New Elk River Crime Map iPhone Application

I saw this article and thought it was very cool Elk River Police have come up with this iPhone App. But at the same point, is there really that much crime in Elk River to actually warrant this?

New Elk River Crime Map iPhone Application
by Elizabeth Nelson

The Elk River Police Department has partnered with CrimeReports to Launch a new iPhone crime map.

The application is available at the iTune App Store and is free.

Elk River Police Chief Jeff Beahen said the department is happy to offer the most advanced tools available to foster communication and engagement with community members to prevent crime.
The Crime Reports iPhone app allows anyone to filter data by location or address, incident type and date range.

Recent neighborhood level crimes can be viewed in a map or list, and national sex offender data can be viewed alongside crimes in certain neighborhoods.

Find out more about the new application by visiting www.CrimeReports.com/iphone.
The police department also already publishes their crime data on the National Crime Map at www.crimereports.com.

Source - Elk River Star News

CHAD ELLIOT, REALTOR© The Hennepin Group, LLC Keller Williams Realty 17205 Yale Street NW, Suite D Elk River, Minnesota, 55330	Mobile: (651) 795-1147 Fax: (763) 241-0187 Email: chadelliot@kw.com ElkRiverHomes.com

Elk River Housing Market Statistics

ELK RIVER HOUSING MARKET STATISTICS

Elk River Current Housing Market Statistics

We had 38 new listings this past month in the Elk River Market which represents a decrease of 7.3% over this same period from last year. Combine that with 43 closed sales (+25.3%) we are definitely seeing a market stabilization in the greater Sherburne Area. Elk River's medium home price still dipped to $167,500 or -6.7% from 2008 to 2009 with an average sales price of $163,260 - taking approximately 122 days on the market to sell.

Get more details on Elk River by clicking the link above. These statistics are averages and your situation may be different. Contact me to discuss your needs or questions.

CHAD ELLIOT, REALTOR© The Hennepin Group, LLC Keller Williams Realty 17205 Yale Street NW, Suite D Elk River, Minnesota, 55330	Mobile: (651) 795-1147 Fax: (763) 241-0187 Email: chadelliot@kw.com ElkRiverHomes.com

Twin Cities Market Activity Report - WE 12/21

Twin Cities Market Activity Report - WE 12/21

‘Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the market,
Realtors were selling houses in the Twin Cities, some wearing
parkas.

For the week ending December twelfth there was such a clatter,
Pending sales flattened out, unlike a step ladder.
542 for the week, which was 2.5 percent under last year,
When market volatility was in the stratosphere.
New listings were down to a more normal fashion,
With 1,028 added this week, a stable ration.

Santa may be bringing sellers some Christmas luck,
With the laws of supply and demand in flux.
“On Original Price, on Days on Market!” he calls,
But Housing Affordability makes sellers feel mighty tall.
With just one week left in the year 2009,
The Twin Town Market looks to end just fine.

provided by the Minneapolis Assoc. of REALTORS

CHAD ELLIOT, REALTOR© The Hennepin Group, LLC Keller Williams Realty 17205 Yale Street NW, Suite D Elk River, Minnesota, 55330	Mobile: (651) 795-1147 Fax: (763) 241-0187 Email: chadelliot@kw.com ElkRiverHomes.com

The Twin Cities Monthly Skinny - December

The Twin Cities Real Estate Monthly Skinny for December. Another month has come and gone. We saw a lot of activity during the begining of the month before the Tax Credit was extended. Now that the Holidays are in full swing we can expect the market to slow down until the New Year.



Contact me for local Elk River, Otsego, Big Lake, Zimmerman, Rogers, and Ramsey real estate market conditions or visit www.ElkRiverHomes.com for the latest listings.

CHAD ELLIOT, REALTOR© The Hennepin Group, LLC Keller Williams Realty 17205 Yale Street NW, Suite D Elk River, Minnesota, 55330	Mobile: (651) 795-1147 Fax: (763) 241-0187 Email: chadelliot@kw.com ElkRiverHomes.com

Randy's will pick up Christmas Lights in Elk River

Randy's will pick up Christmas Lights in Elk River

Our town always so looks beautiful this time of year but it never fails once Christmas has come and gone what to do with all of those bad Christmas lights. Randy's Sanitation now has a solution for those in Elk River and surrounding towns.

People who have their recycling picked up by Randy’s Environmental Services can now recycle one more thing: strings of Christmas lights.

All that Randy’s customers have to do is place the strands in their recycling bins with their bottles and cans. This pilot project is only available to Randy’s customers to test the viability of curbside collection of holiday lights. Randy’s is the first waste hauler in the country to try collecting holiday lights curbside.

Locally, Randy’s provides waste and recycling collection services in Baldwin Township, Big Lake, Big Lake Township, Blue Hill Township, Dayton, West Dayton, Elk River, Hassan Township, Livonia Township, Orrock Township, Otsego, Rogers and Zimmerman.

If you are not a Randy’s customer, drop the light strings off at any participating Snyders Drug Stores, Xcel Energy, the WCCO TV Plaza and many other Minnesota businesses until Jan. 10, 2010.

Elk River City Hall, 13065 Orono Rd., will also accept the strings of lights and electrical cords to be recycled.

source: Elk River Star News

CHAD ELLIOT, REALTOR© The Hennepin Group, LLC Keller Williams Realty 17205 Yale Street NW, Suite D Elk River, Minnesota, 55330	Mobile: (651) 795-1147 Fax: (763) 241-0187 Email: chadelliot@kw.com ElkRiverHomes.com

Foreclosure Rates Show a Decline in Elk River

Foreclosures Rates Show a Decline in Elk River

Great News! We are seeing a turn around in our local market. It appears that the market is correcting itself and foreclosures are finally on the downward swing in Sherburne and Wright Counties. With the Northstar Rail up and running we can expect great things with our real estate market in the future. Below is an article I found that relates directly Elk River's decline in foreclosures -

Foreclosures Rates Show a Decline
by Joni Astrup, Star News
There is a bit of positive news in the local foreclosure situation. The number of residential foreclosures in Sherburne County during the third quarter of this year has dropped 24 percent from the same time a year ago.

In Elk River, the number of foreclosures is also down from a year ago.

“It shows how the market is kind of fixing itself, which is good news,” said Elk River Economic Development Assistant Annie Deckert.

She updated the Elk River Housing and Redevelopment Authority on foreclosure statistics during a meeting Monday, Dec. 7.

There were 174 foreclosures in Sherburne County from July 1 to Sept. 30, 2009, compared to 229 for the same period a year ago.

Area counties also are seeing improved foreclosure numbers, according to HousingLink, which is a nonprofit research agency located in Minneapolis.

In Wright County, the number of foreclosures in the third quarter of 2009 dropped 14 percent over a year ago, from 235 to 203.

•Anoka and Mille Lacs counties each saw a 9 percent drop, from 569 to 516 in Anoka County and from 64 to 58 in Mille Lacs County.

•Hennepin County posted a 24 percent drop for the third quarter, from 1,895 in 2009 to 1,447 in 2008.

•Statewide, the number of foreclosures dropped 14 percent in the third quarter between 2008 and 2009, from 6,807 to 5,890.

Fast facts about home foreclosures
•Elk River has seen 658 homes go into foreclosure since January 2006, according to city figures.

•That’s about a quarter of the home foreclosures in Sherburne County, where there have been 2,574 foreclosures since January 2006.

•In Elk River there were 86 residential foreclosures in 2006, 176 in 2007, 229 in 2008 and 167 through November of this year.

Source: City of Elk River, Star News

CHAD ELLIOT, REALTOR© The Hennepin Group, LLC Keller Williams Realty 17205 Yale Street NW, Suite D Elk River, Minnesota, 55330	Mobile: (651) 795-1147 Fax: (763) 241-0187 Email: chadelliot@kw.com ElkRiverHomes.com

Elk River Skate with Santa! - Dec. 20th

Elk River Skate with Santa!

Continue the annual holiday tradition at the Ice Arena by joining Santa at Open Skating on Sunday, December 20 from 3:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Admission is free and cookies and cider will be provided. Food donations will be accepted and will benefit local food shelves.

For more information contact 763-635-1140.

Dust off those skates Elk River and get out there with the kids and ring in the Christmas season as the Elk River Ice Arena! See ya there!

Area Schools Holiday Concerts (Andover, Anoka, Elk River)

Area Schools Holiday Concerts (Andover, Anoka, Elk River)

Andover High School
Dec. 15th 7:30pm - Orchestra Holiday Concert
Dec. 17th 7:30pm - Choir Holiday Concery

Anoka High School
"White Christmas"
Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students and seniors.
For more information, contact Anoka ticket office at 763-506-6439
or visit www.anokatheatre.org
Dec. 11th 7:30pm Dec. 12th 7:30pm Dec. 13th 2:00pm
Dec. 17th 7:30pm Dec. 18th 7:30pm Dec. 19th 7:30pm

Elk River High School
Dec. 3rd 3:30pm - Caroling at Coborn' in Elk River
Dec. 22nd 7:30pm - Choir Concert

Meadow Creek Christian School
Dec. 10th 7:00pm - High School Christmas Concert
Dec. 17th 7:00pm - Junior High School Christmas Concert

Twin Cities Market Activity Report - W/E Dec. 7th

Twin Cities Market Activity Report - WE Dec. 7th

The local housing market experienced the traditional Turkey Day drop
off for the week ending November 28 as Twin Citizens focused more
on turkey and stuffing than purchase agreements and closing dates.
Even taking into account the expected holiday drop, market activity
in the last few weeks has slowed considerably from the breakneck
pace we saw during the first 10 months of the year, likely due to
the passing of the home buyer tax credit's initial deadline. There
were 5.9 percent fewer pending sales compared to the same week in
2008. That's only the second week of year-over-year decrease in
all of 2009 (the first was two weeks earlier).

Now for the good news: Days on Market before Sale dropped 14.5
percent to 127, and the Percentage of Original List Price trended
positive over last year to 94.3. These two metrics should shore up
sellers who are weathering the current economic storm. (MAAR)

Get local in on Elk River / Otsego / Big Lake / Rogers / Zimmerman by contacting me at 651-795-1147 or visiting www.ElkRiverHomes.com

What is your Favorite Holiday Movie?

Since we are in the Holiday Season I thought I would see which Holiday movie is everyone's favorite! Take a minute to take my poll and let me know your thoughts.





I hope everyone has a great Holiday Season! ...and a Great New Year.

Zimmerman Buying Opportunity

If you would like to move to the Zimmerman area, you can now receive $12,500 for down payment/closing cost assistance to purchase a foreclosed home in either the Pioneer Ponds or Countryside Estates Neighborhoods of Zimmerman and when you sign a Repayment Agreement and not be subject to Resale Restrictions.

You could also qualify for up to an additional $15,000 to bring a front end ratio down to 28% if it exceeds this level. There is also up to $30,000 available to complete rehab needed at the property. These funds are 0%, deferred, forgivable funds. At closing, you would then sign a repayment agreement for 5 (under $15,000), 10 ($15,000 - $40,000) or 15 (over $40,000) years based upon the total amount of NSP funds you would receive. (posted on Active Rain - Don Sabinske)

I'm available to help you navigate the neighborhoods and help you with any questions you may have.

Dowtown Elk River Holiday Open House - Dec. 12th

Holiday Open Houses at Downtown Businesses on Dec. 12th from 11-4 with special offers and treats to eat. The Command Performance Choir will perform.

Santa and his Reindeer will be at Riversedge Commons Park from 12 to 3PM.

Christmas Trees: Real vs. Fake?

Okay, this year I decided to get a fake Christmas tree. This is the first time I have gone with a fake one since 2000. I am partial to real trees but last year my dog decided to attack the tree every chance she had. So I am just curious about everyone's thoughts - "Which type do you prefer - Real or Fake Christmas trees?"

Lesson learned today...I have NO affiliation with the City of Elk River!

I got a nice non threatening email from the City of Elk River about the use of their logo. I just want to be clear that I have no affiliation with the city of Elk river in any capacity. I am simply a Real Estate agent promoting the local area and trying to provide my clients with a link to the city so they could find out more about the local community.

If you are interested in finding out more about the City of Elk River government/departments/services please do a google search for this information.

Thank you to who ever reported me to the city!

KW - 17th Annual Holiday Home Tour - Elk River

Keller Williams Realty Integrity NW Presents our 17th annual
HOLIDAY HOME TOUR

Friday, December 4th
5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Central Lutheran Church in Elk River

The festivities start with a soup supper and silent auction. Once we are full and have spent our money, we will board the charter buses for our tour of homes decorated for the season!

All proceeds from this event will benefit CAER food shelf and district 728 (Elk River) scholarships. So bring your friends, families and get ready for a great time!

Do not forget to purchase tickets for your employees or clients. It really is a great event, and it only costs $15!!!

Cost: $15 per ticket
(please bring non-perishable food donation for CAER)

Purchase your tickets at:
Keller Williams Realty Integrity NW
17205 Yale St NW, Suite D
Elk River, MN
call (763) 226-6847
Or Online @
www.ElkRiverHolidayHomeTour.com

Twin Cities Market Activity Report - WE 11/30

Twin Cities Market Activity Report - WE 11/30

When compared to the previous week's dive, pending sales held strong during a time of typical seasonal swoon. For the week ending November 21, there were 604 purchase agreements, a 5.2 percent increase over the same week in 2008 and the first time in a month not to show a week-over-week plunge in sales activity (MAAR).

If you would like to know more about the local Elk River, Otsego, Big Lake, Zimmerman markets please contact me at any time. I would be more then happy to sit down with you to discuss your options.

Chad Elliot - (651) 795-1147 or email chadelliot@kw.com