We buy houses in Minnetonka, MN

What is different about selling in Minnetonka?

Minnetonka is a west side suburb about ten miles from downtown Minneapolis, and it includes the eastern tip of Lake Minnetonka. The Dakota saw the lake and the land around it as sacred. Settlement began in 1852 with a sawmill on Minnehaha Creek, and the community around it, Minnetonka Mills, was the first permanent European American settlement west of Minneapolis in Hennepin County. The city was incorporated in 1956, and it has shifted from farms and mills to a mostly residential suburb.

Minnetonka homes are spread across a wide area, from places near the lake to creekside lots and neighborhood streets. The bigger the house, the longer the list of things a buyer will want fixed, and that is where an as is sale helps.

How does the legal side work here?

Minnetonka is in Hennepin County, so probate cases are filed in Hennepin County District Court at the Government Center in downtown Minneapolis, and deeds are recorded with the county's Recorder and Registrar of Titles office. Since February 2024 the city has required rental owners to register their rentals each year, and the rule covers single family homes, duplexes and triplexes. Minneapolis requires an inspection before a sale, so ask the city or your title company what applies to your Minnetonka address.

Neighborhoods and areas in Minnetonka

Minnetonka Mills. A settlement that grew around an 1852 sawmill on Minnehaha Creek and was the area's trading center until the 1870s.

Lake Minnetonka. One of the largest lakes in Minnesota, and the city covers its eastern tip.

Minnehaha Creek. The outlet of the lake, which winds through south Minneapolis and over Minnehaha Falls to the Mississippi River.

The Burwell House. A Victorian home owned by the city that is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Minnetonka Town Hall. Built in 1906 and also on the National Register of Historic Places.

Ridgedale. Where the headquarters of the Hennepin County Library sits.

Three school districts. Parts of the city are served by the Hopkins, Minnetonka and Wayzata school districts.

Three school districts in one city

Minnetonka is split among the Hopkins, Minnetonka and Wayzata school districts. Which one serves your house depends on the street, and it matters to a lot of buyers. If you are not sure which district you are in, the county tax record and the district can tell you.

We do not make you pick a buyer by school boundary. We look at the house, the lot and the shape it is in. If a district is one of the reasons you are selling or staying, tell us that too.

Lakeside and creekside homes

Not every Minnetonka home is on the big lake, but water is part of the city. Homes near Lake Minnetonka and along Minnehaha Creek can come with docks, seawalls, drainage questions and older shoreline work. Some are large houses that cost a lot to keep up.

If your place has any of that, tell us. We buy the house as it is, and we plan for the work. You do not have to fix a dock or a retaining wall before you sell.

Older farmhouses and the Minnetonka Mills area

The oldest part of the city is around Minnetonka Mills, where a sawmill started the community in 1852. Any older house on a bigger lot is lovely and costly. Older wiring, older heating and older plumbing are the usual list.

If your home has any of that, we are fine with it. We buy it as it is.

Rental registration in Minnetonka

The city adopted a rental registration rule in December 2023, and it took effect in February 2024. Owners register each rental unit, and the certificate has to be renewed every year. For single family homes, duplexes and triplexes, each unit is registered on its own.

If you own a rental house in Minnetonka, or you inherited one with a tenant in it, we buy with tenants in place. You do not need to end the lease. Tell us about the tenants, the rent and the registration when we talk.

A family home or a big house to sort out

When a parent passes, the family may be left with a large house that needs a lot. A Minnesota court has to name someone to act for the estate before a sale can close, and in Hennepin County that goes through the probate court in downtown Minneapolis. You can ask us for an offer before it is done, and you do not need to clear the house out.

The same goes for owners who want to downsize from a big place and do not want months of showings.

When listing in Minnetonka may be the better move

If your house is updated, sits in a district buyers ask for, or has a lake view, an agent may get you more than we can. A house like that can bring a lot of interest, and you may be glad to wait for the right offer.

A direct sale is better when you want a firm date, the house needs work, or you do not want to deal with showings. We will tell you straight which path we think fits you.

Related reading: Selling an inherited house in the Twin Cities and Selling a rental house with tenants in place. Also see Selling an inherited house in Minnesota: where to start.