Ohnstad Homes

Much of the time we “bloggers” wonder who is reading what we write, but, this week I was picked up as an award winner on the business website, eLocal.com.  Check out my answer as well as others to the question, “What was your favorite project at work?”
Most Thought-Provoking

Realtor Dawn Ohnstad, Coldwell Banker Burnet, Wayzata MN wins the award for most thought-provoking comment:

“In this difficult real estate market we had the opportunity to list a property on a lesser known, but spectacular lake west of Minneapolis. Typically, in the last several years, anything that is not close to city amenities is harder to sell. Quite frankly, it’s nearly impossible. I created a YouTube Realtor Hosted Video Tour of the property on a gorgeous spring day. The house had an accepted offer within a few days and, in fact, there were multiple offers which allowed the property to go for nearly asking price. This was a rewarding outcome on many levels for our sellers. Take a look and see my favorite video tour!“

Dawn didn’t shy away from a difficult sell when the housing market slumped. Instead, she came up with a creative solution that did wonders for her business.

See the rest of Dawn’s comment here.

Exclusive to eLocal Blog-Off Experts

Below is the text from the latest news from our area Realtor association.  It accurately gives you the important points to be aware of as our Spring season of buyers and sellers is underway. 

Those who follow the numbers already know that 2012 is shaping up to be a year of encouraging change in the market. Since all real estate is local, recovery won’t occur evenly across all areas or segments. People are watching closely for signs of bottom and signs of recovery without fully knowing exactly what to look for. Fewer for-sale signs is a good tip-off, so is an improving jobs picture. Absorption rates heading back down toward the four-to-seven month range is also a welcoming omen. Slowly but surely, sellers will start to see more of their asking price as they face less competition – particularly from banks. Low interest rates should prevail through 2014 but high-quality inventory may not.

Recovery is in the air I say!

We have clients who have done something I think is…well….pretty special.

They have long owned acreage in one of our 3rd ring suburbs out west of the Twin Cities. It is far enough away from downtown to be considered by most to be “out in the country”. …and it is, but, not so far, far, away kind of country, just the kind of “country” that makes you feel lost in a dreamy kind of outdoors feeling.  Really quiet.  Really beautiful.  It is in Greenfield which is an apt name.

I know I sound kind of like I am waxing poetic, but last night I was looking through my emails and came across the text below, from our seller, to a buyer of one of the properties there in the pretty “country” describing what he and his wife had done as curators of the land which is now for sale:

……the wetlands are one of the best parts of the development.   From our work with the Board of Soil and Water over 200 acres drains through the development on its way down to the river.  We capitalized on that waterflow by creating the wetlands, ponds etc that you see in the development.  You will notice that during the spring and summer the stream to the south of the house is pretty active. The water flows from the south of the house, into the pond we created in lot 2, then when it gets high enough goes to the wetland in lot 3 and 4. At that point there is another culvert that controls water height. When that gets high it goes under 104th to the big wetlands between in lots 7, 8, 9 and then exits the property along the north lot lines. Along the way it feeds the natural prairie flowers and special prairie grasses we seeded in the development. 

Maybe it’s not a big deal, but, the thought of these folks seeding with natural grasses and keeping the water flowing and rising and falling across the 200 acres…well…it makes me feel good.  Thank you to those of you who have done these types of things taking good care of the beautiful parts of our Minnesota.

We are lucky to have such people.

2605 Providence Court, Independence, MN

This one is just a sparkler!  A “10″…

You be the judge, and while you are at it, if you were to go to OhnstadHomes Fanpage on Facebook and be the 10th one to “Like” it, I would give you 2 free tickets to the Gophers/Badgers hockey game Friday night, March 2 at 7pm!  Ready…GO!  And message me that you did it!