Boy, did I ever pick THE best year ever to buy cross country skis.  It has been an amazing winter for skiing.  We've spent hours on the wonderfully groomed trails throughout Kaplan's Woods and certainly know most nooks and crannies by heart - even in the dark.  Speaking of night skiing, we are outfitted with our headlamps and can manuever our way through every twist and turn along the trail while under the stars. A week ago we skiied through Rice Lake State Park (about 7 miles from Owatonna) during the Candlelight ski event.  What a great evening!  The friends of Rice Lake Park were offering treats and had a roaring bonfire going. We are so incredibly lucky to have such wonderful trails and parks so close to home.  Even though we've been experiencing a pretty solid Minnesota winter, I'... 02/15/2010

  Please take a look at this very important email Robert Swetz received from VIRACON Glass Company in Owatonna Minnesota    I received this email yesterday from Sandy Tidball at VIRACON in Owatonna Minnesota.    This is going to be some serious (Exposure) for me as a Professional Photographer and this is the (Third) company to contact me asking permission to use my photographs from the MGM "City Center" Project in Las Vegas Nevada.    A special "Thanks" goes out to the Activerain Network, (Localism) and the World Wide Web!     Bob,   Viracon is an international glass fabricator www.viracon.com located in Minnesota (I see you have spent some time in Minnesota as well). Viracon supplied the glass for The Harmon project. We are looking for existing photography to feature this project in t... 02/01/2010

What's Going on in Owatonna Minnesota in February?    2/6                   Cabela's Saltwater Experience                       Cabela's 2/6                   Express Hockey Game                                 Four Seasons Centre 2/6                   Valentine's Dinner & Dance                           Elk's Club 2/9 - 3/4           Ham Radio license class                               Owatonna Fire Department 2/11                 SHRM - Recruitment & Applicant Tracking 2/12                 Romance with the Past Dinner                       Village of Yesteryear 2/13                 Neil Diamond Impersonator                           Owatonna Arts Center 2/13                 Express Hockey Game                                 Four Seasons Centre 2/13                 Habitat for Human... 02/01/2010

Lynn Johnson & Chad Hacker | Coldwell Banker Home Connection | 507-451-8080 1715 Willowood, Owatonna, MN Contemporary, Inviting, well built 2-story home has 4 beds, 4 baths, heated 4 car garage. This home features exposed patio, shed, solid surface counte 4BR/3+1BA Single Family House offered at $369,900 Year Built 2000 Sq Footage 3,925 Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 3 full, 1 partial Floors 3 Parking 4 Car garage Lot Size .4 acres HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION Contemporary, Inviting, well built 2-story home has 4 beds, 4 baths, heated 4 car garage. This home features exposed patio, shed, solid surface counters, custom cabinets, huge master suite, eat-in kitchen, formal dining, great room, family room, 4-season porch, hardwood floors, ceramic tile, open staircase &fireplace. Add to that an ... 01/26/2010

Lynn Johnson | Coldwell Banker Home Connection | 507-451-8080 251 13th Street SW, Owatonna, MN Attention to detail, neat, tidy, comfortable and very well cared for. This attractive and easy to maintain 3 bedroom house offers convenient living o 3BR/1+1BA Single Family House offered at $125,500 Year Built 1959 Sq Footage 1,920 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 1 full, 1 partial Floors 2 Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size .2 acres HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION Attention to detail is noticeable throughout this nice home. Neat, Tidy, comfortable and very well cared for. This attractive and easy to maintain 3 bedroom house offers convenient living on one level, 2 car garage, permanent siding- Great value and as neat as a pin! see additional photos below PROPERTY FEATURES - Central A/C - Central heat - H... 01/26/2010

It seems that potential homebuyers may not be aware of the tax credit for repeat buyers.  I hear this consistently from agents and homeowners alike.  Current homeowners who may be buyers just haven't gotten the message that there is now an opportunity for them to capitalize on an expansion of the tax credit offerings. To help get the word out I sent an e-postcard today to over 100 people in my e-database.  I've been consistently posting information on Twitter and Facebook (Owatonna Real Estate Pros page) to get the word out.  We sent out a newsletter in November with the info and will keep working to get the message out to those who can take advantage of it. With inventory, interest rates, incentives and prices all aligned to provide the perfect homebuying experience we need to be a sou... 01/22/2010

Lynn Johnson & Chad Hacker | Coldwell Banker Home Connection | 507-451-8080 1058 Van Buren, Owatonna, MN Newly updated throughout with new flooring and paint, all spruced up and welcoming for the new owner, 3 bedrooms on 1 level, room to expand in lower l 4BR/2+1BA Single Family House offered at $159,900 Year Built 1959 Sq Footage 3,144 Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 2 full, 1 partial Floors 2 Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size 10,170 sqft HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION Newly updated throughout with new flooring and paint, all spruced up and welcoming for the new owner, 3 bedrooms on 1 level, room to expand in lower level, 2 baths on main floor, formal dining room, remodeled kitchen, new roof and new furnace. see additional photos below PROPERTY FEATURES - Central A/C - Central heat - Hardwood fl... 01/15/2010

What's the Real Estate Buzz in Owatonna? The start to 2010 has been a bit sluggish so far - mostly due to frigid temperatures that we experienced during the Holidays and the first two weeks of the New Year.  We finally have temps that are above zero, and even getting close to above freezing.  Wow!  We expect to see listings increasing during the next couple of months as sellers try to take advantage of the tax credit induced buyer activity.  In addition, current homeowners can potentially benefit from the stimulus if they sell and purchase a new home.          We predict that first time home buyers will continue to be the mainstay of the 2010 market.  Property issues are becoming more of a challenge with the increase in foreclosed properties, many of which have deferred maintenance iss... 01/15/2010

This Saturday marks the first Buyer's Informational session that we'll be offering during January.  Every Saturday this month starting at 12:30 we'll host a seminar for potential buyers to answer their questions and provide relevant information about purchasing a home.  The sessions will be informal and geared toward the attendees and their informational needs.  Any potential buyers (first ot repeat) are welcome to stop by the Coldwell Banker Home Connection office to get up to the minute info about our current local market.  Interested buyers can also call me (Lynn Johnson, Broker) at 507-390-6109 or Chad Hacker, Realtor at 507-363-4404. Chad and I work together as the Owatonna Real Estate Pros through Coldwell Banker Home Connection in Owatonna.  By working together we bring experienc... 01/07/2010

                       What's the Real Estate Buzz in Owatonna?   Sales during October and November picked up and we finished year with an increase in sales (by 28 homes) over 2008.  It seems that the first time buyer stimulus plan has been working.  We've seen a strong presence of those buyers in our market and that helps everyone. We predicted that first time home buyers would be the mainstay of the 2009 market, along with buyers relocating into Owatonna for their jobs, and it appears to have panned out that way.  One of my lending experts, Brenda Bednar (through Advisor's Mortgage) noted that she is taking applications from those two buyer niches.  Property issues are becoming more of a challenge with the increase in foreclosed properties, many of which have deferred maintenance issu... 01/07/2010

What's the Real Estate Buzz in Owatonna?                           Sales during the last 2 months have picked up and right now we're running ahead of 2008's sales activity (the first time all year).  It seems that the first time buyer stimulus plan has been working.  We've seen a strong presence of those buyers in our market and that helps everyone. We predicted that first time home buyers would be the mainstay of the 2009 market, along with buyers relocating into Owatonna for their jobs, and it appears to have panned out that way.  One of my lending experts, Brenda Bednar (through Advisor's Mortgage) noted that she is taking applications from those two buyer niches.  Property issues are becoming more of a challenge with the increase in foreclosed properties, many of which have deferred... 12/10/2009

I thought I'd pass along the article (from the National Association of Realtors) regarding the uptick that's taken place in the real estate market across the country.  As I've mentioned before, real estate is local.  There's no doubt that the tax credit program was beneficial to our local market, especially in October and November.  We expect to see a similar boost in the first quarter of 2010, and we sure could use it because the current activity has been very slow, even for December.  This recent winter weather doesn't help at all. As I've passed along in recent statistics, our year-to-date sales in Owatonna recently increased as compared to the same time in 2008, however, based on the pending sales that we're seeing now, we may slip a little as compared to 2008 by the end of the year... 12/10/2009

10/14/2009

What's the Real Estate Buzz in Owatonna? Sales have been picking up since August and the outlook is brighter with increased activity.  It seems that the first time buyer stimulus plan has been working.  We've seen a strong presence of those buyers in our market and that helps everyone.  We predicted that first time home buyers would be the mainstay of the 2009 market, along with buyers relocating into Owatonna for their jobs, and it appears to have panned out that way.  One of my lending experts,  Brenda Bednar (through Advisor's Mortgage) noted that she is taking applications from those two buyer niches.  Property issues are becoming more of a challenge with the increase in foreclosed properties, many of which have deferred maintenance issues to contend with.  If you have any financing... 09/30/2009

What's Going on in Owatonna in October?   10/1 and 10/2 Harvest Fest 2009 - downtown stores participating with decorated store fronts and the Scarecrow contest 10/3 Homecoming for Owatonna High School,  parade downtown in the afternoon, football game at      7:00 and activities for students Friday night at Southpark Bowl          Go Huskies! 10/2 and 10/3  Artists of Minnesota Showcase, Owatonna Arts Center 10/3  Owatonna Hospital public Open House at their new location at 2250 26th Street NW 10/4 - 10/10  Fire Prevention Week, Don't get burned, plan and practice your fire safety and evacuation plan 10/5  Steele County Historical Society Pasta Night Out Fundraiser, call Laura at 507-451-1420 for information 10/2 and 10/3, 10/9 and 10/10  The Wedding Singer - The Awesome Musical, present... 09/30/2009

Owatonna is buzzing with activity in the month of July.  It's certainly one of my favorite months.  Here are some of the activities on schedule for the next few weeks. 7/16/09                11@7 Concert in Central Park - Mark Arthur is performing 7/16/09                3rd Thursday Networking Event - Valleyview Assisted Living from 11:57 am to 1:00 pm 7/16/09                Eagles "Cruise In" Car Show 5:00 - 8:00 pm at the Eagles Club 7/17 - 7/18         American Cancer Society Relay for Life - Steele County Fairgrounds 7/18/09                Farmer's Market - Central Park 7/18/09                Steele County Humane Society Adoption Day - Mark's Repair from 1:00 - 3:00 pm 7/19/09                American Lung Association Bike Across America Camp - Steele County Fairgrounds 7/20/09      ... 07/14/2009

Lynn Johnson & Chad Hacker | Coldwell Banker Home Connection | 507-451-8080 2274 82nd Avenue NW, Owatonna, MN Watch the wildlife from this incredibly tranquil, one of a kind setting. This 6 bedroom, 4 bath home offers charm and spacious comfort throughout. I 6BR/3.5BA Single Family House offered at $294,900 Year Built 1993 Sq Footage 4,896 Bedrooms 6 Bathrooms 3 full, 1 partial Floors 3 Parking 3 Car garage Lot Size 222,591 sqft HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION This desirable country acreage boasts a wonderfully peaceful setting on 5.11 wooded acres close to town. This roomy home offers charm and is designed with your comfort in mind with its spacious rooms, 2 living areas, 6 bedrooms, main florr laundry, 4 baths and the 3+ garage that's ideal for a shop space. The large outbuilding ... 06/30/2009

Attention all home sellers - we want to help you sell your home for the best possible price.  We know you want that, too.  The problem can lie between the realistic "highest price" and the unattainable "highest price".  It's important to pay close attention to the recommendations of your real estate professional if they've done a thorough and complete job of preparing pricing information for you home.  Here's a chart I've used to help sellers understand the importance of pricing properly for the market.  As you can see, we tend to have the most buyer activity during the first 2-3 weeks on the market.  If a house isn't priced right for the market, it may be overlooked by the appropriate buyers (because it's too high) and seen only by buyers who are actually comparing your home to others ... 06/17/2009

We've seen some recent drops in the mortgage interest rates.  It looks like a positive time for buyers to think about moving. It's been a good time for buyers to find terrific values for homes in Owatonna.  Here are the statistics for Owatonna's market through 6/16/09: Sold 111 homes at an average sale price of $137,108 within an average market time of 112 days.  Houses are selling for an average of 95.46 percent of the last list price and 90.18 percent of the original list price.  We're still down in homes sold and volume from 2008, but we're seeing that gap close as the summer months heat up.  The current listings have an average list price of $190,682 and they've been on the market for an average of 155 days.  There are so many terrific values available right now. Our lot inventory i... 06/17/2009

Now that summer is in full swing, it's important to remember that on hot, humid days electricity is in big demand.  As the day gets warmer, more and more electricity is demanded until a peak demand is reached.  Supplying the electricity to meet this peak demand can be very costly.  This is why it is very important to limit your use of electricity between 11:00 am and 7:00 pm.  Here are just a few ways you can help reduce the cost of electricity for everyone while reducing the demand on our earth's natural resources. * Try to reduce your air conditioner usage by turning the temperature on your thermostat up.  This will allow your air conditioner to run less. * If you're considering a new central air conditioning unit, find out the unit's Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) before you... 06/05/2009