Craig's Activerain Blog

Ugh. I was out for a walk with my dog tonight on the west side of Alexandria and after passing through a few alleys saw cars parked where lawn chairs should be. It is a city ordinance in Alexandria that this can't be done. The ordinance protects local property values (the ordinance states that at...

There isn't any ice visible on the lakes now. Sunday's rain drowned out the last of it. And with it, the number of buyers looking at lake properties has had a marked increase. It always amazes me.The best time to be looking is the dead of winter. If you know the lakes and/or are working with a Re...

Alexandria has the Douglas County Fairgrounds which hosts racing, 2 hockey arenas, a County Fair and more. Douglas County Fairgrounds also has a camping area. The Minnesota Senate passed this week Senate File 1432, a bill to help increaserevenues for county fairs. Senate File 1432 will allow coun...

Around noon on Saturday I was at the lake lots of North Turtle Lake Shores on North Turtle Lake in Battle Lake. I am still working on converting the videos to flash format but was anxious to see the first clip I shot. While filming, I noticed a large bird soaring and sure enough, it was a Bald Ea...

In honor of Earth Day Home Depot is giving away one million compact flourescent lightbulbs."Home Depot estimates that its gesture alone will result in $12 million in annual energy saving costs and the reduction of 196 million pounds of Carbon Dioxide emissions--the equivalent of removing more tha...

Alexandria is chock full of riparian lots (lots located on a lake).Did you know that the English word "riparian" is from the Latin word "riparius," a noun deriving from "ripa," meaning "bank" or "shore. This is where the word "river" came from.First appearing in English in the 19th century, "ripa...

Lake Geneva is part of The Chain of Lakes in Alexandria but one knock against it is accessibility. Depending on the level of the water and/or the size of your boat, you might be limited to Lake Geneva. One summer I was able to pass from Le Homme Dieu to Geneva in my family's deckboat. Three summe...

I am a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright's homes and found a photo tour of a home in Washington. Mr. Wright designed three homes in Washington.This home was designed by Frank Llyod Wright for Ray Brandes in 1952 and is located in Sammammish, Washington. You can view photos of this home at www.amadeo.com/...

My kitchen is lined with windows and every now and then a bird will crash into one with a loud "whap". I don't know of a solution but I learned that dressing windows with MECO window shades (www.mecoshade.com) or any translucent window covering will the birds out as they allow you light and a vie...

Why I am proud of RE/MAX:RE/MAX was Created by Top Real Estate Professionals, for Top Real Estate Professionals Offices in 67 Countries121,189 Associates6,992 OfficesEntrepreneur Magazine (Jan. 2007) ranked RE/MAX as the No. 1 real estate franchiseRE/MAX National Advertising (10,589 TV Spots 2,08...