Steve Baklaich

You're an R and you wanna be an O, but you must be a B first...

So, your an R (Renter) and you have been noticing that every month you pay hundreds of dollars to help your landlord pay off his/her mortgage, and you're no longer thrilled with this arrangement. Maybe, you think, it would be nice to be an O (Owner), and have something of value for all the money going out each month!

Well, you need to first change from an R to a B (Buyer), and that brings up the question of the day; are you a Buyer? Many Renters do not know if they can or should become Buyers, but in many cases they already are, and just don't know it! Ask yourself:

-Is my job and income source stable?

-Do I have some savings that could be used for down payment, and or home expenses?

-Is my lifestyle settled/will I be staying put for 3-5 years?

-Have I maintained my credit, paid on time, etc?

If you answered yes to these questions, you may already be a Buyer and should call me today to find out more. I can help you find a Lender, a home in your price range, and get you discounts on everything from appliances to furniture and more.

You may have heard in the news that it's hard to get financing today, and if you're starting a business that's true, but if you're buying a home it can be pretty simple. There is paperwork involved but we'll give you a free pen or two!

In St. Cloud, Minnesota the economic climate is warmer than the weather would suggest. Sunday and Monday the people of central Minnesota were back in the stores and they were buying. The Christmas shopping season has been a success, and it was needed, because St. Cloud, Minnesota is a business and retail hub. But more than the staight up economics of sales revenue, what we needed here, was positive news and an optimistic outlook!

I have heard and read some in the past year or so, about what it means to be an American, and the spirit to overcome whatever we encounter. The economy, terrorism, or yellow wax buildup. The people will rally if they see signs of improvement, or when they just get tired of all the bad news. The doom and gloom. Well I think the worst is over, and we need to stop rubber necking, and start looking ahead. Keep driving forward!

The reports I am hearing in the national and local media are good. We are in return season now, and the results could be impacted if much is returned, but so far it looks like retail did well. People went to the stores and did the most business since the 2007 Christmas shopping season.

My contacts within the retail sector tell me there was a large cash factor as well. What that means is people spent cash money, instead of using credit, to a greater degree than in recent years. In fact, I witnessed a woman at the store last week, purchasing $200+. The clerk asked if she wanted to use her store credit card, and the customer said, "NO I'LL PAY CASH", in a very emphatic way!

Retail is just one leg of the economy, and there are still some negative factors at play, but we, here in St. Cloud MN seem to be rising up, through the ice and snow.

What have you been seeing? Any signs of job growth? Business openings? New developement and or construction activity?

VELCOME TO VINTER IN MINNESOTA, also known as Valking in da Vinter Vonderland!

Yesterday was classic St. Cloud, Minnesota weather for the week before Christmas, and the winter solstice. It seemed to get dark by 3:30 in the afternoon as the snow swirled and blew and visibility dropped to the length of a team of reindeer.

Life slows down a bit on a day like that. It doesn't matter if you have shopping to do, or a 2:00 showing appointment. Traffic only goes so fast under certain conditions, and most everyone errs on the side of caution, so you pretty much have to slow down. Scrape the ice off you car windows, too.

There was a lunar eclipse this morning. Somewhere. I was out with the dog at 3am and it was DARK and COLD, but there was no sky up there. No eclipsing moon. Just clouds and snow, and Freezing Rain? Yes, I don't really believe it either. I think the local orthopedic surgeons sponsored that.

So today I received an email from a friend and collegue from Montego Bay, Jamaica. He says, "Gosh it's hot here", or something like that. He knows what it's like here and he's just having fun with me. I respond with all of our Christmas plans, because there is one time of year, Christmas, when this stuff is okay. Required even!

Family is coming for Christmas and we are 3 days from Christmas Eve and a home warmed by a hot stove and happy people, celebrating and reconnecting with good food and good cheer. My favorite time of year! Today is the begining of the coming of spring, as the days begin to get longer, from here on. Warmer weather is around the corner and spring market is coming also, and things will speed up once again.

Today, in St. Cloud MN, started overcast and windy with snow following about mid morning. By later this afternoon we were in the midst of a full fledged winter storm, with blowing snow, decreased visibility, and the prospect for single digit temps as the sun went down. Well we never saw the sun today, but we know from science class, it's up there. It's just hiding today.

We are getting our cards and packages out and I stopped by the main post office in downtown St. Cloud to get stamps and mail a stack of cards. I like the automatic machine they have, right inside the door, with a credit card slot and built-in scale. It reminds me of Robby The Robot except it doesn't talk. Here is the procedure; you hit the touch screen to order what you want, a book of stamps, mailing label for a package, etc.; then insert your credit card and okay the transaction; then, if you are done, hit EXIT, or answer the question "Do you want another transaction? Yes/No" No is the right answer.

This is what leads to the naughty and nice in Minnesota: I was behind a woman in line today, and after weighing 2 packages and paying for her postage, she went to the adjacent counter and affixed her postage, put them in the box and left quickly. This has happened before, and I tested the machine by hitting Yes, and following the prompts to get my purchase on the other persons credit card. It worked, but I stopped one step short and exited, going back in on my own card.

Today I had a moment of naughty thought. I looked at the attached scale and wondered if it went up the 185 pounds, and how much it would cost to mail myself to Arizona. After all, I had cold feet, and ice and snow to clear at home. Why not? Of course I was a non-regulation package, and would need "hand sorting". Liz and I don't like to fly because of the TSA "hand sorting", so that was one of the negatives. I opted to be nice and to stay in Minnesota. I cleared her out of the system to buy my stamps; to go home to my wife, the smell of Christmas cookies, and to shovel the drive while the dog ran through the fresh snow like it was some refrigerated drug!

When using the ATM, Stamp Machine, or paying bills online, Please Log Off or Exit fully to avoid having your data become vulnerable or your credit card used without your consent! Keep your Christmas Merry!

Bad Behavior Will Cost You!

If you follow NFL Football you probably know all about the Minnesota Vikings and Randy Moss.

We drafted Randy originally back in the late 1990s and had a really interesting season. We beat Green Bay at Green Bay, and ran up the point total all season. It was exciting and for a while we thought, maybe this year we'll go to the Super Bowl!

But Randy Moss, the talented toddler, would play only so much. Then he would have a mental reboot, or an LSD flashback, or something. He just quit: running, catching, caring! Trouble with the law followed.

Randy left Minnesota, and went to Oakland and New England,etc. This year the Vikings brought him back! Well the owners fired him and the head coach, and now he's gone for good!

So, Liz and I were in Kohl's the other day, and there on the Super Sale Rack is Randy Moss #84 jersey, marked way way down. If he wrote his autobiography today, they would have to tuck a $50 bookmark into each copy.

Arrogance will come back to bite you. Bad Behavior will cost you!

Good luck Randy.