The Brainerd Lakes Real Estate Blog

Nokay Lake Property & a waterfront cabin Overview Maps Photos Description $169,900 Single Family Home Main Features 2 Bedrooms 1 Bathroom Interior: 2,844 sqft Lot: 7.90 acre(s) Location 15949 Greenhow Point Brainerd, MN 56401 USA To get updates on open home dates and other property events, please click the "Like" button below: Kathleen DeAnne Lordbock Brainerd Lakes Short Sales (218) 829-0339 resaledesign@gmail.com http://www.topbrainerdagent.com Listed by: Keller Williams Realty Professionals Our recent listings Nokay Lake Property & a waterfront cabin Charming Victorian Very nice Craftsman Style home in newer development Subscribe to our listing feed Nearby properties for sale 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 ...

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!

5 Questions to Ask Your Buyer Before Submitting a Short Sale Offer Close Forgot password? Please put in your email: Send me my password! Close message Comment as a Guest, or login: Login to IntenseDebate Login to WordPress.com Login to Twitter Login to OpenID Go back Enter text right here! Reply as a Guest, or login: Login to IntenseDebate Login to WordPress.com Login to Twitter Login to OpenID Go back Go back Share on Facebook Connected as ( Logout ) Email (optional) Not displayed publicly. Tweet this comment Connected as ( Logout ) Email (optional) Not displayed publicly. Name Email Website (optional) Displayed next to your comments. Not displayed publicly. If you have a website, link to it here. OpenID URL Comment as a Guest or login using OpenID Posting as Kathleen Lordbock ( Logout ) Tweet this comment Cancel Submit Comment Subscribe to None Replies All new comments Loading IntenseDebate Comments... Leave a Re...

Helping make real estate dreams come true Tim Harris- Harris Real Estate University Good News: Fewer Americans are falling behind on their mortgage payments; in fact, the fewest in two years. Mortgages just one payment past due (30 days) fell to their lowest level since just before the recession began. Is it delays in paperwork from the so called “robo-signing” (faulty paperwork) foreclosure servicing scandal? No. It’s actual fundamentals in the economy and the mortgage market. Go figure. Bad News: The biggest issue going forward is not new delinquencies, but the huge pipeline of loans already in the foreclosure process. It stands at 4.63 percent, tying the survey’s record high. This is due to foreclosure paperwork issues that have stalled the process, especially in the key state of Florida, where nearly one quarter of all mortgages are either delinquent or in foreclosure. “With fewer loans exiting the foreclosure process through sales, the foreclosure inventory rate natural...

Helping make real estate dreams come true Adjustable Rate Mortgages Updated January 14, 2010 Daily Value Monthly Value Jan 13 December 6-month Treasury Security 0.18% 0.19% 1-year Treasury Security 0.26% 0.29% 3-year Treasury Security 1.00% 0.99% 5-year Treasury Security 1.93% 1.93% 10-year Treasury Security 3.34% 3.29% 12-month LIBOR 0.784% (Dec) 12-mo...

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!

 November 2010 . Market Update The housing market continues its gradual recovery without the aid of the tax credit. Sales are slower but growing. Although it will likely be uneven at times, slow growth is believed to be the trend moving forward. Interest rates hit a new historic low again, a major factor in helping keep mortgage payments incredibly affordable. Extended periods of record low interest rates and further plans from the Federal Reserve Board to expedite recovery have some concerned about future inflation. One such investment guru, John Paulson, touted the benefits of owning real estate as a hedge against inflation on Forbes.com. “Your debt and interest payments get locked in at record lows, while the price of your home will rise … If you don’t own a home buy one … if you  own one home, buy another one, and if you own two homes, buy a third and lend your relatives the money to buy a home.” This march back up continues to provide excellent opportunities: ...

Helping make real estate dreams come true How long must I have worked before applying for a loan? Two years of stable employment at the same employer or continuous employment in the same industry. What do I need to have in the bank?  Have 6 to 8 months of PITI (principal, interest, taxes, insurance) in the bank as seasoned funds. What should I not do?  Do not buy a new car less than 6 months prior to applying for a mortgage or make any major purchases using credit. Credit report tip:  Check your credit report prior to applying for a mortgage so you can fix any errors. Places to apply:  Look into getting approved by a FHA approved broker/lender. This will be easier to qualify than having 20% down payment.  If you are shopping for a real estate agent in the Brainerd Lakes area of Minnesota, work with Kathleen Lordbock of Keller Williams Realty Brainerd Lakes, a licensed agent who knows about the current market trends, financing options and credit ...

Helping make real estate dreams come true! Add a Touch of Video to Your Existing Marketing Plan By Stephanie Andre RISMEDIA, May 15, 2010—The world of video can be a scary beast when you first start. Where do you begin? How long should the video be? What should it cover? The key is to use what you already have. Here are four key tips, courtesy of VScreen’s Stephen Schweickart: (1) Don’t reinvent the wheel . Many firms have well-established marketing plans that may have taken considerable time and effort to implement. Show the boss how you can take what you are currently doing…and do it better with video. The addition of video can be all about enhancement of existing strategies… and reaching goals more quickly and effectively. (2) Take small steps. Perhaps your current marketing plan makes use of written testimonials. Consider expanding their impact by filming a few of them. After all, enthusiasm is contagious…and what better way to share emotion than with video? An...

Helping make real estate dreams come true RISMEDIA, February 22, 2010—As a first-time home buyer, Jessica Garcia was excited last April to officially begin her home search. She found a home within her price range, completed the lengthy paperwork and paid for the appraisals, only to later be told after four months that the deal would not close. Out of luck and out of money, Garcia was frustrated, but not defeated. She went back to her Realtor to start the search again. It was then that she found the home she would later purchase. Upon first glance, Garcia liked the home and saw its potential, but didn’t have the upfront money it would take to rehab the home the way it needed to be done.      After some discussion, Garcia’s lender, Kevin Roy with Wells Fargo, realized that she might be able to take advantage of HUD’s 203k program, specifically designed to rehabilitate and repair single-family homes. The 203k is a single mortgage loan that provides funds to purchas...

Helping make real estate dreams come true  4613 Pine Beach Road, Brainerd, MN    Send to Friend      Send to Friend 5 bed/3 car Updated finishes, remodeled bathrooms,new exterior doors, designer touches & immaculate. Built in oak hutch in kitchen, custom tile w    5BR/2BA Single Family House         offered at $178,000 Year Built     1988 Sq Footage     2,240 Bedrooms     5 Bathrooms     2 full, 0 partial Floors     1 Parking     3 Car garage Lot Size     2 acres DESCRIPTION The property is updated and totally move in ready. Where else will you find a 5 bedroom, 2 bath, 1 car plus and 2 car plus garage on 2 acres with mature shade trees? Priced far below comparable 4 & 5 bedroom properties but looking far better than the competitions. Immaculate condition and such a great layout - you w...

Helping make real estate dreams come true posted by Jon Lansner Developer Emaar, the real estate giant from Dubai, officially opened the largest building in the world today! Associated Press reports … Dubai opened the world’s tallest skyscraper today, and in a surprise move renamed the gleaming glass-and-metal tower Burj Khalifa in a nod to the leader of neighboring Abu Dhabi — the oil-rich sheikdom which came to its rescue during the financial meltdown. A lavish presentation witnessed by Dubai’s ruler and thousands of onlookers at the base of the tower said the building was 828 meters, or 2717 feet, tall. Dubai is opening the tower in the midst of a deep financial crisis. Its oil rich neighbor Abu Dhabi has pumped billions of dollars in bailout funds into the emirate as it struggles to pay its debts. Let’s hope Emaar does better at high rises in its own neighborhood than it did on investing in U.S. real estate. Emaar lost $1.6 billion buying Orange County homebui...

Helping make real estate dreams come true Here is a very insightful and different perspective on the housing reform: By: Peter S. Goodman The New York Times The Obama administration’s $75 billion program to protect homeowners from foreclosure has been widely pronounced a disappointment, and some economists and real estate experts now contend it has done more harm than good. Since President Obama announced the program in February, it has lowered mortgage payments on a trial basis for hundreds of thousands of people but has largely failed to provide permanent relief. Critics increasingly argue that the program, Making Home Affordable, has raised false hopes among people who simply cannot afford their homes. As a result, desperate homeowners have sent payments to banks in often-futile efforts to keep their homes, which some see as wasting dollars they could have saved in preparation for moving to cheaper rental residences. Some borrowers have seen their credit tarnished wh...

Helping make real estate dreams come true

<cite>REALTOR® Magazine-Daily News-Aides: Home Buyer Tax Credit Extension Likely</cite> : " Extending the First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit, due to expire at the end of November, is high on the Democratic Congressional to-do list, legislative aides said.After Wednesday's meeting with President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) released a statement that the government should 'continue efforts to strengthen the housing market by extending the home buyer tax credit.'Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com, who is a consultant to Democrats in the administration and Congress, is advocating extending the credit through August and making it available to all home buyers. He said failure to extend the credit just as more foreclosures enter the market will push housing prices down.Also, on Thursday, the House is expected pass legislation to extend the credit through 2010 for people who have been ...

Helping make real estate dreams come true! H ere are some safety tips for Halloween: * Always set rules for the night out and make sure each of your children understand them thoroughly. * Make sure children are accompanied by an adult (if very young) or are walking in groups of 4 or more. * Check all flashlight batteries before they leave and give them an extra set. * Set a return time, if possible give them a watch with an alarm on it set to that time. * Make sure that at least one child in the group has a cell phone for emergencies and it is fully charged. * Put reflective tape on their costumes, as many are dark. * Instruct them not to eat any candy until they have come home and you have been able to inspect it. * Make sure they know not to enter any house. They should only accept treats at the doorway. * Give them street boundaries for their route and drive it with them before they go out. * Instruct them to walk on the sidewalk at all time...

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 ...