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Blogging On The Road In Northwest Wisconsin

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Madeline Island Realty 50317-90

Tonight I'm tapping this out on my laptop in the car, at a wayside rest stop on the east end of Superior, Wisconsin.  It's about 4:45 a.m. and I drove up here from Minneapolis late last evening, a trip of about 160 miles.  I'm on my way to Port Wing to show one of my listings there, a $1,150,000 log home on Lake Superior.

Thanks to the "miracle of technology" (a small wireless modem that plugs into a USB port in my laptop), I'm able to get on the Web anywhere I can get a cellphone signal.  My rule of thumb is this: two bars signal strength is what's needed to make my portable Web connection work.

It's a rainy night in the Duluth and Superior area.  This time, I took the Bong bridge across into Wisconsin at the U.S, Highway 2 exit off I-35, rather than the Highway 53 route across the Blatnik bridge.  The evening news in Minneapolis last night was abuzz with speculation that the Blatnik bridge will be closed for repairs, presumably to replace more of those pesky gusset plates (like the ones involved in the I-35 bridge collapse in Minneapolis last year) and restore the bridge to normal use.  For the time being, the Blatnik bridge is down to a single lane, due to repairs underway.

I'll probably doze a bit and will be back on the road by 7 a.m., as I need to be in Port Wing by 8.  I have to open the place up, deal with the security system, turn on lights and so forth.

For most of the past decade, my car has served as an office and camper/sleeping accommodation, in addition to personal transportation.  I'm wondering how long I can keep this up.

Comments(20)

Melody Botting
Broker Associate PenFed Realty - San Antonio, TX
You Deserve The Best
That sounds like a very nice listing.  You are certainly earning your commission on it!
May 06, 2008 09:58 PM
Eric Kodner
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island
Melody, I'm proud of this listing.  Working two states means doing a heck of a lot of driving at times!
May 06, 2008 10:05 PM
Gary L. Waters Broker Associate, Bucci Realty
Bucci Realty, Inc. - Melbourne, FL
Eighteen Years Experience in Brevard County
Good luck...I find it hard to taje a listing 25 miles away from my office!
May 06, 2008 11:16 PM
Eric Kodner
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island
Gary, I do this all the time.  We have an office in Minneapolis and another in La Pointe, Wisconsin (on Madeline Island).  Many of our second home buyers on Lake Superior are Twin Cities residents, so it's a perfect match to do business in both locations.  The only drawback is the distance..and the driving!
May 07, 2008 12:01 AM
Patricia Kennedy
RLAH@properties - Washington, DC
Home in the Capital
Eric, while you're there, I hope you take lots of photos for us.  And I hope the people who are looking at it buy the place, although I'm sure you enjoy the drive and all.  And I'm doing business in three jurisdictions, sometimes driving a lot.  Get home safely!
May 07, 2008 12:29 AM
Eric Kodner
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island

Pat, it's a gorgeous morning on Lake Superior!

The big lake is relatively calm and it has lost most of its "chocolate" coloring (due to clay stirred up in the water by spring storms).  The temperature is in the upper-60s, which is delightful.  The snow is all gone.  It all adds up to a great day for a showing! 

May 07, 2008 01:39 AM
JDo Doe
Barrington, RI
Lake Superior - nice.  $1.15 mil home on Lake Superior - SUPER!  Sounds like the driving is a whip but quite worth it when you close on that deal!!!  Great entry - any pictures of the Lake?
May 07, 2008 02:48 AM
Obeoman Glade Jones
www.obeo.com - Salt Lake City, UT

 

When ISN'T it a rainy night in Duluth and Superior?

 Thanks for letting me know about a hotspot in Supe-town!

Steve

May 07, 2008 03:01 AM
Eric Kodner
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island

Nathan, here's a photo for you..

Beach view just east of Port Wing, Wisconsin

The property is about half an hour from the Duluth-Superior area and maybe three hours from Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

May 07, 2008 03:07 AM
Eric Kodner
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island

Steve, right now it's sunny and clear in the Duluth-Superior area.  The weather today is gorgeous!

It does rain, but around here it doesn't stay for long.  Most storms blow through pretty rapidly on the western part of Lake Superior.

May 07, 2008 03:13 AM
Joan Mirantz
Homequest Real Estate - Concord, NH
Realtor, GRI, CBR, SRES - Concord New Hampshire
Eric...if you sell it...give yourself a break! You'll be ableto afford it for sure! Is that the beautiful place that was in the magazine? It was fabulous! Good Luck!
May 07, 2008 12:28 PM
Sharon Simms
Coastal Properties Group International - Christie's International - Saint Petersburg, FL
St. Petersburg FL - CRS CIPS CLHMS RSPS
Eric - I don't envy you your commuting costs or the time on the road - but this does seem like a wonderful destination, I love being by the water.
May 07, 2008 01:49 PM
Eric Kodner
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island
Joan, yes this was the estate that was featured a couple weeks ago on LuxuryRealEstate.com.  It is truly luxurious!
May 07, 2008 03:44 PM
Eric Kodner
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island

Sharon, it's a pleasant journey, but as I get older I'd prefer to spend less time in the car each week. Still, I feel very privileged to have this listing!

May 07, 2008 03:45 PM
Jeff&Grace Safrin
F.C.Tucker 1st Team Real Estate - Valparaiso, IN
SpousesSellingHousesTM

Wow - that certainly is a wide market area - but, if you are willing to do what others won't you should have what others don't - hope it sells soon the setting is spectacular!

Sincerely

Grace

May 09, 2008 07:28 AM
Eric Webster
Five Star Real Estate - Grand Rapids, MI
Grand Rapids, MI, Five Star Realty

Great post... and a road trip can always be fun.  I looked at the property online when you mentioned the feature, it IS amazing!  Someday...

Thanks for sharing.  You give great glimpses of who you are and how you do things.  Someday we'll have to meet for a drink.

May 12, 2008 10:18 PM
Eric Kodner
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island

Grace, Port Wing is one of the most unspoiled and pristine areas in the entire state of Wisconsin.  The area has a remote feel, but is only forty-five minutes from the Duluth-Superior area.  The beaches are clean and unpopulated, the water is clear and the entire area hasn't changed much over recent decades.  For a buyer who wants the ultimate vacation home experience, it would be hard to match the South Shore region of Lake Superior.

May 13, 2008 06:43 AM
Eric Kodner
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island

Eric, thank you.  I do a lot of driving and sometimes it seems like I'm getting too old for all this shuttling back & forth, but I enjoy the serenity and peacefulness of this area.

May 13, 2008 06:45 AM
Lisa Hill
Florida Property Experts - Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Beach Real Estate

Was there WiFi at the restaurant, or did the plug-in do all the work? I'm asking because AT&T gave me a plug-in WiFi thingie for my laptop and I couldn't figure out why I needed it, when I already had built-in WiFi. But if it works where there is no WiFi access, that explains it.

May 13, 2008 02:47 PM
Eric Kodner
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island

Lisa, that particular restaurant didn't have WiFi, but the Verizon wireless modem that I carry works pretty well.  As long as you can get a cellular signal where you are, it will work.  I really like the fact that I can haul out my laptop pretty much anywere there is cellular coverage and I can access the Web or check email.

May 13, 2008 06:22 PM