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Staff writer

If you need advice on a home improvement project you are planning to do, stop by the 12th annual North Suburban Home Improvement Show on Saturday, March 20 at the Andover YMCA/Community Center, 15200 Hanson Blvd. N.W.

There will be 101 vendors to browse during the show, which will last from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the fieldhouse and is free. To see the list of vendors, visit www.NorthSuburbanHomeShow.org.

City staff members from Andover, Anoka, Coon Rapids and Ramsey will be on-hand to answer questions about city building codes. These four cities as well as the Anoka Area Chamber of Commerce sponsor the home show.

Six separate demonstrations will be held on kitchen and bathroom remodeling, indoor air quality, saving money on energy bills, how to prepare for the unexpected and gardening. All of these presentations will also be in the fieldhouse.

The first 300 youth get a free birdhouse that they can put together at the YMCA.

A non-perishable food donation is encouraged to help local food shelves.

Parking spaces will be limited at the Andover YMCA/Community Center because there is a hockey tournament all day and community swim time is from 2 to 7 p.m. This Saturday evening is also community movie night at the YMCA although “Planet 51” will not start until 6 p.m., which is a couple of hours after the home improvement show closes.

There will be overflow parking available at Andover Elementary School. A shuttle bus will drive people from the school to the community center.

There are many different financial assistance programs out there with various standards on household income levels, interest rates, match amounts and pay-back periods. Before starting a project, it would be a good idea to contact city hall.

For starters, a city permit may be required for a project.

Second, many of these financial assistance programs require the homeowner to receive more than one bid from a contractor who is licensed by the state of Minnesota and qualified to work on a project. If you do not apply and receive approval for a financial loan before a project commences, you probably will not be able to ask for funding.

Federal tax credit

If you are concerned about your furnace about to go out or you have been putting off installation of those new windows, it may be time to look at getting this done before the abundance of energy tax credits and rebates from the government and private companies go away.

“Waiting is really not a smart idea at this point,” said Erica Schulte, community relations manager for the Center for Energy and Environment (CEE).

If you complete a high energy efficiency project to replace your furnace, boiler or central air conditioning system or plan to improve insulation, your roof, windows or doors, you could be eligible for a federal tax credit covering 30 percent of the project costs, up to $1,500.

The improvements must be done by the end of 2010 though.

A state energy rebate program covers 35 percent of the cost, but no more than $10,000, for eligible projects, but this fund that once stood at $4 million may well be out of money now. Jim Hasnik of CEE, which administers this rebate program and other loan programs, said last week that funds have probably run out.

Home energy loan

There is a home energy loan program still in play, Hasnik said. The maximum loan amount is $10,000 and there is no maximum household income limit. The interest rate is 5.99 percent and the maximum term is five years. All loans are secured by the mortgage and must be for owner-occupied properties. Up to 49 percent of the home can be used for a home business though.

Eligible projects under the home energy loan program are storm windows, storm doors, furnace, boilers, air conditioning, insulation and water heater. A homeowner must provide bids for each improvement project and close on the loan prior to the project commencing.

Renewable energy

If you are looking to install a small wind turbine system at your home, or a solar or geothermal energy system, look into the renewable energy credit. The tax credit covers up to 30 percent of the project costs and there is no maximum limit. The deadline for eligible projects is not until the end of 2016.

Minnesota homeowners looking to install a solar electric and solar hot water heating system could also apply for a residential solar rebate of up to $10,000.

Residential fuel cell and microturbine system projects are eligible for a tax credit of up to $500. This covers up to 30 percent of the project.

Minnesota Fix-Up

If you have a large project or two, the Minnesota Fix-Up fund may be the way to go. The interest rate of 5.99 percent is the same as the home energy loan, but you have up to 20 years to pay the principal and interest.

Unlike the home energy loan, there is an income limit. Your gross annual household income limit has to be $96,500 or less in order to be eligible.

City help

Financial assistance is not limited to energy improvement projects. It would be worth your time to check with your city to see if they offer any home improvement assistance.

The cities of Anoka, Blaine, Coon Rapids offer home improvement loans at lower interest rates than the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency provides.

For example, the city of Coon Rapids has a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) home improvement loan program that distributed $224,582 to 11 units in 2009, according to Housing and Zoning Coordinator Cheryl Bennett.

Coon Rapids also has a mortgage down-payment assistance program. Funds are provided in the form of a second mortgage, but they must be used in conjunction with an FHA 203K mortgage to purchase a single-family detached home in the city with at least $10,000 in repairs, according to the city of Coon Rapids Web site.

Bennett reported that 19 loans totaling $226,955 were distributed from this fund in 2009.

Kristin DeGrande, Coon Rapids neighborhood coordinator, said these funds have contributed to general improvements done by people looking to stay in their home and not by people looking to “flip a house” and sell it for profit.

Anoka offers home improvement rebates for eligible mechanical, structural and foundation improvement projects on single-family homes built prior to 1970.

To find out more details about the different programs these cities offer and what income requirements are and level of funding you could receive, contact your local city hall.

Furthermore, if you are a resident of Anoka, Blaine or Coon Rapids and need some remodeling advice, CEE will actually send somebody to your home for a free consultation visit. These appointments can be scheduled by calling the CEE office at 612-335-5856.

Call Jim Hasnik of CEE at 612-335-5885 if you have questions about these city programs.



Eric Hagen is at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it