I have been starting to do some more outside blogging this year.  That is one of the reason I am really only able to do about 5 or 6 posts a week on my Active Rain blog.  One of my outside blogs is that Elk River Minnesota Blog. This blog does what you might think it does which is keep people up to date and things that are happening in and around Elk River. With the blog we started a Facebook Page called 365 Things To Do Around Elk River.  The basic intention is to be a resource for what is happening in the community.  I don't do any sales pitches on these.  I do have my name out there and post a little about me in the signature of the blog.  I think in the long run it will help my business. Right now I am super busy, so I think the extra spiritual energy I am putting into my work is ... 01/12/2011

Haven't done a wordless day in awhile... and I couldn't resist. This is a great reason to live in Minnesota! My son is a pro - his first time on the ice and he we skating without anyone holding on!Gotta love the ol' Hanke Pit in Elk River - they are celebrating 100 years this year!If you have time to skate or sled it's worth the effort to head on down there for some fun!The warming house is open and ready to take you on.   01/12/2011

As I've been collecting ice skates for my little ones I've been doing a lot of thinking. It's one thing to take the kiddos skating once, but this whole ordeal of fun would be a lot easier if I had a pond in my backyard! I know that I could take the time and flood my own skating pond (which we might do down the road) but for now it will be a drive into an already prepared rink for us. The rates are so great right now that buying a house with an incredible payment isn't out of the question. Prices are at such a low in our area that buying your own pond isn't out of the question. Most incredibly? There are ponds available. I know several properties are sitting available for purchase in the Elk River and surrounding areas that have water in the back... they just need someone to shovel them ... 01/11/2011

    SATURDAY, January 8th12-3pm  26228 8th Street WZimmerman, Minnesota 55398 $74,900 4 bedroom, 2 bath rambler with detached 2 car garage.Clean 1700 FSF+ Rambler on large quiet lot features 4 Bedrooms, 2 Baths, oversized 2 car detached garage, neutral decor, city sewer/water, hardwood floors, and is conveniently located. Great price and won't last long!!! Hurry.rage.       SUNDAY, January 9th1-4pm 19386 King Circle NWElk River, Minnesota 55330$167,900 4 bedroom, 3 bath four level split on 1.4 acres in Elk River!Secluded acre lot with large 4 level split home close to shopping. 22x38 garage, fresh paint throughout, refinished hardwood floors, private views from every window and on a cul-de-sac. New Carpet to be installed. Septic is in compliance.       _________________________________... 01/07/2011

The rules of real estate have changed over the last few years making it more challenging for some buyers to purchase homes.... even though they are priced better than ever. If you are a buyer finding it challenging to purchase and want to buy in 2011 there are a few things that you can do to make it a greater possibility. The FIRST thing is to get out your good ol' piggy bank. Remember your pink friend from childhood that you stuck every penny you could find in? That's the one. Dig him out and dust him off. More and more it is becoming necessary to have some funds going into a home purchase. Every penny that you can save toward your purchase is a good penny to have. It will increase your buying power and give your more financing options. The SECOND thing that you'll want to do is find ... 01/01/2011

For 2011 The Discovery Team at RE/MAX in Elk River is stepping up its efforts to connect with the community by starting a new facebook page: 365 Things To Do Around Elk River, MN.  The goal is to connect more people to what is happening in and around Elk River, MN.  We have some posts already on the page, but starting on January 1st, 2011 you will see at least one post each day where we talk about an event coming up or happening that day in the Elk River Area.  We will use videos, pictures, blogs and links to articles to get the news out. If you live in the Elk River Area and want to find out about events, entertainment, arts and fun activities going on through out the year we invite you to LIKE our page.  Here is the link: 365 Things To Do Around Elk River, MN An example of the things ... 12/30/2010

I can only imagine how much snow December COULD have brought us this year.... For real. I am watching ALL my precious white melt in my front yard as I write this very post. Truly, we started with two feet of snow this week. Taking the kids sledding was great entertainment as they waded through thigh high snow in their itty-bitty boots and plumped up snow pants. Today is quite a different story. Seemingly overnight a good third of our snow has been condensed by the consistant drizzle of RAIN! Who's ever heard of rain storms in Minnesota in December? Okay, so I know that it happens but it's not supposed to. One can only imagine that God forgot what state he was in when delivering this week's weather report. (Maybe Tennessee?) And, hopefully they aren't experiencing Minnesota weather - tha... 12/30/2010

Do you have a live (or drying) Christmas tree decorating your house? There are loads of them that are still decorating windows and housing throughout Elk River. The thing is... all good things must come to and end. This week most folks will be carefully removing decorations and dragging needly and dry Christmas trees outside. In Elk River there isn't a curbside pickup for the trees. But, don't despair! You aren't out of luck! On Saturday, January 8th in 2011 Elk River is offering tree recycling at the Public Works Compost Site from 8am to noon. It's easy peasy... just load that baby right back onto the roof of your car and grab a non-perishable food item for Caer Food Shelf from the cupboard and head on over there. That's right. Free tree recycling while paying it forward to the hungry ... 12/29/2010

For a couple of years now Coldwell Banker Vision has been privileged to host the Elk River Chamber "Business After Hours" event in the month of December. Celebrating Christmas while chatting it up with local business owner's is a wonderful treat and this year was no exception. We had a 'surprise' visit from Santa and his elf Buddy and they were kind enough to leave behind an interview about the current market condition in Elk River, Minnesota and why it just might be the right time to buy.If you can - take a look see! It's worth the effort.... and pretty funny too! (Hats off to my first video blog post - hopefully something that you will see more of in the future.)   Having traditions like this really make our house feel like home. It takes that which we live in have a happy memory.... ... 12/09/2010

Because I'm teaching preschool at home this year with two very busy little boys.. you can only imagine the art work that is covering my walls. Full body drawings to seasonal and holiday paintings to letters and numbers and all things in between. I LOVE the pictures and it kills me to have to take them down and replace them with new ones, but it's good to keep the seasons fresh - and to see the progress my kids are making. That being said... my fridge is no better. Magnets and drying paintings and grocery lists covering the front. It's an artistic masterpiece all in itself. But, truly, this is not just in my busy house. I have been in loads of homes that have refrigerators covered with goodies and memorabilia. If you are thinking of SELLING your home this will be one of the first changes... 11/23/2010

On the north side of Elk River there is a small storefront with a Natural Fusions sign entertaining the door! You can't miss it... it's right next to SNAP Fitness and across from Applebees. I must confess that I've seen the Natural Fusion's sign for awhile and sometimes wondered what and who they are, but wasn't brave enough to find out for myself. Silliness for sure! Because of my love for Facebook I ran across this great little shop when they were offering an 8-week weight loss challenge. This adventure was right up my alley so I braved up and made an appointment for my free body assessment. I am in week FOUR of my challenge and loving these gals and their motivation toward a healthier me. It's fun to walk in a store and know that you are the main focus of the moment (which is how I'v... 11/17/2010

Have you ever been in a house with animals? Some owners do a GREAT job at keeping their homes immaculate and I have to say that I'm not only proud of their cleanliness, but also their ability to keep pet hair and odors out of their homes. Others aren't so great - it's not fun to look at a home and walk away full of hair just from a walk thru. In the past I have always put my foot down 'hard' against having indoor pets for this very reason. I already fight with looming cobwebs, daddy long legs in the corners and dust bunnies the size of playground balls so thinking about adding dog hair or hairballs from cats to my messes just doesn't thrill me. Unfortunately, we picked up a stray kitty about four weeks ago and though he was meant to be a barn cat (yes, we have ample room on our farmlet ... 11/16/2010

Walking around with the zipper down on your pants is quite embarrassing... and some say the same about driving with your gas tank cover open. These are quite fixable situations that can make a huge difference when you meet someone for the first time. It's kind of like having a calling card and giving a person a first memory of who you are and what you define.The truth is that neither of these circumstances really does define a person, but in our memory it does. It's all about the mind game. So, what about your mailbox? What does "it" say about you? If you are getting ready to sell your home it might be something important to think about. In rural Minnesota areas (and not so rural) mailboxes are found at the end of the drive and are the first 'impression' that a buyer seeks out and sees ... 11/14/2010

Back in the day (when I was a wee thing about 3 feet tall) we had a box at the front door.... especially before holidays and during major cleaning spurts. The box was intended specifically for things that we didn't want anymore. Old clothes, old books, toys that weren't broken but not played with. The box usually sat around for weeks at a time so if we threw something in it and regretted it we could take it back out. This buffer system worked well for us... and I carried it over in some fashion or form to my adulthood. I always have a half filled box of 'stuff' that just isn't important to me anymore hanging around waiting for it's turn to ride in the car to the Salvation Army or Good Will. Little did I know that this system has a NAME! It's called the OUTBOX. Now, before you judge hear... 11/12/2010

Driving past the local food shelf during their "open" hours it has become obvious that their has been a great growth of folks needing a helping hand in Elk River. I have heard rumors of lines wrapping around the building and with the weather growing cooler those lines may grow. Heating expenses making a bigger dent in family pocket books make it harder to feed the mouths at home.Right Home Inspections is offering $15 for every paid home inspection in the month of November to the local Elk River food shelf in effort to support the hungry.The local BNI group (meeting weekly at our office) is also collecting food for Caer Food Shelf as well. November is a huge month for Elk River residents to support the local food shelf. With Thanksgiving coming up it's of great importance for the communi... 11/11/2010

Growing up I always heard the advice "don't judge a book by it's cover" but the older I get the more I am willing to admit that I do exactly that when I'm choosing my reading material. I'm also the first one to admit that I've probably missed out on some great books for that very reason. My theory would then tend to believe that when selling your home you can expect that buyer's may or will judge your home by their first impression - many times being the front entrance or front door. Many times we are 'used' to using our side entrances and garage entrances to our homes and don't even know if our front door works!As a seller there are a few recommendations I'd make upon deciding to sell your home. * Make sure that the front porch/stoop area is clear of brush, cobwebs and dirt. There is n... 11/11/2010

I've seen a lot of homes sell in my real estate career. Going back to my 'beginning' in housing prices were on their way up. Everyone wanted a piece of the action and the office was hopping. There were many a meeting where the discussion flirted over the lack of homes under $100,000... then $150,000... then $200,000. If my memory serves me correctly there was even talk of real estate never being reasonable ever again. Here we are 12 years later. Things look so different from the perfect market not so long ago. Now office meetings flirt with amazement on "how low will the prices really go?" and "Can you believe how many homes are under $100,000... and $75,000..." At my meeting today I thought about my parent's home. They purchased it a long while ago and they paid $35,000 for it. The wei... 11/09/2010

The holiday season is quickly consuming our calendars! Tis' the the of parties, dinners, family and goodies. Tis' the season of growing bellies and full tummies. Tis' the season of unbuttoned pants and elastic belts. That is... it could be that way but doesn't have to be.This year is can be different! It just takes a little motivation. Natural Fusion in Elk River started an 8-week challenge on Wednesday nights (6-7pm). For $35 you get the support you need to not only maintain during the holiday season, but to even lose unwanted pounds. I am stoked about this group! Besides the pot of gold at the end for three lucky winners... there are weekly incentives for losing weight. There is training weekly on living healthy and support from the coaches! The BEST part is that it isn't too late to ... 10/29/2010

Halloween is that time of year when our imaginations are allowed to run wild with ideas and we have a great excuse to be something "imaginary" that otherwise wouldn't be welcome. Whether you are at the office, you are at home, going trick-or-treating, at a halloween party or just having an excuse to dress up - I hope that you are going as someone fun! This year I grew my wings on Thursday morning.... just in time for our yearly office party. Maybe I'll even get a vote or two in the office contest for my originality? Never know - it could happen. Being a butterfly was certainly a blast. I think that my antennas were my favorite part. And, when I brought my costume home the toddlers had loads of fun flittering through the house with it!We don't typically go trick-or-treating so the kids ... 10/29/2010

There are so many reasons to wish that Tuesday, November 2nd is behind us. Between the political ads and attention to voter details on the news. It's almost so 'over the top' that you might be thinking "to heck with it! I don't need to vote. It's not like the presidential spot is on the line and that's what is really important anyways." If this sounds like you, then I'd like to encourage you to reconsider. In Minnesota this year there are some very important spots up for re-election. The governor's seat is one. With Tim Pawlenty on his way out and the race between his replacements remaining very close it's a great time to voice your thoughts. In Elk River there are school issues on the ballots and in many districts there are issues regarding school district seats. If you aren't sure who... 10/24/2010