Out-of-State Buyer Buys Dream Home from My BlackBerry Pics!

Relocating from out of state to Minnesota takes coordination and a little innovation doesn't hurt either...Here's the story: After weeks of narrowing down homes to view and a couple of long days seeing a half dozen or so beautiful properties throughout Chisago and Anoka Counties, my out-of-town buyer, Lyn, had found the perfect home. Unfortunately, someone else thought it was perfect too and an offer had been accepted moments before we had contacted the listing agent with ours. We were back at square one…and out of time!

My disappointed buyer had to head back to work and wouldn’t be back in town for weeks. Lyn really wanted to be living in Minnesota in weeks not months so we devised a plan where I would show homes to her fiancé, James, and if something great came up we would set up a second showing and create a video of the house for her to check out.

A day later, James called as he thought he had found another perfect option! It never made Lyn’s or my list because it was just a bit higher in price than the rest. It was a new construction, short sale home in southern Chisago County just outside of Wyoming. The price was over $150K less than the original list price and house was a beauty!

The very excited James called with the address and after looking at the home, we decided we’d better see it that next day.

As soon as we stepped over the threshold, James and I both new this was perfect for Lyn! So perfect in fact that we wanted to share it with her immediately. James mentioned that he tried to take a photo with his phone yesterday so she could see the amazing wetland view but the photo didn’t turn out so great. I knew that the photos I had been taking with my BlackBerry Curve had been turning out pretty well so I figured I would take a picture or two and send Lyn an email of the indescribable view.

Lyn knew the time we had scheduled the showing and had called a few minutes after we arrived. James excitedly started describing the home. He rattled off descriptions of features in the kitchen with custom cabinetry and pantry, the fireplace and mantle, the upgraded light fixtures, the four season porch, the hardwood floors, the unique master bath layout, the windows, the view, the dropped-track ceiling in the master bedroom, the first bedroom, the ceramic tile, and the second bedroom. It was hard for him to give accurate descriptions of a home with so many unique, upgraded features.

I had just emailed the photo of the spectacular view through the window of the 4 season porch as he went on and on trying to depict the home adequately in words.

Then the light bulb moment! Photo everything and email them as James described the rooms.

I started snapping off view after view of the home and emailing the pictures. Lyn was opening them as quickly as they arrived. James took a quick look at my photo and was able to more accurately explain the home’s features to Lyn. After a two hour showing, I locked up the house and headed home to write up the offer. Coincidentally, this house also had another interested party writing up an offer. But this time we were able to get ours to the seller's agent in time for consideration. Had we waited to video the interior at a second showing, Lyn might have missed out again on a beautiful property.

Lyn saw the home for the first time on the day of closing. She thought it was “picture-perfect”!

Isn’t technology wonderful?

Copyright 2009 terieckholm.com

Homebuyers in Anoka and Chisago Counties--Put a bit O' St Pat's Day Green into your Home Search!

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by bringing a bit of “green” thinking in your home search. Whether your home search is in Anoka, Chisago or Washington County, there is an opportunity to buy real estate that's a wee bit green. Spring is the time that many start thinking about making a move. Homes are more affordable than ever before and there is still an awesome selection of single family homes on the market for buyers to choose from.

Ton’s O' choices on the market!

• Homes on lakeshore
• Homes on acreage
• Starter homes
• Foreclosures
• New construction

Here are just a few GREEN opportunities I found currently listed for sale in the north metro:

♣ Consider a home with a green shingled roof. There’s a beauty in Scandia on 3 acres. It is bank owned and seems to be quite a value with a price under $200K

♣ How about a home in Blaine’s Centennial Green development? This one is not a short sale or foreclosure and has a wonderfully remodeled kitchen.

♣ Looking for Lakeshore on Green Lake? This Chisago City home just listed and is a 3BR/2BA gem with 100 feet of shoreline.

♣ Maybe living in a two-story home where life is evergreen is more your style—here’s a 5BR/4BA home on Evergreen Lane in Circle Pines. Save some green with a recent price reduction too.

♣ But if going green on St. Pat’s means saving energy, why not consider this great Lindstrom home with a Geothermal heating system?

If none of these dwellings are striking your fancy maybe you will need the expertise of a REALTOR® to bring a wee bit of the Irish luck to your home search. (Okay…I know Eckholm is a Swedish name but I am still a Flaherty at heart). Give me a call and I will help you find your perfect home and put my expert negotiation skills to work for you to keep more “green” in your pocket too. And that’s no blarney either!

Copyright 2009 terieckholm.com

Attention First Time Home Buyers—Incredible Affordability and an $8000 Tax Credit Make 2009 the Year to Buy!

If you haven’t heard, the recently approved stimulus package had a wonderful provision for anyone buying their first home; An $8000 tax credit!
Here are the things to know about the $8000 Tax Credit in a nutshell:

• The tax credit is for homebuyers buying their first home only.
• The money does not have to be repaid.
• The credit is capped at 10 percent of the home’s purchase price with a maximum of $8,000.
• Homes must be purchased on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009. (Note not the credit is NOT available until the end of the year. Plan accordingly!)
• Income caps to apply…Single taxpayers with incomes up to $75,000 and married couples with incomes up to $150,000 qualify for the full tax credit.
• Additional questions on the $8000 can be answered by CLICKING HERE!

Now combine this with the Twin Cities highest affordability index for homes on record according to the Minneapolis Board of REALTORS® and first time buyers have an amazing opportunity! Get the skinny on the affordability index here.

So how does a first time buyer in Anoka County make the most of this opportunity?
Start researching now…not homes, check out professionals. Looking at homes may be fun and exciting but it is not the first step in buying a first home, finding a professional REALTOR® is!

Having a professional agent to guide you through the buying process doesn’t cost a penny!

As a professional Anoka County REALTOR®, I assist people in buying and selling homes in Blaine, Ham Lake, Forest Lake, Lino Lakes and Andover everyday! I can help spot that great deal quickly before it gets away. I can also point out homes on the market that may not be the best choice for a first time buyer. It all comes down to expertise!
One of my most important jobs is assisting the first time buyer to locate financing through a professional dedicated loan officer. My mortgage contacts work with my clients to help them find the best loan depending on their individual needs and situations. As a team, we work hard to be certain that our home buyers don’t write an offer on a home that they cannot afford. Buyers need to feel comfortable that they will be able to make the payment on their dream home…not just that first month but next year and the year after that.

Once preapproved the fun can really begin…Looking for a good solid foreclosure in Anoka County? Want a picture perfect home in Coon Rapids? Want a bit of land in Columbus or Lino Lakes? Looking for a detached townhome in Blaine? I help buyers define their dreams and pinpoint a handful of homes that meet your specific needs.

With the loan preapproval and home criteria is firmly established, the viewing of the houses can begin. With me as their professional agent at their side, my clients confidently view homes they can afford and would be proud to consider their home. After visiting a several…usually around 10-12, I assist first time buyers through the paperwork process as we write up the offer on their home.

Now that the offer is accepted, I assist the new buyers to find qualified professionals to inspect the home as outline in the purchase agreement and handle the process of closing the home in a timely manner. My first time buyers never feel abandoned or alone. We are a team until they get the keys to their dream home!



Copyright 2009 terieckholm.com

Homebuyers—Search for a Twin Cities Home like a PRO!

“Homebuyers LOVE the Listingbook home search!” Anyone who knows me well, knows that I don’t like wasting time in unnecessary classes or meetings. But as a REALTOR, I was intrigued by this new search tool for agents and their clients.

So, this past December, I made time to attend a class hosted by the St Paul Area Association of REALTORS on the Listingbook. I heard the spiel…great way for clients to search for homes and interact with their agent..,ya dah yah dah yah dah. I take this stuff with a grain of salt. As we were leaving the suggestion was made to sign a few of your clients up and let them be the judge. So I did just that…Listingbook system is different as “Homebuyers really LOVE the Listingbook home search!
Now all of my clients are using the Listingbook search. Some of the things my buyers like best about Listingbook include:

• Access to the same home information used by agents


• Search thousands of Twin Cities home listings


• Daily reports of all new home listings in your area


• Users see every listing, price change and photos as soon as REALTORS do


• Personalized home searches


• Faster searching with saved searches


• Visually see how many new homes meet your criteria as soon as you sign in


• Ability to save homes you like and be updated on price changes daily


• Leave notes for agent to get a quick answer on a home or set up a showing

After hearing back from my buyers I decided that maybe other potential buyers would like access to this same search. If you are searching for a home and frustrated with some of the bigger real estate search engines, this may be the perfect solution.

One family I have been working with has been searching throughout the Forest Lake school district for their dream home while waiting for their current property to sell. They love that they are now able to save and monitor their favorite homes daily and immediately see if new homes come on the market. They also keep tabs on neighboring homes for sale that are similar to their listed home. This helps to keep a competitive edge in the market.
My out-of-town clients were especially pleased with the ease of the system. They were able to find several potential homes and check out the location using Google maps and satellite images with the click of a button. When they came into town, they had identified and narrowed down potential houses to a short list and within a few hours, wrote an offer on their dream home.

While this system may not be perfect, I have gotten enough feedback from my clients to know that it is pretty terrific!

Copyright 2009 terieckholm.com