Are You Moving or Relocating to Minnesota?

If you are unfamiliar with the Twin Cities metro area, some of your first questions may be
about crime statistics, local schools and shopping and other conveniences. Here we'll cover
the basics and for specifics you can ask your Realtor, as they're all highly trained in these
areas. If you already know what city you will move to, go directly to the city website to see
specific crimes, schools and other pertinent information.

• CRIME - the Twin Cities 11-county metro area is among the lowest crime major metros in the US. Some people attribute this to the cold winters making an inhospitable
  environment for homeless and other vagabonds. But we are also known for our superior public services including police, fire, EMTs, hospitals and other emergency services. For much of the Twin Cities, our violent crimes are around 1/10 (one tenth) the national average and all non-violent crimes are well below the national average as well. 2007 even recorded a 9% decrease in violent crimes and a 1.9% decrease in property crimes (non-violent) crimes versus the previous year. (stats thanks to Minnesota Department of Public Safety and cityrating.com)

• SCHOOLS - Minnesota currently has 3125 schools: 2557 public and 568 private schools. Of these 1507 are elementary, 309 middle schools and 756 high schools. The state of Minnesota is well known for its academic achievements and standards ranking among the highest in the country, almost always in the nations top 5 or 10. 2003 for example our elementary schools were ranked #5 in the nation, and middle schools #2 with a state average of 17 students per teacher. Almost always in top national lists are the school systems of Edina, Wayzata and Excelsior, but still with excellent rankings are cities like Woodbury, Minnetonka, Stillwater, Chaska, Chanhassen, Lakeville and Eden Prairie.

• ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT - Minnesota is also known for its abundant arts and entertainment community. Rich with history and abundant creativity, the Twin Cities area contains the Minnesota Institute of Arts, the Walker Art Museum, Science Museum of Minnesota, Minnesota Children's Museum, Minnesota History Center, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Museum of American Art, Bell Museum of Natural History and Library, State Capital building, Como Zoo and Conservatory, the Minnesota Zoo, The Raptor Center and Fort Snelling Historical Center to name a few. And, as if that weren't enough to do we also have an abundance of live performance venues like The Orpheum Theater, The Guthrie Theater, the Chanhassen Dinner Theater, Northrop Auditorium, Orchestra Hall, The Children's Theater Company, The Old Log Theater, The Loring Playhouse, the Minneapolis Convention Center, The Mixed Blood Theater, Theater de la Jeunne Lune and Theatre in the Round.

• SHOPPING/CONVENIENCES - obviously we are known for being home of the largest indoor mall in the United States, the Mall of America (or MOA) in Bloomington with more than 520 stores. But we're also on the map for having the first fully enclosed, climate controlled mall in the country, Southdale in Edina. Opened for business in 1956,
  developed by the Dayton Company (with then anchor store, Dayton's) as a place where
  people could gather together, meet as a community in mass and stay warm. The
  developer was simply fed up with suburban life in the 1950's and feeling disconnected
  from his community during the bitter cold of winter. It was such a success, the
  concept was quickly copied for Brookdale Center (1962), Rosedale Center (1969) and
  Ridgedale Center (1974) as well as other national and international copy-cats. And
  these are only a few of the well over 200 malls in the state with just about any
  convenience you could think of. Also, the state of Minnesota does not charge sales
  tax on the purchase of clothing. That is considered a necessity (especially in
  winter!).

• TRANSPORTATION - the Twin Cities metro area has been acknowledged to have a superior highway route design, based on a one-ring system, with additional north/south and east/west veins throughout. We also have a light rail connecting downtown Minneapolis with the Mall of America area and MSP international airport. It's next phase will connect it with our new Minnesota Twins ballpark in the northern metro. Our other major ground transportation is our bus service. Metro Transit has literally hundreds of park and ride locations where you park your vehicle for free, then catch the appropriate bus route to your destination. This may be used instead of driving there and paying parking at some of our top destinations like the airport, University of Minnesota and downtown Minneapolis.

OTHER RELOCATION CONSIDERATIONS...

When you are relocating, there are special circumstances you must deal with that are
different than just moving to a nearby city. Often relocating requires more funds, depending on your situation. If the relocation is for career purposes, many companies will offer funds for the purpose of your relocation. Otherwise you will need to pay for the applicable items out of your own pocket. Consider the costs of the following as they apply to you:

• STORAGE - if the timing of your closing and/or move is not scheduled exactly, you
  may need to store a good deal of your belongings short term. Many storage facilities
  offer monthly and annual rates. Some also do weekly rates, but are harder to find and
  will cost a bit more. Prices vary by cubic footage of space needed. If storage is
  longer term, consider getting slightly larger space than needed. That way you can add
  or retrieve objects as needed, as well as create a path to navigate through your
  belongings if desired.

• TRANSPORTATION - presumably you will need to move at least your basics, most likely your furniture and other belongings as well. In this case you can either hire movers, or rent a truck to load and drive yourself. Obviously a moving company is quite a bit more expensive, but a lot less work for you. You can even hire them to do the packing for you, if you wish. In either case, plan ahead for this anticipated expense.

• FURNITURE - if your move is to a 2nd home or retirement, you may need to furnish
  your entire new residence, and your budget should be padded for such occasion. Also,
  just by the very nature of being in a new space with different rooms and different
  measurements, you may need to add or subtract pieces in your furniture collection,
  purchase window dressings, or make minor cosmetic changes to suit your needs.

• PACKING - since you are moving over some distance, your belongings need to be
  protected from each other, and from the extended vibrations of driving on the road
  for long periods. You can't just throw the plants and lamps in the back seat and go,
  as you would with a local move. You will need to pack fragile items carefully, as you
  would pack to ship something in the mail or Fed Ex. The longer your belongings are on
  the road, the more vulnerable they are to shifting. (see packing tips for some great
  ideas)

No matter what your reason for this relocation, our team can help. Whether you're moving because of a job transfer, to be near family, to retire or for health reasons, our team has an expert that specializes in YOUR needs and will take care of you from beginning to end.

Contact us today for professional support:

Direct Line: 952-303-5678
Email: homes@greatminnesotarealestate.com