About Brainerd's Crosslake

Buying a first home in the Brainerd Lakes area of Minnesota is a huge step and definitely not an easy decision. Anyone entering into this process for the first time deserves special attention from a real estate professional that is prepared to walk them step-by-step through the process.
I'm here to provide you or any first time home buyers that you know with that exact level of service.

It seems to make perfect sense that as a first time homebuyer, the first thing to do is to shop for homes. Many start by investigating the market in a desirable area and finding that perfect property. Then, they contact a mortgage professional. Unfortunately, this is when the dream can fall apart for potential buyers! Essentially, they've begun the process backward. When a bank or lending institution declines a mortgage loan, for whatever reason, the potential homebuyer can be left frustrated. Buyers then face the prospect of having to start their search again, seeking a new set of properties that fall within the boundaries of the mortgage company's approval. Homes in a lower price range, often do not measure up to what they had been viewing in a higher price range.

The opposite may also be true and they actually qualify to buy in a higher price range! Smiles all around for this.

For the real estate professional, the first question to ask the client isn't, "What kind of house are you looking for?" But rather asking them, "Have you been pre-qualified for a mortgage?" Unless the buyer is paying for the house with cash, a pre-qualification is an essential element in the buying process.

The pre-qualification process isn't difficult, and as a result, buyers will know exactly what they can afford, which in turn clearly defines their choices. This common sense approach can save real estate professionals time, as they can direct clients to homes that fall within their approved price range, rather than those they can't afford. It can also save buyers a lot of potential heartache and disappointment, removing the lure of falling in love with that "perfect home" that's out of reach and replacing it with a home that, instead, will be affordably just right.

In order to make an offer on property here in the Brainerd Lakes area of Minnesota. we need to include a pre-approval letter from your lender with the purchase agreement, along with earnest money. That shows you are serious and ready to purchase.

I would truly appreciate you passing my contact information their way. I guarantee to take good care of them and to help them on their way to finding that perfect first home.

To Quote: "The US Government pushes homeownership in the form of the mortgage interest deduction, low mortgage interest rates and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Most Americans want to own a home, they believe they deserve to own a home and that forces politicians to want the same." As a real estate agent it is my job to help people find and buy the home of their dreams and facilitate the sale and moving on of other dreams.

• Should everyone buy a home?
• Does everyone make a good homeowner?
• If someone can not afford a home or pay for the upkeep, should a home be given to them?

There was a time when I was a renter. I had not decided on a semi-permanent hometown, had no desire to spend my time on lawncare, and had no money to make a large purchase. I rented, I saved, I waited and then years later I purchased my first home. I guess that was "in the good old days" and those days are long gone.

Where has the Twin Cities real estate market been and where is it heading? This monthly summary provides an overview of current trends and projections for future activity. Narrated by David Arbit, audio recorded by Zach Foty and video produced by Chelsie Foty. With graphs and charts the statistics are well displayed for your viewing pleasure. The summer is off to a slow start partially due to earlier increased buying to take advantage of the tax credit.This is the skinny for the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. Other areas of the state vary greatly from the figures quoted for the Twin Cities. We are seeing some changes here - in pricing, sales and a small upward climb in interest rates. Seasonally we should be entering our best sales season - with another jump in the Fall right before Winter comes upon us.

By this time we are now well in to the workings of the trillion dollar & still adding spending stimulus package, others beside myself should be questioning what is going on. The majority of the funds are for future use which does not even qualify it to be a called a stimulus package (call a porker a porker and be done with it). It should be called what it is - STUPID.

WE should be learning the lessons that history has already given us about using government spending to stimulate the economy and thus create jobs. President Franklin D Roosevelt, during the Great Depression, gave it a try with his New Deal programs. They never drove unemployment down lower that 20 percent and the rate of unemployment actually climbed during the second phase. World War 2 is the stimulus that actually started America's economic resurgence.

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A few short months ago our then soon to be President assured the American citizens that this was a time of hope and later his advisors were reported stating "this will go from being a crisis to a disaster, if it ( the trillion$ package) is not passed". What changed in a few short months? Will the scare tactics continue to work? Probably. We like sheep are easily led astray.

Kathleen Lordbock

REALTOR/Staging Specialist

Licensed in Minnesota

Keller Williams Brainerd Lakes

Top Brainerd Agent