Tuesday, November 20, 2007

I'd love to have you as a neighbor

Peter left a comment on the previous post and linked to a very expensive house on Lake Minnetonka. I've included the link again here because from the comment section, I only opened a small window on the site. To look at a 53 mil plus house, I wanted BIG pictures! LOL

http://cbburnet.com/custommodules/property/PropertyDetail.aspx?propertyguid=e07dbc31-242b-4a39-8512-26ca0d6193df

As Peter correctly noted, there is a huge range in prices for homes on Minnetonka. Ours is a lot less expensive than this one!! However, on a more sobering note, it appears that pretty much all of the lakeshore on the lake has been developed, and now builders are tearing down anything they can to put up McMansions. The house that went up on our street is a good example: a smaller 40's rambler was torn down and now we have a 5,000 plus square foot house with a price tag of $1.8 million. A more modest home more in keeping with current home sizes and price tags would have been a kinder, more neighborly option, but I guess we will be seeing a lot more of this in the coming years. Makes me sad.

Several communities in the Twin Cities are putting limits on how big a house you can squeeze into an existing neighborhood - which I hope our city will think about in the near future. But at some point, a lot of people will be leaving the lake because the taxes will be outrageous even on their small homes. I have to say that this is a song we heard 30 years ago when we moved out here, so maybe things aren't changing all that much...time will tell.

My prediction for the house we linked is that it will be bought by a developer - 12 acres on this lake is a very nice package - and that house will be history. I'll let you know what happens.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dom and I have been thinking about leaving the Atlanta area. I think this house would be just about perfect for us. I'm contacting the realtor and putting in a bid!!!

That house is beautiful, but OH SO BIG! 16 bathrooms, a 12 car garage. There's a cedar closet that's bigger than my bedroom and bath combined. Did you see that bedroom 1 is 19'x68'. 68 feet for a bedroom!

I agree - a developer will buy it up and tear it down. It's a shame.

Sandra said...

My first thought is always, who will clean the bathrooms? But I guess if I could afford the house, I cold afford a maid or two ;)

We had a neighborhood here in town that told new home builders that their homes could not be under 5000 square feet. That was too big for many new families and the developer eventually had to lessen his ideas for the big homes.

Peter Hoh said...

Does this property include all of Brackett's Point, or are their other houses on the point?

Heck, maybe Ziggy Wilf will buy it and build his stadium there.

kate said...

Oh my goodness... that is a huge house. I hope that it doesn't get torn down and is converted into a hotel or something. It's sad when you see that McMansion kind of development that dwarfs surrounding houses. That has even happened in my neighbourhood, luckily not on a large scale. The big houses stick out because the rest of the houses are small

kris said...

Peter - There are 7 houses on Brackett's Point - this being the biggest parcel probably. Its tax value is $11,797,900 with taxes due this year of $121,590 plus assessments. Going to be a little jump if/when it sells, I think. :) Rumor has it that Kevin Garnett bought up the property on the end of the point. If you go to Hennepin Co property tax site, it doesn't give info on that parcel because it's being "platted or divided." Is KG going into the real estate business??? He'll be in good company because Rich Gannon has a big project out here right now.

Cool to have the stadium out here - I could ride my bike (or kayak) to the games - but I'll tell you, Co Rd 15 would simply collapse under any more traffic!!

Kate - this area has so many HUMONGOUS homes on that end of the lake. I've often thought it would be cool if even one of them was turned into a hotel. This house looks to be in excellent condition - it would be totally cool if someone had the foresight to do something like that. But I'm guessing they'd have a hassle with their neighbors over zoning. (altho if the alternative was a development...who knows??)

Trailhead said...

Ugh, I'm such a pinko commie. I hate to see smaller homes yurped up by McMansions and everyone else shoved out.

Peter Hoh said...

Kris, I was planning on saying more about the Vikings stadium joke -- for instance, the players and fans could all arrive by party boats -- but I was interrupted by demanding children.

Interesting about KG owning the tip of the island. With him leaving the T-Wolves, I wouldn't be surprised if he was thinking about developing the property instead of just enjoying it himself.

Cindy Garber Iverson said...

Man! For that price tag you'd better get the furniture, the gardener, and a crew of maids to clean it! Unbelievable. I think you're right... sadly, a developer will probably snatch it up. Sad. Cindy at Rosehaven Cottage

Anonymous said...

It certainly has some character along with it's opulence! It would be terrible to see it destroyed! :O( Hopefully the right person will buy it though.

Giddy said...

Hi Kris, just catching up again on your site. Love the photos of the flowers and can't believe they all still look so great in November!
Sadly, here too, moneyed folks are buying up the small homes on the coast and building McMansions. I have no doubt that when we're gone, that's what will happen to our small home on the bluff. Our taxes have been fairly stable up to now, but who knows what the future will bring.

Tara said...

That house is incredibly gorgeous. How very sad if it were to be torn down. Speaking of McMansions, I live in the city and people are tearing down houses and replacing them with houses that fill the entire lot. It's a bad trend.

Anonymous said...

Kris - Just wanted to wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving!

violetlady said...

This looks like what is happening in and around our little beach towns. Developers gone crazy!