Details

It has come to my attention that I may have been too hasty in my last post because I have had several requests for details on our new house. I'll try to answer all the questions I've received so far and any I think may come up.

Where is it? Shakopee - it's a few blocks south of where Hwy 169 and Hwy 101 meet.

Why did you choose Shakopee? We didn't really choose Shakopee, it just happens to be where this new development is. However, it will reduce our daily commute to work by at least 15 minutes because of the location.

How many bedrooms? It has 4 bedrooms upstairs with the option of adding a fifth in the basement when that is finished. It also has a loft and laundry on the second floor. It's a big open floor plan, which will be great for the necessary multitasking that takes place on a daily basis.

How many bathrooms? It has 2 full bathrooms upstairs and a 1/2 bath on the main floor. We will add a 3/4 bath in the basement when it gets finished. Our current house doesn't have a dedicated master bathroom, but it only shares with one other bedroom on the second floor. The new house has a nice master bathroom with a huge soaking tub. We decided not to upgrade to the one with whirlpool jets - I couldn't think of a single time in the next 5 years when I would have even 10 minutes to sit and relax in a bath. Which reminds me of an amusing exchange I had with the electrician last week when we were doing our "electrical walk-through" - a two-hour session staring at a blueprint of each level of the house deciding where outlets and light switches should go and, of course, finalizing any "options" (read expensive upgrades) we may want. One of those upgrades was a light above the tub, you know, something to set the mood and help me relax, so says the electrician, to which I responded, "did Sean tell you we have three children age three and under? I don't take baths." Although the private master bathroom is a nice feature, I am most excited about the main floor bathroom and the pedestal sink. It's nothing fancy, but I've wanted a pedestal sink in my house for a long time...a dream come true :)

What is the lot like? I'm not sure what the size of the lot is - 1/4 acre maybe? The backyard is mostly flat with a small hill at the back that goes down to a pond. Just beyond the pond is a walking/biking path (one of many that go throughout the development). Just beyond that is a wetland and just beyond that is a farm - this is definitely Jack's favorite feature so far. I'm not sure it will be our favorite feature in the summer when the "farm fragrances" come wafting our way.

I can't think of anything else. If you do have other questions, feel free to post a comment and I'll add it to the list.