The Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC) is proud to present the 2017 Fall Parade of Homes. In its 69th year, the Twin Cities Parade of Homes continues to be the go-to resource for Twin Cities’ families to see, free of charge, the entire gamut of new homes and neighborhoods available across the region. This Fall, there are 406 homes open noon to 6:00 pm Thursdays through Sundays from September 9 through October 1, 2017.
Area families are encouraged to experience the value and benefits of new homes and neighborhoods all across the spectrum of price, style and locations during the tour. They’ll also get to see the latest in home features, finishes, products and colors for those who just love to see what’s new in home design and décor. All the homes are free to tour, with the exception of four Artisan Dream Homes and one Special Dream Home where you’ll be asked to pay a $5.00 donation at the door. Proceeds from the Dream Homes go to the BATC Foundation to help them build and remodel homes for area families in need.
Guidebook Features all 406 Homes and More
The free magazine-style Guidebook is available at area Holiday Stationstores and in an e-magazine version online at ParadeofHomes.org. The Guidebook showcases all Parade HomesSM with images, descriptions, maps and prices to make shopping easy. Also, a variety of interesting articles are included to whet readers’ appetites about new homes.
Our cover story shares the real-life home building experience of a multi-generation family looking for the right home to share with grandma. For those seeking inspiration, our Style section showcases the top design ideas from homes on our June Artisan Home Tour. There’s a calendar of events so you can plan your tour to attend special events like wine tastings, design seminars, even a fun competition shooting hoops in a newly built sport court. Plus, our Green pages present the Green Path Energy Tour participants and helpful information about energy efficiency.
Green Path Energy Tour
This tour-within-a-tour is sponsored by Xcel Energy and has been a part of the Parade of Homes since 2012. Our goal is to help educate people about energy efficiency in homes and how Green Path Energy Tested homes provide independent evaluations to help easily compare expected energy use between homes. This spring, 257 (64 percent) of the Parade Homes℠ have been independently energy-tested by a certified RESNET (Residential Energy Services Network) rater and show testing results on a MN Green Path Home Performance Report (HPR).
Four Artisan Dream Homes and one Special Dream Home for Charity Benefit BATC Foundation
Four high-end homes have been selected by the BATC Foundation as Artisan Dream Homes. Visitors are asked to contribute a $5.00 donation at the door, which goes to build and remodel homes for area families in need.
This Fall’s Artisan Dream Homes are:
Home #66 by SD Custom Homes, priced at $1,560,000 and located in Mendota Heights
Home #127 by Homes by Tradition priced at $1,557,000 and located in Lakeville
Home #165 by Sustainable 9 Design + Build priced at $1,800,000 and located in Edina
Home #167 by Landmark Building Contractors, priced at $1,995,000 and located in Edina
The BATC Foundation and build partner, Lennar, has completed a beautiful new home in St. Paul that will be gifted to the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV) at a key ceremony held the morning of September 9th. The two-story, high-tech residence will provide transitional housing for Veterans with families who need support transitioning from homelessness. The home will be open for visitors throughout the Parade of Homes and visitors will be asked for a $5.00 donation at the door.
This Fall’s Special Artisan Dream Home is:
Home #1 by Lennar and charity partners is located in St. Paul
Integrated Online Options
The comprehensive website, www.ParadeofHomes.org, is designed to make touring easy, and the mobile site, m.ParadeofHomes.org, gives visitors mobile-friendly access to most of the site’s features from their smartphone or tablet. There are a wide variety of search filters online, from price to square footage to school district. Additionally, online visitors can save favorites to their own personal login and then automatically plan the best tour route with the Trip Planner (which can then be accessed from the mobile site).
The website also includes a link to the entire Guidebook in e-magazine format, a Holiday Stationstore locator to make getting a free Guidebook easy, plus a number of resources (from mortgage calculators to home maintenance information), as well as the Parade of Homes Blog to help families make informed housing decisions. There’s even a photo gallery with over 8,500 photos from member builders and remodelers to provide inspiration and ideas.
Prices range from $175,900 to $2,285,000
Parade Homes range all across the price spectrum. The lowest priced home is #387, at $175,900 (the only home priced under $200,000). The two-bedroom, one-bath rambler-style home is located in Cambridge, and built by Semler Construction, Inc. The most expensive home on the tour at $2,285,000 is #220, located in Minnetrista and built by Charles Cudd Co. The 6,632 square-foot-five bedroom/five-bath home was featured on last June’s Artisan Home Tour and can be toured free during the Parade of Homes.
There are a total of 22 homes priced under $300,000; 66 homes priced in the $300,000s; 101 in the $400,000s; 65 homes in the $500,000s; 51 homes priced in the $600,000s; 49 homes priced from $700,000 to $999,999; and 36 homes priced over $1,000,000. The total value of all homes on the tour is $233,966,784.
Homes Located Across the Extended Metro Area
Parade Homes are located in 85 cities throughout the region. Inside the 494-loop there are seven homes located in Edina, three in Mendota Heights, two in St. Paul, and one each in Hopkins, Minneapolis, Oakdale and Roseville. Homes are also located on the outskirts of the region including in Faribault, Watertown, Princeton and Somerset, WI. The growing suburbs account for the greatest number of homes and include 39 in Lakeville, 25 in Plymouth, 20 each in Blaine and Lake Elmo and 19 in Woodbury.
The Builders Association of the Twin Cities is the leading voice for builders and remodelers. BATC represents 1,200 builders, remodelers, developers and industry suppliers with a mission of helping its members grow their businesses through marketing, advocacy and industry connections. BATC’s advocacy work is widely recognized as a powerful force at the state Legislature and with state regulatory agencies, now under the Housing First Minnesota brand. It’s also known for its signature home tour events: The 69-year-old Parade of Homes℠ and the 33-year-old Remodelers Showcase®; and now, the four-year-old Artisan Home Tour®, a ticketed tour featuring high-end homes in June. In addition, BATC offers Minnesota’s Green Path℠, a growing new home and remodeling energy testing and certification program providing healthy, durable, energy-efficient homes to buyers and homeowners.
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The 2017 Fall Parade of Homes is sponsored by The Tile Shop.
