The Homes Go Marching One By One

The annual Spring Parade of Homes is bringing your dream homes to life.

We all have some concept of what our dream home is. Whether we’re driving around to browse the grand historic homes of St. Paul or obsessing over the latest show on HGTV, everyone loves imagining their dream home—even if it is pretend.

Well, allow your fantasy take you away with this season’s Parade of Homes. Presented by BATC-Housing First Minnesota, the Parade of Homes takes you on a tour of several neighborhoods, including four dream homes, where you can check out trendy home goods, styles, home features, colors, and more… or just pretend you’ve won the lottery.

Tour-goers are encouraged to experience the value and benefits of new homes and neighborhoods all across the spectrum of price, style, and locations during the tour. They’ll also get to see the latest in home features, finishes, products, and colors for those who just love to see what’s new in home design and décor. All the homes are free to tour, with the exception of four Dream Homes where you’ll be asked to pay a $5 admission at the door. Proceeds from the Dream Homes go to the BATC-Housing First Minnesota Foundation to help them build and remodel homes for veterans and families in need. The tour is a great opportunity to connect with builders and get started planning your next home.

During the final week of the tour, March 29-31, tour-goers can also visit 59 remodeled homes across the metro area to connect with local remodelers and designers.

There are 472 new homes in the Spring Parade of Homes. Homes are open March 2-31, Thursdays through Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. Homes on the tour range in price from $210,000 to $3,570,000, so there really are homes for everyone in the market.

“More than 300 of the homes on this spring’s tour were tested by an independent energy rater and have been assigned a HERS (Home Energy Rating System) rating as a part of the Minnesota Green Path program,” says BATC Communications Manager Katie Elfstrom. “These homes can show visitors a Green Path Home Performance Report (HPR) that graphically explains the home’s energy test results and allow homebuyers to compare expected energy use between homes.”

While the tour is loaded with spring yard inspiration, interior design trends, and spring colors that are affordable to homeowners on any budget, Elfstrom says the dream homes leg of the tour offers just a little bit extra oomph.

“To see outstanding design and craftsmanship, we recommend visiting the four dream homes. These four high-end homes have a $5 admission, which goes to the BATC-Housing First Minnesota Foundation,” she says. “The Foundation builds and remodels homes for veterans, the homeless and others in need, so visiting these homes is a great way to give back to the community!”

This year’s spring dream homes feature a Sustainable 9 Design + Build home in Shakopee, priced at $1.35 million, a City Homes, LLC house in Minneapolis, priced at $1.9 million, a Stonewood, LLC home in Minnetrista, priced at $2.65 million, and a Mark D. Williams Custom Homes build in Medina, priced at $1.6 million.

The Spring Parade of Homes is a great tour that is inclusive to everyone—especially those who need to clear their minds of the winter blues and welcome in some sweet springtime sunshine. Elfstrom says the GLBT community is a big part of the Parade of Homes, especially because many of the designers featured on the tour are in the GLBT community themselves.

“We have several GLBT home designers on the tour. Some homes are pre-sold/custom built for homeowners, but most of the homes are for sale—and none of the homes have been lived in,” she says.

So whether you’re looking for some home design inspiration or just want to tromp around some million-dollar mansions, the Spring Parade of Homes tour should definitely be on your to-do list.

For more information, visit www.paradeofhomes.org.