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Ham Lake, MN Real Estate News

By Teri Eckholm, REALTOR Serving Mpls/St Paul North & East Metro
(Boardman Realty)
Best Tips on Selling an Anoka County Home-Why Pay Buyer Closing Costs A seller's estimate of proceeds or net sheet is an essential part of the listing contract.  It lists the  estimated closing costs associated with the sale of the home. One of the items on the list sheet is a blank for the “Seller's contribution to a Buyer’s Closing Costs.” In this current market, I always include several thousand dollars as an estimate to prepare my clients that this could come up at negotiations. So many FHA buyers, and even some conventional ones, will require assistance with their closing costs.  But every now and again, I hear will hear a seller loudly scoff at paying a buyer's closing costs. The conversation usually goes something to the effect of, “I don’t want to pay my own closing costs. Why w...
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By Teri Eckholm, REALTOR Serving Mpls/St Paul North & East Metro
(Boardman Realty)
A foreclosed home is not the proverbial money-pit! Many bank owned properties --especially Minnesota lakeshore and acreage homes--are priced to sell and do not sit on the market forever!  People are snapping up deals all over Anoka County on homes that are in great condition and priced right! Some are bank-owned foreclosures but regular traditional sellers are also pricing their homes properly to sell in this changed real estate market. As a buyer, you have to be ready as the good homes are selling FAST even in the WINTER! Here are a few north Twin Cities metro homes that I noted that sold in DAYS over the holidays: East Bethel 1999 built 5BR Rambler on 3.5 acres with an additional garage located on Devils Lake. Sold in 20 days for $236K. Lino Lakes home 4BR/4BA/5Car garage built in 19...
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By Teri Eckholm, REALTOR Serving Mpls/St Paul North & East Metro
(Boardman Realty)
"Is buying a home really a good investment?" Great question, eh? Especially in this slowly stabilizing economy. For decades buying a home was for decades regarded one of the safest investments a person could make; the epitome of the American Dream. But now first time buyers are confused as home values and average sales prices plummeted. Is the real estate market current downturn a opportunity to grab one's piece of the American Dream? Does owning a home make sense as a financial investment? MOST AMERICANS say YES! In a January 2012 survey of voters by the National Association of Home Builders, "74 percent said that despite the ups and downs in the housing market, owning a home is the best long-term investment they can make." That is 3 out of 4 voting Americans who still believe in the ...
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By Teri Eckholm, REALTOR Serving Mpls/St Paul North & East Metro
(Boardman Realty)
  What a crazy and wimpy Minnesota winter we are having this year! We have been blessed this winter with a lack of snow (or cursed if you are into snowmobiling and/or cross country skiing). Our roughly 15 inches of snow has meant that roofs are not sporting 3 foot icicles and there is parking on both sides of city streets. People aren’t breaking their backs shoveling or wallets paying for a new snow blower if the old one stops running. Yes, this wimpy winter is a blessing in many regards. A less though of perk of the lack of snow cover means that it will be easier to trim your oak trees this winter. Oak wilt is devastating to trees in Anoka and Chisago counties as massive oaks are destroyed when this disease spreads. Smart landscaping and maintenance requires you trim oaks in the winter...
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By Teri Eckholm, REALTOR Serving Mpls/St Paul North & East Metro
(Boardman Realty)
  In 2011, homes continued to sell at a rate equal to in in Ham Lake, Minnesota; an area well known for its acreage properties. In this north and eastern Anoka County city, home sales were down just a few percent but with new listings down nearly 25% the absorption rate did not suffer. The average days on the market dropped by over 5% this year, from 176 to 166, which continues to level the playing field between buyers and sellers. The average price of a home sold did drop this year by roughly 8% from Just over $240K to $221,367. This also had a major affect on the price per square footage as it dropped from $100/sq ft to $88/sq ft which is similar to other areas in the north metro. Sellers seem to be negotiating more on acreage making this an opportunity for buyers to get out to an are...
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By Teri Eckholm, REALTOR Serving Mpls/St Paul North & East Metro
(Boardman Realty)
As we embark on a brand new year, I wanted to share a photo I took on a recent family vacation to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. We had to see what was drawing such a huge crowd at the France Pavilion and were treated to a show where this man stacked chair after chair into a tower on which he balanced on top. To do this with a crowd of several hundred onlookers must be a difficult task...more likely impossible for most of us. But this performer did it with ease (and lots of concentration). Hopefully the real estate market will become more balanced in 2012 but since we cannot control the market, try to incorporate balance into your life. Wishing Everyone a Very Happy and Blessed 2012!    Remember by concentrating on balance, amazing things can be achieved!
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By Teri Eckholm, REALTOR Serving Mpls/St Paul North & East Metro
(Boardman Realty)
As 2011 comes to a close, I noticed a change in the real estate market across the north and east Minneapolis/St Paul metro area.  Home sellers were seeing a more active market during the last quarter and many received purchase agreements. Home buyers who for several years had the luxury of the upper hand in negotiations, suddenly found they were in multiple offer situations when they submitted a contract for a seller's consideration. While there still is a good range of inventory in the higher priced categories, first time buyers had less options than a year or two ago.  Yet a tenacious Twin Cities home buyer can still find good options in almost every price range throughout the metro area. Town homes, single family, split levels, ramblers, two stories, remodels, foreclosures, short sal...
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By Teri Eckholm, REALTOR Serving Mpls/St Paul North & East Metro
(Boardman Realty)
In a few days we will all be turning the calendar page and entering 2012. After the champagne corks pop and the big ball drops in Times Square, it will be time for resolutions. If you want to be a first time home buyer in 2012 maybe it is time to set a financial resolution or goal. If despite all the gloom, doom of the foreclosures during the past several years you still plan to own a homeowner one day soon, it's time to start saving!  Those dreaming of buying a first home are in very good company. According to a CNNMoney.com article, Housing Bust? So What? We Still Want to Own, over half of Americans still want to own their own home. In fact, over a quarter of Americans indicated are even MORE likely to buy real estate since the foreclosure crisis.  Does this surprise you? Not me. As ...
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By Teri Eckholm, REALTOR Serving Mpls/St Paul North & East Metro
(Boardman Realty)
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to speak about real estate to a room full of first time home buyers in Anoka County. They were attending a Home Stretch workshop given by the Anoka County Community Action Program (ACCAP) and I was fortunate enough to be the guest REALTOR®. I had somewhat of a free rein on what to speak about. I could follow the outline in their manual or share information on what I thought first time home buyers need to know.   It was an easy decision for me; for one hour I explained what agency is and why a first time home buyer needs to sign a buyer’s agency agreement with a REALTOR® early on in their hunt for a home. I did wrap up the discussion with an update on the local market and what they might expect if they decide they want to purchase a foreclosure (multiple ...
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By Shaun Higgins
(TWIN CITIES RENT 2 OWN)
Shaun Higgins | (612) 216-6248 2056 175th Ave NE, Ham Lake, MN RENT TO OWN Payment $1250.00/mo, Lease Option Deposit $5995.00 (terms negotiable for the right candidate) 3BR/1+1BA Single Family House offered at $125,000 Year Built 1970 Sq Footage 1,318 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 1 full, 1 partial Floors Unspecified Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size .400 acres HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION Beautifully updated home on a large wooded lot with a gorgeous, over-sized fenced in yard. Enjoy an evening glass of wine or an early morning coffee on one of the two tiered deck’s! Seller’s hot tub to be included with the sale of the home! Many updates including a newer furnace & central air, new vinyl siding and windows. Over-sized, 2.5 car gar. RENT TO OWN PURCHASE PRICE: $125,000.00 LEASE OPTION DEPOSIT...
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By Teri Eckholm, REALTOR Serving Mpls/St Paul North & East Metro
(Boardman Realty)
You check the MLS link every day and there it is...sitting on the market day after day. It's your dream home and you have watched it for a couple of months now. It seems to be priced right; in fact, it is a steal of a deal. But the market has you paralyzed into watching and waiting rather than making your move on the perfect home so there you are on the fence still waiting until that perfect moment to call up a REALTOR® and put in your offer on your dream. As you continue to "time the market", waiting to see if seller of that “sleeper” is going to drop the price again, you may be missing out. It is time to WAKE UP! Because, you might not be the only one with an eye on that sleeper and if you wait too long it will be gone. A real estate “sleeper” is a home that is an amazing deal but fe...
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By Teri Eckholm, REALTOR Serving Mpls/St Paul North & East Metro
(Boardman Realty)
"Hello, this is Teri!"     "Hi Teri! I saw your ad for the home you have listed on 2 acres in Anoka County and would like to set up a showing." "That is a nice home and it is still available but I have a few questions for you before I can show the home. Are you working currently working with a REALTOR®? No? Well, have you talked to a loan officer yet? "   That is how I begin almost every single conversation with a potential buyer. Have you talked to a loan officer yet?  It is an extremely important question to ask a home buyer and it needs to be asked right away. See, there often is no point in setting up a showing on a home unless you have spoken to a loan officer. And this is not just about credit issues and ability to purchase either. You've no doubt heard the proverb about not putti...
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By Teri Eckholm, REALTOR Serving Mpls/St Paul North & East Metro
(Boardman Realty)
The calendar says November and that first snow fall will be blowing in soon. It won't be long before the holidays are upon us. So if your home is currently on the market and has yet to sell or if you just got a job offer out of state and need to list your home, what should a seller do? At first inclination most sellers opt to withdraw their home from the market believing that the preoccupation with the holiday season puts few buyers in the market. While there is a grain of truth to this, sellers can be ignoring another more important situation: Any buyer looking at houses during the holidays will be a VERY serious buyer.  There are not many tire-kickers running around with a REALTOR® when there are dinners to plan, cookies to bake, and gifts to wrap. November, December and January showi...
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By Teri Eckholm, REALTOR Serving Mpls/St Paul North & East Metro
(Boardman Realty)
How does the average home buyer or seller find their REALTOR®? Did they meet a friendly person hosting an open house? Call their best friend's brother who just got licensed? Answer an ad on Craigslist? I don't know the percentages but I am certain that most home buyers don't spend any more time researching their real estate agent than they do their groceries. But a home is not an everyday purchase; it is too big of a decision to not have sound advice. So how does one select a good REALTOR® to work with?   The average American will buy or sell property only 2-3 times during their lifetime. It is imperative to have a logical process to select a real estate agent. Purchasing and selling a home for your family is a very emotional situation. If you chose an agent wisely, you will be confiden...
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By Teri Eckholm, REALTOR Serving Mpls/St Paul North & East Metro
(Boardman Realty)
How does the average home buyer or seller find their REALTOR®? Did they meet a friendly person hosting an open house? Call their best friend's brother who just got licensed? Answer an ad on Craigslist? I don't know the percentages but I am certain that most home buyers don't spend any more time researching their real estate agent than they do their groceries. But a home is not an everyday purchase; it is too big of a decision to not have sound advice. So how does one select a good REALTOR® to work with? The average American will buy or sell property only 2-3 times during their lifetime. It is imperative to have a logical process to select a real estate agent. Purchasing and selling a home for your family is a very emotional situation. If you chose an agent wisely, you will be confident...
Comments 2
By Teri Eckholm, REALTOR Serving Mpls/St Paul North & East Metro
(Boardman Realty)
Real estate closings can be fun this time of year and not just because there is a big bowl of candy on the closing table. In Minnesota, when a home is sold by a traditional seller to a new home buyer, all parties sit down in the same room during closings as all the paperwork is done at the same time. After all the signing is done, the closers leave the room to make copies of the documents and to prepare the checks from the final settlement. During this time, sellers often pass over the keys and explain some idiosyncrasies of the home, Often these expected concerns like how to change the code for the electronic door opener or where the water shut off is located. Buyers will question what day the trash is picked up and what the schools are like. But just before Halloween, the questions a...
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By Teri Eckholm, REALTOR Serving Mpls/St Paul North & East Metro
(Boardman Realty)
A couple of Octobers ago, I had the opportunity to draw at the Animation exhibit in Disney's Hollywood Studios during a family vacation. While my one son was riding the Tower of Terror for the tenth or eleventh time, my other son and I were given step-by-step instructions on how to draw the main character in the Tim Burton classic, The Nightmare Before Christmas. It was a unique opportunity because while the classes go on year round, they only give instructions on Jack Skellington a few times a year, just before Halloween.  The fun part about taking this class which is designed for all ages, is that everyone that follows the very simple directions, will leave with a drawing that resembles the instructors. I have related this process to real estate in the past in the blog post, REALTOR®...
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By Teri Eckholm, REALTOR Serving Mpls/St Paul North & East Metro
(Boardman Realty)
The extra dry and warm weather seems to have delayed our autumn in Ham Lake, Minnesota a bit this year. But finally yesterday I was able to really sense fall in the air. The faint scent of burning leaves made it smell like autumn. The crunch of leaves beneath my feet made it sound like autumn. The wind whipping through my hair made it feel like autumn. And of course, all the brilliant reds, yellows and rusty oranges made it look like autumn. Enjoy fall because when the leaves are gone, we know what comes next...
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By Teri Eckholm, REALTOR Serving Mpls/St Paul North & East Metro
(Boardman Realty)
The current prices on Minnesota Acreage are nothing short of astounding. There dozens acreage homes that are currently available throughout the north and eastern suburbs of the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. However, buying a foreclosure is different than buying from a more traditional seller. The biggest difference when buying a bank-owned property is that buyers are required to waive their right to a seller’s disclosure. This actually does make sense since no one at the bank actually lived at the home and can properly complete the disclosure. In fact, it is doubtful that anyone at the bank has ever set foot on the property. So when buying a foreclosure on acreage, what other things need to be considered to protect yourself?   **Ask for a Compliance Test for the Septic System.   Most rural...
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By Teri Eckholm, REALTOR Serving Mpls/St Paul North & East Metro
(Boardman Realty)
Earlier this month, I was out showinghomes to clients looking for acreage that would work for having horses. One home on a 20 acre parcel was perfect so we started to walk the land. On west side of the home was the mound septic system an a bit further west was a large pond that was at the very least 3 acres of the property. The backyard looked dry so we started there. Just a few feet beyond the trees the yard got boggy. So we couldn’t assess how dry the acres were. We assumed this property was mostly wet and made mental notes to check the aerial view from google maps. I noted the problem in the feedback and the agent responded the land had a huge and accessible meadow beyond the pond. My clients, after getting wet feet and seeing lots of swampland on google had no further interest. This...
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Ham Lake, MN Real Estate Professionals