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Miami Herald
22-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Tariffs, high building costs, stingy lending make for curious revival of split-levels
With six kids, a housekeeper named Alice and Tiger the dog, the fictitious "Brady Bunch" of the 1970s sitcom filmed in a real-life mid-century California house, a perfectly groovy set for all the shenanigans that made the show so popular. More than 50 years later, that split-level trend is resurfacing, but it's not because of a newfound appreciation for the retro style. President Donald Trump's tariffs - on top of already high construction and borrowing costs - have made the staggered floors of a split-level an affordable design that doesn't sacrifice square footage. The "Brady Bunch" home was a quintessential split-level: semi-open living spaces spread through several off-set levels connected by short flights of stairs. The layout gave it an open feel that became a coveted option for suburban families that aspired to more than their boring, tract-style houses. The initial obsession with splits, however, didn't last long. By the 1980s, buyers started favoring more impressive two-story houses and open-plan ramblers that offered one-level living. Now, the "split" has new life thanks to several Twin Cities builders, who are betting a variation of that "Brady Bunch" house called a split-entry will help attract a new generation of budget-conscious buyers. "We went several years without building any," said Dale Wills, the owner and founder of Centra Homes. "They're a major focus for us right now, and there's a good reason for it." Split-entry plans, which typically have a foyer positioned between an upper and lower level, are the most common splits in the metro. Once inside the front entry, there's a few stairs going up and a few heading down to an only half-buried lower level. Centra, a Twin Cities-based company that caters to entry-level buyers, started doubling down on splits when mortgage rates began rising in 2022, Wills said. And now, with house prices already at record highs and pending tariffs on building materials threatening to add tens of thousands of dollars to a new home's cost, the plan has become even more relevant. Last month, the median price of all home sales nearly breached $400,000, while the price of a new single-family house in the Twin Cities topped $540,000, according to a new report from the Minnesota Realtors. The report also said a new house typically fetches a nearly 45% premium compared to an existing one. With buyers still outnumbering sellers in some parts of the metro, builders are especially eager to attract first-time buyers like Kyleigh Besta and Michael Smith. Besta said she and Smith, her fiancé, were originally shopping for an inexpensive, older house they could fix up and eventually flip. But they realized the cost of buying a new house was comparable to that of a used one. So they recently bought a split-entry house within a Centra development called Fox Run in North Branch, Minnesota. Single-family splits there are now priced at $342,000 to $369,900, a sweet spot for first-timers. "We found a new home that we could put equity in," she said. "And it had almost everything we wanted upstairs." The equity opportunity is on the unfinished lower level, which will nearly double the living space once the couple completes it. Because their lower level has foundation walls only half as high as a traditional basement, which is nearly fully underground, the floor has large, full-size windows. Smaller, egress-style windows often make stereotypical basements "feel more like a dungeon," Besta said. The discount on such splits can vary dramatically depending on the floor plan and location. Builders said they can be less expensive to construct because they're a quicker build, which brings down labor costs. They also tend to have a more compact footprint, reducing building materials. Centra's split-level Maple plan costs about $211,949 to build compared to $228,696 for its single-level Pine plan with a full basement. That's a savings of nearly $17,000, or about 8% less in hard construction totals alone, not including the land and other costs, Wills said. Including the typical builder markup, the retail difference is nearly $20,000. Wills said that's a meaningful gap for current buyers, especially those trying to stay under financing thresholds or looking to avoid high monthly payments. "In today's market, affordability and efficiency are driving consumer behavior," Wills said. "The split-entry home has emerged as a clear winner on both fronts." Splits with a finished basement, Wills said, often provide more than 2,400 square feet of space, but they also offer buyers more flexibility than other floorplans. "Many buyers love that splits can offer the feel of a two-story in a smaller package," he said. "With multi-level separation, that works well for today's families." Plus, because a split tends to have a tighter footprint, they can also fit on smaller, less-expensive lots. Peter Barile is a Twin Cities sales agent who is also on the board of the local chapter of Docomomo, a nonprofit devoted to modern design that has organized tours of architecturally significant split levels. He said the onus for many of those on-display splits, including the one he lives in, was to take advantage of relatively "unbuildable" lots. Sloped land or areas with a high water table that wouldn't be suitable to a full basement, for example, also tend to be less expensive. Lennar, the nation's largest homebuilder, has a split-entry plan in Zimmerman, Minnesota, with three bedrooms on the upper level and two bedrooms on the lower, listed for $369,783. And regional builder Capstone Homes is offering what it calls a "budget-friendly split-level" plan at its Pine Vale project in Somerset, Wisconsin. A five-bedroom house there with nearly 2,300 square feet is on the market for $419,900. At Anna's Acres in Otsego, Minnesota, the company is selling a nearly 2,900-square-foot, five-bedroom split-level for $469,900. Splits are a trend "primarily driven by cost," per Zach Adams, the owner of Wright Sherburne Realty and vice president of sales for Centra. When he started selling new houses in 2000, the split-entry was prevalent but eventually went out of favor with buyers. "Some just don't want it," he said. "They want to come in (the front door) and live on the main level." Adams said today, with so many buyers focused solely on price, a home's floorplan becomes a secondary issue. He also knows firsthand the appeal of multi-level living - he owned one in the early 2000s. "My first house was a split," he said. "Now they're coming back." Amanda Zielike, founder of an interactive website devoted to house histories called HouseNovel, said she isn't surprised at the split's return. "It makes sense that more split-entry homes are being developed than split-levels, since they're likely less complex and more cost-effective to construct," she said. In the middle of the past century, when splits peaked in popularity, Zielike said they were a go-to plan for builders looking to offer more space and flexibility. Buyers also loved the layout. It efficiently separated everyday living into distinct zones that reflected the lifestyle of the mid-century American family, which also wanted both openness and privacy in a modest footprint. "While they don't often get the same nostalgic fanfare as Victorians or Craftsmans, they have a surprisingly unique history," she said. "It's been interesting to see them quietly making a comeback and re-entering conversations about practical and affordable housing." Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TopLine Financial Credit Union Receives Statewide Recognition for Member Service Initiatives
TopLine receives MnCUN's Louise Herring Philosophy-in-Action Member Service Award TopLine Financial Credit Union Receives Statewide Recognition For Member Service Initiatives MAPLE GROVE, Minn., May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TopLine Financial Credit Union, a Twin Cities-based member-owned financial services cooperative, was named winner of the Louise Herring Philosophy-in-Action Member Service Award, sponsored by the Minnesota Credit Union Network (MnCUN). The Louise Herring award recognizes credit unions that demonstrate in an extraordinary way the practical application of the movement's principles in serving their members. Topline was awarded in the Louise Herring Category for the credit union's partnership with Rondo Community Land Trust (RCLT), a non-profit in St. Paul, to help make homeownership more affordable for individuals and families earning low-to-moderate incomes, and to preserve affordability for small businesses operated by people of color and non-profits at risk of displacement from rising rents. TopLine joined forces with Rondo Community Land Trust as the first credit union to be one of their approved mortgage lenders for their Homebuyer Initiated Program (HIP). This program assists home buyers at or below 80% area median income (AMI) to purchase and make repairs on a single-family home (including duplexes) in St. Paul or Suburban Ramsey County. 'We are honored to be recognized for our partnership with Rondo Community Land Trust,' said Mick Olson, TopLine Financial Credit Union President and CEO. 'We are committed to building strong connections with nonprofit community partners such as RCLT. By working together, we can drive economic growth and diversity, promote financial inclusion and access, and help more individuals achieve their financial dream of homeownership." The Minnesota Credit Union Network is the statewide trade association that works to ensure the success, growth and vitality of Minnesota credit unions. For more information, visit Rondo Community Land Trust (CLT) is a community based affordable housing and commercial land trust operating in St. Paul and Suburban Ramsey County. For more information, visit TopLine Financial Credit Union, a Twin Cities-based credit union, is Minnesota's 9th largest credit union, with assets of over $1.1 billion and serves over 70,000 members. Established in 1935, the not-for-profit financial cooperative offers a complete line of financial services from its ten branch locations — in Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Champlin, Circle Pines, Coon Rapids, Forest Lake, Maple Grove, Plymouth, St. Francis and in St. Paul's Como Park — as well as by phone and online at or Membership is available to anyone who lives, works, worships, attends school or volunteers in Anoka, Benton, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Pine, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Washington and Wright counties in Minnesota and their immediate family members, as well as employees and retirees of Anoka Hennepin School District #11, Anoka Technical College, Federal Premium Ammunition, Hoffman Enclosures, Inc., GRACO, Inc., and their subsidiaries. Visit us on our Facebook or Instagram. To learn more about the credit union's foundation, visit CONTACT:Vicki Roscoe EricksonSenior Vice President and Chief Marketing OfficerTopLine Financial Credit Unionverickson@ | 763.391.0872 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Longtime manager is new owner of Rochester's Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que
Apr. 23—ROCHESTER — After working there for 12 years and managing it for eight, Misty Ball is now the local owner of Rochester's Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que restaurant. Misty and Scott Ball took over ownership of the 27-year-old restaurant at 431 16th Ave. NW on April 1. She stresses that it is now a local family-owned eatery. "We are locally owned. We are right here. We spend money in the community. It's a franchise, but it is a small business to us," she said. "This is our one and only place, just like a mom-and-pop shop." When the Twin Cities-based owner decided to retire and asked his general manager if she would like to buy it. "Of course, I said, 'Yes,'" said Ball. To celebrate the the change, Famous Dave's is hosting a grand opening event on Sunday. The Balls now own the restaurant, which leases the building from the Utah-based Reagan family. The Reagan family, which also owns Reagan Outdoor Advertising, purchased the Famous Dave's building and the adjacent Med City Inn & Suites for $4.25 million in 2023. Famous Dave's built and opened the 7,800-square-foot restaurant in 1998 as a corporate-owned location. It was later sold to an original employee of the location as a franchisee. The brand now has 12 locations in Minnesota. Since Ball has managed the restaurant for many years, she doesn't have any immediate changes planned other than a refresh of the patio and working to grow the catering side of the business. She's keeping her current team of 25 employees in place. The menu with its pit-smoked barbecue ribs will not change, though Ball is considering bringing back some popular items in the future. She believes this change will be a benefit when dealing with customers. "Now I can say, 'My name is Missy. I'm the owner. Let me help you with this problem, or let me help you with your catering,'" said Ball.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Yahoo
Suspect arrested after incident outside UnitedHealthcare in Minnetonka
A suspect is in custody following an incident that sparked a major police response at the UnitedHealthcare campus in Minnetonka on Monday. In a post on X shortly after noon, the Minnetonka Police Department said the suspect was "taken into custody without incident" outside of the corporate offices. Police have not yet commented on the nature of the incident, during which law enforcement block roads surrounding the campus. Road closures surrounding the campus were lifted shortly after noon as police began leaving the scene. "There is not threat to the public," the Minnetonka Police Department wrote on X. "We are continuing to clear the scene at this time." The Twin Cities-based health insurance giant has significantly heightened security at its offices since the killing of the company's chief executive officer, Brian Thompson, in early December. Last month, 5 INVESTIGATES reported the company had paid nearly $150,000 for police to work contracted overtime at its headquarters as it remains on high alert following Thompson's killing, which police described as a "brazen, targeted attack." This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. Note: The details provided in this story are based on law enforcement's latest version of events, and may be subject to change.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Canada releases early findings on Delta flight from MSP that crashed in Toronto
A preliminary report released by the Canadian government has revealed the Delta Connection plane from the Twin Cities that crashed on landing in Toronto had warned pilots of a rapid descent, with its landing gear then breaking upon touchdown. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada issued its report on the Feb. 17 crash on Thursday, with investigators using a simulator and examining parts of the wreckage to determine their findings. The CRJ-900 plane, which was operated by Twin Cities-based Delta subsidiary Endeavor Air, flipped onto its roof upon landing at Toronto-Pearson International. According to the report, the plane's enhanced ground proximity warning system alerted pilots of a fast rate of descent around three seconds before landing. The report found that part of the plane's right landing gear fractured and folded just after touching down. The right wing also fractured, releasing a cloud of jet fuel that caught fire. The plane then began to slide along the runway, flipping upside down. The plane came to a rest while passengers and crew were upside down and suspended by their seatbelts. All 80 of the plane's passengers and crew survived. Of those on board, 21 suffered injuries, including two with serious injuries. All passengers were released from the hospital within days of the crash. The full investigation is ongoing, according to TSB. The 76 passengers on board have all been offered $30,000 payment from Delta, but a number of Canadian passengers are suing Delta for gross negligence, alleging its crew "failed to observe the most fundamental procedures for a landing approach into Pearson" and "failed to appropriately monitor flight conditions on approach." There were windy conditions in Toronto at the time of the landing, with the city having also experienced heavy snow in the days that preceded it. Following the crash, Delta CEO Ed Bastian praised the four-person crew for getting all passengers off the plane safely.
