Chuck Carstensen

Homes With A Septic System

02-22-09

I will be submitting an offer on a home with a septic system in the morning and that got me thinking. Sure I have helped buyers purchase a home with private well and septic in the past. Many of those homes were newer and the septic was compliant.

However, every so often you find an home 15 years old or more and typically in this situation you are going to have a septic system that needs to be updated. The challenge is the BANK owns the home and they are not going to pay for it, and the buyer is putting little money down and the loan needs to have a compliant septic...Where do you go from here?

1) First you ask the seller to do a septic inspection. Again, with a bank owned home this may not get far.

2) You need to be prepared to move on because if the septic does not pass that bank won't fix it. And they can't in February in Minnesota.

3) Perhaps you can use a different loan program that allows for the work to be done after closing. This is a long shot.

Certainly there are other ways to handle a situation like this. I am not sure if the septic is compliant on the home I am submitting an offer on. But I would like to see the listings agents for the bank be proactive about this so we would know at this point.

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Chuck Carstensen is a Realtor with The Discovery Team at RE/MAX; helping buyers, sellers, and investors of residential real estate. He is a Dynamic Life Coach; The Discovery Coach- "Helping you discover your talents, desires and purpose." Carstensen is a speaker and co-author in the best selling book series Wake Up...Live the Life You Love: Your Wake Up Moments (available Feb. 26 go to http://tinyurl.com/wakeupmoments ).

4 Comments

Outside Blog-- It's Alive

02-20-09

Chuck Carstensen

Tonight I took the time to create a REAL ESTATE related OUTSIDE blog. I know we have had that option for a while, but I was just cruising along not knowing how to use it.

I have to warn you its real hard for me to narrow down my area because I work with mostly buyers and I work all over the North Metro area of Minnesota. Most of my sales occur in Sherburne, Anoka, Isanti and Wright County. So that became my blog title. Now for the buyers working with me on homes in Chisago, Mille Lacs and Hennepin County never fear I am their for you as well.

These means I am making a commitment to blog specifically about these areas multiple times a week. That should be hard since I really have not narrowed my area down much! I go where the buyers are!

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4 Comments

Good Deals Available

02-17-09

Chuck Carstensen

I work with a lot of First Time Buyers and Investors looking for homes in the lower price range. Each time I run a search it amazes me how cheap the homes are. There are good clean town homes in cities like Cambridge and Isanti for around $70,000.

There are many single family homes in those cities and other cities such as Big Lake, Zimmerman, Coon Rapids, Anoka and surrounding areas now approaching $100,000. This is a great time to buy! These homes are at BOTTOM prices or at least VERY CLOSE TO the bottom prices.

If you do the math on those sort of home prices its clearly cheap for most people to own then rent at this point. The Spring market is starting soon so buy now!

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2 Comments

Wake Up Moments book out Feb. 26

02-12-09

Chuck Carstensen

A big moment that I have been talking about every so often is finally arriving!

I am writing this blog to encourage you to grab a copy of the new book, Wake Up Moments. I am a co-author in this book that features over 40 co-authors who are top professionals from all around the world. And, we are taking this book to the Best Seller list on Thursday, February 26.

This book is the perfect gift. It is inspirational, motivational and full of advice anyone can use for inspiration in finding their own wake up moment.

So, please mark your calendar and remember to order your copy of the book on February 26. To purchase your copy, go to http://tinyurl.com/wakeupmoments.

Thank you in advance for your help. It is much appreciated.

With much gratitude,

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2 Comments

Home Under $100,000 in Sherburne County, Minnesota

02-03-09

Chuck Carstensen

Its amazing how many great homes you can now find in Sherburne County under $100,000.

Sherburne County includes the cities of Big Lake, Zimmerman, Elk River, Nowthen, Princeton, Becker and surrounding areas.

Right now in Zimmerman and Big Lake you will find a number of homes built around 2000 that are below or approaching the $100,000 mark.

Many townhomes in these cities are clean and move in ready in this price range as well. Payments on these homes are LESS THAN RENT in most case.

Its clearly a time to stop renting and get into a house!

Go to www.DiscoverYourSuccess.net for DAILY lessons from Bob Proctor.

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Chuck Carstensen
Re/max Associates Plus/The Discovery Coach

Chuck Carstensen: Real Estate Agent in Elk River, MN

Office: (763) 635-7228

Mobile: (612) 290-3809
Secondary: (763) 441-8833

I work with buyer, sellers and investors! I specialize in helping first time home buyers! I am also a life coach, helping people breakthrough barriers to find prosperity in all areas of their life.

About Us:

Here are a few of the benefits when a buyer or seller works with me. We offer FREE use of our moving truck for our customers and along with that we provide FREE moving boxes to help people with the move.

My business partner is Mel Beaudry and he has been in Real Estate for about 35 years. I joke that he invented Real Estate. I have been in the business almost six years. Mel, Myself and our assistant Jody form the Discovery Team. Our slogan is "Discovering the best move for you!"

Mel and I are Christians and active combine our faith with our work. "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." (Proverbs 16:3) If you are in a challenging market, now more then ever, its calming if you know what I know - which is that is a PROMISE.

Back to more information about Real Estate:

I work hard to keep up to date on the good deals in the foreclosure - bank owned - distressed properties. Each day I look through over 300 listings that have either come on the market or been reduced in price. So the buyers that work with me know about the great deals that are avalable and often times my buyers are first to a property allowing them to get an offer in before other people have even looked at it.

I handle first-time buyers with extra care. I take a consultative approach. I don't try to sell anyone any specific home; rather I guide them through the process by educating them on the options available.

I work the north metro area in the Twin Cities in counties like Isanti, Anoka, Sherburne, Wright, and Hennepin.

I also have become for active online. I BLOG on www.bloggers.com - www.wordpress.com - www.realtown.com - I social network on FaceBook and MySpace. I use www.Squidoo.com as a fun way that I feel combines both of the above.

I graduated in 1999 from Saint John's University with a degree in Communication. I grew up on a FARM in tiny Browerville, MN. Thats 25 miles from Little Falls. About one hour from St. Cloud.

My hobbies and interests outside of Real Estate include: Sports, Reading, Writing, Fitness, Singing Karoke, Personal Development and more.

Favorite Sayings: "Procrastination is the assassination of your destination!" --- "We are not born winners or losers, but rather choosers!"

I am a co-author in the best selling book series Wake Up...Live the Life You Love. The book is now available at http://tinyurl.com/wakeupmoments ! I have started speaking, not only about real estate, but also about Personal Development topics. Basically Motivational and Inspirational speaking.

Ministry: I am very active in my church and outside of my church. I believe our work can be our ministry. I do my best each day to live as a faith witness and share my faith with others.

Areas of Expertise

Primary Areas of Expertise: First-time Buyers, Move-up buyers, Foreclosures, Investors, Rehab homes, fixer-upper listings. The areas I serve are Isanti, Sherburne, Anoka, Wright and Hennepin counties. Many of my sales are on properties $125,000 and less. Single-Family residential properties are what I focus on.

Secondary areas of expertise: sellers, short sales, land, recreational properties, farms, new construction.

Networking: I have a large network of business owners that can help me and my buyers with specific needs related to the transaction. Plus I have many other business owners I feel confident in referring for other needs. I am member of the Rivers Edge Chapter in BNI in Elk River. I am a member of the GRE Energizers -Toastmasters International Group.

Personal Development: I am big into personal development and self-improvement. See www.DiscoverYourSuccess.net if you are someone interested in improving. If you are someone that wants to do better, but can't seem to break through on your own, but can't afford a personal coach this is your solution.

I believe these all tie into being able to better service my customer. I have the connections with the NETWORKING and the TOOLS with the personal development training to help people connect, improve, and overcome...and not just buy and sell a house.

THE DISCOVERY COACH - My passion is to help people DISCOVER the desires of their heart so they can live out their true life purpose here and now. THE DISCOVERY COACH is a dynamic life coach. My coaching style combines helps you maximize your spiritual and mental faculties to produce rich dynamic results in all areas of your life...business, health, relationships. Email chuck@thediscoveryteam.com for more information on coaching.

Testimonials

"I never once during the process did I have any concerns because the feedback was great. I knew what was going on at all times." - Aaron V.

"I miss looking at houses with you-you are a kind and gentle man and we appreciate everything you did to help us find a home." - Laurie F.

"We interviewed a number of real estate agents before deciding on Chuck. We found him to be down to earth, open and honest with us. We really appreciated his through communication and follow-through on every promise he made. Chuck even called us several times after we purchased the house just to make sure everything was going well." - John and Michelle B.

"Chuck went out of his way to help us. When he asked if there was anything more he could do, he genuinely meant it. We came up with a list of items, which he took care of immediately." - Dan and Estenel C.

"Chuck worked hard for us even though we obvioulsy weren't lucrative customers. He had incredible patience while we looked and looked, and it's because of him that we were able to find the perfect house. Chuck is more than an agent to us - he's a friend who clearly demonstrates that friendships are more valuable than financial rewards." - Mark and Rhianon W.

Chuck Carstensen

Homes With A Septic System

Outside Blog-- It's Alive

Good Deals Available

Wake Up Moments book out Feb. 26

Home Under $100,000 in Sherburne County, Minnesota

Chuck CarstensenRe/max Associates Plus/The Discovery Coach

About Us:

Areas of Expertise

Testimonials

Chuck Carstensen
Re/max Associates Plus/The Discovery Coach