community information: Minnesota is a great place to live! - 07/12/10 09:08 AM
I have been posting wonderful reasons to love St Cloud MN, as part of my hyper-local challenge to myself. I am very happy with where I live, and so is my wife who has a much broader basis for comparison having lived across this great country in many different areas.
It is one thing to hear from a local real estate agent that the city that they work in is a great town, but how about views from a disinterested 3rd party. Well how about Money Magazine for a source?
Money Magazine just selected 5 Minnesota cities for the top "100 Best Places … (4 comments)

community information: There is a WHAT hidden downtown? - 07/10/10 08:58 AM
Really? Someone hid a $10,000 diamond ring downtown St Cloud? YES! Really.
No there is not a wealthy crazy person running around downtown St Cloud, at least that we know of, and no the diamond fairy is not in the area. This is the 2nd Annual Kruse'n for Diamonds treasure hunt, a St Cloud MN city wide search.
As if there were not enough wonderful reasons to love St Cloud, here is one more!
You must register to participate, and clues will be sent via text messages. The 2nd annual Kruse'n for Diamonds hunt starts at 11:00am on Sunday July 18th so … (7 comments)

community information: The Great River Regional Public Library of St Cloud - another wonderful reason to love St Cloud - 07/06/10 11:47 AM
   
The Great River Regional Public Library of St Cloud was built in 2008 on the old site of Miller Pontiac in downtown St Cloud MN. This impressive building is highly visible and lends great visual style to the downtown area and is one more wonderful reason to love St Cloud MN. The location is very accessible from Highway 23 or St Germain Street, the building is centrally located on the west side of the central business district and is walking distance from all the government buildings and St Cloud Technical High School.
 
The St Cloud Public Library building itself … (1 comments)

community information: St Cloud Civic Center home of The Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame - another reason to love St Cloud MN - 07/03/10 05:22 PM
"If you build it, they will come!" The St Cloud Civic Center is already a destination for events large and small in the heart of downtown St Cloud MN. Nestled against the west bank of the Mississippi River between the new Highway 23 bridge and the Veterans Bridge (St. Germain) the Civic Center connects to the Kelly Inn and the Downtown Radisson and is walking distance to much of St Cloud's nightlife (entertainment venues).
Trade shows, conventions, training seminars, weddings, concerts and graduations all have come to the Civic Center. But few people know this facility also houses the Minnesota Ametuer … (1 comments)

community information: Independence Day July 4, 2010 - Celebrating our free nation with family, friends, food, fun and festivities in St Cloud Minnesota - 07/02/10 06:23 PM


 
 
 
 
The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays, we get to celebrate the fact that we live in a free nation. Add to that the part where I get to spend some time with the people I care about and catch up. Then add the part where generally the festivities involve loud celebratory explosions and fireworks, and well, it is just the proverbial icing on the red, white and blue cake.
The Freedom Fest will be held in downtown St Cloud from 2:00 to 10:00pm. At 8:00pm the St Cloud Municipal Band will hold a concert at Hester Park.  The St … (3 comments)

community information: The entrepreneurial Spirit is HERE - another wonderful reason to love St Cloud MN - 07/01/10 06:20 PM
The entrepreneurial Spirit is here - another wonderful reason to love St Cloud MN
With the 4th of July just 2 days away, and after posting about Clemens Gardens yesterday, I got to thinking about all of the entrepreneurs we have and have had in St Cloud and how proud I am to be a part of such a successful community of business minded people.
Minnesotans are a hearty group. Always pushing forward, I do not know if it has to do with the short growing season, or the sometimes deeply cold weeks in winter, but we, generally speaking, have a stick-to-itiveness that never … (2 comments)

community information: Munsinger Gardens - another wonderful reason to love St Cloud MN - 06/29/10 05:08 PM
Munsinger Gardens - another wonderful reason to love St Cloud MN

 
Many cities have a landmark, site or feature that you simply must see while you are in town. Set along the banks of the Mississippi River under mature oak and pine trees surrounded by lush shade gardens with winding stone lined walking paths is Munsinger Gardens and for St Cloud Minnesota this is the must see attraction.
The land was originally a saw mill, and in 1915 was purchased by the city and turned into a park. It was named Munsinger Gardens after the superintendent of parks Joseph Munsinger who directed most of the work creating the gardens.
… (3 comments)

community information: A river runs through it - another wonderful reason to love St Cloud MN - 06/28/10 06:10 PM
A river runs through it - another wonderful reason to love St Cloud MN - Day 7 
The mighty Mississippi River is part of the heart of St Cloud MN. It runs through Sartell then into Sauk Rapids and winds through St Cloud, providing wonderful views, fishing and life to plants and animals along the way.
The Mississippi slows at the St Cloud State University area hydro electric dam, then goes around creating the Beaver Islands, now a park, trail and nature area. The Mississippi then flows down to Clearwater and eventually goes all the way down to be the dividing line between the … (3 comments)

community information: St Cloud MN is featured in a national commercial - 06/28/10 04:28 AM
I think the St Cloud MN area is a great place and I am not the only one. St Cloud MN is featured in a national commercial for the Tempur-Pedic Cloud. I was surprised to see some very local places featured on a commercial the other evening including a home I sold.
 

I really enjoy living in St Cloud MN, and when you sell real estate in an area for a while you can really get to know a town. Most of the places featured in the commercial are well known in our area and easily identifiable, the Dutch … (3 comments)

community information: Hemsing's Delicatessen - another wonderful reason to love St Cloud MN - 06/26/10 07:04 PM
The best place to stop in St Cloud MN for a quick bite on the go is  Hemsing's Delicatessen - another wonderful reason to love St Cloud MN - Day 5
Hemsing's Delicatessen est.1967 and located in the historic area of downtown St. Cloud, is an island in a sea of franchises, and has long been my favorite stop for a sub sandwich. Back in my bartending days, Hemsing's back door was, right out the back door of my work. I would get done at 1:30 am and go across the alley to see Clarence Jr. and get a pizza cheese steak sub before … (2 comments)

community information: Minnesota Grown Farmer's markets! - another reason to love St Cloud MN - 06/25/10 07:03 PM
Minnesota Grown Farmer's Markets - Wonderful reasons to love St Cloud, Sauk Rapids, and St Joseph MN - Day 4 
Nothing is sweeter than biting into a fresh berry and knowing it was grown locally in Minnesota. In St Cloud we are blessed to have farm land all around us, and farmers who grow fresh produce for us to enjoy. Starting in the spring and going all the way into early fall we have an abundance of local Farmer's Markets to gather fresh ingredients for our meals and snacks.
On Wednesday you can find our local Minnesota farmers gather at Hennen's Furniture on Hwy 15 … (3 comments)

community information: The Great Minnesota Air Show featuring the Blue Angels - another reason to love St Cloud MN - 06/24/10 05:21 PM
"There is nothing like living in the flight path of F/A-18 fighterjets for a day or 4."
 The Great Minnesota Air Show featuring the Blue Angels - another reason to love St Cloud MN - Day 3

My love of flight and planes began early, with projects like building models. For a while as an adult I persued aviation as a career and to this day I am still in awe watching maneuvers like you see in the picture above taken during their practice today at the St Cloud Airport.
My wife Liz emailed me mid-day saying there were interesting planes in the sky (we … (10 comments)

community information: St Cloud Granite City Days - another wonderful reason to love St Cloud MN - 06/23/10 06:08 PM
St Cloud Granite City Days - another wonderful reason to love st cloud MN - Day 2
Every year here in St Cloud Mn "Granite City" we have a Huge city event known as Granite City Days. This fun filled schedule of events is filled with live music, a 5K run, the Saint Cloud historic home tour, the parade, a hot air balloon rally, the lemonade concert and art fair and much much more.
This year the opening ceremonies will begin today June 24, 2010 at 7:00pm featuring St Cloud's own Mayor Dave Kleis' Rock on Awards. At 8:00 live music from our own St … (2 comments)

community information: Lake Andrew Building Lots Available in Sale Sauk Rapids MN - St Cloud MN Area Real Eestate for Sale - 05/23/10 07:23 AM
Lake Andrew Lots Available in Sale Sauk Rapids MN - St Cloud MN Area Real Estate for Sale
I am pleased to announce that we now have available several building lots in Lake Andrew Development in Sauk Rapids MN for sale. Lake Andrew is a premier neighborhood within 5 minutes of downtown Sauk Rapids.
The neighborhood being developed at Lake Andrew offers peaceful surroundings in a country atmosphere, with easy access to all of life's modern conveniences.
The Lake Andrew neighborhood offers scenic walking trails, a relaxing water fountain, and a children's playground area. The neighborhood at Lake Andrew enjoys the use of … (1 comments)

community information: Large Item Recycle - St Cloud MN area SCSU Campus - Recycle your non-usable and usable furniture and household appliances May 2, 2010 - 04/29/10 09:17 AM
Large Item Recycle - St Cloud MN area SCSU Campus - Recycle your non-usable and usable furniture and household appliances May 2, 2010
Many times we need to get rid of large items, here is your opportunity to recycle them. Whether you are selling a home and you need to thin out the clutter, or graduating and moving out of a shared rental, or even if you just collect things and need to recycle out some of your larger items, this event is for you. The easiest way to get rid of those unwanted large items in the St Cloud area is to … (0 comments)

community information: Positive signs from an expanding local St Cloud Business Gaia Gardens are not surprising - 04/16/10 09:42 AM
Positive signs from an expanding local St Cloud Business Gaia Gardens are not surprising
At a time when you log on to your computer and are immediatly hit with the yahoo headline "American cities with sinking economies", I am not surprised that one of my favorite local businesses is actually EXPANDING!
Dave and Lori Roggenkamp at Gaia Garden Designs have doubled the size of their green house over this past winter with their expansion project, upgraded their website, sent out mailers (with great coupons), and posted 3 billboard signs around St Cloud.
My wife, Liz, met Dave at the local farmers marketheld on Saturday mornings … (1 comments)

community information: Investment Property Heaven in Minnesota! - 02/11/09 12:53 PM
Real Estate investor buyers should be in good shape over the next few years buying apartments in the St. Cloud and Twin Cities Minnesota markets. Tightening of credit and financing for would be homebuyers, and the employment and foreclosure numbers are combining to increase the number of renters in many areas.
 Marcus & Millichaps 2009 National Apartment Report indicates the Minneapolis-St.Paul Minnesota markets diverse employment base and healthy population growth contributed to an improved ranking of 15 (up from 29 in 2008). St. Cloud Minnesota should also be a strong real estate market for multiple residential investment properties because of its strong … (0 comments)

community information: Consider all your facts when buying a home in Saint Cloud Minnesota - 01/21/09 05:05 AM
I read an article in the St. Cloud Times Sunday edition (1-18-09), titled "Bad Time To Buy", off the wire from Boston. This article strongly suggested that buying a home now would be a mistake, but fails to weigh all the factors.
There is a great difference between Boston, Ma. and Saint Cloud Minnesota. The prices are lower here, and the market more conservative. In fact, there are vast differences between the best and the worst market areas in this country.
In my 25 years as a licensed Realtor®, I have never seen better conditions to buy a first home. A … (0 comments)

community information: $1 homes from The Federal Housing Administration - 11/13/08 04:47 AM
The Federal Housing Administration (part of HUD) is now offering 1 dollar homes after FHA has been unable to sell them for 6 months. Here is a link to the listings:http://www.hud.gov/homes/index.cfm Here is the page for more info on the program:http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/reo/goodn/dhmabout.cfm
Local governments can partner with local nonprofit homeownership organizations or tap into existing local programs to resell the homes to low- and moderate-income residents of the community.
Steve Baklaich of RE/MAX Realty SourceSteve's cell - (320) 260-3290Office - (320) 258-5766steve_baklaich@yahoo.comhttp://www.stcloudareahomesforsale.com
… (0 comments)

community information: Congresswoman Michele Bachmann of Minnesota's 6th District Staff to come to a MN town near you - 09/15/08 03:53 PM
I had invited Congresswoman Michele Bachmann  to come to St Cloud to have an open discussion about the housing situation with the community and area REALTORS®. I want to let you know that this week, her staff will hold Mobile Office Hours at the following locations. She asks that you "Please bring copies of any paperwork that you might have with you when you visit.  Particularly, if you are having a problem with a federal benefit or program and have letters or documents that might help my staff get answers for you quickly."
Tuesday, September 16th
10:00 am to noon
Anoka County Library: Johnsville Branch
12461 … (0 comments)