What's Going on in Owatonna Minnesota?

What’s Going on in Owatonna in October?

10/1 and 10/2 Harvest Fest 2009 – downtown stores participating with decorated store fronts and the Scarecrow contest

10/3 Homecoming for Owatonna High School, parade downtown in the afternoon, football game at 7:00 and activities for students Friday night at Southpark Bowl. Go Huskies!

10/2 and 10/3 Artists of Minnesota Showcase, Owatonna Arts Center

10/3 Owatonna Hospital public Open House at their new location at 2250 26th Street NW

10/4 – 10/10 Fire Prevention Week, Don’t get burned, plan and practice your fire safety and evacuation plan

10/5 Steele County Historical Society Pasta Night Out Fundraiser, call Laura at 507-451-1420 for information

10/2 and 10/3, 10/9 and 10/10 The Wedding Singer – The Awesome Musical, presented by Riverland Community College

10/10 7th Annual Women’s Health Day, Owatonna Holiday Inn

10/10 Express hockey home game, Steele County Four Seasons Centre

10/17 Upper Midwest and Cavy Show, Steele County Four Season’s Centre

10/18 Young Life Banquet, Willow Creek School

10/27 Owatonna Chamber Business After Hours, United Prairie Bank

10/31 Halloween, watch out for all those little ghosts and goblins, drive safely

What's the Real Estate Buzz in Owatonna?

What’s the Real Estate Buzz in Owatonna?

What happened to the summer weather? Boy, our summer has been marked by cooler temps, but the market has been heating up.

First time home buyers continue to fuel the activity. Property issues are becoming more of a challenge with the increase in foreclosed properties, many of which have deferred maintenance issues to contend with. If you have any financing questions you can contact Brenda at 507-455-1858. Her expertise will get you moving in the right direction.

According to the Southeast Minnesota Association of Realtors MLS our year to date activity is showing 142 closed residential listings in Owatonna. The average sale price of sold properties is $136,915. I believe this trend is due to an increase in bank owned properties and the influx of first time buyers. Our average market time is 115 days for those homes that have sold.

At this time 46 homes are pending sale with an average list price of $143,775, and we have 236 active residential listings with an average list price of $194,677. They’ve been on the market for an average of 158 days.

Market cycles affecting housing come and go, just like all segments of the economy. Right now may seem like a challenging market, but it’s also a market of opportunity. Investors and first time home buyers will be the obvious winners, but existing homeowners can profit, too. If you’re looking to move up into a larger home – it’s a great time to make that move. The inventory and prices of move up homes have never been more plentiful and attractive. Call or e-mail me today to learn about how this market can be beneficial for you. It’s time to get moving.

What's Going On in Owatonna Minnesota?

Owatonna is buzzing with activity in the month of July. It’s certainly one of my favorite months. Here are some of the activities on schedule for the next few weeks.

7/16/09 11@7 Concert in Central Park – Mark Arthur is performing
7/16/09 3rd Thursday Networking Event – Valleyview Assisted Living from 11:57 am to 1:00 pm
7/16/09 Eagles “Cruise In” Car Show 5:00 – 8:00 pm at the Eagles Club
7/17 – 7/18 American Cancer Society Relay for Life – Steele County Fairgrounds
7/18/09 Farmer’s Market – Central Park
7/18/09 Steele County Humane Society Adoption Day – Mark’s Repair from 1:00 – 3:00 pm
7/19/09 American Lung Association Bike Across America Camp – Steele County Fairgrounds
7/20/09 Wee Pals Golf Event, Dinner and Silent Auction
7/21 – 7/25 Nunsense Jamboree – Riverland Community College – Austin Campus – 7:30 pm
7/22/09 Crazy Days Ice Cream Social – Central Park 6:00 pm
7/23 – 7/24 Crazy Days Sidewalk Sale – Citywide sales
7/23/09 11@7 Concert in Central Park – Owatonna Community Band
7/23/09 Eagles “Cruise In” Car Show 5:00 – 8:00 pm at the Eagles Club
7/24 – 7/26 MSF State Baseball Tourney
7/24/09 Crazy Days Hog Roast and Dance – Downtown
7/25 – 7/26 Crazy Days – 17th Annual Festival of the Arts – Central Park
7/28/09 Business After Hours – Fame Awards – 5:30 to 7:00 pm

As you can see there's something for everyone - from arts and music, to sports and cars - and plenty more! Owatonna's a short drive from the Twin Cities - so hop in the car and discover why Owatonna has been selected as one of Money Magazine's Top 100 Small Cities.

And if you want to make Owatonna your home, give me a call or send an e-mail. I'm glad to help with all or your Owatonna real estate needs.

I can be reached at 507-390-6109 or ljohnson@owatonnahome.com

Lynn Johnson and Chad Hacker - the Owatonna Real Estate Pros
Coldwell Banker Home Connection

What's Going On In Owatonna Minnesota?

What a great time of year to enjoy outdoor activities and fun-filled events around Owatonna. Of course the parks are filling with people who enjoy riding their bikes, walking their pets, playing with kids and picnicking, but did you know that there’s plenty more to do around town? Here’s a list of things to do and events to enjoy that’ll get summer off to a great start:

5/26/09 The Owatonna Chamber’s Business After Hours will be held at the Steele County Historical Society, starts at 5:30
5/29 – 5/30 Smokin’ in Steele for rib and BBQ lovers. This event has been proclaimed by the Governor as the State Championship Barbeque Competition. The event will take place at the Steele County Fairgrounds and several blues bands will be performing during the weekend.
5/30 Young Life holds its annual fundraising car wash at in the parking lot of the former Wal Mart.
5/30 The annual meeting of the Minnesota Rabbit Breeders will be held at the Steele County Fairgrounds
6/1 The Owatonna Country Club will host the annual fundraiser “Golf to Prevent Child Abuse” which benefits the Exchange Club Center.
6/4 Is the kickoff date for the 11 @ 7 Concert in the Park Series featuring the Tuition Daddies. The evening can be enjoyed at Central Park.
6/6 The much anticipated grand opening of the River Springs Water Park.
6/7 The class of 2009 graduates from Owatonna High School. The ceremony takes place at the 4 Seasons Centre.
6/11 – 6/13 The Minnesota Fire Department Convention will be hosted at the 4 Seasons Centre. There are numerous activities and events planned throughout the weekend.
6/12 Street Dance hosted by Just One More to honor the attendees for the State Fire Department convention.
6/13 Parade for Minnesota’s Fire Department convention-goers followed by fireworks in the evening at the Steele County Fairgrounds

Owatonna Minnesota Real Estate Buzz for May 22nd

What’s the Real Estate Buzz in Owatonna?

Things were picking up in April and early May. The outlook is brighter with increased activity. It seems that our spring market is about a month behind – just like our spring weather.

We’re predicting that first time home buyers will be the mainstay of this market, along with buyers relocating into Owatonna for their jobs. According to my lending expert Brenda Bednar (through Advisor’s Mortgage) she is taking applications from those two buyer niches. Property issues are becoming more of a challenge with the increase in foreclosed properties, many of which have deferred maintenance issues to contend with. If you have any financing questions you can contact Brenda at 507-455-1858. Her expertise will get you moving in the right direction.

According to the Southeast Minnesota Association of Realtors MLS our year to date activity is showing 91 closed residential listings in Owatonna. The average sale price of sold properties is $134,484 which is down from 2008 when the average sale price at this time was $159,861. I believe this trend is due to an increase in bank owned properties and the influx of first time buyers. Our average market time for sold properties is 115 days which is actually down from 139 in 2008 at this time. But looking back, I found that 2007 was 156, 2006 was 138 days and 2005 was 121 days, again for this same period. The market has changed.

At this time 114 homes are pending sale, and we have 214 active residential listings with an average list price of $195,490. They’ve been on the market for an average of 157 days. We hit over 300 listings before the end of 2007, so it’s nice to see that number come down. We have 286 active building lots on the market.

Market cycles affecting housing come and go, just like all segments of the economy. Right now may seem like a challenging market, but it’s also a market of opportunity. Investors and first time home buyers will be the obvious winners, but existing homeowners can profit, too. If you’re looking to move up into a larger home – it’s a great time to make that move. The inventory and prices of move up homes have never been more plentiful and attractive. Call or e-mail me today to learn about how this market can be beneficial for you. It’s time to get moving.

What's the buzz in Owatonna Real Estate?

What’s the Buzz in the Owatonna Real Estate Market?

We’ve seen some good showing activity lately, and we continue to be pleased with the values that are available for buyers right now. We like to focus on the many positive things that are happening in our area – things that help buyers understand the opportunities that are out there in our Owatonna housing market.

We still have some zero down programs open to buyers in our community. The interest rates are terrific and offer affordable options like no other time in recent history. We’ve seen a slight drop in available inventory but we expect that to increase as Spring approaches.

So far this year we’ve seen 20 residential sales in Owatonna as compared to 23 for the same time last year. The average sale price of homes is $161,175 which is up from the aggregate average sale price from 2008. It takes an average of 130 days to sell which is (so far) down from 136 days this time last year. We currently have 176 homes in the market and the average list price of those homes is $195,486 with an average time on market of 176 days.

What will 2009 bring? Let’s hope that the stimulus plan, the (up to) $8000 tax credit, and continued low interest rates will help buyers feel comfortable taking the steps they need to become proud homeowners – and we’ll be there to help them.

What’s the Real Estate Buzz in Owatonna?

Things were picking up in April and the outlook is brighter with increased activity. It seems that our spring market is about a month behind – just like our spring weather.

We’re predicting that first time home buyers will be the mainstay of this market, along with buyers relocating into Owatonna for their jobs. According to my lending expert Brenda Bednar (through Advisor’s Mortgage) she is taking applications from those two buyer niches. Brenda stresses the importance of good credit when trying to obtain a mortgage. If you have any financing questions you can contact Brenda at 507-455-1858. Her expertise will get you moving in the right direction.

According to the Southeast Minnesota Association of Realtors MLS our year to date activity is showing 81 closed residential listings in Owatonna. The average sale price of sold properties is $162,195 which is down from 2007 when the average sale price at this time was $173,211. I believe this trend is due to an increase in bank owned properties and the influx of first time buyers. Our average market time is 156 days which is actually down from 173 in 2007 at this time. But looking back, I found that 2006 was 141 days and 2005 was 131 days, again for this same period. The market has changed.

At this time 66 homes are pending sale, and we have 198 active residential listings with an average list price of $190,231. They’ve been on the market for an average of 156 days. We hit over 300 listings before the end of 2007, so it’s nice to see that number come down. We have 286 active building lots on the market.

Market cycles affecting housing come and go, just like all segments of the economy. Right now may seem like a challenging market, but it’s also a market of opportunity. Investors and first time home buyers will be the obvious winners, but existing homeowners can profit, too. If you’re looking to move up into a larger home – it’s a great time to make that move. The inventory and prices of move up homes have never been more plentiful and attractive. Call or e-mail me today to learn about how this market can be beneficial for you. It’s time to get moving.