Arden Hills, MN – a top small town in the nation

We’re lucky enough to live and work in a small town that was voted in the 2011 Money magazine Best Small Towns in America feature. Coming in at #14, the town was cited as a great spot for “schools, trails, playgrounds and lakes.” The article also cites the abundant supply of old growth trees, which make even our newer Arden Hills neighborhoods feel well-established.

While we’re probably partial to the area since we live here, we do think it’s the entire Shoreview, Arden Hills, White Bear Lake area that really deserves to receive this award. Arden Hills is a nice little pocket, but with no real downtown, I think it’s a little odd that we received a small town award. Nonetheless, hopefully this bodes well for area property values.

Check out Money magazine’s full list of top small towns here.

Go Local! Custom tiles made in Minnesota

At Constructive Builders, we love using locally-produced products in our remodeling or new construction projects. There are a lot of reasons why it’s great to use local products:

1. Supporting craftspeople in your own area is good karma and good business.
2. Local products emit less pollution, because they’re made right here vs. being shipped around the world.
3. We think local materials make sense in a home, and if they’re natural products like stone or wood, they help your house to feel like it “fits” with the environment in which it’s built.

To that end, here’s one cool local producer that we recently found: North Prairie TileWorks http://www.handmadetile.com/  Check them out if you’re looking for some more interesting tile options; so much more beautiful that the “perfect” look of mass tile producers. We’re planning to use their tiles in our upcoming kitchen remodel.

And send us your favorite local producer tips, too! We’ll work to build a local guide to share as we build up our list of faves.

Remodeling ideas for fall and winter in Minnesota

This morning’s weather was just the first taste of things to come: fall and winter in Minnesota. While we’re all for living it up for the next few warm weeks, it’s also a good idea to start planning now for fall and winter renovations.

And if you’re going to be trapped indoors for the long dark winter, you might appreciate completing a few home renovations before that season hits.

With more and more families choosing to stay put in their current home vs. trying to sell in a challenging housing market, we’re experiencing an increase in remodeling work.

Warmth-related remodeling ideas:

-Remodel your master or main family bathroom and install in-floor radiant heating. It’s energy efficient and makes for luxuriously warm toes when you step on the tile post-shower.

-Update your kitchen. On chilly winter days, that’s where the family always congregates. Make it work better, feel more inviting and provide traffic flow with updates including taking down walls, installing an island, or simply updating with the latest materials.

-Take the man cave to the next level. Finish off that basement for maximum Vikings game and poker night potential. Or, for a more well-rounded approach, create a family-friendly lower-level space that combines TV, games, kids areas, and a wine bar for the adults.

-Kids driving you nuts? Transform the master bedroom into a grown-up retreat, complete with a fireplace, if possible!

-Were wet, cold socks the bane of your existence last winter? Envision an entry area where boots aren’t stacked and where you can walk freely, in socks, without fear of stepping in a puddle. We can work with your existing space to create a more efficient and warm entry area that keeps clutter to a minimum.

Minnesota city ranked Best Place to Live 2010

CNN Money is on to us: Minnesota is a pretty sweet place to call home.The number one city on their list this year is Eden Prairie, and five of the cities in the top 20 are in our Land of 10,000 Lakes. (These cities include Plymouth, Woodbury, Eagan and Apple Valley).

While I’m bummed that the lovely Arden HIlls (where we call home) didn’t make the list, I’m glad to see that so many of our local cities made the cut. Frequently cited reasons for Minnesota city popularity include schools, safe/quiet streets, access to outdoors and quaint community centers.

While many in the housing business have been feeling negative in the past few years, there are a lot of things to be grateful for here in Minnesota. For us, while new home-building has really fallen off, we’re meeting lots of families who are deciding to stay put in their homes and upgrade or add on to their existing home. As we’ve said before, there are a lot of benefits to remodeling, including being greener than new home building, saving money through not incurring costly realtor fees, and taking advantage of the super low home equity loans available now.

Check out their July 12 story “The Best Places to Live 2010″ for CNN Money’s full scoop on the Best Places to Live 2010.