Robert Vegas Bob Swetz is headed back to San Jose California Vegas Bob's 6 day trip in Minnesota has finally come to an end ;o(Robert Swetz will be flying back to San Jose California, and his visit went by so fast!I had a great visit with my father who turned 80 years old and more quality time with family and friends.The photo above was taken while I was visiting with my father in northern Minnesota, and the photo below was taken when I first met with my father in Hinkley Minnesota ;o)   10/25/2016

Fall Colors in Minnesota by Robert Swetz Robert "Vegas Bob" Swetz is visiting family and friends in Minnesota and he wasn't sure if he was going to get the chance to photograph the fall colors.Vegas Bob got lucky and came in at the very tail end of the leaves changing colors.    10/22/2016

 Some very interesting fun lawn ornaments ;o) When I was visiting my sister around 6 years ago in Minnesota we happen to take a drive to one of her friends home to make sure it was secure. As we walked around I couldn't help but see these little guys hanging around the trees. I mentioned to my sister before we left that I had to get out my camera and take a few photographs.  As I was focusing on these interesting lawn ornaments I burst out into laughter. My sister said what's so funny? I said to her, "these lawn ornaments are great" and what a fun way to create joy and laughter to a persons lawn and home.If you look close you can see that the ornaments are attached to a old piece of wood that looks like a branch on the first 2 photos and then 1 small screw is drilled into the tree.  I l... 10/01/2016

No one can enjoy freedom unless they are willing to surrender some part of it. Tha only way to entertain some folks is to listen to them.  (My in-laws) Education is a chest of tools. The only thing harder than sticking to a diet is keeping quiet about it. Success has many friends! If youth really were wise, it would miss most of its fun. No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.  (Thank You Richard and others.) Have a great night. 08/02/2008

This Saturday, January 12th, the students and faculty of Encore School of Music in Mora Minnesota will be performing for the annual winter recital! Come for some great musical performances at 9:30, 1:00 or 3:00.  Stay and meet the instructors and give the students a pat on the back.  They've earned it! I will be performing as well, so I hope to see you there! 01/09/2008

Sitting here tonight, I was thinking about the websites that I frequent regarding the area I graduated from.  Thinking that surely there are other people out there looking for news, updates, and more about Mora, Minnesota, I thought I would share with you the top ten websites for everything Mora!10.  www.ci.mora.mn.us/  What kind of person would I be if I skipped the city's official website?  Click on this link for Mora city ordinances, job openings for the city of Mora, facts about Mora Minnesota, and more!  New this year, you can pay your Mora Municipal Utility bills online!  How cool is that?9.   www.vasaloppet.org/  The Vasaloppet is one of the best known nordic ski races in the state of Minnesota!  Beginning near Warman Minnesota, approximately 12 miles north of Mora, the 58k race ... 01/08/2008

I'm sure you've heard that the real estate market is down, and everyone is feeling the effects.  Yet there are many GREAT reasons to buy a home in Mora Minnesota right now!  Here are my top ten reasons:Prices are great on homes.  Real estate in Mora wasn't as inflated as some other locations in previous years, but has taken a hit this year.  Prices have fallen, making it easier and more affordable to get into a quality, stick-built home than it was before!Interest rates are still low.  I know many lenders in Mora Minnesota that are getting buyers better rates than buyers were getting in the height of the real estate market, two to three years back.  With some programs, you can even get as low as 6%!Great "zero down" programs.  Now is a great time to jump in and take advantage of some of... 10/06/2007

I thought I would put together some fun and interesting facts about Mora.  Some are the usual, and some are very unusual!  Besides, if all of my blogs were about real estate in Mora Minnesota, they would get old pretty quickly!   Enjoy!Mora's most recent population poll came in at 3,193.  It's a wonderful small town located 62 miles north of Minneapolis, and about 47 miles northeast of St. Cloud.  In Mora, about 49% of adults are married. A relatively large number of people in Mora live by themselves. The city is known for its large population of single adults.  (I would have never known!)In the general election of 1882, the county seat was voted to be moved from Brunswick to the new village of Mora by a vote of 166 for and 2 against.  I'd say that's definitely majority!Mora donates mor... 09/26/2007

MoraMinnesota Real Estate Market Conditions We here at Team PROgressive continuously monitor local real estate statistics to keep our clients informed and ahead of the real estate trends. Below you will find Mora’s real estate statistics for June 17 – June 23, 2007. New Homes on the Market: 9 Number of homes accepting offers (pending): 0 Number of homes closing (sold): 3 Number of homes Expiring from Market: 3 Average Days on Market: 83 To find the value of your home with a free, over-the-net home evaluation, please click here. If you would like a free list of homes for sale in this area/neighborhood, would like more information about Mora or would like to know about hot new listings before other buyers do, then give us a call at Team PROgressiveMike & Tammi VanGrinsvenGreater Midwest R... 08/06/2007

MoraMinnesota Real Estate Market Conditions We here at Team PROgressive continuously monitor local real estate statistics to keep our clients informed and ahead of the real estate trends. Below you will find Mora’s real estate statistics for June 10 – June 16, 2007. New Homes on the Market: 6 Number of homes accepting offers (pending): 1 Number of homes closing (sold): 1 Number of homes Expiring from Market: 2 Average Days on Market: 65 To find the value of your home with a free, over-the-net home evaluation, please click here. If you would like a free list of homes for sale in this area/neighborhood, would like more information about Mora or would like to know about hot new listings before other buyers do, then give us a call at Team PROgressiveMike & Tammi VanGrinsvenGreater Midwest R... 08/02/2007

What a great question!First, I'll show you what Wikipedia says:"A Dalecarlian horse (Swedish: Dalahäst) is a traditional wooden statuette of a horse originating in the Swedish province of Dalarna. In the older days the dala horse was mostly a toy for children, but nowadays it is used as a symbol for Dalarna or sometimes the whole of Sweden."  The Dala Horse was originally a toy, created by woodworkers for their children.  Most often they were made of scraps left over from the creation of clocks, since that was a primary source of income in that era.Horses were important, also, in that time period, and since so many relied on the horses, the wooden dala horses were a great toy for children. Its roots are Swedish, and because Mora Minnesota is the sister town of Mora, Sweden, you will see... 07/10/2007

If you are looking to purchase a home in Mora, Minnesota here are some demographics of the area that I thought would be useful to you. If you are moving to the area and would like help with financing or would like me to refer a real estate agent to you I would be happy to do that for you as well.Mora, MinnesotaPopulation:9171Major City:MORAHouseholds:3592County:KANABECAverage Household Income:$37,588State:MNAverage Commute Time:28.8 Minutes Household DetailsTotal Housing Units:4202Total Households:3592Total Population in Households:9049Total Households with a member under 18:1279Total Households with a member over 65:1290Total Families in Households:2529Total 2-Person Families in Households:1171Total 3-Person Families in Households:508Total 4-Person Families in Households:499Total 5-Per... 07/10/2007

Anyone who knows me knows that I can eat mexican food every day of the week.Now that is easier for me to do ever since the grand opening of Burritos and Tacos on Union!Burritos and Tacos on Union, located right on Union Street in Mora, is a great place to grab a bite to eat!  When they first opened, they started with burritos, (which weigh a whole pound!!) and tacos.  Since then, they have grown and added more fantastic dishes to their menu!Along with their famous burritos, you can order tacos, mexican pizza, nachos, taco salad, taquitos, fajitas, taco burgers, and more.  All of their ingredients are fresh, and have a great taste.  The salsa is fantastic, with fresh cut up vegetables, and the produce is always of the finest quality.Don't like beef?  Don't worry!  All menu choices that i... 07/09/2007

 For My Friend Joslyn Panka, RE/MAX Select, Inc. In Minnesota, lake properties are HOT.  As much as the news likes to tell us that the market is horrible, Joslyn Panka has a totaly different experence. Knife Lake, located in Kanabec County, is definitely the hottest of them all.  It is not uncommon to see a property up for sale and gone in just a couple days.  Joslyn tells me, they have a few that have just happened in the last few weeks!  Joslyn Panka has taken part in this frenzy, and has many buyers of her own that are interested in these properties! Multiple offers are not a thing of the past, either.  The competition for these properties on Kanabec County lakeshore is intense, and properties are even selling above list price!  It's totally different than in town properties, which h... 06/28/2007

MoraMinnesota Real Estate Market Conditions We here at Team PROgressive continuously monitor local real estate statistics to keep our clients informed and ahead of the real estate trends. Below you will find Mora’s real estate statistics for June 3 – June 9, 2007. New Homes on the Market: 6 Number of homes accepting offers (pending): 2 Number of homes closing (sold): 0 Number of homes Expiring from Market: 1 Average Days on Market: 0 To find the value of your home with a free, over-the-net home evaluation, please click here. If you would like a free list of homes for sale in this area/neighborhood, would like more information about Mora or would like to know about hot new listings before other buyers do, then give us a call at Team PROgressiveMike & Tammi VanGrinsvenGreater Midwest Real... 06/21/2007

MoraMinnesota Real Estate Market Conditions We here at Team PROgressive continuously monitor local real estate statistics to keep our clients informed and ahead of the real estate trends. Below you will find Mora’s real estate statistics for May 27-June 2, 2007. New Homes on the Market:4 Number of homes accepting offers (pending):2 Number of homes closing (sold):5 Number of homes Expiring from Market:5 Average Days on Market:127 To find the value of your home with a free, over-the-net home evaluation, please click here. If you would like a free list of homes for sale in this area/neighborhood, would like more information about Mora or would like to know about hot new listings before other buyers do, then give us a call at Team PROgressiveMike & Tammi VanGrinsvenGreater Midwest Realty651... 06/07/2007

On May 12th, Encore School of Music is having their spring recital!  There is a general recital at 9:30 AM, String recital at noon, and another general recital at 2:00.  My students and I will be performing at the 2:00 recital.  There will be flute solos, a duet, and a trio, along with other students and faculty.  Recital will be held at Grace Lutheran Church in Mora.  Tickets are available at the door.  Questions?  Call me, or call Encore at 320-679-7770.  Encore School of Music offers lessons for all instruments and voice.  I teach woodwinds (clarinet, flute, sax, oboe), beginning piano, and pop vocal.  Lessons are $15.00 for a half hour lesson.  Rusty?  That's okay!  Give us a call! 05/07/2007

I was SHOCKED the other night, as I'm sure many other people were, when I heard a news anchor on my favorite station say "The real estate market appears to be turning around...." Everyone immediately seems to explode into "How, what, why, when, and who???" Everywhere I go, someone has an opinion on the real estate market.  There isn't a day that passes by that someone I know in this small town finds out that I'm now a REALTOR, and says "But isn't it a bad time to go into that???" Well here I am, after more than a year at RE/MAX, giving you my opinion, and I have to say no, it is a GREAT time to go into real estate. So we got snow this week, and it has thrown things off a little, but let me tell you about what was happening during all that warm weather. I had some of my first official fl... 04/24/2007