The story
The goal
After their first child, the family wanted a home that would work for years, not one they would outgrow soon. Prior Lake appealed because a brother and other family lived nearby, and they wanted multiple acres while staying within reach of the Twin Cities.
The challenge
Finding the house and the land together was the hard part. Some homes they liked were well above budget. Others had acreage but an older house needing major work, or no house at all.
The approach
CJ Norman toured multiple properties with the buyers and helped them weigh house condition, lot, location, and price together, since a large lot alone would not solve the problem.
Once they found the right fit, CJ negotiated the purchase and, after inspection, secured a seller credit for several findings instead of seller-completed repairs.
Because the buyers did not need to sell first, CJ also helped set a fair market rent for their previous home, and coordinated the sellers' furniture sale with the listing agent.
The result
The family bought a four-bedroom, four-bath home with 4,375 total square feet, five garage stalls, and 3.36 acres in Prior Lake. They gained space near family, time to move gradually, and the option to rent their former home.
“When buying acreage, deciding how much work to take on matters as much as deciding how much land to buy.”Read the original case study on Norman Homes