Cabin-like Eden Prairie house in wildlife-filled woods lists for $499,900

Looking out her bedroom window, Betty Knutson watched a turkey meander through her backyard and into the woods adjacent to her property. It's a sight she's going to miss, she said, as she prepares to move out.

For years, she and her neighbors watched as a mama deer would march through with her fawns. She spotted many species of beautiful birds. Turkeys — sometimes as many as 20 — strolled through those woods and occasionally a possum or fox popped up. Then there was the nest of raccoons in a tree by the porch, she said.

"One time that [raccoon] mom had half her body out of this tree like she was saying, 'I can't take these kids anymore,'" she said. "We were just laughing hysterically at that. There's so much wildlife here."

After 25 years, she's listing her 2,496-square-foot, four-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Eden Prairie to move closer to her family in Wisconsin.

The 1962 bi-level split sits on a lot that is more than half an acre with many tall, mature trees. The home's cabin-like exterior adds to the allure of being outside in the woods.

"I love the charm of the house. Part of that charm were all the neighbors and the lot that the house is on and that it is tucked back in the neighborhood," Knutson said of the home she and her husband purchased in 1998. "We were lucky to land in this house where the neighbors are phenomenal."

They loved interior details such as the dining room bay window and the primary bedroom with sliding doors that open onto a patio where Knutson liked to sit in the mornings. They also liked that there were plenty of spaces to entertain on the main floor and lower level, which included a bonus space/entertainment area.

The large kitchen now has new flooring, Corian countertops and stainless steel appliances. The family refinished the main floor's original hardwood last year. In the lower level, they put in new carpeting.

"We sold our cabin a few years ago, and I ended up taking all that money and putting it into the house because we hadn't really put much money into it," she said. "I got all new windows, new appliances and did all the updates that we hadn't thought about because we were busy raising our daughter."

Knutson and her husband moved into the house because of all the area had to offer as well. The home was the perfect mix for the couple — Knutson, who grew up in south Minneapolis and was fond of its liveliness, and her husband, who wanted to live in a quiet neighborhood.

"What caught our eye was the country feel to it," she said. "It's wooded and it has a lot of privacy for being in the suburbs."

There's an elementary school down the street and lakes, parks and a golf course are nearby.

"There are people out walking all the time even in the winter, and everyone is so friendly and open," Knutson said. "There's a charm of being able to sit outside in the front — there's a bit of patio — and sitting there and neighbors coming by and saying hi and talking."