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Builders Association of the Twin Cities Presents the 2009 Parade of Homes Fall ShowcaseSM
9/8/2009
This fall’s Parade of HomesSM continues its 61-year tradition of showcasing hundreds of new homes and neighborhoods, and does it with several new features. Opening one day earlier than usual, the new home tour will begin on Friday, September 11th and run through Sunday, October 4th. The Friday start coincides with the Parade of Homes Remodelers ShowcaseSM which has been moved to run simultaneously with the first weekend of the Fall?ShowcaseSM. Visitors can choose to tour new homes, remodeled homes, or both on September 11, 12, and 13th. Another new feature is the two-in-one Guidebook with both new and remodeled home tour guides bound together into one comprehensive book. Finally, our newly upgraded Web site will make touring even easier with its interactive map plus plenty of other new features.
All of the 325 new homes and neighborhoods on the Parade HomesSM will be open Thursdays through Sundays from 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm. Admission is always free except for our two Builders Outreach Foundation Dream Homes, Parade HomesSM #72 and #125, where a charitable donation of $5.00 will be requested at the door.
“We’re excited about the changes to our fall Parade of HomesSM events and website,” said Mike Swanson, 2009 president of the Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC) and Vice President of Rottlund Homes. “New construction is a smart choice for today’s families, whether choosing an entirely new home or remodeling their current home. Now, Twin Cities residents can shop and compare all the latest innovations, designs, technology, materials and products that builders and remodelers can offer them.
“With our revamped website, this fall you really will discover that the Parade of HomesSM has all the information you need to make smart housing decisions,” Swanson said. “And for those who haven’t owned a home in the past three years, we feature over 200 Move in?Now homes, which would be eligible for the Federal stimulus tax credit worth up to eight thousand dollars.”
Parade of HomesSM Guidebook and Web site work together
As always, the Parade of HomeSM is easy to navigate with the comprehensive Guidebook and revamped Web site. Free Guidebooks are available at any metropolitan area Holiday StationStore. The Guidebook includes a number of directories that list homes by builder, price, location, and even homes that can accommodate wheelchair visitors. The new Lifestyle categories (15 lifestyles that range from Adults Only to Wooded Retreats and plenty in between) allow visitors to choose homes that truly fit any family’s needs.
The online tools have long made tour planning even easier, and now include an interactive map. Searches allow visitors to find homes with any combination of features, from price range, builder name, square footage, school district, number of bedrooms and baths, and Lifestyle categories as well as by location. The key word search can find specific features or amenities, like geo-thermal heat or hickory cabinetry. And 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 and a link to the builders’ own web sites.
Quick online links go directly to homes with color photographs, podcasts, and virtual tours. There are direct links to the homes on the Mini Tour, the two charitable Dream Homes, homes that are certified or pending certification under the Minnesota GreenStar program, and homes with special events. The online Tour Planner is another convenient tool that saves specific favorites (homes, builders, remodeled homes, remodelers and products/services) with an opportunity to write notes about them for future reference.
Featured Editorial
As always, the Guidebook includes lots of information and a little fun. The Mini Tour editorial showcases eight Parade HomesSM designed to highlight different Lifestyle categories. For the environmentally conscious, MN?GreenStar® Certified Green Homes and Remodeling are featured. A special events calendar presents all of the informational seminars and gala festivities held at a number of homes during the tour. Readers can learn why their home may be worth more than they thought, or details on the first-time buyer Federal tax credit program. We’ve also introduced our 2009 Parade of HomesSm Prince and Princess, the two talented youngsters who won our Draw Your Dream Home contest.
Parade of?HomesSM prices range from $126,900 to $3,109,000
As usual, Parade HomesSM span a wide range of prices. Dream Home #125 by Charles Cudd De Novo, LLC, is the most expensive home on the tour, priced at $3,109,000. The architecturally-rich two-story is set in the beautiful Graham Hill Preserve at 3285 Graham Hill?Road in Orono.
The lowest priced home is #244 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. The lowest priced single-family home, #204, is priced at $156,900. The split-entry, two-bedroom home by Semler Construction, Inc. is located at 23563 Marigold Street in St. Francis.
Homes located all around the extended metro region
Homes are on display throughout the extended Twin Cities area. Most Parade HomeSM models are located in current growth suburbs such as Blaine with 27, Maple Grove and?Woodbury, with 19 homes each. There are homes in closer-in cities, including six in Minneapolis and two in St. Paul. Additional inner-ring suburbs with Parade HomesSM include Edina, New Brighton, and Robbinsdale. Models are also open for viewing in a number of outlying towns including Dundas, Hastings, Lindstrom, New Prague, Victoria, and Zimmerman.
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 Fall?ShowcaseSM will once again showcase two incredible Builders Outreach?Foundation Dream Homes. One is the most expensive entry by Charles Cudd De Novo, #125 in Orono, and the other is a gorgeous $1,995,000 home in Edina by Great Neighborhood 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 serving lower-income families.
Visitors invited to enter to win a spa getaway
This fall’s sweepstakes is a delightful spa vacation to Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort in Arizona. Register to win at any Parade HomeSM and on-line (click on the contest button at left).
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