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Brainerd, MN Real Estate News

By Kathleen Lordbock, Keller Williams Realty Professionals
(Keller Williams Realty Professionals)
                                                                                                                     photo by haveyouseenthisgirl    So often we think that we are getting away with something or that no one will notice. If you have children, they notice everything and mimic others.  If you repeat an action often enough, it becomes a habit.  So now your habits have become their habits, as well.  How you react to a situation will be noted, internalized and stored there to help them when they encountered a similar situation. Not only are your outward physical actions being copied but your values, prejudices,  & your evaluation system for making choices and judgments.      My husband just signed up for an Ethics class at our local college, in order to keep sharp and for a way...
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By Kathleen Lordbock, Keller Williams Realty Professionals
(Keller Williams Realty Professionals)
                                                                                                                      photo byzaphodsotherheadA lways Use Caution- Use Extreme caution when school buses are presentB e Alert - Watch what is going on around youC rossing Streets - Look both ways before crossing the streetD oors - don't answer the door when you are home aloneE lectrical Safety - never go near a downed power line.  Let a parent know so they can call for helpF ind a good backpack - choose a backpack that fits close to your body.G uard belongings - take care of your books, lunch, and other items.H ands & arms- keep hands, arms, and head inside vehiclesI f you get lost - find a policeman or a uniformed store worker or a mother with childrenJ ust say no - stay away from drugs and ...
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By Kathleen Lordbock, Keller Williams Realty Professionals
(Keller Williams Realty Professionals)
                                                                                                                   Photo by RavenHawkDrought, brown crunchy grass, and dying newly planted baby trees - now wind, rain, and hail.  Welcome to the Brainerd Lakes area of Minnesota, where temperatures can jump easily 50 degrees from one day to the next. This area experienced some significant damage due to high winds and large hail recently, but the southern part of the state of Minnesota is flooding(water runs down -right?). They did lose 22 lives thus far in the flood area. The top rainfall in 24 hours was 10 inches previously and we hit 15 inches in some areas. There are thus far 4200 homes affected and most of those don't have flood insurance. since they are not in a designated flood plain.O...
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By Kathleen Lordbock, Keller Williams Realty Professionals
(Keller Williams Realty Professionals)
  The Teen Talent Contest is on right now and some of them are very good and others still need more practice.  In a couple hours is the open Talent Contest and there will be some serious contenders for the prize money.      I have had some interested people stopping by my booth, but many are just scanning for freebies.  They are even afraid to sign up for my drawing,.  They probably think that I will call them regardless of whether they won or not.       Do they "get home staging" yet in the Brainerd Lakes Area?  Being of mainly Scandinavian, Germanic, and Nordic descent my people are warm, "Minnesota Nice", and stubborn.  However, what may have worked before in home selling is not working here now.  The market is flooded with homes and there are continuous price reductions proudly adve...
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By Kathleen Lordbock, Keller Williams Realty Professionals
(Keller Williams Realty Professionals)
      Here I am reporting from my booth at the Crow Wing County Fair in Brainerd, Minnesota.  The band just finished playing in the Mill's Free Stage and the next one starts in 2 hours.  The stage is right next to my booth so I get to hear a lot of great music. The exhibit booths are open daily from 10:00 AM until 10:00 PM. Today is Thursday and it is Ag Day.  Some of the day's events include a kids' pedal pull at noon and a demolition derby  tonight in the Grandstand at 7 PM.  I am sure it will be a bit noisy, so people will just have to watch my before and after slideshow.      Friday is Teen Day.  Highlights include a pre-teen talent contest at 1 PM, a teen talent contest at 3 PM, and an open class talent contest at 5 PM at the Mill's Free stage.  Baja Rally Races will be at 7 PM at...
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By Art Lordbock, Brainerd, MN Roofing Company
(Quality Roof Systems)
   Minnesota Twins legendary pitcher Frank Viola was in town this weekend and he paid a visit to the Blue Thunder game at Mills Field.  He threw out the first pitch and then stuck around to sign autographs.  The game was Brainerd's Blue Thunder against Mankato.He was outgoing, friendly, and funny . When Chuck Richards, 72, handed Viola a rare baseball card from early on in Viola's Twins career ,Viola looked at it and laughed about his hair do from back then.  "No wonder Tom Kelly called me Bozo the Clown".After signing a young girl's Wheaties box that commemorated the 1987 World Series that Viola was MVP in, Viola teased her saying, "I hope you aren't going to eat the cereal now." Frank was also the 1988 Cy Young award winner. The pitcher cherishes the fact that the Twins were able to w...
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By Kathleen Lordbock, Keller Williams Realty Professionals
(Keller Williams Realty Professionals)
When you go through any  fast food drive through  you are asked if you want to "Super-size" your order.  You shouldn't!!  But you should learn how to super-size your spaces that you are staging. Small houses can appear larger and more cohesive if similar colors are used throughout the spaces. This is a trick that designers often use when dressing up a show home, especially the pre-fabricated ones.  They usually are smaller that most stick built models, but employ many innovative tricks to maximize the spaces. One is the use of wall color - it doesn't need to be white, as shown in the photo, but lighter colors reflect more light and thus give the illusion of space.  Curtain rods set much higher that the window frames bring the eye up and let one think that the windows go all the way up. ...
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By Kathleen Lordbock, Keller Williams Realty Professionals
(Keller Williams Realty Professionals)
     For those of you in the Brainerd Lakes area that have had the good fortune to meet Father Seamus Walsh of the Brainerd Area Catholic Churches - you will know that his leaving will leave an impression on many.  Walsh has considerable Irish charm and a  hefty dose of wit to go along with his Irish accent. A priest in Minnesota for more that 40 years, Walsh kept in touch with his Irish roots and his Irish relatives .  Walsh says that his greatest challenge in serving in the Brainerd Lakes area was to united the three Catholic churches - St. Francis, St. Mathias and St. Andrews - in an effort to consolidate services without having to close any of them.      Walsh also was involved with community programs , which is how I met him, and the Bridges of Hope.       Parishioners of the 65-ye...
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By Kathleen Lordbock, Keller Williams Realty Professionals
(Keller Williams Realty Professionals)
Simple Grace features the full-time ministry of the Jim Hitch Family from rural Martell, Nebraska. Jim and Kathy, and their eight children (though the youngest is still under contract negotiations!), offer a variety of Christian music, including selections from bluegrass, traditional, gospel, folk and original pieces.Their performances include guitars, fiddles, banjo, mandolin, piano, harmonicas, dobro and other miscellaneous instruments, in an inspirational and uplifting program, which ministers across denominational lines. The Simple Grace Ministry focuses on God's faithfulness as reflected in His families, and His amazing, unfathomable, simple grace! John Paul and Rochelle Ruiz have both been professional artists, singing, dancing, and acting since childhood. Their combined experienc...
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By Kathleen Lordbock, Keller Williams Realty Professionals
(Keller Williams Realty Professionals)
With the Fourth of July quickly approaching - I thought everyone should know the special offerings our area has for this exciting time of the year.How does your family celebrate Independence Day? Do you participate in a parade - either on land or lake? Does your family make a commitment to reunite at the lake cabin every Fourth of July? Do you have favorite, traditional recipes you share on this holiday? Do you make it your tradition to try to be top dog in the milk carton boat races in your lake? Tell us what traditions you and your family follow on the Fourth of July.For all the young up-coming musicians in the Brainerd Lakes Area the Battle of the Bands is a hot night.  This will take place on Don Adamson Field by the Brainerd High School.  Along with music there will be food. The co...
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By Kathleen Lordbock, Keller Williams Realty Professionals
(Keller Williams Realty Professionals)
Camp Noah: A Soldier's Coming Home, the week-long, faith-based day camp developed by Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota is designed to help children identify  what they have within themselves to help make a successful reunion when their parent returns from war and build on the resilience they have already shown while their parent was away, some for two years.The camp is free to any child kindergarten through sixth grade whose parent is a deployed member of the Minnesota National Guard.All camps run from 9 AM to 3 PM and transportation assistance may be available to those needing it.  The Brainerd/Baxter area camp will be June 25-29 at the Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Baxter.To register your child, call Judith Becker at 800-987-0061 or 651-969-2257.    
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By David Kosmecki
(American Pacific Mortgage)
Our state bird offers a very calming call. On many of our 10,000 lakes you can find loons.
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By Kathleen Lordbock, Keller Williams Realty Professionals
(Keller Williams Realty Professionals)
   Photo by MeraM    Bob Bourassa graduated with the Class of 1954 - kind of.  He did not have enough credits to graduate and get the diploma because he had suffered a severe burn injury at the end of his senior year. At the time of the ceremony he got an empty folder, which would be filled when his missing three credits were made up.Fifty-three years later, Bob walked across the stage at the Brainerd High School District Learning Center and fulfilled his dream of graduating from high school."It's really neat," said his wife. Beryl.  "It's something he's wanted to do for a long time."When Bob was 18 - he and his sister were left in charge of their 3 younger siblings while their parents made an out of town trip.  During the night the fire in the furnace went out and Bob went downstairs t...
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By Kathleen Lordbock, Keller Williams Realty Professionals
(Keller Williams Realty Professionals)
Slow down for three minutes to read this. It is so worth it. Touching words from the mouth of babes. What does Love mean? A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love." Rebecca- age 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe...
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By Kathleen Lordbock, Keller Williams Realty Professionals
(Keller Williams Realty Professionals)
     Opening night for the Brainerd Blue Thunder team at the Mills Field will be against Battle Creek, Michigan.  Pam Marrs, owner, in entering her 3rd season along with husband Skip, says that final preparations are always a bit hectic.Some factors that the team will be dealing with this year are road construction, as Washington Street in Brainerd is under going work, expansion of the division, and the high gas prices.  The Northern Division is:  Brainerd, Rochester, St. Cloud, Duluth, Mankato, Alexandria, Thunder Bay (Canada)The Southern Division is: Battle Creek, MI, Green Bay, Wausau, Madison, Eau Claire, La Crosse all from WI and Waterloo, Iowa.     Opening night will be the first of 16 home games in the first 31 days for the Blue Thunder team.  Starting in July, there will only be...
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By Lori Gilmore, One Savvy Move Home Staging
(One Savvy Move)
When selling a home in Brainerd, MN  homeowners have the competitive advantageif they are savvy enough to hire Kathleen Lordbock of Re$ale Design and Home Staging. Together with her daughter Allison, this dynamic pair brings organizational expertise and design flair to every project.  In a sluggish home market, a properly merchandised home stands out from the competition enticing buyers to make offers!  Remember, the home buying process is an emotional one and Kathleen and Allison are skilled at creating interiors that capture the hearts of buyers.   When preparing to sell a home in Brainerd, MN the first call you should make is to Re$ale Design and Home Staging.  They can be reached at 218-829-4664.In addition to preparing your home to sell, these talented ladies can help make your cur...
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By Kathleen Lordbock, Keller Williams Realty Professionals
(Keller Williams Realty Professionals)
    That's me in the middle with the sling & my mouth open, of course.(that is how we sing here in MN). It was a bright and sunny day and the crowd was ready to roll.  The kids were climbing the wall (that is what it was there for) and exploring all the equipment.  We even tried out a few pieces and got in a tank.  I do not like small spaces so that didn't last long. All in all it was a great day at the Brainerd National Guard Armory. These are the follow up photos from my blog 
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By Kathleen Lordbock, Keller Williams Realty Professionals
(Keller Williams Realty Professionals)
Saturday, May 19,2007 the Brainerd National Guard and the 194th Tank Regiment are hosting an Armed Forces Day.  The Bataan Memorial  March consists of a 10 mile or a 20 mile route. Participants can walk or run and participate as individuals or as a group effort. You can carry the pack or not.As part of the celebration, the Minnesota National Guard will display a M1A1 Main Battle Tank, a Bradley Fighting Vehicle, Artillery pieces, support vehicles and command vehicles.  The public can touch and crawl on them  at will - adults included.There will be many other activities including a rock-climbing wall, obstacle course, and a NASCAR simulator.Admission is free. Everything starts and ends at the Brainerd National Guard Armory.Time:   Bataan March Opening Ceremony at 8:30 amBataan March begi...
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By Kathleen Lordbock, Keller Williams Realty Professionals
(Keller Williams Realty Professionals)
On a recent visit to the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley, Minnesota we came across this sign. Remembering a previous experience I had with a female baboon involving a rock and a very good pitching arm (that would be the baboon's, but mine is not too bad either), I snapped a shot of this warning sign. This also reminded of some people that I have worked with or at least tried to. Kathleen Lordbock REALTOR/Staging Specialist Keller Williams Brainerd Lakes Re$ale Design & Home Staging  
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By Kathleen Lordbock, Keller Williams Realty Professionals
(Keller Williams Realty Professionals)
     The Multiple Listing Service of the Greater Lakes Association of Realtors just released their latest tabulations for our county.  Numbers don't lie or do they?  Last year  in the first quarter of 2006, 177 homes were sold in Crow Wing County at a median price of $156,200 and their time on the market averaged 131 days . This year for the same quarter  period the homes  are at $159,200 and are taking an average of 142 days to sell.     According to Kevin Goedker, president of the MLS and an agent with Century 21 Brainerd Realty, new construction and existing homes in the Brainerd/Baxter area and the rest of the county are selling for less compared to last year. The  lakeshore homes are actually selling for more  which means the rest of the selection is actually bringing much less as ...
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Brainerd, MN Real Estate Professionals