Battle Creek

Architectural Style – Split-Level

Split-level architecture is such a popular style, there are probably few if any neighborhoods to be found without at least one of this type of home.  This is especially true since it was popular during the boom period of 1945 to the 1980s.  A Split-Level is a Ranch Style house that is divided into several parts, which is also why it’s often called a Split-Level Ranch. One section of the house is lowered and one section is raised, and there are usually two short flights of stairs to get to each section.  In the most popular form of this style of home, the front door opens to a landing where one finds two short flights of stairs, one leading up and one leading down.  Split-level design reflects an approach popularized by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who believed that houses with "half floors" would blend naturally with the landscape. Living areas are separated from private areas by just a few steps, rather than a single long staircase. ...

Saint Paul Real Estate Market Analysis February 2009

New posted listings for homes in St. Paul, Minnesota, decreased in February according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors’ Market Update for 100 Twin Cities Communities.  Throughout the month, there were 480 new listings in Saint Paul, compared to the 602 homes put up on the market during February 2008.  That is a decrease of -20.3%.  Comparatively, there were 548 new listings in January 2009.  The Merriam Park and West 7th saw increases in posted new listings, while the other St. Paul neighborhoods saw their listings decrease. Here is a breakdown of new listings by Saint Paul neighborhood:

Como 27 (-25.0%)
Crocus Hill 32 (-31.9%)
Downtown Saint Paul 34 (-41.4%)
East Side 111 (-3.5%)
Highland Park 35 (-16.7%)
Mac-Groveland 22 (-15.4%)
Merriam Park 14 (+27.3%)
North End/Frogtown 65 (-4.4%)
Phalen 60 (-33.3%)
Southeast 20 (-20.0%)
St. Anthony/Midway 15 (-54.5%)...

Saint Paul Real Estate Market Analysis January 2009

The first St. Paul real estate market analysis for the year of 2009! New posted listings for homes in St. Paul, Minnesota, decreased in January according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors’ Market Update for 100 Twin Cities Communities.  During the month, there were 548 new listings in Saint Paul, compared to the 562 homes put up on the market during January 2008.  That is a decrease of just -2.5%.  It was a mixed bag when the posted new listings are broken out by neighborhood, as some big increases while others saw decreases. Here is a breakdown of new listings by Saint Paul neighborhood:

Como 29 (-14.7%)
Crocus Hill 38 (-29.6%)
Downtown Saint Paul 32 (-45.8%)
East Side 138 (+26.6%)
Highland Park 36 (+9.1%)
Mac-Groveland 24 (-27.3%)
Merriam Park 14 (+16.7%)
North End/Frogtown 64 (-13.5%)
Phalen 84 (+16.7%)
Southeast 11 (-21.4%)
St. Anthony/Midway 27 (+3.8%)...

Saint Paul Real Estate Market Analysis: December 2008

The last St. Paul real estate market analysis for the year of 2008.  Let’s get it done!  New posted listings for homes in St. Paul, Minnesota, increased in December according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors’ Market Update for 100 Twin Cities Communities.  During December, there were 399 new listings in St. Paul, compared to the 351 homes put up on the market during the same month of 2007.  That is an increase of about +13.7%.  Unlike November, lots of neighborhoods saw increases in new listings.  The increase in new listings is a little unusual, given that December is so full of holidays. Here is a breakdown of new listings by Saint Paul neighborhood:  (Barker & Hedges blog entry about November 2008 St. Paul Real Estate Market Activity.)

Como 13 (+18.2%)
Crocus Hill 23 (+4.5%)
Downtown Saint Paul 17 (+21.4%)
East Side 104 (+25.3%)
Highland Park 16 (-5.9%)
Mac-Groveland...

Saint Paul Real Estate Market Analysis: November 2008

New posted listings for homes in St. Paul, Minnesota, decreased in November according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors’ Market Update for 100 Twin Cities Communities.  During that month, there were 398 new listings in St. Paul.  In November the previous year, there were 481 new listings.  That is a reduction of about -17.3%.  The only neighborhoods which saw increases in new listings were the Phalen and Merriam Park neighborhoods of Saint Paul.  A decrease in new listings is to be expected now as the winter season really starts kicking up snow.  (Barker & Hedges blog entry about October 2008 St. Paul Real Estate Market Activity.)

Como 18 (-25.0%)
Crocus Hill 22 (-12.0%)
Downtown Saint Paul 14 (-33.3%)
East Side 98 (-28.5%)
Highland Park 23 (-43.9%)
Mac-Groveland 21 (-12.5%)
Merriam Park 17 (+54.5%)
North End/Frogtown 56 (-0.0%)
Phalen 60 (+1.7%)
Southeast...

Saint Paul Real Estate Market Analysis: October 2008

New posted listings for homes in St. Paul, Minnesota, fell in the month of October according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors’ Market Update for 100 Twin Cities Communities.  During October, there were 515 new listings in St. Paul.  In October of 2007, there were 603 new listings.  That is a reduction of about -14.6%.  There were too many neighborhoods to list here that experienced declines of 20% to over 45%.  The only neighborhoods which saw significant increases in new listings were the Phalen and Merriam Park neighborhoods of Saint Paul.  (Barker & Hedges blog entry about September 2008 St. Paul Real Estate Market Activity.)

Como 31 (-6.1%)
Crocus Hill 40 (-35.5%)
Downtown Saint Paul 21 (-46.2%)
East Side 132 (+0.8%)
Highland Park 25 (-26.5%)
Mac-Groveland 22 (-47.6%)
Merriam Park 12 (+20.0%)
North End/Frogtown 56 (-29.1%)
Phalen 83 (+23.9%)
Southeast 12...

Saint Paul Real Estate Market Analysis: September 2008

In a change to what we have seen in previous months, new listings for homes in Saint Paul, Minnesota, rose during September according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors’ Market Update for 100 Twin Cities Communities.  Throughout the month, there were 621 new listings in St. Paul.  During September of 2007, there were 602 new listings.  That adds up to an increase of about +3.2%!  It may be small, but it is something.  The Phalen and Highland Park neighborhoods of Saint Paul saw the greatest boost in new listings during September at +44.3% and +32.4% respectively.  Conversely, the West 7th and Merriam Park neighborhoods saw decreases in new listings during September of -45.0% and -50.0% respectively.  (Barker & Hedges blog entry about August 2008 St. Paul Real Estate Market Activity.)

Como 31 (-24.4%)
Crocus Hill 42 (-26.3%)
Downtown Saint Paul 25 (-19.4%)
East Side 139 (+23.0%)
Highland Park...

Saint Paul Real Estate Market Analysis: August 2008

As we have seen in months previous, new listings for homes fell in Saint Paul, Minnesota, once again during August, according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors’ Market Update for 100 Twin Cities Communities.  During the month of August this year, there were 553 new listings in St. Paul.  Throughout August of last year, there were 641 new listings, a decrease of about -13.7%.  This is similar to July's drop in new listings of -13.6%. The Como / Como Park neighborhood of Saint Paul encountered the greatest reduction in new listings during August at -32.5%.  The only neighborhood to have an increase in new listings in August compared to last year was Merriam Park, where listings rose 6.7%.  (To see a Barker & Hedges blog entry about July 2008 St. Paul Market Activity, please click here.)

Como 27 (-32.5%)
Crocus Hill 41 (-0.0%)
Downtown Saint Paul 29 (-21.6%)
East Side 113 (-15.0%)
Highland Park 42 (-4.5%)...

Saint Paul’s Sunray-Battlecreek-Highwood Neighborhood Highlights

The Battle Creek, Highwood and Sunray neighborhoods occupy the southeast corner of the City of St. Paul. The borders are created by Minnehaha Avenue to the north, McKnight Road to the east, the Mississippi River to the south, and Hazelwood Street, Birmingham Street and Warner Road to the west.

The Sunray-Battlecreek area was mostly undeveloped until after the end of World War II due to the steep, thickly wooded bluffs east of Highway 61 and the substantial expanses of marsh land surrounding Pig’s Eye Lake.  The exception to this was the Highwood area, where in the late 1880’s a fruitless effort was made to develop a commuter suburb.  There are still some unique Queen Anne and shingle style homes from this era along Point Douglas Road and East Howard Avenue.

For the most part, many of the houses within St. Paul’s Sunray-Battlecreek-Highwood neighborhoods were built during the 1970s or later.  The homes were built to house the employees of Minnesota’s...