What Makes You Dream of the Lake?

Rustic Get Away or Fancy Retreat?

The lake calls to us, but in a variety of ways.  Many homeowners dream of water living.  What that water looks like though has many different perspectives.  For some it is the rustic cottage with little added amenities and for others it is the place that is filled with all of the current luxuries of the finest homes.

No matter what your get away looks like, a realtor is likely the best place to start when you are looking for your perfect dream home.  Careful consideration must go into what you really need when living on or near water.  Water activities and what you can expect of this waterway, but also what accommodations you will require.  Will you need to have a town nearby?  Will you want other area activities?  How near will you need to be to restaurants and stores?

Time at the waters edge must also be considered.  How many days per year will I occupy the home?  How will I maintain the home and do the required lawn maintenance?  Are there services who can help me with these things?  Perhaps I will plan to share it with family or rent it to others for part of the year?

Purchasing a home must come with lots of consideration, but a lake home has even more to consider.  Working with a real estate agent who understands your needs will help you to best find the perfect escape!

 

 

 

Wyoming Housing Market June 2015

Considering selling or buying a home in Wyoming MN? Check out the newest market report.

Click to access Wyoming.pdf

A few highlights are:
– The average sales price is $229,813
– Cost per square foot is up 5.6% at $112.00
– Days on market before sale is currently at 81 days

As a real estate professional I am always looking for buyers and sellers who are interested in working with an agent who is knowledgeable, and understands the current market. Let me show you what your current home will likely sell for. If you are looking to buy a home, let me listen to your needs and help you to find the perfect home. Whether you are a first time home buyer or you have been a home owner there is always more to learn about the process. No one likes surprises. Work with a team that supports you in all ways real estate.

Kim Woehl – Red Key Realty – 651-214-1459

Housing is Rebounding – Multiple Offers Attest!

The market continues to improve.  I don’t need data to know this.  The last month’s offers have left me with only one offer that was not part of a multiple offer deal.  Listing agents have reported back to me on a few of these and stated that we were one of 8 other offers on the same property.

People are buying and what they have to select from is limited and when a nice one comes around, it is likely gone before the day is out unless they are holding out for the best offer via multiple offers.

As a buyer you will find you will make an offer only to have your agent get back to you asking for your highest and best.  They need this as you are part of a multiple offer deal and the seller wants to make the most money and the buyer has to decide just how much they really want the property.  Often times someone else has a bit more money to spend, has a good qualification letter or is totally preapproved.

When you are ready to buy a home I highly suggest being pre approved and keep this letter updated so that it is always a good letter.  Once you have your letter in hand you are ready to talk to your licensed real estate expert.  We will help you to find the home that fits your budget and location criteria.  Choose an agent who will ask what you need and then will listen and show you what you really wish to see.  Use free MLS search sites like mine  🙂 to search on your own and then go see it for yourself.

Are you ready to make that move?  Let’s talk!

Kim Woehl is a licensed Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Premier Realty.  She is looking forward to working with you whether you are buying or selling your home.

Call now!  651-214-1459

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Homes For Sale – Or are They?

I have future clients call all the time,  wishing me to look up a house that they want to go see.  They are soon disappointed when I share that the site they have been using is old and does not have current data and that the home that they wanted to see has been sold for quite some time.  Its frustrating as the real estate agent as well to have to share this information.  On the upside I am able to send them to a free website that allows them to search for free.  It only includes homes that are listed as actively for sale and you can set your criteria to look for what type of home you wish to find.  You can set up pricing, you can even look up just foreclosures or only lake homes.  The options are great!

The added bonus is that you can set up this site to do the searching for you and only send you an email when it has a home that fits your search criteria.  Doesn’t this sound like a better resource that the one you might have been using?

Now when you call or email me we can go look at the home and put in an offer before its gone.  With the inventory still down we are going into almost all offers as a multple offer situation, meaning that someone else or several someones wants the same home.  Now it comes down to the best offer.  We can discuss that too, but that is for another day.

Stop by my website to find all that I have shared.  You can find it on the blog page as well under Free Home Search.  When you find what you are looking for, give me a call.  I want to be Your Real Estate Expert!

Kim Woehl is an agent with Keller Williams Premier Realty.   Her goal is to listen and find you that perfect home while educating you along the way whenever possible.

Click the link below for your Free Home Search!

http://kwoehl.kwrealty.com/listings/propertytype/SINGLE/maxprice/300000/areas/33294,33658,42028,50220,53643/sort/price+asc/

 

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Finding Your New Home

Call me! I am your local real estate expert! 651-214-1459

You are looking for a new home, there are homes for sale so why can it be so hard to find the right one?  Searching for a new home can be frustrating, time consuming and confusing if you don’t know where to begin your search.

I strongly suggest beginning with a list of wants as well as a list of what you definitely do not want.  Its important to know that you won’t likely find a home that matches your entire wish list.  Some times you may not even know what you are looking for and that is okay.  Your agent can help you decipher what it is that you are looking for.  The first place I always recommend that how buyers visit is a local mortgage company to see what they qualify for and to get a pre-qualification letter.  We use this letter later on to attach to all offers and this one piece of paper will often set you ahead of the next guy especially if they have not pre-qualified.  With today’s market we are seeing lots of multiple offers so anything that can put you ahead of the other buyer is a good thing.

With your letter in hand, it is now a good time to sit down with your real estate agent to discuss what you are looking for.  Will it be a town home, single family home, lake home or anything else.  Will you wish to live in town, in the country, next to a park, close to schools?  Do you want a garage, stairs, how many bedrooms will you need?  Are you looking for a move in ready home or are you handy and are hoping to save some costs coming in and doing some of your own renovations?  These and many other questions can be asked and considered before your agent even begins a search.

Now the fun part begins.  You can start previewing homes on line.  You can do this for free at my website and find homes all of the homes that are currently available on the MLS.  (www.kwoehl.kwrealty.com)

The website lets you set up price, location, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, garage, if you require a fireplace you can find that too.  Perhaps you want lake shore.  You can set the criteria to only find water front properties.  There is even a way to search for rentals if you don’t have quite enough for a down payment yet and need to rent for a bit.

Here is the best part.  Once you have signed up and set your criteria you won’t have to do this each time.  You can even set this up (or your agent can) so that you get daily emails of new listings that fit your criteria so that you can get in and make an offer before other potential buyers scoop up your dream home.

While viewing homes online can be a huge time saver and helps your agent to learn what you like it is also important to remember to have an open mind.  Sometimes photos can be deceiving and other times they don’t do a home justice.  Perhaps this home is in the perfect neighborhood or maybe its not.  Sticking to your list and then being diligent in your search will find you that perfect home and get you moved in!

 

Mom and Dad Spaces – Dealing with Aging Parents

More and more families are going back to years gone by and making spaces for aging parents.  Some are adding additions so that parents can have separate living quarters and yet have their family very near by.  Others opt for a shared space with a bedroom devoted to mom, dad or both.

When my husband and I were young we built our first home.  While we were in the construction phase we bought a camper and moved it to my parent’s farm.  This worked pretty well as we hooked up to their sewer and used their water.  We had our own space and this worked for us even though it was cramped and did not allow for a lot of storage.  It was a short term living space.

As fall came and then the snow, it became too difficult to keep the little camper heated and we had to refill the fuel tank daily.  My parents let us move into their home for the last month of construction.  We made it work.  We were all a bit more cramped and my hubby and I shared a place on a pull out couch that had to be cleaned up and put away daily in their living room.  We were both allergic to cats and my parents had several.  It worked, but wasn’t the best living arrangements.  Let’s say we were happy to finally move into our new home and they were happy to see us move out and into our new space.

There are certainly things to consider when having your parents or your spouses move into your home.  Will it be separate, will you plan to hang out during the day, will noise be a factor, will you be sharing meals, will you have them sign a lease or will they be allowed to occupy the space for free?  Planning for success will bring success and many families are doing it already.  What a great way to save on rent, lower housing expenses and keep your parents near as they age.  I would love to hear success and horror stories and of course any tips you might have.

Kim is a real estate agent working in the north metro area with Keller Williams Premier Realty.  Let her find you your next home.  Perhaps a home large enough to support your family and a space for mom or dad!

Here is a you tube clip that will give additional considerations to shared space living.  http://youtu.be/XDZdMAJ7KOA

 

 

Companion Animal, Service, or Pet? Landlord’s Need to Understand the Difference!

This is the internationally recognized symbol for accessibility (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Landlords need to be careful when it comes to who is a pet and who is a companion.  Yes, I am a pet person and so pets are people in my world, but that is beside the point.

Generally if a landlord allows pets he/she also charges an extra deposit and/or a monthly surcharge to allowing the pet.  There are of course other rules that apply such as size, number of pets, where they can be exercised or allowed to go potty, and the like.

Pet, companion or service animal – know the difference!

So, when a prospective tenant comes to your door and wishes to apply and hands you a doctors note letting you know that they have a companion animal to help them be successful with (fill in the disability here), they will not be required to pay the above.  This is required by the Fair Housing Act.

The Fair Housing Act has been around since 1998 and gives certain rights to those with handicaps.  A handicap is defined as, “a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of such person’s major life activities”.  A companion animal does not need the specialized training that a service animal might need.  This can be confusing so it is why I am trying to share it here.

The law requires landlords to make a “reasonable accommodation” for a disabled person.  So what does this look like for a landlord?  It would be recommended that he/she creates a policy, rule, or procedure to allow a person with a disability to be able to fully enjoy and use their premises.  To further define reasonable I recommend a stop by the American’s with Disabilities Act at http://www.ada.gov/

If still in doubt it might be a good idea to seek legal advice to make sure you are in compliance in being reasonable and in making accommodations.

 

Related articles

• Loopholes in ADA Law Make “No Pets” Clauses Nearly Impossible to Enforce (eastbayexpress.com)
• Illinois Allows Mini Horses As Service Animals (fox2now.com)

Picking a Neighborhood

Choosing the perfect neighborhood! Kim Woehl – Keller Williams Premier Realty kwoehl.kwrealty.com 651-214-1459

Your in the market to purchase a home.  I would bet you have thought about what you want in a home such as how many bedrooms, how many baths, do you need an attached garage and if so, how many stalls. I would also bet you have looked into what you can afford and hopefully have spoken to a mortgage company and collected your qualification letter so you are ready once you find that perfect home.

But, have you taken a look at where you wish to live?  What are your needs?  Will you need area parks, close shopping, perhaps you enjoy getting out in the evening and need something close?

Knowing how you like to live is important when choosing the neighborhood.  For example if you have children you might like an area with parks within walking distance and when you are out looking in the area for a home, notice who is out and about.

You will want to consider schools, crime, taxes, and other amenities such as lakes and water near by.   Is there public transportation?  Will my kids have to walk to school or is there a bus system in this area and will that make a difference in my decision?

Once you are pretty sure that you have found that perfect home, consider knocking on a few doors to hear what your potential neighbors have to say about the home, the area, and your other potential neighbors.  You can learn a lot!

If this is the home for you, your Realtor can help you to write up a purchase agreement and hopefully your offer will be accepted.  As a licensed Realtor I would love to help in your home search.  I want to be your Realtor. You picked your dentist, hairstylist, and favorite restaurant .   Pick me as YOUR Realtor.

Kim Woehl – Keller Williams Premier Realty

kwoehl.kwrealty.com

651-214-1459

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Kitchen Counters – Old to Bold!

Beautiful!

The kitchen is the center of all homes.  It is where company gathers, and families share memories that will last a life time.  So why is it also that place where we choose to let things get old and tired.  Granite is in when it comes to kitchens but it is also costly.  I found a treatment for your counter tops that is both pretty and affordable.  Check it out!

Look at Rust-Oleum‘s new product that can renew and refresh your old kitchen making it look new, fresh and up to date!

Don’t take this for Granite, but it sure looks amazing!

Check out the how to video! http://countertops.rustoleumtransformations.com/

Check out their how to video!

The photos I have included in this press are from a happy customer.  The whole kitchen was renewed for a cost of only $350.00

Really pretty and what a cost savings over Granite and other stone counter tops.

The kitchen is the center of all homes.  Why not update and refresh your kitchen today.  As a Realtor, I hear from buyers all the time about how the kitchens are either updated or not and this might be an easy and reasonable way to bring your kitchen up to date and get those offers coming in.

I am always looking for clients looking to buy or sell.  If I can be of service please give me a call.  I want to be your Real Estate expert!

kwoehl.kwrealty.com

Forest Lake Minnesota! It’s a Great Day!

So I met with my clients this morning at about ten minutes to 8 to sign some final paperwork.  What a beautiful sunny day!  I drove immediately to the Forest Lake office of Keller Williams to send the paperwork to the listing agent.  Looks like today is going to be another amazing day!  We are one step closer to closing this deal.  As I pulled into the lot I thought how wonderful it is that I am able to be out and about on this beautiful day!

Lakeside Park – Forest Lake, Minnesota

Once submitting the final paperwork it was off to Vadnais Heights for our weekly team meeting.  We received some amazing news!  We will be gaining even more ways to market our listings to potential home buyers.

92% of home buyers currently use the internet to begin their next home search.  At Keller Williams we not only use the MLS (multiple listing service), but we also have websites that bring buyers to our sites.  We have home tours via video that give you a feel of the home before you ever step foot over the threshold.  Your home will be featured on You Tube via our Keller Williams Exclusive channel.  You will find your home on Trulia, Zillow, and Homes.com as a few.  You can take a free cruise on my website and do your own searches now.  Click this link.  http://kwoehl.kwrealty.com/

Why list your home the old fashioned way when you can list with me!  Your Keller Williams Premier Real Estate Professional.   Let me put your home in lights and get it sold pronto!  Looking to buy a home?  I promise to work hard for you no matter if you are buying or selling a home.  Call me and let me work for you!

Keller Williams Vadnais Heights Office – Our other home base