Brainerd Lakes Real Estate News

When I call you - to give you a referral - answer your phone or get back to me within a day or email or.................................I will find someone else!

In reading a blog on the net , I came across the idea of the 50% Space to Stuff Ratio This was new to me but may be old stuff to some of you.  

The concept is that you are to evaluate the floor space in your home.  If it is almost completely covered, there is no room left for new opportunities to come in.  Reduce what is on it by 50% and there will be room for movement and the ability to change out what you want for now and for the future.  When you have an open house and there are a lot of people in the room - they need to be able to get around.

Then when you bring in something new, something old goes away - far away- permanently.

This will help considerably with your organizing, as there will be less to organize. Once your home is ready to be sold, you will not have all your stuff to deal with.  What is left is what you really want to keep and/or need.

This may help in explaining things to clients about how much to remove before staging.

Once again, it is 50% available space to how much stuff is in that space, for some you may need to give a 75% figure.  Men probably like this numbers concept better than most women, we go more by how it looks. 

     Here in the Brainerd Lakes of Minnesota,  2 special corn fields have been silently growing and planning for the Fall.  Soon these innocent  looking fields will be sculpted and designed into twisty labyrinths for the sole purpose of making you walk in circles. You can spend an afternoon winding your way through the towering stalks and the evening on a hayride drinking cider.  There are special days for families with small children and appropriate age crafts.  Several nights will be for those who like a little excitement with their confusion.  Scary creatures will inhabit the maze ready to make it a screaming adventure.

"Our labyrinth of twists, turns, and dead ends, carved into a 14 foot high cornfield, offers an experience that is perfect for those searching for adventure.

Near Halloween, what was a dark, quiet, gentle maze becomes a field of screams, with ghosts and goblins added for your late night spooking pleasure!"

     Support local farms in your area and enjoy our Autumn Season.  To learn more about corn mazes visit Corn Maze Directory.

    This week I was invited by Wells Fargo lenders to travel by covered wagon (coach bus) to Minneapolis.  We left by 9:30 AM and I got home by almost 9 PM so it was a long but educational day.  It is always fun to see old friends in the real estate business and to meet new ones.   Hello, Brian Emerson! Our ride down was conversational and real estate was the topic of the morning. Wells provided us with delicious box lunches to eat on the way and we were ready to face the educational session.

     Our speaker was  Rich Casto and along with a good deal of coaching and tips, we got a few laughs from his stories and examples.  As always,  the listening part is the easiest and then the implementation another story entirely  Although probably no one ran home and put into play everything that was suggested - we all learned and picked out a few things to do now and many to do later. 

     Sam (Stephanie) Hall from Wells Fargo Baxter, MN shared a few of her inventive ideas on the way home.  If anyone is looking to invest and get a sure fire product patented and produced -Sam has one that women would buy.  Absolutely necessary!  She could probably arrange the loan for you as well.

To my C-21 friends ~ my apologies!

Summer is winding down but the number of stinging insects, such as yellow jackets and wasps, flying through the air, have not. In my case getting stung results in a big ouch, temporary redness, swelling and itching at the site of the sting. Hoewever for a small number of people with severe venom allergy,  these stings may be life-threatening.

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) and the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) urge people who suffer from a stinging insect allergy to take extra precautions and to carry epinephrine with them at all times.

"September through October is prime sting season; a nest that had a few dozen yellow jackets in July may have thousands in late September" said David B.K. Golden, MD, Fellow of the AAAAI and member of the AAAAI's Insect Allergy Committee. "Therefore, be careful when doing yard work or attending football games this fall."

Up to 5% of Americans are at risk for severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reactions from stinging insects. Unfortunately, most people are not aware that they are allergic to insect stings until after experiencing a reaction.

When an allergic person is stung, his or her body produces an antibody called Immunoglobulin E (IgE). The venom reacts with the IgE antibodies which trigger the release of histamine and other chemicals that cause allergic reactions. Severe allergic reactions to insect stings can involve many body organs and may develop rapidly. This reaction is called anaphylaxis.

Symptoms of anaphylaxis are:

• Itching and hives over large areas of the body
• Swelling in the throat or tongue
• Difficulty breathing
• Dizziness
• Stomach cramps
• Nausea
• Diarrhea 
• In severe cases, a rapid fall in blood pressure may result in shock or loss of consciousness

The AAAAI's Insect Allergy Committee recommends the following tips to avoid insect stings:

• Stay out of the "territory" of stinging insects' nests
• Hire a trained exterminator to destroy nest and hives near your home
• Don't drink from a straw or can that you cannot see inside of, this is a favorite place for yellow jackets to hide
• Do not swat at stinging insects if encountered by them
• Avoid wearing heavy perfume and brightly colored clothing outdoors
• Keep all food covered outside until eaten

In my area of the Brainerd Lakes in Minnesota, ground nests are common and difficult to find until you disturb one ( then run like the wind). Yellowjackets also love piles of old hay or straw. They nest under stairs, in dark cavities and get particularly annoyed by vibrations.

Play safe , they do not play nice!

     Recent sightings of four great white sharks have prompted a swimming ban for the rest of the Labor Day weekend at some of the area's Oceanside beaches, including North Beach, Lighthouse Beach, South Beach and Harding Beach and Nauset Beach.

       No swimming this Labor Day weekend and maybe for another month.  The Great White Sharks have moved in and are enjoying the ideal water temperatures and the abundant fresh food, in the form of seals.  They do not care if you planned a beach weekend retreat, are there on your first vacation in years, or if you are going back to school tomorrow.  They are doing what sharks do and they are doing it very well.

Great white shark scientific name : Carcharodon Carcharias   photo by Flickr: hermanusbackpackers

     The Great White is between 12-16 feet long, and can grow up to 19-21 feet. The Great White is the most feared fish for humans. Great White Sharks are a very large species of shark. They are streamlined swimmers, and have a torpedo-shaped body with a pointed snout.

     They have about 3000 teeth, arranged in several rows. The first two rows of teeth are used for grabbing and cutting prey, while the teeth in the last rows rotate into place when front teeth are broken, worn down, or fall out. The teeth are triangularly shaped with serrations on the edges. (How cool is that!)

     The back of the shark is a dull grey color and the underside is colored white. They have three main fins: the dorsal (on back) and two pectoral fins (on the sides). The tail is crescent shaped. There are five  gill slits on Great White Sharks. The Great White reaches maturity about 9 years after it's birth. The growth of The Great White shark is about 25-30 cm per year. The White Shark has litters of about 7-9 pups. The females only reproduce twice in her whole life.

Some  shark information from  www.indianchild.com

     My new listing at 921 12th Street SE Brainerd, MN is everything you could want in a starter/family home.  The backyard is entirely fenced with sparkling white tall PVC panels that are attractive and functional.  Let the kids and or pets roam freely.  The two car garage with paved driveway has plenty of room for a car plus toys or two cars, if you please.  Two bedrooms are on the main level and another large bedroom on the second.  Masyer bedroom up or down, you choose.  A basthroom on the main and a 3/4 in the basement, along with the utility room.  A home theater/game room is ready for family fun and movie nights.  How about the big game?

     The main level is open and light filled - isn't that exactly what you want?  How about a price of $119,000 with a new furnace in 2006?

                                                                                         ~ VIRTUAL TOUR~

Contact Kathleen Lordbock REALTOR/Staging Specialist

218-831-8001

licensed in MN

     Most buyers are looking for a well-maintained house in apple pie order. They will be looking to buy as much house as they can get and still leave a little dough for changes to adapt things to their personal taste.  That doesn't mean that they will be looking to dive right into major home improvements, because they won't. The down payment on your home will take most of their savings.  After the monthly mortgage payments, taxes and insurance, there is no room in their budget for major repairs. Many buyers today will not consider a house that needs remodeling and improvements, they do not need to as there are plenty of move in ready homes available. Those buyers who will are called flippers and need to buy property as cheaply as possible to make needed repairs and enhancements and still clear a profit. Nothing personal - it is their business.

    Your house will stand a better chance of selling if it has an up-to-date kitchen,  an up-to-date bathroom  and shows the signs of regular maintenance. Inside and outside everything should be in good repair. Fresh paint improves the curb appeal of any house, along with blooming flowers and a nicely cropped green lawn. Cleanliness, both inside and out will make a good impression on the buyer. Clean out the gutters and downspouts, pull out all weeds, put fresh mulch around trees and in flower beds. Pressure wash the sidewalks and siding, if it will stand up to it. Go the distance and the reward will be much greater.

A young teenager in our youth group wrote this poem about her new much younger brother and sister.  For those of you who are adoptees or have siblings that are - this expressed what I have found is a common thread.  Fear, resentment, acceptance - love.

Adoption
You came into my life I didn’t really know you.
You came here to stay, but yet it felt like our old life was so far away.
I wanted you to stay.
But I wanted you to leave.
But the more I got to know you, the more I got to love you.
The more I got to see you, the less I was afraid.
Afraid of losing the only thing I had,
You know that it was truly hard for me to share my mom and dad.
But then I had to realize I truly had to see,
That there was more to our home now then just me.
I got to spend some time with you, and you asked me questions,
So now each and everyday I get to watch you grow and grow.
I miss you when I’m gone.
I miss you when you’re near.
I love it when we play.
And we go camping in your bedroom.
I love to read to you, and hear your little voice.
I wish that I could understand you more,
But sometimes it’s hard to think twice.
I know that it will still take time to love each other more.
And even when I am grown and gone.
I pray that our relationship will still stand strong.
Picnics in the backyard.
Flowers in a hand.
I know that I will forever love you,
The more and more we stand.
Walking down the street.
Playing in the sand.
Waiting for you to fall asleep.
Or maybe just holding your hand.
I wish that you could understand just how I feel for you.
This poem is my exact thoughts from the moment I first saw you.
I love you more then yesterday but less then tomorrow.
Swimming at the beach,
Castles in the sand,
Good times,
Bad times,
Wishing for more time that we could always have.
Brother and Sister, I love you and I pray all the time, that God would bring us closer all the time. I am so happy that you guys are now ours, and that you are here to stay, so we can hold you in our arms. I didn’t really understand that when you first came that you would stay forever. And I know that there have been times when I did not want you to stay. But now all those thoughts have gone away. I love you and will never want you guys to leave. I love being your big sister. I hope that you feel the same.
I love you guys.

      It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break in your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won't stick around... after a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that! And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. I always have my keys out in the Mall of America ramp or the hospital ramps in the cities.

     For someone working outside in their yard - who falls or starts to feel ill (heart attack) - push the button. Those living in secluded or rural areas are on their own, but even where I live - if the neighbors knew "the signal" could hear a honking horn across 80 acres.