and stone exterior to the rustic yet elegant interior. It features 5 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms (3 partial) in 11,183 square feet of living space. You’ll love the oversized rooms, from the huge sunroom to the great room, kitchen and master suite.

The home was recently remodeled and offers extras such as a game room, theater, wine storage and more.

Built in 1995, this estate sits on 2.51 acres in North Oaks and it’s offered at $1,999,000. Learn more about this home and view

Summer officially ended late last month and we’re now fully ensconced into fall. That means trip to the corn mazes and haunted houses with the kids, pumpkin shopping and preparations for Halloween.

What better way to celebrate our haunted month than will some creepy movies? Pop up some corn instead of wandering through a field of it and sit back with the family while you all get into the Halloween spirit.

“The Lady Vanishes”

An Alfred Hitchcock 1938 release centers around the disappearance of a young woman’s traveling companion, the denial of the other passengers that her companion ever existed and her search to figure out what happened. No rating.

“Rosemary’s Baby”

A young, waifish mom-to-be thinks there is something not quite right

This month, NorthOaksRealEstate.com salutes Mounds View High School, located in Arden Hills. The school serves more than 1,600 students in grades 9 through 12 with 77 full-time teachers, giving the school about a 21:1 student/teacher ratio.

Special Programs

Parents appreciate the school’s music and science programs, but Mounds View offers far more than that.

• Art
• English Language Learners
• High Performance (gifted and talented program)
• Information Technology
• Media
• Music (band, orchestra and choir)
• Physical Education
• Science Olympiad
• Spanish
• Special Education

Mounds View High, home of the Mustangs, offers a large selection of seasonal athletics in fall, winter and spring.

Mounds View Rankings and Test