What new construction communities are available near the Twin Cities?

Near the Twin Cities, two new-construction developments Katie Duerfeldt is currently working in are Pine Crest Estates in the Big Lake / Orrock area and The Preserve at Lake John in Annandale. Both are builder developments where you can build a new home on an available home site rather than buy a finished resale home. Beyond those two, Katie's broader new-build focus across the northwest metro includes Brooklyn Park, Big Lake, and Zimmerman. Availability in active developments changes quickly, so treat the details here as a starting point and ask Katie for the current home sites, plans, and pricing before you plan around a specific lot.

Pine Crest Estates — Big Lake / Orrock Area

Pine Crest Estates is a new-construction community in the Big Lake / Orrock Township area, northwest of the Twin Cities. Katie describes it as a wooded setting on larger lots, and availability there may be limited — so if it's of interest, it's worth asking her to confirm the current home sites before you plan around a particular one. The surrounding Big Lake area sits roughly 41 miles northwest of Minneapolis along Big and Mitchell Lakes, near the Sand Dunes State Forest, with everyday shopping and dining and a commute back toward the metro. To understand how a build there would work, see building with Price Homes in Minnesota.

The Preserve at Lake John — Annandale

The Preserve at Lake John is a new-construction development in Annandale, west of the Twin Cities. It's an open builder development, which means buyers can build a new home on available home sites within it rather than choosing only from finished homes. As with any active development, the available lots, floor plans, and pricing shift over time, so the right move is to ask Katie what's currently available and which plans suit the sites that are open. If you're weighing this against building on land you already own, see who new construction is right for in Minnesota, which covers build-on-your-lot vs. a builder community.

Katie's Broader New-Build Focus Areas

Beyond those two named developments, Katie actively works new construction across several northwest-metro communities:

  • Brooklyn Park — an established northwest-suburb market with ongoing new-build activity and an easy commute into Minneapolis.
  • Big Lake — a growing community along Big and Mitchell Lakes, about 41 miles northwest of Minneapolis and roughly 30 miles south of St. Cloud, with new construction in and around it (including Pine Crest Estates).
  • Zimmerman — a northwest-metro community along the Highway 169 corridor with newer-construction inventory and room to grow.

These are areas Katie focuses her new-construction work, not a list of specific listings — the available homes and lots in each change continually. For the current picture in any of them, the fastest path is to ask Katie directly.

How to Use This List

Active developments move fast: lots get spoken for, new phases open, and pricing changes with the market and the builder's inventory. So treat Pine Crest Estates, The Preserve at Lake John, and the Brooklyn Park / Big Lake / Zimmerman focus areas as a starting map, not a fixed menu. Before you fall in love with a specific lot or plan, have Katie pull current availability and walk you through which sites and floor plans actually fit your budget and timeline. If you're still deciding whether new construction is right at all, start with who new construction is right for in Minnesota; if you're ready to understand the build itself, see building with Price Homes.

FAQ

Common questions

What new construction communities are available near the Twin Cities?

Two new-construction developments Katie Duerfeldt is currently working in are Pine Crest Estates in the Big Lake / Orrock area and The Preserve at Lake John in Annandale. Both let you build a new home on an available home site rather than buy a finished resale home. Beyond those, Katie's broader new-build focus across the northwest metro includes Brooklyn Park, Big Lake, and Zimmerman. Because availability changes quickly, ask Katie for the current home sites, plans, and pricing.

Where is Pine Crest Estates?

Pine Crest Estates is a new-construction community in the Big Lake / Orrock Township area, northwest of the Twin Cities. The surrounding Big Lake area sits roughly 41 miles northwest of Minneapolis along Big and Mitchell Lakes, near the Sand Dunes State Forest. Katie describes Pine Crest as a wooded setting on larger lots, and availability there may be limited — so it's best to ask her to confirm the current home sites and the exact community name before planning around a specific lot.

Are there only a few lots left at Pine Crest Estates?

Katie has described availability at Pine Crest Estates as limited, but availability in any active development changes quickly and the specifics aren't something to plan around without confirmation. The best move is to ask Katie for the current home-site availability before you commit to a particular lot.

Does Pine Crest Estates have lake access?

That isn't something to assume. While the broader Big Lake area sits along Big and Mitchell Lakes, lake access for a specific community or lot is a detail to confirm directly with Katie rather than take for granted. Ask her about the particular site you're considering.

What is The Preserve at Lake John?

The Preserve at Lake John is a new-construction development in Annandale, west of the Twin Cities. It's an open builder development, meaning buyers can build a new home on available home sites within it rather than choosing only from finished homes. The available lots, floor plans, and pricing change over time, so ask Katie what's currently available and which plans suit the open sites.

Where is The Preserve at Lake John located?

The Preserve at Lake John is in Annandale, Minnesota, west of the Twin Cities metro. It's a builder development where new homes are built on available home sites. For current availability and which floor plans fit the open lots, ask Katie.

What other areas does Katie focus new construction in?

Beyond Pine Crest Estates and The Preserve at Lake John, Katie actively works new construction in Brooklyn Park (an established northwest suburb with ongoing new-build activity), Big Lake (a growing community along Big and Mitchell Lakes), and Zimmerman (a northwest-metro community along the Highway 169 corridor). These are focus areas rather than specific listings — the available homes and lots in each change continually.

Can I build on my own lot instead of in one of these communities?

Yes. If you already own land, many Minnesota builders — including Price Homes — offer build-on-your-lot, so you're not limited to a builder community. The choice between building on your own lot and choosing a home site in a development like Pine Crest Estates or The Preserve at Lake John comes down to cost, timeline, and lot work. Katie can walk through the trade-offs; her page on who new construction is right for covers build-on-your-lot vs. a builder community.

How do I find out what's actually available right now?

Ask Katie directly. Active developments move fast — lots get spoken for, new phases open, and pricing shifts with the market and the builder's inventory. Pine Crest Estates, The Preserve at Lake John, and the Brooklyn Park / Big Lake / Zimmerman focus areas are a starting map, not a fixed menu. Katie can pull current availability and walk you through which sites and floor plans fit your budget and timeline.

Building in Minnesota?

Tell me what you are planning and I will walk you through it.