First Time Homebuyer Real Estate Word is Appraisal   On a rerun of the TV game show, Cash Cab, a carload of New Yorkers were stumped when asked  to define the acronym, FSBO. This is a term often used in real estate to describe people who sell their home without an agent or "For Sale By Owner". As a REALTOR® I was a bit surprised they couldn't come up with the correct answer but then I  remembered of all the times a look of confusion came over a buyer’s face when I mentioned escrow funds and earnest money. These terms sound so much alike when being bombarded with new terminology like, mortgage, deed, easement, appraisal, and association dues, etc. It is understandable that a buyer who is more interested in room sizes and kitchen counters to be confused with the everyday real estate jargo... 04/27/2013

It is hard to miss the media reports this spring that REAL ESTATE is back!  This good news has many Minnesota homeowners thinking about selling. If you will be listing your home on the market this spring, it will take some preparation and repairs.Even though we seem to be in a never-ending winter this April, it may be time to make the "honey-do" list of spring projects.  Keeping your home in optimal condition is essential in maintaining property value. Whether you plan to sell your home this summer or not, there are a few essential things to check, repair and or replace after every Minnesota winter. As a REALTOR®, I often have to show properties that have not been properly cared for. Throughout Anoka County, Chisago County and northern Washington County, the areas where I work extensive... 04/17/2013

When I was married we didn't have a fun barcode readers to capture and share our favorite towels, toasters and china patterns but they seem to make life simple for today's bride and groom. But wouldn't it be awesome to point that thing beyond the department store wares and head out to the nearest neighborhood of cozy bungalows and tag something that a the happy couple also needs, their first home? Imagine engaged couples browsing the internet listings on realtor.com or dropping by an open house and using a scanner to click the QR-type code on their favorite new home so the front door key could be handed over as the bride is carried over the threshold. AWESOME idea, right?It is an off-the-wall idea but couples getting married this year may have a tough time finding first time buyer finan... 04/07/2013

Tips for Moving to Acreage in Minnesota         Home prices are reboundingand many city homeowners are thinking this is the year we can sell and have enough money to move to a larger home. For some, it is not just the size of the home that they want to increase, many people dream of living outside the city on a hobby farm or small acreage. Making such a move can be overwhelming if you don't know the differences between city and country life. It's not just more space and less neighbors, many times there are less amenities or public utilities too.   Moving to Minnesota acreage doesn’t have to make you feel overwhelmed. Good planning can ease the transition from life in the city to your new life on a Minnesota hobby farm or small acreage!   As a REALTOR® who works throughout the north and ... 03/30/2013

Decades ago, when I was first learning to read, I loved picture book, "Harold and the Purple Crayon" by Crockett Johnson. I wanted a crayon just like that little boy who drew out his dreams in his footy pajamas. Even though I have never been a fan of the color purple, I always wanted one of those special violet Crayola-type sticks of wax to draw to draw my dreams. Imagine life being so simple. After many years of wondering whether the dream of owning a home was dead, the housing market has made a turn around. Due to lower inventories in many areas, sellers are back in the  drivers seat and would be homebuyers are back to sitting on the fence dreaming about their perfect home. As interest rates start to creep up, the dream of a home could slip away. The reality is, there STILL are AFFORD... 03/28/2013

If your home is a bit too crowded maybe it's time to make a move. Interest rates are still at record lows and starter homes are selling quickly in the Minneapolis/St Paul north and east metro! Your perfect little starter home could sell for top dollar due to the record low inventories on homes for sale in the Twin Cities. It's the perfect situation for a move up buyer. Ready to make a move to a bigger home? 03/22/2013

For many years we didn't have much in the way of art on our walls. Short of framed school portraits of our kids and drawings magneted to the fridge, we were somewhat artless. It wasn't that we didn't go and look for that perfect painting for over the sofa or fireplace. There were so very few items we could agree were worth a few hundred dollars. What if we grew tired of it after all? So after almost a decade of bare walls, we now have art and it wasn't expensive either. Art and decor is a really important part of the process of staging your home for sale. If your home is going to be on the listed on the market this spring decor art on the walls can make a difference in how the home is perceived. It is critical that any pictures are not too personal like a family portrait. It is best to ... 03/04/2013

      Closed sales were up again for the second consecutive year in Columbus, Minnesota in 2012. With 46 homes sold and only 35 homes listed in this semi-rural, Anoka County community, just west of Forest Lake. Columbus is well known for its acreage properties in addition to the Running Aces harness racing track. Inventory is no longer an issue for this area that is once again in high demand. The average price of a home rose over 23% in 2012 compared to 2011, so prices are on the rise. This did impact the average price per square footage which also went up from $97 to $108/sq foot. Other positive indicators for Columbus include homes selling faster and sellers getting closer to asking prices. Sellers received almost 94% of their asking price in 2012. Average days on the market is down c... 02/08/2013

I have always found it amusing to have a B.S. in Marketing. On my resume, I work hard to avoid the humor by extending to a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration/Marketing from but for short is a BS in Marketing.   However, marketing is not BS…especially when selling a home. Marketing IS the key to a fast sale at the best price.   What can good marketing do?   Bring in Buyers Create Interest Generate Offers   A strong marketing plan is more than listing a home in the MLS and putting a for sale sign in the yard. When I market a home, I analyze the property to discover its unique selling features. What is IT that sets this home apart from the rest? Sometimes these features are obvious but not always. But one thing is for certain, every home has an angle that will make it desirabl... 02/02/2013

  One of the most difficult things for some home buyers to decide is what style of home they want to buy. Sure you’ve got the three bedrooms, two and a half bath and 2 stall attached garage down but architectural style isn’t always something a buyer thinks about until after seeing a home or two.   Looking at listings on the internet, a home buyer is able to view the images of many types of homes. Some will have descriptions like, ranch, contemporary or bungalow. But many buyers have know idea of what these styles are...heck, some real estate agents will misuse the terms too!   I just came across this awesome tool for home buyers! It is an Architectural Guide to Residental Homes  The guide defines with drawings and descriptions what 33 popular styles of homes look like and the history o... 01/27/2013

It's going to be crazy cold this weekend...You know what I mean. That bone-chilling, below zero for a high, weather love to hate. We love boasting how tough we are as Minnesotans who can endure temps that can turn and ordinary banana into a hammer in a matter of minutes. But we hate having to be out in it ourselves for any length of time. Good think these temps really only show up every few years. The ice fishermen and Winter Carnival people are going to love it though. One thin that these cold January temperatures are perfect for is trimming oak trees! You heard me...trimming an old in the winter is the BEST time. It prevents the spread of oak wilt because the beetles are dormant in the cold weather. By spring, when these devastating creatures become active again, the cuts where branc... 01/18/2013

This should probably be called the Friday Awwww photo rather than funny photo. One of our cats, Ginger, decided that the dog pajama bottoms were a gift for her about 2 seconds after they were opened by my son. As you can see, Ginger is quite comfortable on the flannel that was not even out of the box yet. 12/28/2012

Whether your home is on the market before, after or during the holidays, scents can affect the sale. A beautiful home staged wonderfully can be overlooked if the family cat is front and center…especially when the buyers don’t even see the feline. Often one whiff of an unemptied litter box can be enough to send a carload of potential buyers rushing out the door. So what can a cat loving, home seller do? Beyond the obvious of emptying the box prior to every showing, there are a few things that could be helpful. One option is to light scented candles but there is a potential fire hazard, especially with kitties in the house. Another is to use a few plug-in air fresheners but that can also seem artificial and might bother some buyers with sensitive noses. I prefer a natural air freshener. H... 12/17/2012

After the first four inches of our 16+ inches of snow last Sunday in Ham Lake MN, we decided we had to dig out the birdseed for our friends. The black squirrel did an awesome job of digging out the center of the feeder so the male cardinal could enjoy his breakfast. We had to empty off the snow a few times but the cardinals did seem to appreciate it. They seem to be the only birds brave enough to go out in the storm...even we didn't venture out until Monday after the plows came through! 12/12/2012

We are fortunate to have Blue Jays, sparrows and a variety of wood peckers along with a cardinal couple that live in the pine trees in our front yard in Ham Lake, MN. We have left out birdseed for the past few weeks for the birds...but the squirrels think we are feeding them. The suet was gone and one of our cardinal friends stared into our front window with a look that demanded attention! Yep...I hurried out to feed the angry bird! 12/12/2012

    Last week before daybreak I had to hurry outside to catch a glimpse of the hazy mist surrounding the full moon. It was about an hour before the sunrise and the moon was peeking through the trees in the backyard of our Ham Lake home. There is so much beauty in a winter moon I just had to share it!   12/05/2012

Home market trends in Ham Lake, MN Real estate market data in Ham Lake MN by Joel Friday of Keller Williams Classic Realty Are home prices rising yet in Ham Lake MN 55304 ? Median sale price in Ham Lake MN which is north of Minneapolis 15-20 miles Latest trends in Ham Lake MN The median list price in November for single family homes in Ham Lake is $249,900. The list prices increased by 4.16% from the previous month. The price per square foot for listings in this area is $109. This data include Andover MN as it is based on zip code 55304 The price per square foot for sales in this area is $141. Ham Lake homes for sale by Keller Williams Classic Under 100,000 100,000 - 150,000 150,000 - 200,000 200,000 - 250,000 250,000 - 300,000 300,000 - 400,000 400,000 - 500,000 500,000 + What are the ... 11/28/2012

Selling a home requires a bit more paperwork than just a listing contract. There is an important form, the seller’s disclosure, that is essential to complete if you are selling a residential property in Minnesota. There are alternatives for owners who have not lived in the home like bank representatives in the case of foreclosure or the personal representative of an estate, but most sellers do complete this for in its entirety.   The current seller's residential real estate form is nine pages long. That probably seems like a lot of pages, but if your home was built after 1978 or does not have city water and sewer, there are even more.  If a home was constructed prior to 1978, the seller must fill out a two page federal disclosure regarding lead based paint. If a home has a septic system... 11/18/2012

Thanksgiving is so more than just turkey dinner with pumpkin pie for dessert. It's not just day of football games and planning a Black Friday shopping strategy either. It's a time for families to come together and express their gratitude for everything they have in their lives. Thanksgiving is a holiday that is rich with history...and some interesting facts: The first Thanksgiving celebration in Plymouth, Massachusetts, was held in 1621 and lasted three days. The menu did not include turkey and mash potatoes. However, lobster, rabbit, venison, chicken, fish, squash, beans, chestnuts, hickory nuts, onions, leeks, dried fruits, maple syrup, honey, radishes, cabbage, carrots, eggs, and goat cheese are what historians believe were consumed in the first Thanksgiving feast. In 1789, George Wa... 11/17/2012

  We hung out woodpecker suet on our front deck a few days ago. We were hoping to attract some of the beautiful birds we have living in the pine trees on our Ham Lake acreage. In Anoka County, we have many beautiful birds and we have seen cardinals, blue jays, sparrows and small woodpeckers in the trees. Earlier in the week, we had a squirrel hanging from the feeder...but this poor guy (a pileated woodpecker) couldn't figure a way to make it work.   11/11/2012