Brainerd, MN

Heritage Assembly of God in Baxter, Minnesota is again sponsoring The Great Candy Adventure. The year's title is THE GARDEN OF EATIN'. The cost is $2 per child and the ages are Pre-school through 6th grade. All Pre-schoolers must be accompanied by an adult. The date is Friday, October 31 from 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM. There will be the ever popular extreme inflatable games, special activities for Pre-schoolers, food and fun fun fun. No scary, evil or violent costumes will be admitted.

If you do not believe that candy grow on trees, come see for yourself. Attendance is usually 1500- 2000 so you will be in good company. All workers have had background checks and careful screening, so this is a safe place to bring your child. All candy will be still wrapped as it comes from the store. The temperature will be perfect, no wind and no rain (or snow). The little ballerinas and body builders will not have to wear snowsuits over their costumes.

Check it out and look for me - I will be in the Candy Buffet.

A few of you already know that I am in school once again and this time am taking Real Estate classes. I already knew a fair amount about real estate and am learning even more - amortization schedules, Minnesota laws, & government programs. My goal is to stage and sell my own listings and continue to stage for others, on a smaller scale. I want to work a little closer to home and will now be restricted mostly to Minnesota. I will still stage in Florida, but my daughter there will be taking over for the most part.

I think that being a Realtor will enhance my income and my staging experience will enhance my career as a Realtor. With both my daughters now young adults and starting their own businesses, I needed to hire or change how I do things. So I did. Will I love it? That remains to be seen. I have been self-employed for a very long time and am not used to working under someone anymore. I will be looking for a special company and an understanding broker - who will let me do things a little differently. Staging is not the norm yet in the Brainerd Lakes area of MN, so this will be a even better way to promote staging as a standard for selling.

Northland Arboretum is hosting a "Haunted Trail" on Saturday, October 25th and Sunday, October 26 from 7:00pm - 9:00pm. Experience the thrills and chills as you walk through the dark woods of the Arboretum. Young children should be accompanied by an adult. No flashlights, please. There will be a bonfire and cider for all. Cost is just $3.00 at the door. Proceeds to benefit the "Arb."

We went last night and stood in line for one hour. It was a great time of meeting old friends and making new ones. The walk took us about 45 minutes and was really fun. Lots of screaming children, chainsaws, and goolish displays. The weather was cool but not cold - just perfect.

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. Those buyers 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.

After all who doesn't like homemade apple pie?

In reviewing the real estate market this past year, there have been plentiful listings on the Whitefish Chain and other lakes in the area. Currently, there are 151 listings on the Whitefish Chain of Lakes with 41 sales year to date. During 2007, there was a total of 73 sales. Although this year is not yet complete, it appears there is a good percentage number less than previously. At this current rate of absorption, there is approximately a four year supply of properties available for sale. This situation makes it an exceptional time to buy on this premiere chain of lakes. Some sellers need to move on and make a move for a number of reasons. My prediction is in about a year, buyers will be kicking themselves for not taking advantage of the current inventory. There have been times in the past years that properties were purchased sight unseen. Even though those market conditions were unrealistic, the demand and value of these properties will improve in the not to distant future. There are opportunities for all in this current real estate market.