minnesota: Monarchs in Minnesota
- 10/01/10 03:53 AM
When I first moved to Minnesota, all I knew was that I was going to be living further north than I ever have. I had no clue on what type of wildlife lived here, nor did I know what type of plants I could grow. For the previous 6 years, I had lived either on the Pacific Ocean, or the Gulf of Mexico and not had what I call "real" grass. My mission when I started my garden was to attract butterflies, so I researched what would grow in Zone 4, the garden zone for central Minnesota. I have planted coneflowers, … (2 comments)
minnesota: Melting Snow in Minnesota Brings Surprises
- 03/05/10 08:03 AM
The east side of my home has had the benefit of tons of sun the last two weeks, and of course is no longer covered with snow. I checked things out a day ago to see what kind of clean up I was going to need to do, as I left some of my coneflowers up during the winter so the birds could have some seeds. You can only imagine how surprised I was to find some tulips coming up already. And of course I was shocked to see this Pansy, just a few feet away, with green leaves and a … (8 comments)
minnesota: Fall Colors in Minnesota
- 09/20/09 03:14 AM
If you are looking for a place to view fall color around the state of Minnesota, a great place to check out is the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) website. They update what is happening around the state, and give a lot of information on how/what causes the leaves to change color. Typical peak color for the Twin Cities area is Late September to Mid October.
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minnesota: Down the Wintery Lane in Minnesota
- 02/06/09 10:26 AM
The other day we got a misty snow early in the morning which coated the trees with glimmering snow. As the sun was rising, I decided to turn down a rural lane on the way from dropping my son off at pre-school and take some shots.
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minnesota: My Favorite Spot to Drive Through
- 06/25/08 03:12 PM
There is this little area of road near the Mississippi River just south of La Crescent in Southeast Minnesota that always captures my eye. If I had to describe peace, then this would be one of the first places I would think of. We drive though it every time I travel to Wisconsin to visit the in-laws. On one side is this old looking train bridge that sits just above a small tributary stream. On the other side is a water-marsh area that is always a nice bright green. Finally, after two years, I stopped to take some photos. Enjoy! … (12 comments)
minnesota: Don't Forget the Black and White
- 05/07/08 04:11 AM
One my favorite mediums to take photos with is my little black and white setting on my camera. Sure you can go into photoshop and turn color photos into black and white, but I think you get a better result when you take the photos out in the field in B&W. You can instantly see how the shadows and grey areas fall in the photo and then tweak your camera position or subject matter. The coming rain storm was great to capture.
My last photo post talked about close up pictures of flowers, but you might consider close up shots of plants as … (10 comments)
minnesota: Death in the Home - Is it the Kiss of Death to Your Listing Too?
- 05/01/08 02:15 AM
A few weeks ago, I was contacted about representing a family who had recently lost their loved one to suicide. The death occurred in the home, and as you can imagine, the family is extremely upset. Currently they are taking steps to clean the room in which the death occurred, removing drywall, painting, etc. Thankfully, the insurance company is covering the cost to repair. We do not know if the home will have to go through probate yet, so the listing of the home is on hold. My question is, should the suicide be disclosed to any buyers that show interest in the home, … (16 comments)
minnesota: Migrating to Minnesota
- 04/25/08 02:30 AM
It's migration season right now in Minnesota. Is it any wonder that water fowl love breeding here, what with all the lakes we have in the state? So far this last week, I have seen various species of ducks, geese, and cranes. Below are two that have visited our pond just in the last few days. Hooded Merganser
Wood Duck
One of the things I most love about Minnesota is the attention to nature. Throughout Minnesota you will find natural preserves, lakes and ponds, walking trails, bird clubs, and more. The wildlife does help out by showing up, but it is really great … (0 comments)
minnesota: How Do You Spell Relief ? Apparently Not T-A-X-M-A-N
- 03/28/08 01:56 PM
I get a call at least once a week from an upset home owner asking if I could let them know what their home is worth. Frightened of this upside-down real estate market, home owners this last week have been receiving their 2008 tax bills in the mail. They don't like what they see.For many, their tax assessment is valued for more than the house could sell for if it became available for sale. Some are even $100,000 less than the assessed value. So what is to be done?For now, nothing.Counties like Dakota County, understand that home owners are upset, but there … (2 comments)
Today is the first day of Spring and mother nature thought it would be funny to play a practical joke on us Minnesotans. Now, I knew it was suppose to snow starting last night, but I really didn't believe it was going to happen. After all, it is officially Spring and all. But I had the pleasure of waking up this morning to six inches of snow...and it is still coming down. Huge flakes that look like they are on loan from Colorado. If you move to Minnesota, expect things like this to happen. While it is beautiful to see, it can be … (15 comments)
minnesota: Sunsets over Minnesota
- 03/14/08 05:39 AM
Last evening I had the pleasure of witnessing one of the most spectacular sunsets I have seen in a long time. I had just finished an open house at my listing, when I realized how spectacular the clouds were, so I grabbed my camera and hurried outside. I was standing on the Bluffs above the Mississippi River, on the Wisconsin side in Prescott, with the sun setting over Minnesota. There were some rain clouds to the southwest, which you can see in a few of the photos. All in all, I just had to thank God for letting me witness the splendor. How … (12 comments)
minnesota: HGTV Make Saint Paul a Winner!
- 01/04/08 01:11 AM
In case you missed the Rose Bowl parade which announced the four winners of the Change the World.Start at Home contest, Saint Paul has won the popular vote. Saint Paul will have three projects featured and completed in late April of 2008.Now what they need is volunteers! If you would like to volunteer to help on one of the three projects, visit this website to offer your services. This is a fantastic opportunity for our community to show just what "Minnesota Nice" is all about! To all of you here that helped vote for Saint Paul, we really appreciate it! … (0 comments)
minnesota: New Winter Scenes of Life in Minnesota
- 12/28/07 08:43 AM
Here are some new photos takes during the snow storms we had over the Christmas holiday. As you can see, I like Black & White photos, but I mingled in some colored shots here and there. The birds were kind enough to allow me to stand right next to the feeder and take action shots of them. After a while, my feet started to get numb and I had to go inside. Note to photographers: the cold makes your camera battery run down really fast so make sure to bring a spare. … (4 comments)
minnesota: Selling Your Home in Winter Doesn't Have to Be Impossible
- 12/12/07 01:03 AM
Winter in the Twin Cities causes real estate activity to slow down. Compared to July, it really slows down. But it doesn't have to be your worse enemy. If you look at the graph below for the past three winters, 2005-2007, you can see that there is a huge dip around December. red represents New Listings blue represents Pending Sales yellow represents Closed SalesWith so many holidays clustered around each other, people have other things on their mind besides buying a home. Buyers don't have the money to buy because they are shopping for Christmas, and sellers aren't listing their homes because they … (2 comments)
minnesota: How to Survive a Minnesota Winter, Part 2
- 12/12/07 12:56 AM
Last week I talked about how to survive a Minnesota winter by keeping your vehicle stocked with items you might need should you find yourself stranded or in an accident. This week I want to touch on things you should do for your home to help get you through any emergencies during a snow or ice storm.Probably one of the most important items to have for your home is a back-up generator. Yes, not only do you need them during Hurricanes, but you need them for ice storms, too. A generator can help keep your perishable items cold for a little … (0 comments)
minnesota: How Do You Spell Professional? Link Love for CRS designees.
- 11/29/07 02:24 PM
C-R-S For the last three years I have been working toward obtaining one of the most prestigious real estate designations available, that of the Certified Residential Specialist(CRS). This week it finally happened and I got confirmation that I am being awarded the CRS designation. I had to throw a party for myself, so I threw up some left over Halloween confetti and blew my son's kazoo. It's not an easy one to be awarded. For one, an agent has to have production numbers that are verified by a broker. You have to sell alot of homes in order to be considered...no "one home … (26 comments)
minnesota: The First Snow in Minnesota
- 11/23/07 02:34 PM
It snowed Thanksgiving morning and I was able to venture out into the cold to take some photos. I figured that photos in black and white would turn out really well with the white of the snow, and I think they came out pretty well. As one of the first sunny days in a couple of weeks, I had to hurry before it melted the snow. Sure enough, a half hour later, everything was melting. Today is was completely gone. I hope you enjoy some pictures of life in Minneosta at the beginning of Winter! … (10 comments)
minnesota: Childhood Vaccinations in Minnesota
- 11/22/07 11:39 AM
I never really gave child vaccinations much thought until I had my own children, nor did I give any thought about the possible harm that multiple shots could bring to my child. I did some reading up on childhood vaccinations and found that there are serious side affects that can result from allergic reactions. Thankfully, my children did not see any of these effects.In Minnesota, there are numerous shots that are required in order for your children to attend school. Thankfully, Minnesota is one of the few states that allows parents to opt out of shots for two reasons: It goes … (2 comments)
minnesota: Do You Know Where Your House Has Been?
- 11/15/07 03:17 PM
The media has been creating a lot of scared parents as of late with the various recalls on toys made in China. Seems the Q & A divisions of these companies in China have been dropping the ball and contaminating the toys with lead paint. But toys, in general, could be the least of parental concern when it comes to lead poisoning. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), research suggests that the primary sources of lead exposure for most children are: deteriorating lead-based paintlead contaminated dustlead contaminated residential soilThe issue of Lead Paint is nothing new to Minneapolis real estate agents. Since … (3 comments)
minnesota: The Minnesota Twins one Step Closer to Home
- 10/21/07 04:14 PM
Well, after months of back and forth negotiations, the downtown parcel of land that will be the site of the new Minnesota Twins stadium has finally got a price tag. For the small sum of $28.9 Million, Hennepin County will be purchasing the eight acres of valuable real estate so us baseball fans can finally feel like we are at a baseball game. (Of course the "word" purchase is a stretch since the county took the property through condemnation and the price they are paying is the fair value as negotiated by a local judge.)For years the Twins have played in … (1 comments)
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When I first moved to Minnesota, all I knew was that I was going to be living further north than I ever have. I had no clue on what type of wildlife lived here, nor did I know what type of plants I could grow. For the previous 6 years, I had lived either on the Pacific Ocean, or the Gulf of Mexico and not had what I call "real" grass.
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