Minnesota, what a place to live!

About three months ago I had the pleasure of chatting on the phone for about 1/2 an hour with a prospective relocating buyer. Now this buyer was potentially moving from Chicago but was concerned about our climate. She was very unaware of the similarities in the climate of our two communities so much so that I think she was trying to get me to answer whether we had grass or if she would need cleats for her ice boots year round! Where did she say she was moving from?!

She continued to ask me about local activities and if there was anything to do up here. If you know me well, you know I passionately talk about a lot of things but when it comes to knowing this great state that I grew up in, I get a little juiced up when I get to share my knowledge.

I have to tell you, after some recent events in my life, I wish I had the chance to talk with her for the first time all over again. If I had that chance, I would share these three experiences with her:

Experience #1: The Minnesota State High School League Boys Basketball Tournament.

The B-Ball Tourney is nothing new for me, in fact, my dad and I were talking and we have only missed one year since I was a freshman in high school. We were on a family vacation out of state the year we missed. That means dad and I have shared our annual tradition for 18 years. Wow, how time flies. This year was one of the best sets of games we have seen in recent years. Every year it seems we talk about the Red Lake vs. Wabasso game that we witnessed during the late 90's. It was a multiple overtime game with both teams scoring in the 100's. I don't think any game will ever top that one! Minnesota puts on quite a tournament every year featuring some very good teams.

Experience #2: My daughter in the great outdoors in March.

We have been having a very early spring complete with some temps in the 70's but the day I witnessed my daughter on her scooter on our driveway, the temps were more February like than June like. She decided she should put on her snow boots and helmet and ride around the driveway a bit. Now this normally would have been a great March activity if her main article of clothing wasn't a leotard. I think the neighbors were pretty close to calling someone. Note for my new Chicago friend: In Minnesota you can get by with hopping on your scooter in March in snow boots and a leotard.

Experience #3: Target Field (And the Twins too!)

Wow! Did I say wow? After painfully sitting for years in the blue plastic seats of the Metrodome which are more appropriately positioned for a monster truck rally, the fans of the Minnesota Twins are in for a treat that may just bring a tear to the eye. My brother-in-law Brad and I witnessed this past Saturday's Twins exhibition game at Target Field against the Cardinals. The weather could not have been more perfect. The food was great, the seats were pointed at home plate, and we got to see multiple jet airliners pass between us and the occasional white fluffy cloud in the mostly bright blue sky. There are so many perfectly planned little details around the stadium.  One of my favorites was seeing the photos of all of the fans and small town ball fields throughout Minnesota at the Town Ball Tavern. If you haven't made plans yet to see the stadium, make sure you make it a priority this year. You can still get tickets at the Twins official website or you can visit stubhub.com to buy tickets from a season ticket holder.

Don't forget, you don't have to be a relocating buyer to take advantage of and appreciate all our state has to offer. I have already been having a blast in 2010 and we haven't even gotten the boat out yet!

Leave a comment and share with me some of your favorite Minnesota experiences!

I've Got the Fever...

And the only cure is more cow bell.  Oh, wait, that is a Saturday Night Live Skit.  I think the real cure for my fever is going to be a trip to Target Field.  It seems every where I turn or whoever I talk to the topic these days seems to be on our Minnesota Twins and their new stadium that they will be debuting this coming weekend with a couple of exhibition games.

Speaking of Twins, yes that is right; your NewmanSellsHomes.com spring magnet is on the way featuring your Minnesota Twins’ 2010 schedule!

It became quite apparent over the last few years that this little tradition of sending out Vikings and Twins magnets has a bit of an impact on my “fan base.”   For example, this last summer/fall I was a bit behind on getting my Vikings magnets out.  I received a phone call from one of my past clients making sure I hadn’t forgotten to send their Vikings magnet to them. This last week I had a similar experience. I was at a funeral visitation and I had one of my long time magnet recipients come up to me and ask where his Twins schedule was.  I’m not sure how you feel about my real estate related mailers but I know one thing for sure, if I didn’t send out the sports magnets I might have an uprising on my hands.

Have no fear, you have my commitment that the annual Twins and Vikings magnets that I send out will be coming your way until I retire or someone stops me from sending them out.  Whichever comes first.

If you aren’t currently on my mailing list and would like to be added, shoot me an email with your phone, email, and mailing address and I will gladly add you to my list.  Here is to another successful Twins season and the beginning of a new era for our Minnesota team!

Let summer begin...

Summer is already flying and it has only just begun! As you can see by my lack of blogging as of late my real estate business has been a bit busy this spring! That is very fun to say after the real estate market was not that great in 2008. 2009 has come in with a bang so much so that it has been hard to keep up with blogging, tweeting, and Facebooking!

Summer is only about a week old but with the 4^th of July approaching fast it feels like it will be over before we know it. We have already had some fun times this year visiting the Taste of Chaska (see the attached photo of the kids listening to live music) and some not so fun times getting swimmers itch (often referred to as “chiggers”) in one of our 10,000 lakes last weekend. I won't show you the picture of that!

Last night we hosted the 3^rd annual NewmanSellsHomes.com basketball team party at our home. We had a great time and had Famous Dave’s cater the event this year which ended up being a wonderful decision. They delivered the food, plates, napkins, sauces, and even the wet naps. All we had to do was recycle a few aluminum pans.

This last week Jessi and I celebrated our 8^th wedding anniversary and we had a fabulous evening out. We tried a restaurant that was new to us called Biella in downtown Excelsior. The food was fantastic by the way. We ended our evening by heading across the street to enjoy a movie at The Dock cinema. In true romantic style we saw The Proposal.

So what does this all have to do with real estate? Well, as important as the actual home you live in is, your community just may be even that much more important. I encourage you to explore what your area (and surrounding areas) has to offer and take part in the many celebrations and events that are happening throughout the summer. What a great way to get to know more about the many different businesses, services, and programs in the area while spending some quality time with family and friends.

In fact, my open house is just ending so I think it might be time to take down my open house signs, put the boat in a local lake, and explore a little nature. Have a great summer from all of us at Newman’s Neighborhood!

The search for a Minnesota vacation rental

Oh the joys of vacation! Jessi and I were the benefactors of a free week stay in Puerto Vallarta Mexico a few weeks ago. It was an amazingly relaxing trip where Jessi and I were able to enjoy a week away without the kids. Our vacation provided us with time to reflect and examine our lives. We were able to enjoy some quality time with each other, we missed the kids of course (but not until day 5 or 6!) , and it also made me realize how much I like to take vacations!

Coming back to work usually means surviving the first week and catching up during the second week. This year the third week after vacation was reserved for implementing the plan I concocted while in Mexico for our next vacation! Being away from the kids made me want to plan a fun-filled family vacation. This time I wanted to stay a little closer to home and take the kids "Up North" to one of our crystal clear Minnesota lakes where they can fish from the dock and frolic in the water. We have vacationed with our good friends Gary and Kelley Pankake in the past and our families seem to mesh very well while we are away so we decided to try our third trip together.

I have had some very good success in the past renting private vacation homes for our week long accommodations. We have had so much success in fact that I would be bold enough to say renting a home is the only way to go. Forget hotels and resorts, getting away with all the comforts of home is where a vacation truly becomes a relaxing getaway. My only suggestion is that you don't want to just jump into the vacation rental market without doing a little research.

So where to start? There are so many avenues you could take in your vacation home search but thankfully the internet and your email account provide you with everything you need. I believe the best place to start is craigslist.org. There are numerous lake home owners that are not able to utilize their lake place to the fullest so they offer it up for weekly rentals when they can't be there. My second favorite outlet are local chamber of commerce websites. For instance, the Alexandria, MN chamber website provides an entire section dedicated to accomodations and lodging including private vacation rentals. You can also check out sites like http://www.vrbo.com/ (vacation rental by owner) or http://www.lakeplace.com/.

Don't forget about the power of networking. You can email or call people you know that live on lakes or coworkers who have cabins and ask if they know of anyone that rents a lake home or if they would ever consider renting their lake place for a week.

No matter how you find the home that fits your families needs you need to dot your i's and cross your t's. The first thing I do is visit the Minnesota DNR website. I use the lake finder to locate and research the lake our potential lake home rental is on. I look at lake maps, depths, water quality and clarity, and if you are a fisher person don't forget to check out the comprehensive data on the fish in the lake.

You should also tell the owner what you are specifically looking for and ask them pertinent questions in regards to those needs. For instance, our families first priority is a sandy beach with a fairly weed free swimming area so our kids can lounge in the water. I always ask for photos of the beach area and the water clarity as well as photos of the inside of the cabin and outside areas as well. Make sure to find out if the home is fully equipped with cooking utensils, linens, etc. and ask what you are expected to provide. If you require a DVD player or TV with cable, don't assume they are included.

No matter how much research you do, always plan for the unexpected or if you don't plan for it, don't let it ruin your vacation. Always know something might not be perfect and chalk it up as part of the vacation experience.

Once you find the joys of renting a lake place you just might decide to start looking to buy a lake place of your own to rent out to other families. That is another post for another day but if you are thinking about purchasing a lake place now or in the future, shoot me an email or give me a call and I would love to help you with the entire process.

Enjoy your vacation and don't forget to not only plan for the unexpected but to expect the unexpected. It will make your vacation a whole lot more fun!