The Brainerd Lakes Real Estate Blog

Worse tax bite: short sale or foreclosure? Helping make real estate dreams come true Have you received a Notice of Default on your property? What are your plans? Do you plan to walk away or do you want to try a Short Sale which has much less damage to your credit and helps you save face? You need a plan of action and if you want to buy some time, stay in the home until it sells and save up some money - then contact: Kathleen Lordbock REALTOR/Staging & Short Sale Specialist Keller Williams Realty Brainerd Lakes Don't just walk away - there is hope, there is help!

The Spring Roar! Get Ready! Helping make real estate dreams come true Have you received a Notice of Default on your property? What are your plans? Do you plan to walk away or do you want to try a Short Sale which has much less damage to your credit and helps you save face? You need a plan of action and if you want to buy some time, stay in the home until it sells and save up some money - then contact: Kathleen Lordbock REALTOR/Staging & Short Sale Specialist Keller Williams Realty Brainerd Lakes Don't just walk away - there is hope, there is help!

Foreclosures Create Big Issues at the County Level Helping make real estate dreams come true Have you received a Notice of Default on your property? What are your plans? Do you plan to walk away or do you want to try a Short Sale which has much less damage to your credit and helps you save face? You need a plan of action and if you want to buy some time, stay in the home until it sells and save up some money - then contact: Kathleen Lordbock REALTOR/Staging & Short Sale Specialist Keller Williams Realty Brainerd Lakes Don't just walk away - there is hope, there is help!

The Reality Behind Listing and Managing Short Sales Helping make real estate dreams come true Have you received a Notice of Default on your property? What are your plans? Do you plan to walk away or do you want to try a Short Sale which has much less damage to your credit and helps you save face? You need a plan of action and if you want to buy some time, stay in the home until it sells and save up some money - then contact: Kathleen Lordbock REALTOR/Staging & Short Sale Specialist Keller Williams Realty Brainerd Lakes Don't just walk away - there is hope, there is help!

Staging Homes to Appeal to First Time Buyers Helping make real estate dreams come true Thanks to TurquoiseDecor for this article We all know that staging a home for sale means turning it into a product that will appeal to the largest cross-section of potential buyers out there. However, stagers are well-advised to bear in mind the likely demographic of potential buyers for a given property. For instance, recently the market was stimulated by the availability of the increased first-time home buyer’s tax credit. Homes of a size and location likely to appeal to first-time buyers need to be staged to appeal specifically to this group of people. Typically, who are first-time home buyers? Usually they are younger singles or couples – often with, or considering, a young family. In order to appeal to first-time buyers, sellers need pander to younger, more modern tastes. The best way to go is fresh, clean, and contemporary. Aside from the usual de-cluttering and thorough cle...

Helping make real estate dreams come true!   from the Real Simple magazine Have you received a Notice of Default on your property?  What are your plans?  Do you plan to walk away or do you want to try a Short Sale which has much less damage to your credit and helps you save face? You need a plan of action and if you want to buy some time, stay in the home until it sells and save up some money - then contact:  Kathleen Lordbock REALTOR/Staging & Short Sale Specialist  Keller Williams Realty Brainerd Lakes Don't just walk away - there is hope, there is help!

Helping make real estate dreams come true   Dear God, I thank You for this day,  I thank You for my being able to see and to hear this morning.   I'm blessed because You are  a forgiving God and an understanding God... You have done so much for me  and You keep on blessing me. Forgive me this day for everything  I have done, said or thought  that was not pleasing to You.... I ask now for Your forgiveness. Please keep me safe from all danger and harm.  Help me to start this day  with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude.  Let me make the best of each and every day  to clear my mind so that I can hear from You. Please broaden my mind  that I can accept all things.   Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over. And give me the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits. I know that when I can't pray,  You listen to my heart. Keep me strong that I may help the weak... Kee...

photo Flickr Time for Balance - Again! Home inspections are a must, and I see that buyers and some agents have shifted their views of them since the economy took a turn down. I tell my buyer clients that the inspection is not intended to provide a laundry list of items that the seller is required to fix. It is done to educate the buyer and point out any issues that the buyer may not know otherwise. Some issues are minor, while some are major. One cracked tile in the bathroom does not mean the whole floor has to be replaced ... unless ... it is found that water has consistently seeped through and ruined the subflooring. Then we would request a replacement or credit. If an inspection issue is health, safety, or structural related, I would ask the seller to repair before closing. After all, if the seller refuses to repair it, it must now be disclosed in the property disclosure. That will certainly deter future buyers. Other agents are encouraging their clients to put in an o...

Helping make Brainerd Lakes real estate dreams come true Saw this advice posted and thought it would be good advice to share, A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage: A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor , and in the back seat B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars. C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side... If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

I really do just work because money is necessary to be able to eat, pay taxes and all those other things we need to do. Don't get me wrong, I love working with buyers and sellers. I get to use my creative and technical talents in helping clients prepare their property for the market, so their listing stands out (in a good way) amongst all the others. I love all this so much that I would do it for free, but I don't and I can't. There are great organizations that I volunteer with (hence no pay), Among some of them are Habitat for Humanity, Susan G. Komen, the Children's Miracle Network, and the Miss Brainerd Lakes Pageant. So if you hire me to be your real estate consultant - just remember I am worth it. I will help you get the best value for your dollars, work hard to keep your expenses down and advertise your listing all over the internet. That is where over 85% of the buyers are now looking. I offer a complimentary staging consultation for every one of my listings ...