Burnsville is about 10 minutes away from Bloomington and the houses are WAY cheaper on that side of the river..including in Savage or Shakopee. You can get bigger lots out there and more ft2 for your money. Bloomington is a great area to live in...I grew up here my whole life and wanted to move away, but ended up buying a house here as an adult because it's got everything you need/want within just a few minutes. It's close to downtown, has few "bad" areas, but it is a little more expensive to live in than some of the surrounding suburbs. Eden Prairie is on the west boundary of Bloomington and that is really nice also and I've seen some deals listed there recently. I would search: Bloomington (west), Eden Prairie, Savage, Burnsville, and Shakopee in your price range and you should find something really great! The schools are probably best in Eden Prairie, Edina, and west Bloomington. I don't know much about Savage, but I'd bet the schools are pretty good there....taxes may be high there because they've been building new schools out there though, so watch that when you are looking in certain areas.

There are so many choices out there.


If I was referring a Realtor out there, I would look online at CRS.com.

Certified Residential Specialists are the best trained and have proven experience.
I have had great success finding great realtors.
Then there is Face book, linked in. or just plain googling realtors in your area. read realtors blogs to get their personality. Hope this helps

There are lots of homes to look at in the surrounding areas you are talking about. I grew up in the suburb of Edina, graduated from the University of Minnesota so I know the area well. I am in the ReMax Hall of Fame and in the top 100 agents for the north central region, so I'd be more than happy to help you. If you need some information, go to resultstothemax.com and take a look.

Hi,

Since you don't mind a commute, there are so many choices for you in the South Metro that would fit your needs. Besides Bloomington, you could easily commute to work from Prior Lake, Savage, Shakopee, Burnsville, Lakeville, Eden Prairie, Chaska...it all depends on exactly what amount of drive time you are comfortable with.

If you would like a relocation package to the area which includes info about area schools and the towns I mentioned above, I would be more than happy to put one in the mail for you this week. I work mostly in the South Metro so I know the areas you are looking in very well, including new construction. You can either contact me through Trulia via email, or visit my website.

Hi JG!

Texas to Minnesota! Wow...You are going to love the changing seasons in the area if you decide to make the move north!

I did a quick search for you also...I normally work in the north and east metro so Bloomington is not my area. It looks like Susan has you covered for the south metro but depending on where your Bloomington employer is located, you could consider homes east of the river in St. Paul and still have a quick commute.

My search located 3 new construction homes in St. Paul (2 in the Cherokee and 1 in the Como Area). Regarding school districts, the Twin Cities is home to many tuition-free charter schools. Many are located in the St Paul area.

Here is a link to the Minnesota Department of Education's list of charter school options:
http://app.education.state.mn.us/Directories/report_c11.jsp

You can also check out the most recent test results and information on schools and school districts at the MN Dept of Education website:

http://education.state.mn.us/mde/index.html

If you have any questions on how to find these new construction homes, feel free to email me for specifics.. As a native Minnesotan, I would be happy to assist and answer your questions on the Twin Cities!

I did a quick search and found 8 homes in the southern suburbs on at least 1/4 acre that might work for you. Commute time really varies in Bloomington, depending on where you work. If you send me the address of your potential employer and let me know how long you consider as reasonbable commute time, I can be more specific about options, and can send you detailed information. My email is su@suwesely.com. I hope to welcome you to Minnesota!!