Welcome! Here You Can Find Great Information on Maple Grove, Otsego, Monticello and Elk River, Minnesota Real Estate 

A Very Special Custom Home For a Very Special Family! 

Follow the story of a special family, the Breza's, over the next few months on our website, during their journey towards greater freedom and independence within their home, to which most of us never give a second thought.  

Tim Flynn, President/Owner of HomesPlus Designers Builders (www.homesplusinc.com) and Chuck Hartell of Edina Realty (www.edinarealty.com) are working with John and Karen Breza to custom build a handicap accessible home in Otsego, Minnesota. 

Ten years ago, John Breza, husband and father, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Multiple sclerosis (MS; pronounced multiple skluh-RO-siss) is a chronic autoimmune disorder that affects the nerves. "Chronic" means that it develops slowly over time; "autoimmune" means that the body's immune system becomes confused about some part of the body it is designed to protect. It attacks that part of the body as if it were a foreign invader. MS affects a person's ability to move, to feel, and to control his or her body functions (this definition was taken from the web-based Free Health Encyclopedia). MS has left John with the inability to freely move around his current split-level home. It requires an enormous amount of physical effort, again, something that most of us take for granted.  

The Breza's story is one of determination for a better and easier way of life. Tim Flynn of HomesPlus and Chuck Hartell have custom designed a handicap accessible rambler style home (one story home with finished lower level) to be built for the Breza's in Otsego, Minnesota...with a very affordable price tag! In addition to affordability, HomesPlus is known throughout the community as an ethical builder that builds high quality homes and stands behind their construction and promises. Chuck and Tim have been working together building dreams for families for over 20 years! 

Check back to see how the custom build process progresses over the next few months with photos and design and construction details. We look forward to having you follow the Breza's story with us! 

Links:
To find out more about Tim Flynn and HomesPlus Designers Builders, check out their website at www.homesplusinc.com 

To find out more about Edina Realty, check out their website at www.edinarealty.com 

If you are thinking about relocating to Minnesota, look into the State of Minnesota website at www.state.mn.us 

If you are thinking about relocating to the northwest suburbs of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area and would like more information about the City of Otsego specifically, click on the link www.ci.otsego.mn.us 

For more information regarding handicap accessible housing, feel free to look at any of the following websites:
www.disability-resource.com/accessible-housing.html
www.fhasecure.gov/groups/disabilities.cfm
www.adaptiveaccess.com/home_changes.php 

Week of June 29th, the Breza's met with Tim Flynn of HomesPlus at their vacant lot in Otsego, Minnesota. Following a walk of the lot, they all met back at Tim's office for the Pre-Construction Meeting. At this meeting Tim typically goes over the following agenda: 

* Reviews the plans with the client
* Answers any questions or concerns of the client regarding those plans and/or anything pertaining to the overall construction process
* Discusses the contruction process, including timelines and guidelines (ie. the permit, ground-breaking, foundation pouring all the way to the actual closing process)
* The client will make exterior selections while in the office for such items as siding, brick/stone accents, roofing shingles etc.
* The client will also begin to make a few interior selections such as cabinetry and hardware
* Tim will go over the staking of the lot
* Lastly, the client will receive a folder of information including the items discussed previously and a list of vendors the client can meet with to make other interior design/fixture selections. 

The Home Site: 

The lot was very important to the Breza's, as they wanted something quiet and with special solar considerations. In addition, it needed to have some size to it, as rambler style homes tend to spread out or have a larger foundation size than traditional home styles.  

The Breza's homesite is exceptionally well suited in many ways. First, the street is currently a dead end, so there is very little traffic. Secondly, the front of the home will face south to southwest so the driveway will have a better chance of snow and ice melt off in the winter months. This is much easier for John and is just plain safer for everyone, homeowners and guests. Third, the lot itself is good sized at 91 feet in the front, the sides are 167 feet and 144 feet, and there is 92 feet along the rear lot line. The City of Otsego (www.ci.otsego.mn.us)requires side set backs of 10 feet on each side, which allows for a spacious feeling and the homes are not stacked on top of each other. Lastly, the topography of this lot is flat allowing John ease of access to roam the entire yard and giving Karen the space to do the yard work and gardening she so enjoys.  

The Backus land development is known for having a nice mix of lot designs, generous sized lots, and a well constructed development including flat slope to the very rear of the lots in order to control water run off. This water is often directed to holding ponds allowing for the Breza's and their neighbors to have some out lots with wild life and a "green" natural path for rain water. Control of rain water run off is a pivotal point for both LEED (www.usgbc.org/leed/)and MNGREENStar (www.mngreenstar.org) certification.  

The Breza's lot was the last flat lot in this phase and so is in many ways a truly perfect fit for them. 

The designing of the new home was an act of patience, ingenuity and many exploratory conversations and sketches. This combined with the skills of the builder, Tim Flynn, the designer, Greg Anderson and myself, Chuck Hartell as the agent. In this scenario my role of bringing buyer and seller together exists almost on a subliminal level.  

True we have to keep an eye on the budget, but nothing can happen until we can get the home to fill the current and future needs of John and Karen. The basic factors in controlling the cost of a new home are the home site and the finished square footage. Due to Karen's work needs, the Otsego development Crimson Ponds West was really the maximum commute, but fortunately has lots in the target price range of $50,000-$60,000. This left the other major part of the puzzle in creating the price of finished square footage.  

We began with a basic floor plan that satisfied their needs for bedrooms and baths while keeping an eye on the square footage. We knew right from the beginning that we would need three foot wide door openings, some customization in the kitchen and the bathroom would be designed for now and future special needs.  

The kitchen has a nice open flow with easy access to dining. In addition, Tim came up with a lower level cabinet shelf for the microwave, making it functional today and easier for wheelchair access in the future. The bath has a number of innovative designs that work again for today and wheelchair accessibility in the future. The vanity is open on one end enabling a wheelchair to roll underneath. The toilet has hand bars that are securely fastened. The shower is larger, to accomodate both a wheelchair and someone to assist, if necessary. The builder and designer did an especially good job of not having a threshold to get over into the shower. The shower floor has just enough taper so there is no concern regarding standing water. In addition there is a separate tub for Karen to do her soak and take the needed break we all deserve. Best of all there is a window so they will get the natural light and ventilation. 

The Breza's were also ventilation conscious in the placement of windows both upstairs and in the lower level. They wisely put a second egress window in the lower level to let in more natural light and fresh air. In the master bedroom they strategicly placed a window so it would allow fresh air to easily flow from the bedroom down the hall into the living room. Something simple, but well thought out like air flow not only increases the comfort of your home, but can reduce your cooling costs. This is a passive cooling system that is well documented and explained in part of the Minnesota GreenStar Program. For more information on this program check out the website www.mngreenstar.org. 

Finally, one of the larger goals is to eliminate steps. Again, the builder, Tim Flynn, owner of HomesPlus Designers Builders came up with a way to raise the garage and drop the home, effectively eliminating a step coming into the home from the garage or the front of the home. For more information on the builder, see their website at www.homesplusinc.com.  

In any building process we need a cooperative effort and it has been an honor and joy to bring the builder and the buyer together in this process.  

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ZERO DOWN IS BACK IN TOWN!! 

Zero in on a super high quality custom new home for you or your clients, through our exclusive builder, Homesplus Designers Builders www.homesplusinc.com. 

Zero worries in the construction process. Todd, your superintendant, is a nice enough guy, unless a detail gets missed. Then Todd speaks a different language, which is universally understood to mean..."Get It Right"! 

We offer zero hassles before you close with decades of experience and hundreds of happy past clients. 

Zero worries after you close with the R.W.C. warranty and full time service representative, Frank (we built them so well he could retire!). Best of all, Tim Flynn-President, ain't leavin' town! (Well that's a tiny fib, Tim likes to go up north to his fishin' shack on the weekends.) 

Its time for you to zero in on a deal today without the headaches of short sales, foreclosures or someone else's purple countertops! 

Oh, and for the toughest, hardest working professionals in any industry, we are paying agents 3.15%. 

We can change the industry and the economy one house at a time. 

BUILD TODAY!! 

Today someone is buying or selling a home. The challenge is not the market, but the belief of what someone would perceive as the "reality". It is a great time to use my 24+ years of real estate experience. Please call 612-991-7168 today! Create yourself a beautiful day. Chuck 

Looking for homes? Search everything the web has to offer, right here! Don't miss my Feature Homes. 

Need local real estate information? I've summarized much of what is important about the Maple Grove, Otsego, Monticello and Elk River real estate market in this site. 

Need expert advice? No web site, large or small, can take the place of a top real estate agent. Not even mine! This site is filled with ways that you can contact me for one-on-one expert help and advice. That's my job. 

Contact me with confidence! I guarantee your privacy will be respected. And I offer the services on this site for free and without obligation. Why? I want to be YOUR real estate agent. As your trusted, professional real estate partner, I will help you find the best home in your area within your price range. And together we will sell your home, for as much as the market will bear, and as quickly as possible. 

Buying and selling a home is one of the biggest events in your life. As a top Maple Grove, Otsego, Monticello and Elk River (and all the surrounding areas within Wright and Sherburne Counties) real estate agent, I have the experience and track record you are looking for. Please let me help. 

- Chuck Hartell