ROSEVILLE, MINN. (Feb. 6, 2018) — BATC-Housing First Minnesota is proud to present the 2018 Spring Parade of Homes. In its 70th 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 spring, there are 481 homes open noon to 6:00 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays from Feb. 24-March 25, 2018.
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 five Dream Homes where you’ll be asked to pay a $5 admission at the door. Proceeds from the Dream Homes go to the BATC-Housing First Minnesota Foundation to help them build and remodel homes for area families in need.
Guidebook Features all 481 Homes and More
The magazine-style guidebook is free, and available at area Holiday Stationstores and in an electronic 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 family looking for the right Minnesota home to settle down in. For those seeking design inspiration, our Style Section showcases the top design ideas from Parade Home designers and designs you’ll see on the spring tour. There’s a calendar of events so you can plan your tour to attend special events like wine tastings and design seminars. Plus, our Minnesota Green Path Energy Tested 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).
Green Path Energy Efficiency Tour
The Parade of Homes will feature the Green Path Energy Efficiency Tour sponsored by Xcel Energy. Homes on this tour-within-a-tour are a part of the utility companies’ efficient new home construction program and go above and beyond code requirements to deliver greater every savings. All these homes can be found online at paradeofhomes.org by filtering for “Green Path Energy Efficiency Tour.”
Five Dream Homes Charity Benefit BATC-Housing First Minnesota Foundation
Five high-end homes have been selected by the BATC-Housing First Minnesota Foundation as Dream Homes. Visitors are asked to make a $5 contribution to the BATC-Housing First Minnesota Foundation to enter, which goes to build and remodel homes for area families in need. The Dream Homes are:
- #134 by Parent Custom Homes in Coon Rapids, priced at $1,700,000
- #191 by Zawadski Homes in Arden Hills, priced at $1,984,000
- #262 by Lecy Bros. Homes & Remodeling in Stillwater, priced at $2,500,000
- #434 by TC Homebuilders in Edina, priced at $2,195,000
- #436 by Sustainable 9 Design + Build in Minneapolis, priced at $1,298,000
Integrated Online Options
The totally redesigned website, www.ParadeofHomes.org, is designed to make touring easy, and gives visitors mobile-friendly access to all of the site’s features from their smartphone. 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 plan the best tour route with the Tour Planner. The new and improved Tour Planner allows you to easily share home listings with others, mix new and remodeled homes together and plan multiple routes.
The website also includes a link to an electronic version of the entire Guidebook, 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.
Prices range from $198,000 to $2,500,000
Parade Homes range all across the price spectrum. The lowest priced home is #217 at $198,000. The two-bedroom, two-bath rambler is located in Cambridge and built by Semler Construction, Inc. The most expensive home at $2,500,000 is home #262, located in Stillwater from Lecy Bros. Homes & Remodeling. The four-bedroom home on Cloverdale Lake is one of this spring’s five Dream Homes.
There are a total of 27 homes priced under $300,000; 75 homes priced in the $300,000s; 115 in the $400,000s; 77 homes in the $500,000s; 51 homes priced in the $600,000s; 59 homes priced from $700,000 to $999,999; 39 homes priced over $1,000,000. The total value of all homes on the tour is $269,550,263.
Homes Located Across the Extended Metro Area
Parade Homes are located throughout the region, with Lakeville (42), Plymouth (33), Woodbury (27) and Lake Elmo (21), having the most homes to tour. Closer in, Minneapolis, Mendota Heights, Golden Valley and Shoreview are all represented on the tour, with Edina coming in with six homes. Outlying cities with Parade Homes include Faribault, Watertown, Princeton and Somerset, WI.
BATC-Housing First Minnesota is the leading voice for builders and remodelers. BATC-Housing First Minnesota 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-Housing First Minnesota’s advocacy work is widely recognized as a powerful force at the state Legislature and with state regulatory agencies. It’s also known for its signature home tour events: The 70-year-old Parade of HomesSM, the 34-year-old Remodelers Showcase®, and the five-year-old Artisan Home Tour®, a ticketed tour featuring high-end homes in June. In addition, BATC-Housing First Minnesota offers Minnesota’s Green PathSM, a growing new home and remodeling energy testing and certification program providing healthy, durable, energy-efficient homes to buyers and homeowners.
The 2018 Spring Parade of Homes is sponsored by US Bank.
