Nowthen Threshing Show - 08/31/11 06:55 PM
There is a little town near Elk River and Zimmerman called Nowthen....yes, really.
It was named because a former mayor, would always say at council meetings, "Well, now then....."
At least that is the story.  In front of one business, there are still posts where you can tie up your horse for a bit while you have a refreshing lemonade....or something.
But, the biggest event is Nowthen is the Threshing Show....and I apologize for not posting about this earlier.
It was held August 19–21, and the memories for some are decades old. 
The threshing show is a three-day event where guests can … (7 comments)

What Are YOU Waiting For.....It Is TIME! - 08/30/11 06:41 PM
My dog, Lefty, never misses a mealtime. 
Are you going to miss the best time in history to buy a home?  If you rent with roommates, and you are paying rent to someone else, wouldn't it make sense to buy your own home....continue with the roommates paying rent to make your payment and own something great in the end?  Just sayin"
 
                                                    
 
So, when you are ready to look at what you can afford and want to buy, let me know.  I have a lot of experience with first-time buyers. 
 
 
 
… (8 comments)

The Codgers - What a Riot! - 08/30/11 05:27 PM
This is an excerpt from their blog post.  They are no longer Rainmakers, and so you can just reblog their posts. 
But, they had a series going in the early years of the Rain that had quite a following, they are still in the top 25....not having posted much in years and years. 
So, without further adieu, here the last segment from their series.....
Final Voyage Episode—“Danger Bay—Episode 79—the Tour” (A pointless post)  (Members Only)
 
 
… (7 comments)

Sign right here and we'll get started! Use my pen.... - 08/30/11 05:08 PM
Jim Frimmer has a great point here.  No pun intended.  But, why wouldn't you use a buyer's agent who has your best interests at heart?
There is nothing like having someone to advocate for you, and all the other professionals ask for loyalty, too.
Via Jim Frimmer, Realtor and CDPE, Mission Valley, CA DRE #01458572 (Century 21 Award):
Sign right here and we'll get started!Use my pen....
Simple answer: It explains what I will do for you, how I will help you, and it explains what you will do to help me help you.
You're looking for a new home, a … (0 comments)

Get Ready for a Massive Slowdown of Your Internet Service. - 08/26/11 09:18 PM
The impending hurricane on the East Coast may develop into huge disruptions of internet service from wherever you live. 
This communication grid can experience massive interruptions on the East Coast which, no matter what satellites are circling can be disrupted by towers, and reconstruction of infrastructure here on earth.
It might take weeks for even the internet to be restores according to some local sources, and that is not just on the East Coast...there will be disruptions to every major site on the internet. 
I know it sounds odd, but those are the facts.  Some places go down, and then there … (18 comments)

NEW Listing in East Bethel Minnesota - 08/25/11 03:52 PM
This property is very well-maintained, Great curb appeal on 1.6 acres.  New roof in 2008. 
There will be an open house this Sunday from 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM
Home is a 10+ shows better than a model. Open plan on all levels. All the ameneties plus more. 2 master suites with master baths one up and one down. Stainless steel appliances and in-floor heat, lawn irrigation, additional detached garage,  stamped concrete patio with pit. Main Floor deck, list goes on.
 

Front View
                                                                           
Back View

Kitchen
                                                         
                                                          Living Area

Lower Level Entertainment Area
 
                                                               
… (9 comments)

Grilling Secrets - Exposed! - 08/24/11 04:47 PM
I love to grill summer, autumn, winter, spring.  My wife gave me a great grill last year, and I use it to cook a lot of our meals. 
I am not just a sometimes chef.  I am the main cook in our household.  Yes, ladies, eat your hearts out.  With my wife's crazy schedule and the fact that I have always like to cook, it made life simpler.
Here is one recipe that I use frequently to make grilled anything taste even better, and it is so easy. 
 
Now, go have some fun with it.  We use it all the … (14 comments)

Local Zimmerman News Update - 08/24/11 04:36 PM
There was a lot of really bad news that I didn't want to focus on this week.  The missing Zimmerman man was found, deceased. 
But this story was good enough to print. 
Used tennis shoes are being collected by Women of Today The Elk River Area Women of Today will be collecting used tennis shoes, in any condition, for reuse and recycling for the organization Green Sneakers (www.greensneakers.org). The drop-off site for donations is at Payless Shoe Source, 19134 Freeport St., Elk River. Each pair of tennis shoes should be placed in a plastic bag with the shoelaces tied together.  The … (3 comments)

How To Get Started on ActiveRain - 08/24/11 04:28 PM
How I wish I had had this when I started.  But, luckily, I had an assistant at the time who knew the ins and outs. 
There are so many ways to be successful here.  But, get the information right from the source!
Via ActiveRain Corp.:
How To Get Started on ActiveRain - A quick route to a successful Journey on ActiveRain.
The ActiveRain Staff,  along with our members and ambassadors, wish to welcome you to the community.  We know you have a choice, and we're glad you've chosen our network as a place to connect with others, support your local neighborhoods and … (0 comments)

Fear Is One Step Away From Courage - 08/24/11 04:22 PM
Tom Arstingstall has a great post about Courage, actually.  Making fear work for you rather than against you has always been my modus operandi. 
Tom has a great photo for some of you who have taken those survivor courses, too.
Via Tom Arstingstall - Tromler Construction General Contractor in Placerville (Dry Rot and Water Damage - 916.765.5366):
Have you ever stood still in fear of not knowing what to do? Afraid of what may happen, not knowing what is ahead if you move forward, and unsure what the future holds. It is a paralyzing experience.
Fear and Courage can not exist … (0 comments)

Home Staging Tip - Hiding Techno Clutter - 08/23/11 03:10 PM
I won't admit to being much of a "stager", but I do have suggestions for the homeowners usually.
And, this post is easy to read and get some of that techno clutter out of the sight of buyers.  Thanks, Tara.
Via Sharon Tara New Hampshire Home Stager (Sharon Tara Transformations):


We all have them…unsightly techno gadgets cluttering up our kitchen counters. Technology is great, but the chargers and plugs can add up.  Most Home Staging consults I’ve done have involved dealing with cordless phones, cell phones and phone chargers.  
Sellers would prefer to avoid the inconvenience of having to relocate their … (0 comments)

She sabotaged a possible sale of her own home by just trying to be nice! - 08/23/11 02:42 PM
I don't know how many times and in how many ways I have said this, but here is another great example of how sellers can sabotage their own best interests. 
Thanks, Carol Ann!
Via Al and Cal Realty Group Al Mussi Carol Ann Palmieri (RE/MAX Executive Realty):
She sabotaged a possible sale of her own home by just trying to be nice!

I find that the guidelines in life are generally there for a reason.   For example, you are required to show identification when cashing a check, because some one has taken advantage of the system  or, there is a … (1 comments)

The Dog Zone now open in Zimmerman, Minnesota - 08/23/11 02:33 PM
Dog Zone officially opened  Aug. 1 and is located on 12644 Fremont in downtown Zimmerman.
The Dog Zone will offer all classes for puppies and adult dogs, including competitive obedience and rally for owners interested in showing their dogs.  The Dog Zone and Little Suzie’s Pet Parlour will be in the same building.  And Little Suzie's has been in business for 14 years. Tara Browns, owner of Little Suzie’s, is also excited about the partnership. “I think it’s a great idea to offer so much in one space,” she said. “It just makes the experience that much more convenient.”
Nancy Wright said about … (6 comments)

Becker to Be Home of New Memorial for Sherburne County Veterans - 08/20/11 04:10 PM
The Sherburne History Center in Becker will be the new home for a new veterans memorial to honor the men and women from Sherburne County who have served in one of five branches of U.S. armed forces from every era and every wartime conflict whether a declared war or not.
The Memorial marker will be  near the History Center entrance and will stand 3 feet wide by 5 feet high.  The inscription will read: “Sherburne County Veterans Memorial … Dedicated in memory of the men and women of the armed forces who served their country in times of peace and war.”  Also, three … (6 comments)

Very Few Agents Can Be Fair To Two People They Are In Love With! - 08/19/11 09:49 PM
Donne Knudsen put this reblog out, and I am more than pleased to submit it again. 
I have preached this to people who should know better time and time again.  You can read my comment on Donne's blog, but please go check out Gabrielle's blog.  She has a great deal of very smart consumer advice. 
Via Gabrielle Kamahele Rhind, Broker/Owner (KGC Properties LLC, Tucson Property Management & Real Estate):
Several calls this week discussing this topic said by three different buyers who dumped their agent, "The listing agent wrote the offer, told me what to offer and it was accepted - she also … (3 comments)

200,000 Points and Counting... - 08/16/11 04:10 PM
I know I started sometime before September of 2008, but when exactly I don't know.  And, I don't know how to find out. But, I made a comment on September 4, 2008, on a blog post that I had written...
So it has been nearly three long years....sometimes it seems as if I have been here much, much longer than that.  But, I made 200,000 on the NOSE.  Just exactly.  Strange as it may seem. 
But, at any rate, I have finally arrived at a new plateau.  And, I must thank Suzanne McLaughlin for continually prodding me to do this...She made … (12 comments)

Military Discharge Records - 08/16/11 03:50 PM
This recently came up because of details on a sale that I won't divulge here.
But, there is a really easy way to get military records of your father/mother, brother/sister, son/daughter, or deceased spouse.
Here is the information:
The records stored at the National Personnel Records Center cover military personnel who were discharged on or after the below-listed dates:
Air Force Officers and Enlisted -- September 25, 1947Army Officers separated July 1, 1917Army Enlisted separated November 1, 1912 Navy Officers separated January 1, 1903Navy Enlisted separated January 1, 1886 Marine Corps Officers and Enlisted separated January 1, 1905 Coast Guard Officers … (3 comments)

Nifty Event Calendar for Elk River Star News - 08/16/11 03:16 PM
Okay....I am a little slow to go. 
But, I was perusing the Elk River Star News Online website to see what I could gather to write about, localismally speaking, and after my bashing the local paper in some respects yesterday with the plea for someone to start a "Patch" here, I was surpised to find this calendar of local events.
I thought it was pretty cool, and here is the link:
http://erstarnews.com/event-calendar/
So, if you click on that, you can see all kinds of events and regular meetings of groups that you might be interested in joining. 
Have a great week!
… (3 comments)

Elk River and Zimmerman Need The Patch - 08/15/11 05:25 PM
Here is what their main blog post says, and I will comment again below this:
About Us What is Patch? Simply put, Patch is a new way to find out about, and participate in, what’s going on near you.
We’re a community-specific news and information platform dedicated to providing comprehensive and trusted local coverage for individual towns and communities.
We want to make your life better by giving you quick access to the information that’s most relevant to you. Patch makes it easy to:
Keep up with news and events Look at photos and videos from around town Learn about local … (4 comments)

Fewer Foreclosures in Minnesota Last Month, but No Good News - 08/13/11 08:59 PM
This is very indicative of what is happening here in Minnesota.  And, while I mainly work in Sherburne County just north of both of these counties, I still have clients who buy and sell property in both. 
It is something that I have concerns about, and, while it may not impact your area yet, it certainly could be coming.
Via Suzanne McLaughlin, Wright & Sherburne Counties Realtor (Sabinske & Associates, Inc. (Albertville, St. Michael)):
My BPO business is still humming along.  But fewer homes homeowners got foreclosure notices last month. 
Those foreclosures that were served were mainly in Wright County (my county) and Anoka … (1 comments)

How to Eat on $21 Dollars a Week - 08/12/11 03:43 PM
I ran across this article in our local paper and thought that it was quite appropriate given the financial news of late.  
http://erstarnews.com/2011/01/13/125056/
This woman has learned some valuable lessons that all of us should take to heart. 
One of the workshops she attended was the “Food Stamp Challenge” in which participants were encouraged to take a three-week challenge to eat all their meals on just $21 per week.
That $21 a week, or $3 a day, equates to the average amount of money people on food stamps in the United States are allotted each week for food.
Can you imagine … (11 comments)

400 Posts and Counting and the Highest and Best use of Activerain - 08/10/11 04:44 PM
Well, if you want longevity and you are looking for success in the Rain, here is one blueprint.  Congratualtions! 
And, I would only hope to get to the point of 400 posts to my Rain blog. 
Those challenges help, but I have work to do, too!
Via Rich Cederberg- Albuquerque Real Estate Agent (RE/MAX Finest (505) 803-5012):
I turned 400 Today
Two days ago I crossed the 400 post threshold here on ActiveRain. I didn't even notice until today, when I happened to glance at my point totals, that I had crossed 400.  I had no idea I would stick with blogging about … (3 comments)

I take the high road ------ - 08/10/11 04:36 PM
Well, there are some agents out there who know what to do in sticky situations.  And, I applaud this one.  She has the smarts to know where the ball falls, so to speak. 
And, Lori, I really enjoy your work.  Keep up the great volume of information you provide here.
And, I would suggest you read this post and subscribe to it.
Via Intero Real Estate Services:
An out of area agent calls up yelling at me as I won't show his client a house without him there unless I have a referral agreement - I say thank you.
I have an agent … (0 comments)

I’M CALLING MY OWN SHOTS! Plus a Few Others that the AR Gods Missed this Week - 08/10/11 04:14 PM
Check out Donne's posts that made the grade this week.  She is generous enough to allow us to reblog these picks.  And, that is just one of the things that make her a great Rainer and  a must-read.
Check her out....she posts nearly daily and some of them are just great for a laugh.
You can thank her by clicking on the post below.
Via Donne Knudsen NMLS#249822, DRE#01364050 C2 Financial Corp. (Los Angeles & Ventura Counties in CA):
 
Well, this week there were so many really great posts here in the rain by some of my fave bloggers as well … (1 comments)

Use Courage To Make Things Happen - 08/10/11 04:06 PM
Gary Woital uses some great analogies in his "life lessons" in real estate. 
He waxes philosophical on any number of topics related to "our world", and, if you haven't yet subscribed to this muse, I would highly recommend you start your day or end it with one of his lessons.
Thank Gary for his great insight. 
Via Gary Woltal - Assoc. Broker REALTOR® SFR Dallas Ft. Worth (Keller Williams Realty):
In real estate and life a good thought to remember is to
Use Courage To Make Things Happen.
Why is this? Sometimes you get stuck because of fear. Courage is not abandoning or … (1 comments)

Some Great Life Lessons - 08/09/11 06:41 PM
I just read an excerpt of an article about Gordon Dean.  I had never heard of him but was one of the origianl Commissioners of the Atomic Energy Commision in 1949 and served as chairman from 1950 to 1953 (well before I was born).
Here are his life lessons:
Never lose your capacity for enthusiasm
Never lose your capacity for indignation.
Never judge people - don't type them too quickly.  But in a pinch, never first assume that a man is bad; first assume that he is good and that, at worst, he is in the gray area between bad and … (10 comments)

Pay it forward..... rescue orphan posts - 08/06/11 04:08 PM
Al and Pamela have a great idea here.  This is a great way to welcome new bloggers into the community and keep them from being discouraged as I have been from time to time.
Please thank Al and Pamela for their generosity.
Via Al Raymondi, Ocean View Realty Group in Ormond Beach Florida:
Pay it forward..... rescue orphan posts
A couple of weeks ago Pamela St. Peter of Raleigh NC put out the idea that we should comment on posts that have zero comments.  in her Blog post she called them Orphan posts and indicated that commenting on an orphan post would rescue that post.  … (5 comments)

Saving the Economy with Credit Repair! - 08/05/11 09:58 PM
We use a local attorney to help our clients that might have slipped enough to fall into the morass of needing credit repair, but Kimberlee 's post has some aspects that can help you figure out where to direct your clients for some assistance. 
Via Kimberlie Hooker CreditRepairNurse.com Online Software for Credit Repair (CreditRepairNurse.com):
What a bold statement!  Saving the Economy with Credit Repair!  Credit Repair is one of the most misunderstood aspects of the real estate business.  And yet, without credit worthy clients the market cannot recover.  This is one of the reasons that our recovery will be much slower than previously … (2 comments)

60 V1K1ngz! How to Protect Yourself From Identity Fraud.... - 08/05/11 09:28 PM
Did you get the Go Vikings!?   Probably not, but that is one way to keep yourself from identity fraud. 
By changing you passwords to something that resembels symbols and caps, you have a unique password (that you probably can remember).  Don't use your mother's maiden name unless it is very unique or your pet's name unless you don't call him that around other people. 
Never publish your personal information such as birth dates, e-mail addresses, pets' names other other personal intoformation on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Flickr or LinkedIn.  Use the privacy settings to contol who can get access to your profile … (8 comments)

HELP! I have water in my basement. - 08/04/11 07:02 PM
Well, I have heard this cry before....
But, before we figure out the problem, let's try to avoid it. 

Roof - Check its condition regularly even if you have a thirty-year roof.  Idenfiying a potential probelme early can make the difference between an easy repsir and one that is costly and can involve mold. 
Now inspect the attic at least once a year and make sure that it doesn't smell moldy or musty.   Now, for both these jobs, you can hire a roofing contractor, but their intent is to find something they can fix. 
You could also hire  home inspector, and … (6 comments)

Credit Scores - What to Believe - 08/04/11 03:47 PM
I have read several posts about credit scores lately.  And, they have been less than helpful. 
Did you know that you might pay an extra $5,000 on a car loan for $20 grand over 5 years if you neglect to keep your credit score accurate, up-to-date and clean?
Take a quiz about your understanding of credit scores at http:creditscorquiz.org.  This is run by the Consumer Federation of America, a nonprofit association in paretnership with VantageScore Solutions, a credit-scoring company  that uses scores from all three major credit-scoring companies (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) in its calculations. 
Credit scores aren't about your ability … (3 comments)

Another Elk River High School Success Story - 08/02/11 05:29 PM
Chris Beer has at least "arrived".  He is an aspiring filmaker.  Something which I know nothing about. 
But, he has written, directed and produced three short films over the past six years which is an accomplisment in and of itself.  In fact, from the little I know, that is a major accomplisment.  The three firlms are "Anthill", "Liskea" done in Prague .... and "Metronome" a post-grad work after graduating from the U of M. 
 
Chris Beer
“Metronome” is set in an assisted living facility, where “an old man suffering dementia and early onset Alzheimer’s realizes this is where the end … (4 comments)