Searching for Homes & Search Criteria

When searching for homes in the greater Lake Minnetonka area, partner with an agent and do your homework.  Even if you've lived in the area all your life, you should research your options before making a decision. 

Other perennial favorites continue to appreciate rapidly; Wayzata, Excelsior, Minnetonka Beach, Orono, Deephaven to name a few.

Beware of paying too much for housing with commute times of close to an hour to downtown Minneapolis.  You may get more house for your money in Minnetrista or Chanhassen as two examples, but you may not get the appreciation of communities that are more accessible like Wayzata or Excelsior.

There is nothing wrong with living in those areas, but you have to understand the long term impact of your decision to purchase today. At the same time Minnetrista hasn't been as developed over the years so there are more opportunities for larger parcels for less money than in downtown Wayzata as an example.

Other factors to consider are school districts, sewer and water (many outlying communities use well water and septic), proximity to shopping and medical services, availability of high speed internet and cable TV,  response time from police and fire services and whether these are city or county services, flood plains, crime statistics including neighborhood sex offenders and more.  A good real estate agent should help you with many of these considerations.