Open houses Sunday October 16, 2011 (10/16/11) Saint Cloud MN MLS#4073011 1311 Dunmore Circle, Clearwater Open House Sunday 10/16  11:00-1:00   Mega Shop and a Custom Home! This home and shop have it all. The shop + warehouse is 5,776 sq.ft. with infloor heat, compressor, hoist & paint booth, racking  and 12 "OH doors. The home is a 3 BR, 3 Bath with amenities including stone fireplace, wrap around deck off the open kitchen & dining, Master suite w/whirlpool bath, mf laundry and walkin pantry! Cedar & stone exterior with 3.45 acres of privacy. $329,900.  Steve Baklaich 320-260-3290. Directions: I-94 to Clearwater, s. on 24 then first right on CR145 to Dunmore Cir.         MLS#4056501 19154-56th Ave., St. Cloud Open House Sunday 10/16  1:30-3:00   Country Paradise Close to City! A beauti... 10/11/2011

List #4056501 19154 56th Ave. St. Cloud, MN Open House Sunday 9/18  2:00-4:00   Home on the Hilltop-8.16 Acres Landscaped and wooded this 8.16 Acre home-site has spectacular views and is only a few minutes from St. Clouds west end with a beautiful 4 level walkout home offering almost 2900 sq.ft.finished. 5 Bedroom, 3 Bath, 3 garage stalls + a 26x40 Shop with hoist. Perfect for a wood-shop or your car collection! Fenced in side yard for kids or pets. Extra Large Deck & patio with power awning, and an in-law apartment in the walkout 3rd level. All for only $285,000   Directions to 19154 56th Ave St. Cloud MN: South on Hwy. 15, 3.7 mile s. of Luxemberg Church to Left on CR146, 1 mile to 56th Ave. to home. 09/14/2011

List #4073011 1311 Dunmore Circle Clearwater, MN Open House Sunday 9/18 12:00-2:00   Car Lovers Paradise! This updated well appointed home sits amid trees on 3.45 Acres with a 5,776 sq.ft. shop made for cars with all the extras (hoist, paint booth, compressor w/lines) including in-floor heat & 12'Over Head Door. The home is nicely appointed too. 3 BR, 3 Bath, Master suite w.whirlpool, stone fireplace, 2car + 1car, and a 2 dog covered kennel. All for only $329,900. Directions to 1311 Dunmore Circle Clearwater MN: I94 to Clearwater, S. on MN24 to a quick R. on 145 to Dunmore Circle, or south of St. Augusta on CR7 to CR44, 44 to 145, then L. to Dunmore.   09/14/2011

Some time ago I began my Active Rain experience, and one of my earliest connections was with Anna Banana Kruchten, of Phoenix Property Shoppe in AZ. More accurately Anna made the connection, because she grew up in St. Cloud, MN, which is where I live and work. A 100 blog localism series, centered on Saint Cloud MN, cemented our relationship, with Anna commenting on nearly every one. Yesterday I was going about my business, holding one of my listings open, and a woman came to the door. She said she was visiting for a Friend on AR, and was carrying a package topped with a banana. It took a moment for my senses to catch up with my brain and I realized I was having a Banana Encounter. I had the great pleasure to be visited by Anna's sister Mary Margaret, bearing muffins with a banana tied o... 06/18/2011

Open House Saturday 6/18   11:00-12:15 168 Cheval Dr., Sartell $154,900   List# 4025138                             One Level Living-Sartell This spacious and tasteful patio home offer all the comforts including in-floor heat as well as forced air with Central air, an attractive gas fireplace in the living room, great-room and covered front and back porches. 2 Bedrooms and 2 baths, 2 car garage and MF laundry. No more lawn mowing or snow blowing!  Directions: Pinecone Rd. N. to 2-1/2 St.,-E. on block to Cheval.   Open House Saturday 6/18   1:00-3:00 19154-56th Ave., St. Cloud (S.Haven) $285,000   List# 4056501                                 8 Acres of Heaven 15 Minutes From The Mall! This 5 bedroom 3 bath offers 2,891 sq.ft finished, a walkout lower level with extra kitchen/aptmt., 3 g... 06/16/2011

Open House Sunday 6/12   11:00-12:30 Address: 1932 27th St. SE, St. Cloud $134,900     List # 4035660                                    Great Views & Location!Beautiful 3 Bedroom 3 bath walkout rambler townhome is move-in ready with very nice features. Private deck & patio, oak 6 panel doors, vaulted ceiling and tile floors. View deer from the south facing deck. Finance through Liberty and they wave the Orig.Fee on this home. Directions: Hwy 10 to Minnesota Blvd.(301) to 20th Ave.SE then south to home on corner of 20th Ave. & 27th St.SE.       Open House Sunday 6/12   1:00-2:30 Address: 955 4 1/2 Ave. N., Sauk Rapids $134,900    List#4027336                                         A Place For Your Garden, Pets, Kids... This lovingly updated and maintained rambler is close to schools an... 06/08/2011

Q: We clicked back on the link you sent us today, and the house we like changed status to TNAS. What does TNAS mean? A: The live link to the MLS changes as the Listing Broker makes changes to the listing data online. The status change to TNAS means the property is now Temporarily Not Available for Showings. This could be for any number of reasons. They may have had a maintenance issue they are taking care of, or the owner (a bank) may have discovered a title problem, but sometimes they take a listing out of inventory to package it with other homes for auction. An investment portfolio of sorts. I will talk to the Listing Broker and check on the specific reason it is TNAS. It may come available again and it may be gone/sold, and you may want to focus on other properties. I find this happe... 02/11/2011

Seriously, now is the time to remove your emotions from the buying process and look at the investment potential, THIS IS AN INVESTORS MARKET! Forget about the late night infomercials, forget the news about a buyers or sellers market, forget what info your Uncle Fred gave you about waiting; now is the time to get motivated and get your real estate portfolio together, seriously do it now! As I posted in my blog "Buy a house... Then Buy another" the market is prime for the investor buyer, and they are out buying right now. Economists like Ben Stein, Hedge Fund Managers like Paulson, NAR, the WSJ and many more are pointing out that we are seeing the best combination of factors for the investor buyer that we have seen in over 35 years, and the prices are very nice too. Right now there are qu... 01/16/2011

Nordic ski class is a Free Class! Stearns County Quarry Park is on the southwest edge of St. Cloud, Minnesota and is one of the nicest parks I have ever seen, and probably one of the best pieces of real estate in St. Cloud, MN. At this time of year the best way to enjoy the park, and our whole area, is on skis. Cross Country skis (Nordic). Next Saturday, January 15, 2011 there is a free cross country ski class open to the first 20 people who sign up. You can get out, get some exercise, and learn how to do something that everyone should try. You will learn how to quietly glide through the natural snow covered environment. See wildlife, often close up, and enjoy the beauty of Quarry Park. And they'll teach you how to not fall down:)   Cross country ski equipment can be rented at:         ... 01/08/2011

OPEN HOUSE THIS SATURDAY, 12/4 FROM 11:00-1:00, AT 1021 S. 10 1/2 AVENUE, ST. CLOUD, MN. This 1 1/2 story is actually an up & down duplex, licensed by the city of St. Cloud, with 3 bedrooms up and a 1 bedroom apartment down. Convenient to the SCSU Campus, Downtown, and half a block from the bus route, this is a great rental or an owner occupied dream property! Think about cutting your payments roughly in half, and saving the rest, or accelerating the payoff of the mortgage! Features include a detached 3 car garage, fenced back yard with play-set, aluminum siding, interior updates and 2 newer gas furnaces. Tenants are on month to month, so possession is open and negotiable. Come and see how easy it is to owner occupy a duplex, and make the smartest financial move of the year! Dir: 9th Av... 11/30/2010

I started taking an inventory of why I am thankful, and realized Things were not high on my list. They are there, but not too high, as opposed to the people in my life.  First is Elizabeth Baklaich, my Wife, Webmistress, Life Partner, and Award Winning Maker of Blueberry Jam. Liz is a self taught code writer and SEO specialist, a Short Sale Mechanic, a Master Painter (house not eisel) and a well read informed conversationalist/debater with a talent for building bridges. I forget what life was like without her. She also makes an oatmeal raisin cookie that's as adictive as heroin:) My Brothers, who are both older but only slightly. Together we have often been the textbook example of sibling rivalry, but I have always had them to lean on, and they have proved thier inteligence and compassi... 11/22/2010

OPEN SUNDAY NOVEMBER 21 FROM 12:00-1:00PM. 819 N. 7TH AVENUE, ST. CLOUD, MN Welcome to this completely updated 2 Bedroom 2 Bath Home in the desirable Hospital Neighborhood, only a block from Hester Park on the Mississippi River. The interior has been restored and updated and features refinished maple floors, a spacious country kitchen w/nook and formal dining with a south facing bay window, main floor laundry, and enclosed front porch. The roof is new as of last year and the vinyl siding and windows are in like new condition. The tree shaded lot is quite large and private with room for play and pets, and guests! Large double detached garage is half studio, but can be converted back, upon request. This move in ready home is available for only $99,500! Located on the bus route and walking... 11/17/2010

I must admit, I tend to be one of those people with jumper cables, flashlight, a snap line or tow strap, and a snow shovel in his vehicle and during winter, if we go on a road trip, I will pack a survival pack (chocolate and clothing, blankets, and stocking caps, an air compressor, and water bottles). The other morning Liz was out, and I was working from the home office, when the doorbell rang. One of the neighbors came over to ask a favor. Could I help him tow his truck which was stalled on the other side of town? I said I wasn't sure I even had a way to do it, as I had no trailer hitch on my new vehicle; so we went to look, and I do have a hard mount tow hook. So, off we went to the north side. We found his little pick-up where he'd left it, linked up, and off we went. He did a good j... 11/14/2010

'Tis the season to be well informed when paying it forward With the Holidays just around the corner, charitable organizations know that now is the time to capture some of the extra goodwill. Many of us who have given will be contacted and asked to donate to different causes to help fund their efforts. While I am happy to help there is one thing that I do look for in a group before I pay it forward - the percentage of my donation that actually goes directly to the cause. We have a few groups that we give to with some regularity, but we also get calls to help out others. The first thing to ask when you get one of these calls is what percentage goes to the actual group. The other night we got a call to help out the local police and firemen. So after they got through their spiel, I asked wh... 11/06/2010

Just a quick note to everyone that next Thursday, November 11th is Veterans Day. Federal Offices will be closed and possibly some local government offices as well. Take a moment to thank those who have served, and say a prayer for them, and especially for those still serving. Fly the American Flag with pride. Oh, and if you know a Marine (once a Marine, always a Marine), be sure to wish them a Happy Birthday on the 10th. It's the Birthday of the Corps. They'll get it and know you do too!     11/05/2010

The Saint Cloud MN Fire station caught fire, and you thought you had a bad day. Not long ago I had a bad day. A Really Bad Day, and as often happens, it was on a Monday! The feature of the day was my Buyer getting rejected by the Lender, and subsequent events piled on until, by late afternoon I was feeling pretty well Whipped! I have had bad days like this before, and will again. Sometimes it's minor stuff like finding the chandelier in a vacant home, while walking backwards and talking to the Buyers. Ouch, crash, smash! We've all had days when it seems like everything is going wrong, and you just have to take a mandatory breath of air, and push on through. I have gone out the back door and walked around the parking lot to clear my head. You tell yourself, "Tomorrow will be better.", or... 10/29/2010

Chocolate Decadence & Champagne Dreams  - Holly Ball 2010 Holly Ball is the annual gala event to raise money for the CentraCare Health Foundation Hospice Fund, which benefits the St. Cloud Hospital Hopsice. Over the past 30 years, Holly Ball has raised more than $2 million which directly helps people with end-of-life care. The theme for Holly Ball 2010 is Chocolate Decadence & Champagne Dreams. This year's Holly Ball will be held Saturday, December 18th from 6:30 p.m. -12:30 a.m. at the St. Cloud Civic Center. You can buy tickets for the Holly Ball 2010 securely online here. The sponsor reception event starts at 5:30 p.m. in the Glenn Carlson Room (doors open at 5 p.m.) for the $2,500+ benefactors. The Sponsor reception will feature a sit-down gourmet dinner with wine, entertainment an... 10/27/2010

If not us, who? If not now, when? All of us came here because we knew the country couldn't go on the way it was going. So it falls to all of us to take action. We have to ask ourselves if we do nothing, where does all of this end. Can anyone here say that if we can't do it, someone down the road can do it, and if no one does it, what happens to the country? All of us know the economy would face an eventual collapse. I know it's a hell of a challenge, but ask yourselves: If not us, who? If not now, when? ~Ronald Reagan Please Vote! It is your right. It is a right that many have fought very hard for, many have died for! Do not take it for granted. One week from today, you have the ability to have your voice heard; legally. Please vote November 2nd, for yourself, for your children and for ... 10/26/2010

Central Minnesota Halloween events: Boo Bash, Great Country Pumpkin Party, Halloween Awakening, Halloween Historia and Trick-or-Treating in Saint Cloud MN Boo Bash Thursday, Oct 28, 2010 from 4:00 to 6:30pm The St. Cloud Downtown Councilalong with Downtown St. Cloud businesses are hosting a free and safe trick or treating experience for kids! Stop by and join the hundreds of families visiting the friendly downtown Saint Cloud MN businesses handing out goodies and sweets to kids in their Halloween costumes! Boo Bash will also feature a pet parade! Bring your pet in costume and join the parade or bring your bike, wagon or on foot and show off your Halloween Spirit! Please remember that your pets need to be on a leash. The Boo Bash in Downtown Saint Cloud MN is free and all are welcome.  ... 10/25/2010

Paying it forward - Great Pumpkin style This was not anything that we had planned, as a matter of fact it started out as a joke. A friend of ours grew pumpkins this year and had a huge crop, knowing that Liz likes to can and to bake he called and asked if she would like some pumpkins. Well of course she said yes. Here comes the joke part, He brought over an entire truck load of pumpkins while we were out and put them on the walk way in front of our house. (I am quite sure that our neighbors thought we were crazy when they saw the pile) We needed to find a good home for the some (OK Most) of the pumpkins, so we have started donating and giving away pumpkins. A dance troupe from Africa (children who have lost their parents) ended up with several to enjoy carving (we heard that most of the... 10/23/2010