Willard Munger State Trail offers over sixty miles of scenic trails from Hinckley to Duluth, Minnesota

The Willard Munger State Trail is a network of multiple-use trails that connects Hinckley, Minnesota with Duluth, Minnesota.  Depending upon the season, the interconnected trails offer hiking, bicycling, inline skating and snowmobiling.

The 63 mile Hinckley to Duluth trail is the longest paved trail of its kind in the world.  It passes through the towns of Finlayson, Rutledge, Willow River, Sturgeon Lake, Moose Lake, Barnum, Mahtowa and Carlton.

The network of trails also connects the town of Carlton with Minnesota Highway 23, just south of Jay Cooke State Park, via the Alex Laveau Memorial Trail.  And the eighty mile Boundary segment begins at Saint Croix State Park and runs northward to the town of Holyoke, just north of the Nemadji State Forest.

The impressive fifty miles of scenic bicycling trails include a fifteen-mile segment (downhill the entire way) into Duluth.  And you can bicycle along twenty miles of remote Saint Louis River trails as well.

My favorite portion of the trail is where the Laveau Trail touches the southwest corner of Jay Cooke State Park, near Wrenshall, Minnesota.  Jay Cooke Park is one of the most unspoiled and dramatically beautiful wilderness areas in the State of Minnesota!

Bicycle rentals can be arranged through the Willard Munger Inn, in Duluth, Minnesota, by calling 218-624-4814 or 1-800-982-BIKE.

What's wrong with this picture?

Over the past three decades, worker productivity in the United States has increased by a whopping seventy-six per cent.  But during the same period, real hourly wages, adjusted for inflation, have increased by less than two per cent.

Meanwhile, we have a housing crisis, aggravated by a sluggish economy and the fact that a growing number of Americans can't qualify for a mortgage. 

The diminishing number of real estate agents have turned to looking for those remaining folks who can afford to buy.  The problem is, there just aren't enough of them to go around.  In a market where you see seven or nine or eleven months (or more) worth of inventory on the market and sluggish sales, there almost seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel.

Add to the mix the complicated problem of rising gasoline prices, rising electricity, heating and cooling costs, and rising transportation costs for everything we consume, including the food we eat and the clothes we wear.

What will happen if $7 a gallon or $8 a gallon gas causes workers to say "I can't afford to commute to work anymore"?  Do we pay them to drive to and from work?  What happens to the economy when some in the labor force just can't make it on what they earn?

We gave big tax breaks to large corporations and individual earners in the last decade, under the assumption that those grateful beneficiaries would turn around and reinvest the money in our economy.  Instead, much of the money went overseas to build plants and factories and to hire foreign labor.

What's the answer?  Do we shove some more money at the top five per cent of earners, again hoping somehow that it will come back to us? 

If you keep throwing a boomerang and it won't come back to you, do you keep throwing it? 

Or do you buy a new boomerang?

Minnesota Youth Symphony completes its 35th Anniversary season

Founded in 1972, the Minnesota Youth Symphony was founded (under the direction of the organization's first Music Director, Ralph Winkler) for the purpose of providing intensive education and performing experience to talented young musicians.

MYS has just completed its thirty-fifth anniversary year, under the direction of Minnesota Orchestra principal trumpet player Manny Laureano and his wife, Claudette. 

Over the years, MYS has grown from a single orchestra of fifty-eight students to a major educational organization with four orchestras, a summer festival and community outreach program that serves over 600 music students.

I'm proud to say that my late mother, Mildred Kodner, served on the Board of Directors of MYS back in the 1970s.  Mom was a professional violinist in the Chicago area during the late 1940s and she also free-lanced as a performer in the Twin Cities area until her death in 1997.  She was very devoted to supporting MYS and promoting its educational activities.

Two great ways to support the effort to protect Lake Superior

Lake Superior is the largest and cleanest of the Great Lakes.  But Lake Superior faces constant threats from pollution and other challenges.

The Save Lake Superior Association, organized in 1969, is dedicated to preserving and protecting Lake Superior.  The group was originally formed to protest the dumping of taconite tailings into Lake Superior by Reserve Mining company.

The future goals of the Association include:

• Opposing the stocking of non-indigenous game fish in the lake
• Making efforts to eliminate chlorine discharge by the paper milling industry
• Fighting the discharge of other toxic contaminants into the lake, including mercury and pesticides

Another organization fighting to protect Lake Superior is the Environmental Association for Great Lakes Education (EAGLE).  Located in Duluth, Minnesota, EAGLE publishes "Making Waves", a monthly newsletter that discusses ecological alerts and other issues pertinent to Lake Superior.

A one-year membership in the Save Lake Superior Association is just $5.00 per person.  A lifetime membership is $100.

EAGLE accepts donations of any size, including donated office and computer equipment and items for the organization's annual silent auction event.

SourceWatch takes on the big lie in politics

SourceWatch is a project of the Center for Media and Democracy.  The organization has the mission of documenting the public relations and propaganda activities of various PR companies and lobbying groups.  SourceWatch also tracks the activities of think tanks, corporate-backed organizations and other paid shills which masquerade as "advocacy groups".  At present, SourceWatch has over 36,000 articles on such groups.

Alongside other organizations such as Common Cause, The Center for Responsive Politics and Freepress.org, SourceWatch has recently turned its efforts to examining the role of so-called "527 committees", which some argue are serving as a "loophole" for politicians to avoid Federal Campaign Finance Reform laws.

SourceWatch has exposed many notorious "front groups" such as:

"Hands off the Internet" - Pretending to be a "nationwide coalition of Internet users", this group is nothing more than a front for major telecommunication firms fighting government regulation.

 "Center for Union Facts" - A false front for lobbyists and mega-corporations opposed to the activities of labor unions.  The organization disseminates outrageously anti-union propaganda on behalf of corporations seeking to reduce or eliminate the minimum wage and dismantle the Wagner Act.

 "NetCompetition.org" - Another misleading site claiming to represent the Internet user but actually an industry-sponsored (and industry-funded) group which opposes Net Neutrality.

Next time someone quotes statistics from a think tank or lobbying group, do your homework and look that organization up on SourceWatch.  Chances are, you'll find that source listed.  And you'll learn the true agenda and intent of the quoted source for yourself.

Knowledge is power.

Where does NAR political lobbying money go?

Want to know which candidates are receiving lobbying money from the National Association of REALTORS®?

You'll find this information on the Center for Responsive Politics' OpenSecrets.org website.  The Center reports Federal Election Commission data for the current election cycle (actually a two-year period).

For the 2008 national election cycle (as of April 28, 2008), nearly sixty per cent of NAR lobbying contributions have gone to Democratic candidates, while just over forty per cent have been sent to assist Republican politicians. 

[Screenshot from the Center for Responsive Politics data on NAR political lobbying expenditures since 1990]

This year's lobbying figures are in sharp contrast to the 1996 election cycle, when roughly two-thirds of NAR's lobbying money went to Republican candidates.

Our Esteemed Real Estate Colleagues in the United Kingdom

Many American real estate professionals are unfamiliar with our colleagues around the world, including our counterparts in Europe.

When perusing the 2008 Edition of "Who's Who in Luxury Real Estate" (published by John Brian Losh of LuxuryRealEstate.com), I came across their roster of featured real estate firms in the United Kingdom.  Among the many fine firms in the directory, the UK boasts the following:

Chase International Europe - Shari Chase, CIPS, CRS has established a twenty-year reputation for conducting business at the highest possible standard.  Chase International is located at 111 Mount Street, Mayfair, London, England W11K 2TT.  Chase International is a Regents Member of LuxuryRealEstate.com.  In the United States, Shari maintains an office in the Lake Tahoe area of Nevada.

Knight Frank LLP - Knight Frank has more than 140 offices in over thirty countries.  The London office is located at 20 Hanover Square.

Unique Living International Real Estate - The Unique Living Residential Department is based in London and the company maintains a network of offices across southern Europe, including the Cote d'Azur in France, Costa del Sol in Spain, Portugal, Mallorca and Cyprus.  The company is located at 41 Church Road, Stanmore, Middlesex HA7 4AA in the United Kingdom.

Precious Villas Ltd. - Based in London, Precious Villas deals in fine properties throughout Europe, including the French Riviera, Italy and Spain.  The company's address is Medius House LG-2 Sheraton Street, Soho, London.

Should you encounter the need to consult with a real estate professional in the United Kingdom, I most highly recommend the above firms.  All are members of the LuxuryRealEstate.com broker network.

Bill O'Reilly and Rupert Murdoch think media reform is a "crazy" idea

Bill O'Reilly is at it again.

Fresh from a recent gaffe where film was released of O'Reilly throwing a tantrum during a broadcast, the bad-tempered Fox commentator recently attacked media icons Dan Rather and Bill Moyers as "radicals" for supporting legislation to control media for hire and mega-consolidation of television, radio and newspaper ownership.

The details on the controversy can be found here: 

http://www.freepress.net/

FreePress.net has recently unveiled its 2008 "Media Hall of Shame", a list of corporations and politicians-for-hire who oppose net neutrality and efforts to expose corrupt practices.  The list was revealed at this year's National Conference on Media Reform, held during the first week of June in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Have you experienced working with "celebrity" clients?

If you stay in this business long enough, and specialize in the luxury real estate market, sooner or later you'll encounter the celebrity client.

I use the term "celebrity" in a generalized manner, to describe a client who is highly-visible, perhaps very wealthy or a public figure.  People in this category might include professional athletes or coaches, "Fortune 500" executives, entrepreneurs, television, radio or film entertainers, politicians, media figures, or people with ties to well-known families.

Some agents may find it a bit shocking to encounter their first highly-visible buyer or seller prospect.  But working with the well-known client can be rewarding if you handle things properly.

Here are a few pointers:

Google your celebrity prospects - Your goal here is to learn as much as possible about that individual.  The prospect's notoriety can work to your advantage, because you're likely to find plenty of information about them on the Web.

Don't "kiss and tell" - A smart agent doesn't run around town broadcasting that "so-and-so" contacted his/her office to inquire about property.  The celebrity client often desires privacy.  In many cases, they have their own publicist.  If they want to go public about where they're buying, let them do the talking!

Treat them as you would any valued client - It would be a mistake to go overboard, fawning all over a celebrity client.  That could be perceived as annoying.  Most celebrity clients want to be treated in a professional manner.

Listen - The celebrity client may have specific needs and wants that may be out of the ordinary, compared to those of most of your real estate clients.  That is to be expected.  Your most important role is to listen carefully and pick up on the client's personal preferences.

One more piece of advice would be to remember your role in the process.  Keep your focus on listening to the celebrity client and then work to meet their needs.  Your role is to act as an agent, not necessarily to book travel arrangements or lodging reservations or plan their recreation while in your area.  By all means, refer them to great resources if they ask, but assuming the role of concierge could diminish your credibility.

 Not all real estate answers can be found on Google.

Let us help you gather the information you need to achieve your real estate goals.  Contact Wayzata Lakes Realty today at 612.670.2539.

Eric Kodner is a luxury property specialist and real estate educator in the Minneapolis & Saint Paul area with a unique perspective on the Twin Cities real estate market. Wayzata Lakes Realty LLC is a member of the LuxuryRealEstate.com broker network.

© Copyright 2007-2008 Eric Kodner & Wayzata Lakes Realty

You've just gotta love the news media!

I don't make a habit of poking fun at the television news media, but this one really made me chuckle.

The network news reported this evening that longevity in America has now increased to the point where "Americans are living longer than ever before".

The reporter attributed the improvement in longevity to "falling mortality rates".

HOW STUPID IS THAT STATEMENT?

That's like reporting the reason more Americans are living longer is because fewer are dying until later in life.  DUH. 

Death kills.  And if you live longer, you'll be older when you die.

Who's scripting these news stories for the networks?

I guess you just can't find good help these days.