While walking through the park I was surprised by this little apple tree that already had so much fruit on it.I'm sure this is either the first or second year that the tree has been planted in this location.We have all heard the expression of "Bloom where you are planted" but how much more important is "Go Forth And Bear Fruit"?This little tree shows me that you don't need to be a mighty tree to be fruitful. I'm sure the load that this tree is bearing very challenging to the trees spindly trunk.How much effort are YOU/We putting out to bear fruit? Are we challenging our very being to benefit others by bearing good fruit?While National Marketing Realtors company mission statement is simply the golden rule of "Treat Others The Way You Want To Be Treated" I'm thinking I may need to amend i... 08/16/2016

The Minot Parks Department always does a beautiful job of planting gardens on Park property. I feel like they have really out done themselves this year, at least in Roosevelt Park, a half block from where I live.I didn't even notice till yesterday that they even had a little area planted with succulents, very unusual for our harsh Nothern climate. Enjoy the pics I took yesterday BUT if you live in the Minot area get out to the parks and enjoy!  08/14/2016

NOT so good this week with 11 closings, a pretty big slip from last week. Of the homes that closed this week the average days on market was 98 days, same as last week’s solds, which is good news.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.Today there are 263 homes for sale in Minot with 134 pending sales. The Most expensive home listed in Minot is $995,000 and he least expensive home listed in Minot is $30,000. The average home price is $262,270 and the average days on market of current listings is 91. *This list is only of single-family stick built homes and does not include multifamily homes, condos, town houses, or mobile homes. Be sure to note th... 08/12/2016

Tonight was the 28th Annual Great Tomato Festival. Tonight, August 10th 2016, was the 28th Annual Great Tomato Festival in Minot ND. The Great Tomato Festival is a benefit event for the Minot Public Library, the Taube Museum of Art, and the Minot Symphony Orchestra. The event keeps growing and this year attendance was well over 1,000. Being my best friend was the Minot Public Library's director for 30 some years I've been a volunteer at the Great Tomato Festival as long as I've known him (and of course I've dragged my wife into it as well by volunteering her labor as well). Truth be told I LOVE serving tables and doing all I can to help out at this event. With the growth of National Marketing Realtors I've decided that I'm going to sponsor a table next year. Hope to see you there next y... 08/10/2016

Every year it seems like the City Of Minot ND has a real bone head street project going on. The idea behind the project is usually good, it's the timing that is usually so stupid.We currently have several main thorough fairs under construction greatly restricting travel in Minot ND but the one that has me scratching my head is this.This is the way things look on 3 of the 4 streets bordering Minot's Central Campus. School starts in 2 weeks. The only street open to the campus is 2nd street.If your student drives to school you may want to head down there with him/her to look for safe places to park. If you are going to be dropping your student off on your way to work you will need to plan for extra time. Good luck! 08/07/2016

A kind shout out to NW Tire in Minot ND(They must have received the memo)I had one of those slow leaks in my tire that required me to put air in the tire about every 3 or 4 days. Then it became every 2 or 3 days. It got tiresome, no pun intended.I was looking through a coupon book I purchased from a lad/lassie that had sold it to me for some school fundraiser and low and behold... a coupon for a free flat repair.DARN! It was at NW Tire and I had not been there for over a year because I was so unhappy with their service the last time I had been there. I remember filling out a card about their customer service. I never got a response to my scathing review.Well HALLELUJAH, someone must have gotten a memo because the change in service was like night and day. My hats off to NW Tire Service o... 08/06/2016

We did do better this week with 17 closings, the most in any week this year. Of the homes that closed this week the average days on market was a 98 days (compared to 144 last week). 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.Today there are 252 homes for sale in Minot with 144 pending sales. The Most expensive home listed in Minot is $995,000 and he least expensive home listed in Minot is $30,000. The average home price is $265,241 and the average days on market of current listings is 91. *This list is only of single-family stick built homes and does not include multifamily homes, condos, town houses, or mobile homes. Be sure to note the line above ... 08/06/2016

Two rural school districts have added High Schools, both will take students away from Minot High School. Both districts have been in existance for a long time and neither had a high school until recently. South Prairie School completed a new high school last year and Nedrose School completed their new High School this summer. Here are a couple of pictures I've taken of Nedrose.Many residents in SE Minot will attend Nedrose even though they live in the Minot city limits and many residents of SW Minot will attend South Prairie School.Minot does NOT have an open enrollment policy. When you purchase a home in South Minot do not assume your children will be attending school in Minot as they may actually be in The Nedrose or South Prairie School systems. Ask your Realtor for clarification and... 07/30/2016

We saw a good drop of the days on market for the homes sold this week, from 144 down to 102 over last week. It's also worth noting however that of the homes sold this week the price per square foot dropped about 30% from the week before to $96.88 per square foot. 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. Today there are 268 homes for sale in Minot, ND with 137 pending sales. The most expensive home listed in Minot ND is $995,000. The least is $30,000. and the average is $266,974. Average days on the market = 91.*This list is only of single-family stick built homes and does not include multifamily homes, condos, town houses, or mobile homes. Be sur... 07/30/2016

I've mentioned in other posts my blogging bunny/buddy. Well this post is just about Cashmere, my blogging bunny. Please forgive my "baby" voice on this video. When I talk to my buddy I'm afraid to use my real voice as my natural deeper tone my frighten her. While blogging out on the deck this summer I've often been joined by a furry little friend I call my "Blogging Bunny". I think she's to cute to call Blog so I decided on Cashmere. Yesterday she must have thought I was lonely or that we had a lot to talk about as she just sat and relaxed next to me for about two hours and then I went in for dinner.  07/24/2016

Not bad but we certainly could do better. Once again the days on market keep climbing. Of the homes that closed this week the average days on market was a whopping 144 days.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.Today there are 269 homes for sale in Minot, ND with 134 pending sales. The most expensive home listed in Minot ND is $995,000. The least is $30,000. and the average is $264,231. Average days on the market = 92.*This list is only of single-family stick built homes and does not include multifamily homes, condos, town houses, or mobile homes. Be sure to note the line above as this is a very restrictive report. There were 12 homes sold in t... 07/23/2016

Don't ASSume your kids will go to the school across the street. School districts do not always follow a logical pattern.On the cover of today's Minot Daily News is a story of two property owners who purchased a home near Minot's newest elementary school only to find out after closing that their child will be going to school several miles away.So where was the communication breakdown? The info to the right shows that the listing agent made it clearly available to the Selling agent. According to the article the home Buyers say the blame lays squarely on their agent who did not inform them. This may be true and of course we would also like to know if the Buyer asked.That being said every Realtor in Minot ND should be well aware that this area of town is a huge mess when it comes to school ... 07/22/2016

Yesterday my eye Dr. turned me into a Borg. OK, that only makes sense to Star Trek fans. The Borg was a collection of beings that were "assimilated" into being part human and cyborg. "Resistance is futile". Well I did not resist because I really wanted to know what is going on with my eyes and if blindness is in future (I've been experiencing some sever eye pain). The Dr. did find some issues but all in all my vision is actually improving so it was a good visit. Further testing in 6 months. Let us help you "Assimilate" into Minot ND Life.  07/21/2016

Is the name on this truck a prank or a joke, was this a real model made by Ford Motors. This one was parked near my office this morning.The license plates say 1976 (Pioneer Plates). I'm sure there have been many modifications to this vehicle, it looks like a Jeep make-over to me and I can not find anything on the web about a 1976 Ford Pick-up truck called a Tonka. Not even on Wikipedia. There is a new model but a 1976 model? What do you think?I'm no automotive expert but if you are confused about housing and Real Estate stop in to National Marketing Realtors and let us help you sort out what ever questions you may have. 07/20/2016

What could be better? 100 degrees, my Blog Bunny, and my BIGGEST fan.8:00 PM and the temp is down to 85 degrees.My blogging bunny stopped by to show me how to scratch your ear with your leg... I didn't try it.Also on the deck with me is my biggest fan. It's a 1/4 HP furnace blower I salvaged from an old furnace that had other problems. It isn't pretty but the breeze is beautiful on a deck when the temp is in the upper 80's or beyond. 07/19/2016

When you are surrounded by acres of pavement you might accept flowers in any form. Sure they are weeds but how can you not appreciate their beauty and the way God so perfectly placed them?Then there is my blogging buddy, or should I say Blog Bunny who visits me every evening when I sit out on my deck and post here on Active Rain. This picture of him was taken about 5 minutes ago. I think I've got more pictures of him then I have of my kids because every time I see him I grab the camera and take a new picture.My investment in a large deck has really been worth the money in the relaxation dividends it has been paying. If you live in the Minot ND area and you are looking for a good deck builder give me a call. Realtors are excellent sources of quality referals. If you don't live in my neig... 07/18/2016

Only 6 Homes Closed In The Limited Category I Report WeeklyThe 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.Today there are 261 homes for sale in Minot, ND with 135 pending sales. The most expensive home listed in Minot ND is $995,000. The least is $30,000. and the average is $264,867. Average days on the market = 92 (Median days on the market = 72).*This list is only of single-family stick built homes within the city limits and does not include multifamily homes, condos, town houses, or mobile homes. Be sure to note the line above as this is a very restrictive report. There were 6 homes sold in this limited categor. The most expensive home sold for $379,... 07/16/2016

The Oak Park Movie Theater is making a triumphant return to Minot's old Oak Park Center soon. This is going to make a lot of folks happy as it is/was the only alternative to the Carmike Theater chain in the mall. The Oak Park Theater will once again offer "second run" movies at the reasonable rate of $5.00 and they are also opening a second and maybe 3rd screen. Prior to the flood my office was actually located right inside the theater, it created a lot of walk-in business for me which I really miss.See the ladder in the picture? That is the set of windows where my office used to be. It was great. I could take the kids with me is I needed to do some "catch-up" work in the office. They would go to the movie and mom could go shopping or just have some alone time at home. 07/13/2016

The flood of 2011 held this old shopping center in it's grips and when it let go no one wanted to deal with it... til now, over 5 years later. Two sections of the old shopping center are getting long awaited make-overs. This section is sure to make a lot of kids happy.        There used to be a church in town called Higher Ground. I wonder if they would consider holding worship service here.    07/13/2016

This is a very common summer scene in Oak Park, Minot's largest park. This summer has been more serene in the park than many due to road construction limiting entrance to the park to just one road.The group below was a little more active.With limited access to the park I think this was my 1st time through for the season. I think I will start going more often. This huge park had far more geese in it than humans. 07/13/2016