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Presenting the 2009 Parade of Homes Spring PreviewSM
2/9/2009
In its 60th year, the Parade of HomesSM is the oldest and largest new home tour in the United States. This spring’s event, the Parade of Homes Spring PreviewSM, will begin February 28 and run through March 22, 2009. A total of 403 new homes and neighborhoods will be open to the public Thursdays through Sundays from 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm. Admission to all of the homes is free except for two Dream Homes, Parade HomeSM #77 and #283, where a charitable donation of $5.00 will be requested at the door.
“Whether you’re planning to make a change in your housing situation today or in ten years, the Parade of HomesSM has something for everyone,” said Mike Swanson, 2009 president of the Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC), and Vice President of Rottlund Homes. “If you are looking for a home, it’s where you can shop and compare all the latest innovations, designs, materials and products that are making new homes the smartest alternative for today’s buyers. If you’re not ready to make a move yet, the Parade of HomesSM is where you can check out the latest paint colors, great new appliances and fixtures, even find decorating tips for your own home.
“We see many families coming back year after year to tour our homes,” continues Swanson. “They love to see what’s new, but also to learn about the quality, value and options available in new homes. Then when they do need to make a move, they can rest assured that they are making the smartest choice possible.”
Parade of HomesSM Guidebook and Web site make touring a breeze
With so many homes to choose from, planning your tour to fit your own needs and desires is important. It’s easy when you use the Parade of HomesSM Guidebook (pick one up at any metropolitan area Holiday StationStore) or our online version at www.paradeofhomes.org. The Guidebook’s directories let you find homes by builder, price, location, and even homes that can accommodate wheelchair visitors. Our new Lifestyle search (15 categories that range from Adults Only to Wooded Retreats and plenty in between) makes it even easier to choose homes that truly fit your family to a Tee.
Our online tools make planning your tour a breeze. Search by any combination of features that include price range, builder, city or region, square footage, school district, number of bedrooms and baths, and of course our new Lifestyle categories. You can use the key word search to look for specific features or amenities, like geo-thermal heat or hickory cabinetry. Every Parade HomeSM online is cross-referenced to individual builder pages that provide additional information about each builder, plus a listing of the builder’s current neighborhoods and price ranges. Then click on the link to view many of the builders’ own web sites.
You’ll find quick links to our Mini Tour homes, homes with color photographs and virtual tours, as well as the two Dream Homes and homes that are certified or pending certification under the Minnesota GreenStar program. Then, when you find a home or a builder you may want to see, just save them in your own personal Tour Planner. This feature lets you save your favorites as long as you like, and even make notes for future reference.
Dream Lifestyles, Green Dreams, Fun and Educational Events, and a Prince and Princess Too
This spring’s Mini Tour showcases our new Lifestyle categories with 10 exceptional homes that each beautifully depict a specific lifestyle. If Green building is your thing, look for the MN GreenStar Certified Green Homes and Remodeling article in the Guidebook that lists the six certified homes on the tour or the special search online. You’ll also want to plan your tour around the 36 special events happening during the tour. Find all the details about the homes and events in the Guidebook as well as online. You can even register to receive weekly emails reminding you of all the events coming up in the next week.
Calling all kids: look for our Parade of HomesSM Prince and Princess. These two youngsters won our “draw your dream home” contest last fall with some very imaginative renditions of their own dream home. Details on how to enter to become Prince and Princess are included.
Parade of?HomesSM prices range from $126,900 to $3,900,000
As usual, Parade HomesSM span a wide range of prices. Dream Home #283 by Hendel Homes is the most expensive home on the tour, priced at $3,900,000. The Old World style two-story is set overlooking Christmas Lake (pick up the shuttle at the church parking lot at 881 3rd Avenue in Shorewood).
The lowest priced home is #65 by Dean R. Johnson Construction. This 996 square-foot, two-bedroom row townhome is priced at $126,900 and located at 4969 Education Drive North in Hugo. There are three lowest priced single-family homes, priced at $159,900. Novak-Fleck, Inc. has a two-bedroom, split-entry home, #379, located at 11594 - 79th Street NE in Otsego. #19 is a split-entry, two-bedroom home by Semler Construction, Inc. at 3270 - 235th Avenue NW in St. Francis. And, #73 is by Hawthorne Homes, Inc., a two-bedroom split-entry home located at 31827 McGuire Trail in Lindstrom.
Homes to tour all around the extended metro region
Homes are on display all across the extended Twin Cities area. You’ll find most Parade HomeSM models located in current growth suburbs such as Woodbury with 22, Blaine with 27, and Maple Grove with 24 homes. There are homes in closer-in cities, too, including six in Minneapolis and four in St. Paul. Additional inner-ring suburbs with Parade SM include North Oaks, Roseville, Edina, St. Louis Park and Robbinsdale. Models are also open for viewing in a number of outlying towns including Centerville, Hastings, New Prague, Victoria, Zimmerman, and Somerset, Wisconsin.
All Parade of HomesSM model homes are clearly marked with bright yellow signs displaying their distinct Parade of HomesSM number. These numbers correspond to the mapped sections of the Parade of HomesSM Guidebook and web site.
Dream Homes inspire
The 2009 Parade of Homes Spring PreviewSM will once again showcase two incredible Builders Outreach Foundation Dream Homes. One is the most expensive entry by Hendel Homes on Christmas Lake, 283, and the other is a gorgeous $1,600,000 home in Roseville by Zawadski Homes. Visitors to the two Dream Homes are asked to make a $5.00 donation to the charitable arm of the Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC). All proceeds will go directly to the Builders Outreach Foundation’s work of building new, single-family homes for low-income families.
Visitors invited to enter the Great Garage Giveaway
To spice up your tour, the Parade of HomesSM has a truly exciting sweepstakes this spring, the Great Garage Giveaway. The Grand Prize is a brand new Ford F150 truck worth over $32,000 from the Northland Ford Dealers plus a $1,000 gas card from Holiday StationStores. Register to win the Ford truck at any Parade HomeSM and on-line at www.paradeofhomes.org. But there’s more. Register online during April to win a fabulous new Garage Floor from Garage Floor Coatings of MN; in May to win a beautiful new garage door and opener from Automatic Garage Door, and in June to win an incredible new garage cabinetry system from Herke Cabinets. Rules and requirements are posted at www.paradeofhomes.org.
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