Eden Prairie School Board Considers Fall Referendum
After getting the Eden Prairie home owners all spooled up about the school facility changes they announced a couple weeks ago, it appears the school board is planning to do it again. With a projected budget shortfall of about $5 million for the 2011-2012 school year, the Eden Prairie school board is looking at the possibility of a fall referendum to balance the budget.
The last referendum approved by the voters in Eden Prairie was in 2004. At that time they approved up to $1200 per student. The district can only raise the levy to the cap amount of $1567, which would bring in only $3.7 million to close the budget gap. Unfortunately, they will need to find other ways to fix the budget shortfall including increasing the number of students per classroom or decreasing programs.
The board will discuss the referendum at the June 8 board meeting behind closed doors. Eden Prairie home owners are getting ready for a new fight and discussion.
I am a licensed Realtor in the State of Minnesota. This website is not a multiple listing service, but each Minnesota & Minneapolis real estate agent is a member of the Regional MLS of MN, inc., a provider of the Minnesota MLS.
AMC Eden Prairie 24 Sponsoring Autism Program
AMC Entertainment, the owners of AMC Eden Prairie 24 movie theater, is partnering with the Autism Society of Minnesota to put on a program for families with Autistic children. On Saturday, May 22, there will be “sensory friendly” showing of Shrek Forever After at 10am at the theater and one at the Roseville AMC theater. According to the Autism Society’s news release “[Autism] often comes with sensory challenges, such as hypersensitivity to light or sound, and children or adults affected by autism may not understand the social boundaries of movie theater etiquette, such as not talking during the film or sitting still through most of the show,” according to a news release.
“In order to provide a more accepting and comfortable setting for children with autism or other special needs, AMC movie auditoriums will have their lights brought up and the sound turned down, families will be able to bring in their own gluten-free, casein-free snacks, and no previews or advertisements will be shown before the movie. Additionally, audience members are welcome to get up and dance, walk, shout or sing – in other words, AMC’s ‘Silence is Golden’ policy will not be enforced unless the safety of the audience is questioned. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased on the day of the event.”
What a fantastic event and our hats our off to AMC for reaching out and making a difference in Eden Prairie and other places.
I am a licensed Realtor in the State of Minnesota. This website is not a multiple listing service, but each Minnesota & Minneapolis real estate agent is a member of the Regional MLS of MN, inc., a provider of the Minnesota MLS.
Eden Prairie School District Begins To Listen To Parents
Despite the uphill battle that the parents of Eden Prairie are fighting against the facilities plan to rework buildings, there appears to be a crack starting in the stonewalling from the School District Board. In a news release from the District, they said that the district plans to have “Stakeholders Connections” before the next upcoming school board meetings.
I suppose that is fancy talk for, we are going to let you vent. Unfortunately, the district seems to be making only a weak attempt at listening as they only allotted 30 minutes immediately before the May 18th and June 8 Eden Prairie School Board Meetings. That is barely enough time to get everyone seated and for just a couple parents to speak about this charged topic.
Nice attempt school board, but you have to do better than that if you are going to claim “This is intended to further the board’s work around initiating and maintaining constructive two-way dialog with stakeholders,” according to the School District release.
I am a licensed Realtor in the State of Minnesota. This website is not a multiple listing service, but each Minnesota & Minneapolis real estate agent is a member of the Regional MLS of MN, inc., a provider of the Minnesota MLS.
Parents Gear Up for Fight With Eden Prairie School Board
In February, the Eden Prairie school board approval a facilities plan to rework which buildings held which grade levels. Over the next 5 years, the model in Eden Prairie will change from a K-4 and a 5-6 model to a K-6 model. The School Board Chairwoman, Kim Ross, claims this plan is the result of 2 years worth of study.
Unfortunately, many parents in the Eden Prairie school district believe there is political motivation to this change and that this supposed “study” never asked the parents or students what they thought. Many feel like the plans were already set when they were presented at the February 23rd meeting and they were given little notice to get involved in the decision making process. These parents, who call themselves the Eden Prairie Taxpayers have already collected 500 signatures to present to the board at the May 31 meeting. The parents are concerned that these changes will have the following impacts on Eden Prairie:
- They are concerned that these changes will have a negative impact on the district’s financial situation, which currently on rocky ground, in an already bad economy. The parents also believe that these changes will negatively affect the property values of their Eden Prairie Homes. The cost of the conversion is estimated at between $120k-$1 million. Some parents are concerned about the wide range of the estimate and lack of detail around the costs.
- The school district has hinted at a Eden Prairie real estate tax levy increase to support the schools. Most parents see this project as a way to justify increasing the schools budget, but with little or no resulting improvement in education, but simply more costs, more staff, and more overhead.
- By combining the 5 & 6 graders back into the K-4 student, many parents are concerned about their younger kids being intimidated or picked on by the older kids. There is a large difference between a 6th grader and a 2nd grader both in physical stature as well as maturity.
- Off the record, some parents feel that the Spanish immersion program, which will take over the Oak Point Intermediate building, is a pet project of a few members of the school board and that is why this agenda is being pushed so hard. While popular, many parents do not think this program should force the change of the makeup of all the schools.
- Lastly, the plans to make the change were discussed and approved with almost no comprehensive plan on how these changes were going to be implemented. This left many parents of 4 graders wondering if they were staying at their current school or moving on to the intermediate school next year. The board was unable (or unwilling) to even answer simple questions like that. School boundaries have not been drawn out yet, which leave other parents wondering if their children may go to another school than their sibling.
Other Eden Prairie parents have organized virtually on Facebook. You can find them at a Facebook group called “Eden Prairie School Board Accountability”. That groups membership has swelled to over 200 members in just the short time it has been on-line.
While it is unlikely that the school board will reverse its decision (or even consider the motion), the parents feel it is important to let their elected leaders know that they are not happy with what this proposal entails or how it was decided.
I am a licensed Realtor in the State of Minnesota. This website is not a multiple listing service, but each Minnesota & Minneapolis real estate agent is a member of the Regional MLS of MN, inc., a provider of the Minnesota MLS.
March Existing Home Sales Surge
The National Association of Realtors reporter that the tax credit and favorable market conditions led to a boost in existing-home sales in March. Hopefully this is the beginning of a strong spring surge that we typically see. Completed transactions of existing home sales, which includes single family homes, townhomes, condos and co-ops, rose 6.8% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of almost 5.4 million units in March. This is up from 5 million units in February 2010 and is 16.1% over the March 2009 level of 4.61 million units.
According to Lawrence Yun, chief economist for NAR: “Sales have been above year-ago levels for nine straight months, and inventory has trended down from year-ago levels for 20 months running,” he states. Additionally, “The home buyer tax credit has been a resounding success as these underlying trends point to a broad stabilization in home prices. This is preserving perhaps $1 trillion in largely middle class housing wealth that may have been wiped out without the housing stimulus measure,” Lawrence went on to say.
Total housing inventory rose 1.5% at the end of March to almost 3.6 million existing homes available for sale. This represents a 8 month supply, down a 1/2 month supply from February and 1.8% down from 1 year ago. The market is also down almost 22% below the July 2008 record of 4.6 million units in inventory.
Yun says that foreclosures have been feeding the inventory pipeline at a steady pace, but fortunately they are being sold quickly and absorbed easily. The best niche of foreclosures selling quickly continues to be the first time home buyer price range below $150k in the Eden Prairie Homes market. A different NAR study shows that first time home buyers purchased 44% of the homes in March, which is up 42 percent from February. This is an unprecedented number in real estate history. Additionally, investor purchases of home remained unchanged from Feburary levels at 19% of all transactions. Surprisingly all cash sales remained steady also at 27% of all sales in March and February.
I am a licensed Realtor in the State of Minnesota. This website is not a multiple listing service, but each Minnesota & Minneapolis real estate agent is a member of the Regional MLS of MN, inc., a provider of the Minnesota MLS.
Eden Prairie to Fix River Erosion
The Lower Minnesota River is eroding a section of riverbank by the southeastern corner of Eden Prairie. The Watershed district is looking for a solution. Unfortunately, according to Eden Prairie City Council presentations, this solution could cost up to $3 million to control the eroding sections of the bluffs. Experts are trying to figure out the best way to do the project.
Options include rock “vanes” that are built into the river that divert the force of the water away from the eroding banks.
There are many jurisdictions involved in this discussion: from the City of Eden Prairie, to the Lower Minnesota Watershed District, to state officials. Eden Prairie is hoping that the state will pay for the work out of a state bonding issue. Their argument is that the river is a state river, not just an Eden Prairie problem. They just happen to be where the problem exists.
Despite the bank eroding almost 3 feet per year, currently there are no structures that are endangered. The combination of ground water seeping out and destabilizing the bluff, along with a river bend that is pushing north, has led to the ongoing erosion of the site. According to officials, the nearest Eden Prairie home is 450 feet away.
I am a licensed Realtor in the State of Minnesota. This website is not a multiple listing service, but each Minnesota & Minneapolis real estate agent is a member of the Regional MLS of MN, inc., a provider of the Minnesota MLS.
Eden Prairie Schools Line Up Credit
Last week the Eden Prairie School Board voted on and approved a resolution that would allow the district to take out a line of credit with Associated Bank. These drastic measures come after the state has told districts that they will delay paying school funding for March, April and May. For Eden Prairie, this amounts to almost $11 million in state aid that it will not be receiving short term.
The board is still working through details to cut cash requirements or pass delays down to their suppliers. The cost to borrow the money is not in anyone’s budget and although it will keep the district running, it will bust the budget long term.
More information about this situation can be found here at the Eden Prairie news.
I am a licensed Realtor in the State of Minnesota. This website is not a multiple listing service, but each Minnesota & Minneapolis real estate agent is a member of the Regional MLS of MN, inc., a provider of the Minnesota MLS.
Eden Prairie Home Rental Licensing
The City of Eden Prairie passed an ordinance effective March 2, 2006 that requires all rental properties to be inspected and licensed by the city. The city believe that requiring licenses help: “protect the public health, safety and welfare of citizens of the City who have as their place of abode a living unit furnished to them for the payment of a rental charge to another by adopting licensing regulations for all rental dwellings in the City.”.
A property owner that is interested in renting their home or apartment must fill out a rental application each year in January and pay the appropriate fee. The landlord will receive the application in the mail. This license must be posted in a conspicuous place at the property for all to see. Most are posted in the common areas of the property or inside the front door on single family homes.
Inspections are required for each building every year and each individual unit every four years. Single family homes are considering a building and therefore have inspections annually. The inspections are conducted by the Eden Prairie fire department with the owner present. For single family homes, this process takes about 15-20 minutes. Common violations found with single family Eden Prairie houses include:
- Smoke detectors not working or insufficient number of detectors
- Property exits blocked or compromised
- Extension cords improperly sized or used as permanent
- Door from garage is missing self closer
- Gasoline and other flammables stored improperly
- Electrical outlet or switch covers missing
- Items stored too close to furnaces, electrical panels, water heaters and/or sprinkler valve systems
- Improper or non-use of ashtrays for cigarettes
Common violations on duplex and larger buildings:
- Same items as above, plus the following.
- Flammable liquids stored on balconies
- BBQ grills on apartment balconies
- Storage in parking garages
- Items hung on sprinkler heads
- Trash room, exit, entrance doors not self closing or propped open
- Emergency lights not working
Failure to obtain a rental license in Eden Prairie can results in civil fines.
I am a licensed Realtor in the State of Minnesota. This website is not a multiple listing service, but each Minnesota & Minneapolis real estate agent is a member of the Regional MLS of MN, inc., a provider of the Minnesota MLS.
Eden Prairie Homes Market Update-February 2010
Keeping updated on the stats of the Eden Prairie Real Estate market is important to understand what trends are happening. This can affect when you should buy and sell. Also, if you are in the market, it can help to explain what you are seeing (although the report lags by 30 days so it mostly validates what you were seeing!).
As we head into 2010, most experts are predicting that housing values will still decline slightly (.9% for the entire Twin Cities metro area) for the 1st half of 2010. Starting in the fall of 2010 and continuing into 2011, those same experts are saying that we will see a stabilization of the market and tiny rebounds. Let’s hope!
For February 2010, new listings were down 16% from February 2009. Year to date they were also down slightly over 7%. Most of this can be contributed to sellers seeing the economy and deciding to stay in their homes. Plus, many banks are still working through their “wave 2″ foreclosure inventory that we have not yet seen.
Closed sales were up almost 12% for February, but down a little over 9% for the year to date. These numbers are opposite what we are seeing in the greater Twin Cities real estate market. Unfortunately, the difference of 12% is simply a statistical blip as it was only 4 additional homes. The sample size is only 38 homes closed in 2010 (too small to make any trend decisions).
Median and average sale prices were both up in February and year to date. Much of this can be seen by the foreclosure wave moving into more expensive Eden Prairie homes. Many ARM mortgages are resetting in the coming months and supposed ‘wave 2′ of the foreclosures were predicted to hit the $200-300k market.
Like most other parts of the metro market, average days on market until sale also bounced up by 42 days to 197 days on market. This is mostly a seasonal affect with buyers and sellers taking extra time during the holidays and deep winter.
Inventory for both single family homes and townhouse/condos were down by around 11% for both categories. This is good news that will help all the other stats, especially the days on market. Only once the inventory is reduced will we see prices go up and houses sell faster.
I am a licensed Realtor in the State of Minnesota. This website is not a multiple listing service, but each Minnesota & Minneapolis real estate agent is a member of the Regional MLS of MN, inc., a provider of the Minnesota MLS.
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I am a licensed Realtor in the State of Minnesota. This website is not a multiple listing service, but each Minnesota & Minneapolis real estate agent is a member of the Regional MLS of MN, inc., a provider of the Minnesota MLS.
