Memories of the Great Minnesota Get Together—The MN State Fair Starts Today!

Did you feel it when you woke up this morning? That tingling of anticipation? That unmistakable rush of excitement when you heard that the gates opened at 6 AM this morning? If you did, you are undoubtedly a Minnesotan! Yep the cars and people started streaming onto the streets of the MN State Fair at the crack of dawn this morning. All the TV news programs were there showing what we could expect new in the line of food on a stick…or heart attack on a paper tray if you saw the chicken-fried bacon strips and deep-fried bologna. (But don’t worry…there is a health care booth on scene to check your blood pressure and heart rate!)

People who are not from our state don’t always feel the rush of nostalgia and longing for these ten days that wrap up our Minnesota summers. They don’t realize that our fair is a permanent location that opens to this huge EVENT just once a year! They have never had the opportunity to by a ticket and attend the evening concerts at the Grandstand. See a Dairy Princess have her likeness carved out of butter. Strolled through the horse, pig , and poultry barns to see the prized hog and sheep shearing competitions. Marveled at those daredevils in stunt shows or tried your own stunt by cruising on a burlap sack down the Giant Slide.

So as a REALTOR®, I like to entice people to consider relocating to Minnesota. We are not buried in snow year-round around here, ya know! It is a beautiful state with amazing and fun events…And the Minnesota State Fair is one of my favorites!

From my earliest memories, some of my favorite times were spent at the MN State Fair. It was a family event where we would meet up with our grandma, aunts and cousins. We would buy Salt Water Taffy, drink all the milk we could drink for a quarter (I think it is $1 now) and play games in the midway. There was the year my 5 year old brother stopped to look at a toy display and got lost…unfortunately, we found him. (Just Kidding...Love ya Mike!)

There was the year I went with my best buddy from high school for three days straight. As a college freshman at Hamline University, we were right across the bridge from the fairgrounds. During a lull in orientation weekend, I convinced several new friends from out of state to walk over and enjoy the last day of the event. A year later I went with my new boyfriend to four grandstand concerts in one week. He is now my husband and over the years we have seen several shows including Kenny Rogers, Rick Springfield, Eddie Rabbitt, Johnny Cash and Alabama….from the names of the bands you can tell we haven’t gone to a concert for a few years.

When my oldest was still stroller aged, we took him for his first visit to the fair. After a real-lemon lemonade, he took one of the pieces and stuck it is his mouth. And suddenly someone shouted, “Hey look at the baby sucking lemons!” Yep…people-watching is one of the favorite pastimes at the fair. It is especially scoping out people enjoying the tons of various foods...usually on a stick. I heard that there are 60 different food-on-a stick choices this year.

As the kids got older, we made it a point to stop at the Education Building to see the exhibits and collect all the free stuff from the colleges and organizations. Several of the pine trees the kids won from the forestry booth are still alive…though much taller…in our yard today. Another highlight was the Home Depot booth to build a souvenir. Sure you could do this on any Saturday morning if you were under 12 at a local store but it was so much more exciting to do it at the fair!

See that is the joy of the Minnesota State Fair…Everything is more exciting there. It is quite an event. Twelve glorious days at the end of summer to people watch at its best. It ends Labor Day so hurry!

Copyright 2010 terieckholm.com

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

Sticking with Home Buyers until the Dream is Reality

It’s a bright sunny early spring afternoon in 2006, my cell phone rings.
“Hi my name is Ben Johnson and you worked with my in-laws a few years back. They are in that great home in Scandia.”

“Sure, Ben, I know who you are. I spoke with your wife, Kim, a few years back but you weren’t ready to make a move then.”

“Well we are now! Could you show us a few homes tomorrow? We are interested in a few horse properties that are on the market in Isanti and Anoka Counties.”

“Great! I will set them up!”
So began the journey to the perfect home for the Johnson family. This story does have a very happy ending but the middle was rather a long drawn out process. Ben and Kim had a home to sell. When they sold their first home a decade before, it sold in a matter of days. Like most Twin Cities homeowners a few years ago, they were certain that their home would sell quickly, even in the slower market. Many people had said they were interested in the two-story, centrally located St. Paul home. But FSBO is not as easy as it would seem. After exhausting their contacts, they listed with me at the end of the summer of 2006.

From our first meeting, the Johnsons opted to sign a buyer’s representation agreement with me. I represented the couple in the search for their dream home. Kim and Ben’s dream was to live on acreage so they wouldn’t have to board their daughters’ horses. The Johnson’s wanted land to ride on and prairie views of beautiful private sunsets. Driving from North Branch to Linwood and Stacy to Scandia, we scoured the countryside. We found many perfect places for this family while they waited for their home to sell so they could write a non-contingent offer.

Over the holidays, the Johnsons chose to remove their home from the market. Their busy schedule included celebrating with a number of children and grandchildren. Showings didn’t fit in the plan. During the time their home was temporarily off of the MLS, a buyer contacted me as my sign was still in the yard. She was ready to buy and love the home from the outside and the photos online. The day the house re-listed, she wrote an offer which was accepted.

Of course this was the first big snowstorm of 2007 and the Johnsons and I trekked out in the elements to see new homes. After viewing properties from East Bethel to Chisago, the perfect home was found in Forest Lake. Unfortunately, the person buying their home wasn't a good buyer; the earnest money check bounced. So we were back to the drawing board.

A few weeks into March and my clients were more dedicated than ever to find the perfect home. Kim and Ben had just had a new roof put on the house and made every repair recommended by the truth-in-housing inspector. They decided to offer a warranty on their home so a new buyer wouldn’t have to worry about an older dryer or boiler. They lowered their list price and showings picked up. The home they had their eyes on in Forest Lake sold but new homes were coming on the market to consider.

As spring turned to summer, my clients were home sellers frustrated with the market. The Johnsons dropped the price again. Weeks later, we were contacted by an agent that another offer was coming in. Out we headed again to find a perfect place to call home. This time there were homes in Scandia, Stacy, Columbus, North Branch and Linwood to consider. Again a perfect Scandia home was located.

The offer did arrive by fax the next day. It was from an investor who wanted to close within days. When the sellers countered with a new closing date, the investor rejected the counteroffer and bought a different home. A week later the Scandia home went into pending. Another dream faded away.

As August approached, Ben and Kim remained positive and determined to have a new home for the school year. Another price adjustment and another offer came in. Third time was definitely the charm!

Now, it was crunch time! A perfect horse property was available. It was a second choice to the Scandia home. An offer was written, accepted and on a bright sunny fall afternoon, both homes closed. Their dream was finally a reality.

See, the lesson here is a professional Realtor is in it with you for the long haul. I stuck with my clients through flighty buyers and a rough market. I showed them homes in four counties and several communities for over a year until the timing was right.

When I checked in on the Johnson family a few weeks after closing, Kim and Ben were happy with their new home. Of course there were hiccups that need to be resolved but overall the family was satisfied and at home. Their children were adjusting well, the horses were grazing in the back and life was returning to a new normal on 10 acres in the country.

This is why I am a Realtor. I make dreams reality no matter how long it takes.

*The story is true though in interest of my clients’ privacy, I did change the names.


More Articles on Buying Real Estate that might be of interest:
Are You a BUBBA?
Rent VS Buy? It's Time to Revisit the Question!
How to Choose a Realtor—Why a Good Friend is Not Always a Good Option
How to Choo-Choose a Realtor and Avoid a Train Wreck!

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If you are buying, selling or relocating to Minnesota and need help from a professional Realtor, give me a call or visit my website for a FREE Relocation Packet. I specialize in acreage and lakeshore properties in the north and east Twin Cities metro area including Ham Lake, Lino Lakes and all communities in the Forest Lake School District! Serving Anoka, Chisago, Ramsey and Washington Counties in Minnesota.

Copyright 2007 www.terieckholm.com

Proud to Live in the Great State of Minnesota—Update on the 35W Bridge Collapse

As a native Minnesotan I have felt fortunate to be a resident of the Twin Cities. I knew the phrase Minnesota Nice was more than a slogan dreamed up by the Explore Minnesota tourism board. Minnesota Nice was a way of life. Sure we have road rage and drunk drivers in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Our state congress is divided left and right, just like the rest of the states in the union. But as Minnesotans, we face adversity together. And two weeks ago, we had an opportunity to share this wonderful aspect of Minnesota life with the world.
Eyes and cameras from around the world were on one small section of our state where Interstate 35W crossed the mighty Mississippi into Minneapolis two weeks back. It was a tragedy on many levels when the bridge with nearly 100 vehicles in the process of crossing, one a packed school bus, collapsed into the river. News media from around the US sent their top talking heads directly to the scene. The big names like Matt Lauer and Katie Couric stayed for only one day as I am certain the story wasn’t sensational enough. No terrorism. No political bashing. No looting.

The Minnesota 35W Bridge story was of heroism and bravery. It was a model of how a system should work. First responders came from communities all over the Twin Cities to help. Nearby citizens left the safety of homes, businesses and cars. They ran toward the danger to assist people from the water or out of a vehicle. The people affected were from many different social classes and nationalities. There were children and elderly, native Minnesotans and new immigrants. There were children. There were handicapped people. Minnesotans young and old helped each other. Few ran away from the bridge. Most were running toward it.

In the first few days of the tragedy, local, state and federal politicians stood together representing Minnesota as a united front. They continue to work to find the cause and plan to rebuild. Though the political spin is starting, for the most part Minnesotan’s are united in understanding what happened.

Yesterday, a walking bridge near Dinkytown by the UofM campus opened briefly. Many hoped for a glimpse of the bridge that we all drove over without a second thought just weeks ago. At this point, 90+ vehicles have been removed but 2 people are still known to be missing. Just yesterday two more victims were located in vehicles taken from the Mississippi bringing the official death toll to 11. The Hennepin County Sheriff, Rich Staneck, closed the bridge in respect for those still missing. Though he didn’t come out and say it directly, family members shouldn’t have to watch their loved ones recovered on YouTube. The bridge will remain closed until all known missing are recovered. Minnesotans understand and can wait.

If you are considering a move to the great state of Minnesota, you will be welcomed. Remember “Minnesota Nice” is not just a slogan, it is a way of life.


If you are relocating to Minnesota, are looking for Homes for Sale in the north and east Twin Cities metro area and need help from a professional Realtor, give me a call or visit my website for a FREE Relocation Packet. I specialize in acreage properties! Serving Anoka, Chisago, Ramsey and Washington Counties in Minnesota.


Photo courtesy of David Wetzel Photography.

Copyright 2007 www.terieckholm.com/