Unfortunately, the easiest way to add insulation to just about any place in your home is to install fiberglass batts.  Fiberglass batts are typically the worst insulation for any job, as I complained about in a recent blog.  I mentioned at that time that I would follow up with a blog about the other choices of insulation.  Today I'm going to discuss several different types of attic insulation. The best way to insulate an attic or pretty much anything else in a home is to use spray foam insulation. There are two types of spray foam insulation; open cell and closed cell. I've also heard people call them 'half pound' and 'two pound' foams, respectively.  Open cell foam has an insulation value of up to R-3.9 / inch, while closed cell has an insulation value of up to R-6.9 / inch.  Closed c... 03/28/2011

Edinborough Park Playpark in Edina is almost an acre of indoor fun, highlighted by Adventure Peak... a great resource for things to do with kids in our land of changeable weather!   It's a popular family destination for good reason. With a 30-foot climbing tree, 4 giant tube slides plus a triple wave slide and new super slide down from the lookout, "The Peak" is climbing, crawling, sliding adventure that can occupy children and their families for hours regardless of the weather! It also has a toddler area for small tots, an inflatable air bounce and a large open gym play area overlooking the indoor swimming pool which is also part of the park.   A $6 kid pass is good for the whole day in Adventure Peak, with come and go privileges. No charge for adults with kids, who are invited to join... 03/27/2011

Fiberglass batts are a poor choice of insulation for most applications, yet this still seems to be the insulation of choice for most handy homeowners.  I'm been complaining about fiberglass batts for a while now, and for good reason. Fiberglass batts are more expensive.  I stopped by the Maple Grove Home Depot and compared the prices of unfaced fiberglass batts, loose fill fiberglass, and cellulose.  Here's what I found: $0.93 / square foot for R38 Fiberglass Batts $0.56 / square foot for R38 Loose Fill Fiberglass $0.30 / square foot for R38 Cellulose Side note:   Comparing prices at Home Depot was a pain in the butt.  Are they doing this on purpose?  The sign on the fiberglass batts said "That's only $0.93 sq. ft."   Yes, for R38... perfect.  But then the sign on a bag of loose fill f... 03/21/2011

The City of Edina The City of Edina is a first-ring suburb located immediately southwest of Minneapolis with a population of 47,425 at the 2000 census, the City of Edina grown from a village of mostly Scottish and Irish immigrants to a full service metropolitan community with now more than 95 percent developed, many major highways run through or are close to the City of Edina, making it accessible to those within the metropolitan area, the City of Edina is home to many people who could be described as “urban sophisticated”, people who are educated, wealthy and love art. The City of Edina offers a very good education opportunity with Edina High School is often listed in the top 100 schools in the U.S. in academics, the City of Edina has numerous retail shopping centers, including Southda... 03/19/2011

Edina School District is making strides in their effort to make the schools in Edina more eco-friendly. Edina High School students are also doing their part by helping to collect things such as paper, plastic bottles, and cans that can be recycled. In 2008 the district began its efforts to go green by creating the Go Green Committee which includes students, parents, staff, and community representatives. The committee has already made changes to the cleaning materials that are used throughout the school. Less toxic cleaning solutions are now used throughout nine of the schools in Edina.At a recent Edina School Board meeting the board considered a new environmental resource management policy that will be brought back before the board at a later date for action. The policy reemphasizes Edi... 03/07/2011

Edina, Minnesota The community of Edina, MN is committed to creating positive futures for its youth.   Edina Public Schools has joined forces with the City of Edina, families, businesses, the medical community, the faith community and its residents to build support around youth needs. The joint venture, Connecting With Kids, was formed to connect individuals, families, organizations and other resources in Edina to help raise healthy children and develop a healthy community. It is their vision to be a community where all children have the support they need to grow up to be responsible, healthy and caring adults. The Edina City Council appoints students to serve terms on all City Boards and Commissions. In most cases, they are invited to participate as full members, including voting right... 12/27/2010

In today's economy any money savings is good news, and Edina residents will soon have reason to celebrate. Tax payers in Edina will more than likely see a tax break on their city tax bill. At the November 1st City Council work session city leaders proposed an updated budget for the 2011 fiscal year.  The new budget included the lowest property tax increase the city has seen in the last decade.The preliminary 2011 tax levy and budget that was proposed in early September was set at $26.1 million, which was 2.3 percent higher than the current year. Not only was it 2.3 percent higher it was the maximum allowed under the state imposed levy limit. Now the city leaders have reduced the proposed levy to $25.8 million, which is only a 1.1 percent increase from 2010. John Wallin, Finance Director... 11/15/2010

Edina was recently recognized by America's Promise Alliance (The Alliance) as one of the nation's "100 Best Communities For Young People." Edina was named one of the nations "100 Best" as a result of the community wide involvement and commitment in raising healthy young people, while encouraging youth leadership and in turn having high achieving students.  All aspects of the town of Edina work together from families and businesses to help support the city's youth.  "Through its innovative and far-reaching programs, Edina is taking bold and effective steps to help their young people graduate and lead healthy, productive lives," said Marguerite W. Kondracke, America's Promise Alliance president and CEO. " The city of Edina boasts a graduation rate of 98 percent, which proves that the scho... 10/22/2010

http://www.edina.k12.mn.us/news/newsletters/schoolboardupdates/2010-2011/School%20Board%20Update%2009-27-10.pdf 10/12/2010

Twin Cities in Photographs... by Twin Cities Homes for Sale   Centennial Lakes Park in Edina.           Contact Marzena M. Melby, GRI, CDPE, Keller Williams Integrity Realty. Licensed REALTOR® in the state of Minnesota  Visit my website to search homes for sale in the Twin Cities and surrounding areas. Disclaimer: The information provided herein is supplied by several sources and is subject to change without notice. Twin Cities Homes 4 Sale Blog does not guarantee, or is any way responsible for its accuracy, and provides said information without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. Entries on Twin Cities Homes 4 Sale Blog represent the opinions and ideas of the author. Twin Cities Homes 4 Sale Blog does not express the views of Keller Williams Realty, or its other partners... 10/11/2010

Speechless Sunday: Centennial Lakes Park Evening Reflections... by Twin Cities Homes for Sale           Contact Marzena M. Melby, GRI, CDPE, Keller Williams Integrity Realty. Licensed REALTOR® in the state of Minnesota  Visit my website to search homes for sale in the Twin Cities and surrounding areas. Disclaimer: The information provided herein is supplied by several sources and is subject to change without notice. Twin Cities Homes 4 Sale Blog does not guarantee, or is any way responsible for its accuracy, and provides said information without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. Entries on Twin Cities Homes 4 Sale Blog represent the opinions and ideas of the author. Twin Cities Homes 4 Sale Blog does not express the views of Keller Williams Realty, or its other partners... 10/10/2010

Take a look at the link below!  Another great reason why our market values remain in tack even in these economic times!     http://www.americaspromise.org/100Best 09/22/2010

Interactive FloorPlan Presentation 09/17/2010

Edina School Districtis making many technological advances this school year. The school district initiated School View, a new program that allows both parents and students access to real-time attendance and more.  If parents are interested in seeing if their child showed up for school that day they can login to the system and check. All six elementary schools, two middles schools and the high school will have access to the School View program. The goal is to allow this program to enhance parent - teacher communication relationships. Currently, Edine is a system available to parents that allows them to see their children's assignments, tests and other academic activities.  The School View program will work along with Edine, but will provide more up to the minute district information. Sch... 09/16/2010

http://www.edina.k12.mn.us/news/newsletters/schoolboardupdates/2010-2011/School%20Board%20Update%2007-19-10.pdf 09/02/2010

1) Reliance on the tried and true can backfire.  2) Sell the problem. No business buys a solution for a problem they don't have.  3) Every activity worth doing has a learning curve.  4) As the world gets faster, the glacial changes of years and decades are more important, not less. 5) Cultural shifts create long terms evolutionary changes. 6) Being 1st helps in the short run. Being a little more right pays off in the long run. Last is the worst. 7) Build in virality.  8) Subscriptions beat one-off sales.  9) Treat different customers differently.  10) Generate joy. Don't just satisfy a need for a commodity.  11) Plan on remarkable experiences, not remarkable ads.  12) Don't build a fortress of secrets, bet on open.  13) You can get even more done if you give away credit, relentlessly  ... 09/02/2010

After many years of waiting the Black Box Theater at Edina High School has become a reality, but not without the hard work of many volunteers. The theater celebrated its opening night on July 31st with the performance of "Death of a Salesman." A lot of hard work and time went into making this theater useable. In 2003, voters of the Edina School District approved an $85.8 million capital bond that at the time was supposed to include funds to build the Edina Performing Arts Center and the Black Box Theater.  The Edina Performing Arts Center opened as scheduled in 2007, but funds ran short before completion of the Black Box Theater.  The theater room lacked the technical components needed to make it performance ready, and the theater quickly became a staging area for projects that were bei... 08/13/2010

Parents in the Edina area and across the country are busy shopping for school supplies to make sure their children will be ready for the beginning of the school year.  This year Edina parents can also be sure that their children will be receiving some of the best education in the state. The 2009-2010 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment-II scores arrived in July, placing Edina's public school performance almost 20% above the state average. It is an honor for Edina to be amongst the best districts in the state. The Edina School District saw an improvement in its Math proficiency rate and a very slight decline in the reading proficiency rate according to the test scores. The elementary schools showed a noticeable increased in its math proficiency rate of 2% and an unchanged rating in readin... 08/06/2010

HERE IS HOW IT ALL BEGINS!  A BIG HOLE!  THIS WILL BECOME AN AMAZING CUSTOM HOME  SHORTLY! TO FIND OUT HOW TO BUILD YOUR OUR DREAM HOME.... http://www.carlmhansen.com/developments.html     08/02/2010

Last week I had the pleasure to stage this Vacant Condo in Edina, MN. The investor contacted me the previous week to submit a bid and within a few days we had a signed contract. The investor had put in new carpet, counter tops, stainless steel appliances, and lighting and now all it needed was some pizazz. Home Staging provides the wow factor needed to take it from good to great. This previously beautiful but beige home is now beautiful and bold. Don't let your listing be forgotten. Have them professionally staged so the buyer will not only remember it but make an offer!   08/02/2010