While ideal weather is one of the main advantages to sellingyour home in the Spring, another advantage is that the children do not have to be moved in mid-school year. When a buyer purchases a home in the Spring or early Summer, they are most likely to move in during the  Summer. That means plenty of time for the kids to adjust and adapt to the area before the new school year begins. They may even make a friend or two in their new neighborhood  before the first day of school.Interest rates are still low! Properties that are ready for the market and properly priced are selling fast. Do not wait!Call today to list or to start the search for your dream home 218-831-8001.I can set up a search for you on the agent side of our MLS System so you can search like an agent does.No more wonderin... 04/26/2016

This is not a typo! Just listed a home (over 2,000 sq ft finished) & pole barn (37 X 54) on 5.95 riverfront acres for sale for under 200K - WOW! Built in 1998, this modified 2 story home with 2100 finished square feet has its own well and septic, a wood burning fireplace, wood flooring, an office, 3 bedrooms (including the master with its own whirlpool), 2 full baths plus a half bath, an exercise room, main floor laundry, vaulted ceiling, sauna, and much more. The Platte river runs along the west side of the property and offers easy access to go fishing and catch dinner, or just sit on the bank and relax under a tree. Approximatly 1.5 of the 5.95 acre property is tree covered, the rest is relatively level above the river making it perfect for a beautiful lawn and huge garden. 625 Hawtho... 03/24/2012

This video is directly from Laurence Yun from the National Association of Realtors. Things are continuing to change in our real estate markets with some drastic changes being very localized. The cost of new construction is now much higher that purchasing an already built home- which we see playing out in the Brainerd Lakes area of Minnesota and construction of new homes therefore slowing to a crawl. People are entering the market to pick up properties at low prices. Cash transactions seem to be much higher than normal- suggesting that there are investors rushing in with all cash or first time home buyers getting contributions from family members to purchase properties. Laurence feels conditions are favorable for rising sales in the upcoming months. 03/28/2011

  Preparing for Homeownership in Ten Steps    1.Decide what you can afford. The best way to do this is with a visit to your favorite lender – that way you will know what price ranges you can search in. 2. Get your credit in order. Obtain a copy of your credit report to make sure it is accurate and to correct any errors immediately. A credit report provides a history of your credit, bad debts, and any late payments. 3 Determine your mortgage qualifications. How large of mortgage do you qualify for? Also, explore different loan options — such as 30-year or 15-year fixed mortgages or ARMs — and decide what’s best for you. 4 Get preapproved. Organize all the documentation a lender will need to preapprove you for a loan. You might need W-2 forms, copies of at least one pay stub, account numb... 01/29/2011

Wondering what the current rates are in the Brainerd Lakes area for October 4, 2010? Well, here you go. If you are wondering what you could buy with one of these low interest loans- give me a call and I will help you find just what you are looking for. Hunting land, building lots, already built new construction or a home looking for a new family? A luxury lake home on one of the Whitefish Chain lakes or how about the Mississippi River? Foreclosed on properties or a Short Sale? 10/04/2010

The Minnesota Military Museum is located less than an hour north of St. Cloud in Camp Ripley, an Army National Guard Training facility. Drive through the main gate of this sprawling military post and you will soon find the museum, a smallish building with a yard full of items that don't fit in the building. Think helicopters, planes, tanks, and artillery pieces. It looks like Patton's yard sale! Once inside we met Bea, who gave us friendly guidance, and later filled us in on all things military. The displays take you on a chronological tour of Minnesotan military history, beginning with the early forts, (one of which was Fort Ripley on the Mississippi River) the Civil War and the Indian Wars, and taking you through the modern day. During the 1860s the Minnesota soldier fought 2 wars at ... 09/26/2010

And they just keep going down.............. My last VA buyer locked in at 4.25% which was an amazingly low rate, thinking that they could only go up! I am seeing a tightening for lending, with many hopefuls being turned away because they do not meet the higher standards for lending. I do think that this is a good thing overall, although they probably would have bought homes from me now and then somewhere down the road I would be helping them sell their dream home turned into financial nightmare.  This way they can work on their credit, actually get a job and stay at it for a while, save up for a down payment ----------and I can rest well at night. That is a good thing! 08/12/2010

   photo by art-es-anna The Morrison County Historical Society will be able to preserve the Stanek photography collection with a $4058 grant from the Minnesota State Grants-in-Aid project.  This collection was produced by Roger Stanek who from 1976-2002 operated the Stanek Photography Studio in Little Falls. Minnesota.  The purpose of this project is to preserve, maintain and allow the public to be able to view this large collection of historical images.    For more information visit the Morrison County Historical site. Tuesday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. The museum is open year-round, except for major holidays. The museum is located in Little Falls, Minnesota, at 2151 South Lindbergh Drive, just south of the Lindbergh Historic Site.  01/18/2008

    I do not know where I got this recipe from so my apologies to someone for not being able to give them credit.  I did make a few modifications from the original and served it twice over the Holidays - giving out a few copies of the recipe. My husband is not a big fan of salad, especially with an oil and vinegar dressing, but he had seconds and cleaned up the bowl later. 10 cups mixed baby greens and spinach 1 cup shredded Italian blend cheese1 medium tart apple  cubed1 pear cubed1/4 cup dried cranberries1/2 cup cashews_________________________________1/2 cup sugar1/2 cup cider vinegar2 T lemon juice2 T onions diced1/2 tsp salt2/3 cup oil (I used vegetable)1 tsp poppy seeds I added a bit of the dressing to the cashews to coat before adding them to the salad. The rest of the ingredient... 01/05/2008

INTEREST RATES DROPPED!  For all those buyers who were on the fence on whether they should buy take a giant leap and dive in!  FHA 30 yr mortages with 0pts went to 5.5% and 30 conventional 0pts went to 5.75%.  This means you SAVE!!!!! We've not seen these interest rates in almost a year. This is the time to get that house you've had your eye on but thought it was just out of reach.  Call you lender and check it out.  In my area I recommend Julie Brix with Burnet Home Loans (however she can originate anywhere in the US).  She is top notch for lenders!  She knows the ins-and-outs like no other lender I know.  Call her today for an estimate at 320.258.6701.Carissa Hopkins-Hoel 12/05/2007

     photo by Cicadajet - Flickr St. Gabriel's Hospital in Little Falls, Minnesota has under gone a large expansion project.  They have added a three story 60,000 square foot patient care addtion located in front of the hospital entrance.  The price tag for this was $22 Million.     The existing hospital was 150,000 square feet and the addition is now built on the site of the former business offices.      Sunday, October 21st, the hospital hosted a ribbon cutting, blessing and dedication from 12:30- 4 PM.  Guided tours of the new patient care addition were conducted and refreshments were served.     This addition will be a great asset to the community of Little Falls and the smaller towns and outlying areas around it.  10/22/2007

     The every other year open house at Camp Ripley in Minnesota was this year and there was a big crowd. There is a certain amount of curiosity about a military training facility.  Living within ear shot , we know when they are practicing flying maneuvers or shooting the big guns.  However, people want to see just what is inside that big guarded space and they got the opportunity on Open House Day.     Children participated in the Cini-Stick Assault Course (by Domino's Pizza), the inflatable obstacle course, the rock climbing wall. archery and Humvee rides.      There were shows for everyone throughout the day by the Wadena Mounted Posse, Little Falls K-9  Police unit, and the St Cloud Tae Kwon Do Club.      Many groups who support our nation's troops were also on hand.    10/03/2007

     I learned more than how to stuff a turkey or properly dice an onion in my mother's kitchen  She hardly ever let me cook (her kitchen), but she let me watch and she talked.  She would tell me where this recipe came from and on what special occasion it  would have been served.  She talked about her mother and how she did things.  She talked - I listened and watched.  Having an very good visual memory - I learned.  (Please don't ask me people's names, I am bad at that.)      My mother is now gone, but her recipes live on, as do her notes.  "V.G." on a recipe card means she thought that recipe was very good. "Skip salt", "more sugar" "cook 10 minutes longer" meant just that.  "Walt's favorite" (my dad) surely couldn't have been written to jog her memory!  My mother was recording histor... 09/25/2007

  photo by MeFind - Creative Commons Since we are constantly adding to our numbers on Active Rain - I thought a little information on blogging might be in order.  When I do my Realtor presentations on  home staging, I mention Active Rain and blogging and send out invites to the agents in the following days.  My success rate is not good, so I can't give you tips on "how to get people to join". But , often, although they have heard the term blog, they really don't have a clue as to what that means.  They even inform me that their Real Estate agency has urged them to start blogging and they don't.  This article is not about the merits of blogging - but what it is. Your spell checker doesn't even know, unless you program it.   From WordPress, another site I blog on and help with edits:"Blog... 09/18/2007

                    Is it the Master bedroom? Kitchen? Bathroom - you know everyone needs at least one?NO - it is the entry way, vestibule, foyer, receiving area, entry hall!  Typically, we think of this area by one of those names and then give it no further thought. But this is a very important area and is the prospective buyers first view of the interior of the home. In my previous blog Looking Good ,  I covered the importance of the front door.                                                       Now, they are inside.       Barbara Corcoran says "Every buyer will judge your house                                                                 within 8 seconds upon going in the first door.""                                                                                              ... 09/05/2007

   photo by goatopolis A 26-mile stretch of Highway 25 between Fourth Avenue in Pierz of Morrison County and three-tenths of a mile south of Highway 18 in Crow Wing County will soon be detoured.  The two week detour will go into effect on July 23, 2007 as crews replace the culverts.  The project also includes  turn-lane construction and a new bituminous pavement surface.  This is an area much traveled by the farm equipment of the Pierz area farmers, so turn lanes are vitally important.The traffic will be detoured via Crow Wing County Highways 117/Thiesse Road, 45, and 2 Monday through Friday afternoons.  Motorists are urged to watch for detour signs and plan ahead.Local residents will be able to have maintained access to their homes , but they may be required to use roadways crossing Hi... 07/16/2007