---

WALKER - Cass County home sales so far in 2010 have increased in number and average value about 9 percent, according to Penny Vikre, assessing department appraisal supervisor.

The average Cass County home selling price ran $204,600 in 2009. The average home selling price is $223,000 this year, she reported Tuesday to the county board.

Through June this year, 221 homes have sold. The total for all of 2009 was 570 sales. Both figures are down significantly from the 1,581 homes sold in 2004.

The number of foreclosures (including cancellation of contracts for deed) also is up this year. There were 42 foreclosures the second quarter of 2008 and 2009. This year from April through June there were 51.

Foreclosed properties have shifted more from homesteaded properties to recreational cabins, according to Vikre.

[[In-content Ad]]In 2008, 26 foreclosed homes were homesteaded and 15 were non-homestead during the second quarter of the year. The numbers were close to equal in 2009, with 18 homesteads and 22 non-homestead. This year, 14 foreclosed properties were homesteaded and 30 were non-homestead.

No agricultural properties went into foreclosure the second quarter of 2008 or 2009, but four did this year.

Properties foreclosed upon have predominantly been valued $400,000 or less in those three years, but the number valued above $200,000 has increased each year.

The number of lakeshore properties experiencing foreclosure has increased annually, with 10 the second quarter of 2008, 13 in 2009 and 17 in 2010.

Chief Financial Officer Larry Wolfe reported to the board Cass will receive $964,574.60 state payment in lieu of taxes this year. Of that, $158,270.56 goes to the county's natural resource development fund, $51,347.77 goes to townships and $754,956.27 goes to the county general fund. This year's total is down slightly from the $965,882.79 Cass received in 2009.

Cass also received a $157,547.25 state public hunting lands payment in lieu of tax. Of that, $105,023.72 goes to the county general fund, $5,564.44 to unorganized townships, $19,070.42 to organized townships containing state hunting land and $27,888.67 to school districts.

Yochum reported county will receive a $290,042 dividend from Minnesota Counties Intergovernmental Trust insurance program due to the member counties filing low claims against the fund for property and casualty and workers' compensation.

The board designated Chairman Jim Demgen to approve and sign the county emergency management plan Emergency Services Director Kerry Swenson recently updated.

---