Joslyn Panka Solomon - Mora Minnesota - Minnesota's One Way Ticket to SOLD!

Just like many people buying their first home, I honestly had NO IDEA WHAT I WAS DOING. I knew I had to mow some grass, clean on occassion (admittedly probably not enough), and fix things that broke. I did not know that I might drop something down a drain that I REALLY need back (wedding ring), may need to light the pilot on the furnace (what???) or ever change my water heater's temp. (It heats water, it comes out when I turn on the shower - there's more to it than that?) All I could think about was freedom to paint, freedom to have pets, and somewhere to plant stuff.

Somewhere along the line I picked up a little gem of a book that has been amazing when we were first starting out and my husband was working frequently - "Dare to Repair - A Do-It-Herself Guide to Fixing (Almost) Anything in the Home". I love this book. It covers everything, from regular maintenance to repairing and replacing non-working electrical outlets. (Who knew they sometimes stopped working?)

As a real estate agent, I quickly realized how valuable this book is - not just for girls, but even guys! (Although let's face it, with this cover, I don't see guys flocking to add this to their bookshelf.)

Well, I think EVERYONE should have a copy of this book! Not only that, but I ordered myself a copy of "Dare to Repair, Replace & Renovate: Do-It-Herself Projects to Make Your Home More Comfortable, More Beautiful & More Valuable!". When I ordered mine, I ordered an extra one! Want one of these books? Here's your chance! I'm giving away one prize pack of both books ("Dare to Repair" and "Dare to Repair, Replace & Renovate") to one lucky winner, and an additional copy of "Dare to Repair" to another lucky winner!

Contest rules:

Leave one comment on the original blog post about one thing you didn't realize (or think about, if you don't quite own a home yet!) that you may have to deal with once you buy a home. One comment = one entry.

For an additional entry, like Joslyn's Real Estate Page on facebook, and then post another comment on this blog that you did just that (I will check!).

What? Two entries isn't enough? How about a third? Follow me on twitter (@JoslynSolomon) and then post a comment here that you did.

Contest ends at 11:59 PM on July 31th, 2011. The winning comments will be randomly chosen and then posted in this blog.

This contest is open to real estate professionals as well, but don't you be giving away my giveaway if you win! :-)

This giveaway is open to residents of the United States and Canada.

This is not a sponsored giveaway, and likewise I'm quite confident Julie Sussman and Stephanie Glakas-Tenet have no clue who I am. This is just me sharing something I find valuable with you guys - so enjoy!

Looking for something to do? An excuse to get out of the house and enjoy the signs of spring? This is the place for ideas!

Pine City is doing a citywide community blood drive, sponsered by the VFW and Auxillary on April 27th from 1-7. The drive will be at the Evangelical Free Church. For an appointment you can call 1-800-REDCROSS or visit www.redcrossblood.org. If you can't make it to Pine City, there is a drive coming up in Ogilvie on May 4th from 11-5. Call 272-5000 for an appointment in Ogilvie.

There will be a breastfeeding conference held on April 27th and 28th at the Grand Event Center in Mora. This event is for professionals and community members alike. If interested you can call 679-5439 for more information.

Braham Evangelical Lutheran Church is hosting a carnival on April 29th from 5:30-8 PM. Lots of fun games and activities listed, including bingo, face painting, and inflatable moonwalks. 40 tickets are $10.00, and most activites are going to be one ticket per. The address is 905 West Central Drive in Braham.

Jim and Beth Hallin of the Crystal are having their "Last Hurrah!" this weekend, April 29th, 30th, and May 1st. Free appetizers Saturday and Sunday, drawings and happy hour pricing. This is also your last chance to use up any gift cards or coupons you have sitting around before the new owners, Mike and Deb Hallin take over. We will miss Beth and Jim, but we will welcome Mike and Deb!

Medication drop off, Coborn's in Mora - Bring in your old, unused or expired medications (both prescription and over-the-counter) to be diposed of properly! The Kanabec Sheriff's Office is hosting this event. An awesome alternative to just throwing medications away in the trash! April 30th from 10-2 at the Coborn's Pharmacy.

I know this event isn't in Kanabec County, but there is a huge piano and guitar sale at the Cambridge City Center Mall on April 30th as well. The sale is hosted by Carlson's Piano World. They claim to have pianos up to 70% off, and guitars up to 75% off. For more information on this sale you can call 1-877-763-4011. This sale runs from 10-5 Saturday only!

Petal Pushers Garden Center is having an open house on Saturday April 30th from 9-5 and Sunday May 1st from 10-5. There will be door prizes and one free plant per family! Check out their website at www.greenhouselady.com or like them on facebook! - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Petal-Pushers-Garden-Center/374054538600?ref=ts&sk=wall

Enjoy your week in Kanabec County!

-If you know of an event coming up that you would like mentioned here in this blog or on Joslyn's facebook page, feel free to email MyMoraHome@gmail.com and I will add your event to my pages!-

Joslyn is a licensed real estate salesperson in the state of Minnesota, and works for Century 21 Moline Realty in Cambridge, MN. You can like Joslyn on facebook for more local news and events at www.facebook.com/joslynsolomon

Not long ago I had a family photo shoot with my good friend Mary over at White Peach Photo. Since then I've been a HUGE fan, and I read her blog regularly.

Recently Mary has started hosting some great giveaways. Her first giveaway was for a pack of lollipops from This Charming Candy - and I won! I fell in love with marshmallow pistachio - a very classy adult lollipop that I hid from my 2 year old!

Now Mary is hosting her second giveaway, and it is a $25 gift card for Lisa Leonard Designs - some beautiful jewelry that Mary herself fell in love with. I started browsing the website and immediately found myself feeling the same. I'm particularily infatuated with the adorable Whoo Do You Love necklace, and I'm really hoping that shows up for Mother's Day this year... hint, hint dear husband!

All you have to do to sign up is head on over to Mary's blog. To enter, just comment on what your favorite piece of jewelry is - it's that simple! You can earn additional entries easily, too, utilizing twitter, facebook, and your own blog or website.

I'll admit that I hope the random generator loves me again, but I wish you luck if you do choose to enter. Enter the giveaway here: Lisa Leonard Gift Card Giveaway Good luck!!!

Wells Fargo has now announced that they will give FHA loans to credit borrowers with as low as a 500 credit score. You will need as much as 10% down, but there are HUD homes that qualify for FHA in the area as low as $38,000 - and let's face it, $3,800 for a downpayment is easy enough to come up with, especially around tax time.

Of course this news has received praise and criticism. Some people are excited that they may "have another chance". Others think we're just setting ourselves up for another wave of foreclosures down the road - and that could be true, especially if people buy at the high end of their price limit.

Yet what I don't see mentioned is how this really isn't going to help a massive amount of people buy a home. If you have a credit score in the 500's, there is usually a reason. Foreclosure? You're still going to be stuck with the "three year rule", where you can't qualify for an FHA loan for three years after the foreclosure. Bills in collections? Not going to happen. High debt to income ratio? Still not going to qualify. So depending on your circumstance, it is hard to say if this change will help you or not.

If you are interested in buying a home, the first thing you need to do is to talk to a lender to see if you are ready to buy, and if not, a good lender can help you figure out what you need to do to get to that point.

If you have any questions about the home buying process, feel free to contact Joslyn Solomon @ 612-850-3153 anytime, or e-mail Joslyn@JoslynSells.com. You can also catch me on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/joslynsolomon

"It is impossible to sell a home in this market."

I'll agree - it's not easy...

...but it's not impossible.  Homes are still selling in Kanabec County.  In the last 6 months, 78 homes have sold in Kanabec County.  (April through October)  The price range of the homes that sold has been as low as $8,000 and as high as $499,000!   The average price of a sale for the last six months is $100,852 with just under 6 months on the market.  Homes are selling! 

How do you compete?  The average price per finished square foot is $61.34.  Simply multiply this number by your total finished square footage for a rough estimate of your home's value in average condition.

Is your home in higher demand?  The homes we see with the most interest right now are homes with 5+ acres and homes that qualify for FHA or other first time homebuyer programs.  To ensure you are competitive, try to take a look at your home as if you are a modern day lender.  Are there any electrical issues?  Unfinished work?  Are you completely free of safety concerns?  You may be ready for market!

When it is time to choose an agent, I hope you will consider my years of experience, Century 21 brand name, extensive online advertising, and cutting edge website.  Feel free to research me - view my blog, facebook page, and website.  I hope to talk to you soon!