A couple of weeks ago I interviewed Dean Rylander who (pictured above center) has a Real Estate Salesperson's license hanging in my office but is a full time appraiser. Today I interviewed Bob Thompson who (pictured above to the right) also has a Real Estate Salesperson's license hanging in my office but is a full time property manager. Actually this was more of a trial run before we tape for the show as Bob was a little nervous so we thought we would do a practice run.  03/09/2017

I've probably blogged more about the Minot Public Library more than any other topic. There is good reason for it, the Minot Public Library has a lot to offer and the people who run it are GREAT people.Our family is very reliant on the library for our entertainment. I'm the only non-reader in the family but I still get books on Real Estate and building plans to study, not to mention the videos I watch with my daughter.Anyone who says "There is nothing to do in Minot" is obviously not familiar with the Minot Public Library.Here is what is coming up next week at the library:Of course you can always go to their website and check it out in detail. 03/09/2017

The last couple of days have been very windy. Substained winds of 40 Mhp and gusts up to 60 Mph.Living in the Great Plains you get used to the wind blowing but winds and gusts like this are unusual even for us.Anyhow, it was so windy that the Colonel lost his face (completely on one side of this sign and half of it on the other side). This sign is on North hill just two doors from my office.This TV antenna however is/was on my roof. The mast bent 90 degrees from the wind and once I climbed up on the roof I discovered the antenna was also damaged. Bummer for me I had just replaced the antenna last fall. Last night when I could only receive one or two channels I assumed the stations antenna went down. Nope, it was just mine. 03/08/2017

The WILD Garage Sale is this coming Saturday!Mark your calendar to shop – or donate gently used items leading up to the event. The proceeds will be donated to conservation efforts.Roosevelt Park Zoo 1219 Burdick Expressway East Minot ND 58701As you can see from the calender there are some fun events coming up. As someone who lives less than 1,000' from the Zoo take my advice that if you are going to the Easter Egg hunt on April 15th be prepared to park as far as three blocks away. Go with a good attitude and you will have FUN!!!! 03/08/2017

If you live in Minot ND and you are worried about possible flooding this Spring... don't worry, I've got this!I am going to contact The Army Corp Of Engineers and let them know if they just divert the water to East Burdick Expressway the pot holes there should hold the equivalent of the entire Alameda Dam reservoir.This would be a great plan and greatly enhance the Minot tourist trade.They could stock some of the pot holes with fish and others they could allow jet skies and motor boats.Living just 500' off of Burdick Expressway I would hardly even have to move my camper to enjoy. 03/07/2017

How to build a mountain out of snow by the City of Minot ND If I had to guess I'd say the top of this mountain is about 120' high. It was built on top of a flat parking lot just South of the Minot International Airport. The parking lot is for the North Hill Softball complex. Another guess on my part is that this snow mountain will not be totally gone until August.If you ever thought your job was boring can you imagine driving that machine up and down that hill every day for 8 hours a day?Oh, and by the way, the parking lot is NOT paved so look out for pot holes. This advice comes from someone who drive right into one where as my van bottomed out in it.If you have lived in ND through even one winter you probably learned it's a good idea to have tow rope in your vehicle at all times.Anoth... 03/05/2017

We had 8 closings this week in our very narrow category of stick-built single family homes within the City limits of Minot which is a nice increase over 3 which is what we have seen each of the last two weeks. Of the homes that closed this week the average days on market was 115, down from last week's 198 (a nice improvement over last week's 198) The chart above is the total MLS activity for the week. This includes ALL types of properties as well as all cities in our MLS. The chart below is very restrictive as explained below.Be sure to note the line above as this is a very restrictive report. There were 8 homes sold in this limited category. The most expensive home sold for $363,000. and it was on the market for 80 days. The least expensive home sold for $88,157. and it was on the mark... 03/04/2017

Another sign of Spring is here, The Minot Association of Builders Home & Garden Show.I am really looking forward to some of this events which include:Succulent Garden Workshop String Art WorkshopMudpaint Workshop Sign Making WorkshopI have fond memories of the home builders shows as a kid, it was one of the few thing my dad and I did together.Back in that day the home shows included entertainment and I remember seeing both The Jackson 5 and The Osmunds on stage. Gosh, to think that was about 50 years ago and I still remember. Keep that in mind you dads reading this! 03/01/2017

On Fridays (02/24/17) radio broadcast of Minot Real Estate Today I visited with a local carpenter who specializes in interior trim work.This 13 minute broadcast/podcast features Mark Haugen. Click on graphic to the left to hear this podcast.I think you will find Mark's insights on quality construction helpful. It was a pleasure visiting with Mark.Minot Real Estate Today airs on KHRT AM Radio every Friday at 4:45 PM. If you do not receive KHRT's direct signal you can also listen live through their website www.KHRT.com.If you miss the live broadcast I always post it on my website as soon as I get a link from KHRT. As in this case it may take a few days for them to post it.I greatly appreciate it when you let KHRT know that you heard the broadcast and appreciate their airing it. You can le... 03/01/2017

I've noticed that most everyone I talk to lately has Spring Fever. We were spoiled by exceptional temperatures for a couple of weeks and now that things have turned cold everyone wants those warm temps back. It's Spring Fever!Well, I admit that I'm starting to get the fever myself BUT I won't really have it until I here the crack of a bat coming from across the street at historic Corbett Field.  02/27/2017

I don't have 26 helpers to make a team of 27. I have enough helpers you will think your in heaven. I'd love to put this all in rhyme but I havn't thought it through, nor have I the time.Know where I'm going with this, let me tell you Mr and Miss.As your Realtor I am here to help you with much more than buying and selling a house. I can help you find a banker or even a pet mouse. It may surprise you but I can even tell you how to get that stain out of a blouse! I enjoy making connections and sharing information with my clients. My clients know that if they need help around the house I know exactly who to refer them to and if I can lend a hand myself I will roll up my sleeves and jump in as well ( just helped a client fix/replace a sump pump last week).It doesn't stop there! I know accoun... 02/26/2017

We had 3 closings again this week in our very narrow category of stick-built single family homes within the City limits of Minot (Just for the record I’m going to say I’m very surprised at the sluggish pace we have experienced so far this year. This should be a real “heads up” to Sellers. If you want to sell you need to price it right!). Of the homes that closed this week the average days on market was 198, up from last week's 162 (Again, an incredibly SLOW market).The chart above is the total MLS activity for the week. This includes ALL types of properties as well as all cities in our MLS. The chart below is very restrictive as explained below.Be sure to note the line above as this is a very restrictive report. There were 3 homes sold in this limited category. The most expensive home s... 02/25/2017

If you thought I was talking about sobriety guess again.Tonight the family went out to diner to celebrate 5 years of being back in our home after it was devastated by the flood of 2011.Flood waters ran through our home and a couple thousand others for a full month before the water subsided and revealed the damage the flood had done.While it only took 9 months for our home to be reconstructed it took a couple of years to repair the lawn and our out buildings.Although I was living every man's dream for 9 months, that is living in my mother-in-laws basement, it was good to get back into our own home again.Many Minot residents are reliving the nightmare these days as they have fixed up their homes like we did only to be told this year that the City is buying them out and they have to move. ... 02/24/2017

On today's podcast I visit with local contractor Mark Haugen .Mark is a "Local Boy" who has been involved in construction for about 25 years. Mark Haugen specializes in interior trim work but will do other work when he is not booked up on trim work.It was a delight to interview Mark Haugen and I hope you will listen in when it airs on KHRT AM Radio today at 4:45 PM. Local listeners can listen in at 1320 on the AM dial and everyone else can listen in on the web at KHRT.com (click on the AM icon to the left of the KHRT Radio home page.As always I BEGG you to email office@khrt.com and tell them you like this program, Minot Real Estate Today, so they keep it on the air.  02/24/2017

It was no surprise to anyone who has ever had a student at Minot's Sunnyside Elementary School that Principal Cindy Cook was honored by winning the 2016 - 2017 National Distinguished Principal Award.Cindy is just a wonderful person to know, always upbeat, always concerned about making sure her students and staff are the best. (My personal opinion as a parent who has had two kids attend Sunnyside.)When presented the award she said "Feeling sorry for low preforming children does not fix the problem, but rather high expectations produce results and that is the leadership philosophy at Sunnyside".My hats off to Cindy, she deserves the praise and more that this honor gives her.As a Realtor I can tell you that many people have the misconception that Sunnyside is Minot's poorest school distric... 02/20/2017

Every year Minot State University hosts a program called "Chalk Full Of Music". It's not my favorite event but it's about the only one my son Timmothy participates in so I always attend if I can.The burr under my saddle, as they say, is they always make a big thing out of this saying "all the hard work is now over so just relax and enjoy" to the kids. However absolutely no recording equipment is allowed, not even a still camera! What's up with that? I want to record and share my child's achievment that he has worked so hard for.Here is one of the two pieces Timmothy played yesterday at the event. Obviously I recorded this at home today being I would have been thrown out if I had tried to record him yesterday.  02/19/2017

Last week I interviewed Mark Haugen, a Minot ND contractor for the radio program Minot Real Estate Today on KHRT AM Radio but after the interview we kept the tape rolling as we visited about an upcoming mission trip to Juarez Mexico.Please listen in as Mark tells up about Our Saviors Lutheran Church annual trip which comes up at the end of February. 02/18/2017

We had 3 closings this week in our very narrow category of stick-built single family homes within the City limits of Minot. Of the homes that closed this week the average days on market was 162, up from last weeks 131.The chart above is the total MLS activity for the week. This includes ALL types of properties as well as all cities in our MLS. The chart below is very restrictive as explained below.Be sure to note the line above as this is a very restrictive report. There were 3 homes sold in this limited category. The most expensive home sold for $229,780. and it was on the market for 189 days. The least expensive home sold for $179,136. and it was on the market for 171 days.  Average days on market for the 3 homes sold was 162. Of the homes sold the average price per square foot (total... 02/18/2017

Today at 4:45 on KHRT-AM radio listen in to Minot Real Estate Today and hear my interview with Kara Bohan, loan officer with Northern Tier Federal Credit Union.Kara will talk about the different lending products Northern Tier Federal Credit Union has to offer as well as her predictions as to where interest rates are headed in 2017.As usual I ask that all my friends please email KHRT Radio and let them know that you appreciate that they air Minot Real Estate Today. Their email address is office@khrt.com and remember you can listen from anywhere on Earth at www.khrt.com by clicking on the AM option to the left side of the screen. Thanks! 02/17/2017

Back in March of 2015n I wrote a post on Potholes, this a similar post except with the exceptional warm weather we are having this year pothole season is earlier and I need to add another dimension... MOTORCYCLES.1st) As is every year the potholes showing up in Minot are huge and frequent! Driving down East Burdick you maybe taking your life in your hands. You certainly are endangering the health of your vehicle and at the very least there is a good chance you will need to get your car realigned soon.2nd) On my way to the office this evening I saw the first motorcycle on the street this year. That's fine for the very experienced driver... during the day time. I hope the person I saw tonight is a very experienced driver due to the potholes and the loose salt and sand on the roads.As a ve... 02/16/2017