Just received this email and thought I would share it with everyone…it’s not a real estate topic – but you should get a good laugh…it’s pretty funny. You can add this page/post to del.icio.us by clicking here.
Redneck Harley…
Redneck Pet Carrier…
Redneck Guest Bedrooms…
Redneck Wedding Reception…
Redneck Powerball Winner…
No, I am not talking about a fishing net…I am talking about the Internet. Today there are a lot of great websites out there dedicated to making your fishing trip successful. Before you jump in the car and head up north, make sure you do your homework. Many websites out there are full of up-to-date fishing reports for most of the popular lakes throughout Minnesota & Wisconsin. Spending an hour looking through these sites could make the difference between being skunked or a full stringer (we recommend catch and release). You will find forums and message boards where fishing enthusiasts will let you know what spots are hot and what spots are not – and you can let the world know how the bite was on your favorite lake. Here is a list of some of the better fishing sites out there dedicated to this region…
My Fishing Pals : Fishing Minnesota : Lake State Fishing : Lake Link
Good Luck!
So what will a $Million and some change get you today? Well, on the Whitefish Chain – one of Minnesota’s most prestigious vacation home areas – it will buy you this beautiful log home on Rush Lake. This lake home boasts 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 fireplaces, and a one of the nicest sand beaches I have ever seen. Priced at $1,375,000 – its one heck of a cabin! You have to check out all of the pictures on this one.
For more info: Â Whitefish Chain Lake Property For Sale – MLS 150618 – LakePlace.com
Something really cool is happening in the “real estate blog world” – it’s called the Carnival of Real Estate – and it was initiated by the good folks at Zillow. So what is the carnival of real estate?..or a blog carnival in general? Get the answers here. The Pine Needle Lawn (LakePlace.com’s blog) will be hosting the carnival on August 21 – and we are pretty excited about it since our blog is only about one week old. It looks like some of the most influential bloggers in the real estate industry will be participating – it should be a lot of fun!
Well, this one is on my list of the top 10 perfect places on LakePlace.com right now. Sure, it is not the Aaron Spelling Mansion as highlighted over at Zillow – but who needs 50,000 Sqft. anyways?Â
This place kind of reminds me of the movie On Golden Pond – I wonder if Walter has been caught. This log home sits on 13 acres with 500 ft of shoreline and has a huge screen porch overlooking the lake. Although the rustic ambiance is sure to take you back in time, this place features all the amenties of home (including a 6 person hot tub)! It is located on Pike Lake in Mercer, WI and is listed at $880,000.
For more info see: Pike Lake Property For Sale – MLS 66030 – LakePlace.com
NORTHERN MINNESOTA
The city of Hibbing will hold their annual MINES & PINES JUBILEE, through Sunday, July 16. The Jubilee features a large parade and street dance, a Miner’s fly-in and drive-in breakfast, helicoptor rides, an ice cream social, Sidewalk Days sales, a flea market, and the Mines & Pines Art Festival. For more information, dial 1-800-444-2246, or check out www.hibbing.org/minespines.html
The 71ST ANNUAL NORTHWEST WATER CARNIVAL will be held at the pavilion and city beach in Detroit Lakes, through Sunday, July 16. Highlights include a large parade, a tractor pull, bingo, demolition derby, a Bash on the Beach, waterski show, a brat feed, and water fights. For further information, dial 1-800-542-3992, or visit www.dlwatercarnival.com
The city of Sauk Centre will be the site of SINCLAIR LEWIS DAYS, through July 16, with a treasure hunt, turtle races, a kiddie parade, concerts in the park, a pageant, tours of the Little Red School, a battle of the bands, Crazy Days sales, a craft show and flea market, grand parade, street dance, and fireworks display. For additional information, dial 320/352-5201, or check out www.saukcentrechamber.com
The 15TH ANNUAL MOONDANCE JAM will be held Wednesday through Saturday, July 12-15, at Moondance Jam Fairgrounds, in the city of Walker. Featured will be 16 national bands performing on three stages, including the Steve Miller Band, The New Cars, Styx, Guess Who, The Little River Band, Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, The Bangles, and the Doobie Brothers. To learn more, dial 1-877-666-6526, or visit www.moondancejam.com
The city of Moose Lake will hold their 37TH ANNUAL AGATE DAYS celebration, Saturday and Sunday, July 15 & 16. Highlights include a Gem and Mineral Show, door prizes, a steak fry, the Agate Stampede, and Art in the Park. To find out more, dial 1-800-635-3680, or check out www.mooselake-mn.com/AgateDays
The KAXE MISSISSIPPI RIVER FESTIVAL will be held in downtown Grand Rapids, July 15 & 16. This celebration of the Mississippi River features live music, fine arts and crafts, family activities, storytelling, glass blowing demonstrations, Mississippi River history, a riverbank phenology walk, and lots of food! For more information, dial 1-800-662-5799, or visit www.kaxe.org/festival
The city of Aitkin will host RIVERBOAT HERITAGE DAYS, Wednesday through Sunday, July 19-23. Highlights include an art show, human-pedaled riverboat races on the Mississippi River, a community picnic, two parades, two pageants, two street dances, four bands, a rummage sale, and much more! For further information, dial 1-800-526-8342, or check out www.aitkin.com
The HOYT LAKES WATER CARNIVAL will be held Friday through Sunday, July 21-23, throughout the city of Hoyt Lakes. This three-day celebration features Funland Carnival rides and games, waterski shows, open air dances, turtle races, an art show, Dockdogs dock jumping, mechanical bull rides at the midway, fireworks, a pancake feed, a parade, and a karaoke contest at the beer garden stage. To learn more, dial 1-888-450-2617, or visit www.hoytlakescarnival.com
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TWIN CITIES GREATER METROPOLITAN VICINITY
BODY WORLDS: THE ANATOMICAL EXHIBITION OF REAL HUMAN BODIES will be offered at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul through September 4, and gives visitors a glimpse into what lies beneath their skin. This is the first exhibition of its kind in the world, and features more than 200 individual specimens, that have been preserved in flexible plastic and fixed into lifelike poses. And, while at the Science Museum, check out the HUMAN BODY OMNITHEATER FILM for a larger-than-life look at the daily biological processes. For tickets and times, and to learn more, check out www.smm.org/bodyworlds, or dial 651/221-9444
The Maple Grove Community Center in the city of Maple Grove will be the site of MAPLE GROVE DAYS from Thursday, July 13 through Sunday, July 16. This community festival features parades, a farmers market, live entertainment, a car and truck show, business expo, games and rides, an art fair, boat races, the Battle of Bands, garden tours, duct tape contests, pony rides, and spectacular fireworks. For more information, visit www.maplegrovedays.com, or dial 1-800-541-4364
RIVERTOWN DAYS will be held throughout the city of Hastings, Friday through Sunday, July 14-16. Highlights include live music, games, a parade, inflatable family fun, a carnival, water ski shows, sidewalk sales, a flea market, arts and crafts fair, a youth fishing clinic, and fireworks display. To find out more, dial 1-888-612-6122, or check out www.hastingsmn.org
The city of Taylors Falls will present WANNIGAN DAYS, July 14-16, with a parade running from Wisconsin to Minnesota, a kiddie carnival and kiddie parade, a street dance, 1855 Folsom House Museum tours, boat cruises, and more. For further information, dial 651/465-6315, or visit www.taylorsfallschamber.org
The 67TH ANNUAL AQUATENNIAL will be held Friday through Sunday, July 14-23, throughout the city of Minneapolis. This celebration features roughly 50 events, including Minnesota’s largest parade and free outdoor concert, the fourth largest annual fireworks show in the U.S., the amazing milk carton boat races and sandcastle building competition, an art fair at the beach, the world’s largest purse triathlon, neighborhood park BBQ’s, and so much more. For further information, check out www.aquatennial.org, or dial 612/338-3807
The Dakota County Fairgrounds in Farmington will be the site of the MINNESOTA SCOTTISH FAIR & HIGHLAND GAMES on Saturday, July 15. Enjoy Celtic music including bagpipes, fiddlers and singers, as well as Highland & Country Dancing, living history presentations, free children’s activities, and Scottish vendors and clans. To learn more, dial 1-866-342-6300, or visit www.mnscottishfair.org
RONDO DAYS will be held July 15 at Martin Luther King Center in St. Paul, with a parade, drill teams, live entertainment, and variety of vendors. To find out more, dial 651/646-6597, or check out www.rondodays.org
Lake Minnetonka Regional Park and Mound Bay Park will be the site of the SPIRIT OF THE LAKES FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS on Saturday and Sunday, July 15 & 16. Featured will be quality artwork along the shore of Lake Minnetonka, as well as a showcase of businesses, a waterski show, an antique boat show, boat tours, live entertainment, free fishing derby, and fireworks. For more information, dial 952/472-5622, or visit www.lakeminnetonkachamber.com or www.cityofmound.com
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SOUTHERN MINNESOTA
GIANT DAYS will be held throughout the city of Blue Earth and at the Faribault County Fairgrounds, through Sunday, July 16. Visitors will enjoy musical entertainment by national acts such as Herman’s Hermits, as well as sidewalk sales, a car show, parade, street dance, fireworks, historical and cemetary tours, a demolition derby, tours of area gardens, children’s activities, and a fly-in waffle breakfast. For more information, dial 507/526-2916, or visit www.blueearthchamber.com
The town of Eyota will be the site of EYOTA DAYS through Sunday, July 16. Featured will be a parade, Ag and Family Fun nights, an antique tractor pull, a street dance, Belgian Waffle Breakfast, classic car show, and much more! For further information, dial 507/545-2135
The SONSHINE MUSIC FESTIVAL will be held in the city of Willmar, Thursday through Saturday, July 13-15, with three days of national and regional Christian music bands. Camping is also available. To learn more, dial 320/235-6723, or check out www.sonshinefestival.com
The 20TH ANNUAL GARDEN CITY FAMILY BLUEGRASS MUSIC FESTIVAL will be held July 13-16 at Shady Oaks Campground and Fairgrounds in Garden City, with nine bluegrass acts and camping at a beautiful fairgrounds. Garden City is located ten miles south of Mankato on Hwy 169. For more information, and for rates and times, dial 660/665-7172, or visit www.spbgma.com/updates/index.html
The city of Jackson will be the site of the 2006 JACKSON SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION and RACE DAYS-RALLY IN THE VALLEY, Friday through Sunday, July 14-16. Highlights of this 150th Birthday celebration include arts and crafts, live music, an MPR Morning Show in the park, historic Jackson bus tours, a medallion hunt, Crazy Days on Main Street, a soap box derby, go-cart races, an antique tractor pull, moto-cross races, a parade, free hog roast, and games and prizes for the kids. To find out more, dial 507/847-3867, or check out www.jacksonmn.com
The annual WILDER PAGEANT will be held along the banks of Plum Creek in Walnut Grove, Friday through Sunday, July 14-16, at 9 p.m. This outdoor drama is based on the life of author Laura Ingalls Wilder in Walnut Grove during the 1870′s, and features extensive lighting, sound and special effects at an outdoor, hillside amphitheater. The Pageant will be repeated July 21-23. And, each Saturday, through July 22, a WALNUT GROVE FAMILY PARK EVENT will be offered at the city park, with a variety of craft and food vendors, live music, and a Laura and Nellie Look-Alike contest. For rates and times, dial 1-888-859-3102, or visit www.walnutgrove.org
The city of Benson will be the site of a KIDS’ DAY CELEBRATION, July 14-16, with a medallion hunt, teen dance, a kiddie parade, model train show, free fire truck rides, a carnival, ranch rodeo, a BBQ in the park, fireman’s water fight, a car cruise and car show, fireworks, a fly-in breakfast, and the Culpepper and Merriweather Circus. For more information, dial 320/843-3618, or check out www.bensonareachamber.com
HUCK FINN DAYS CELEBRATION & SALES will be held throughout the city of Winona from Thursday, July 20 through Saturday, July 22. In addition to three days of sidewalk sales, there will be food and craft vendors, Great River Shakespeare Festival performances, and children’s activities, such as a fish pond, photo spot, inflatables, concerts in the park, and horse-drawn wagon rides. For further information, dial 1-800-657-4972, or visit www.visitwinona.com
Downtown New Ulm will be the site of a BAVARIAN BLAST, Friday through Sunday, July 21-23. Highlights include three large tents with a variety of music, including bands from Germany in a “German beer hall.” In addition, there will be craft sales, food and drink vendors, an art show, and a parade. To learn more, dial 1-888-4-NEW-ULM, or check out www.bavarianblast.org
The SONG OF HIAWATHA PAGEANT will be held at the Hiawatha Pageant Grounds in the city of Pipestone, July 21-23. Based on Longfellow’s poem, this beautiful pageant is held in a large outdoor amphitheater, with elaborate lighting and costumes. In addition, there will be a mini pow wow. The Pageant will be repeated July 28-30, and August 4-6. For rates and times, dial 1-800-430-4126, or visit www.pipestoneminnesota.com
The information in this report is provided courtesy of Explore Minnesota Tourism. Visit http://www.exploreminnesota.com for more info!
As you know, LakePlace.com features a huge database of lake property listings – so we decided to pick one out each day to feature here – we call it the “Needle in a Haystack.” We will do our best to find some interesting properties, good deals, and maybe some outrageous mansions.
Today’s Needle in a Haystack is a 2 bedroom cottage in Grand Rapids, MN listed at $169,500 – looks like a great deal! The cabin is located on Shallow Lake (actually, Shallow Lake is 85ft deep!). This property has a deep lake lot for lots of privacy and features a sandy beach!Â
For more info see: Shallow Lake Property For Sale – MLS 9908283 – LakePlace.com
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It never fails, every day we receive multiple phone calls and emails asking us for more information regarding renting out the cabin. The vacation rental section of LakePlace.com is a very popular area – thousands of people check it out each day to find a perfect getaway. Our most frequently asked question: How much should I charge?â€
While there is no equation that fits every situation, over the years we have been able to come up with a few suggestions that should help.
A good rule of thumb – we found that in many instances this simple equation works pretty darn well. Take your annual property taxes and divide it by two. This gives you a pretty solid starting point for a weekly rate. For example, if your annual taxes are $1900, your base rate would be $950/wk.
Next, we recommend that you take a look at what other folks in your area are asking. Visit our cabin rentals search page, click on the region your cabin is in, and try to find a lake home or cabin similar to yours. LakePlace.com has the largest selection of Minnesota and Wisconsin vacation rentals on the Internet so you should be able to find something comparable. If you cannot find a comparable in your area, you may want to try the next region over.
When it comes down to it, you should set a price that you feel is fair and you shouldn’t be afraid to experiment. You can change your rates whenever you like, so if you think you are under or over priced after a couple of weeks – just change it.
For way more information – you many want to check out this book about vacation rentals.
BTW – Vacation Rental listings are only $99/yr on LakePlace.com - contact us to get yours listed!
 
A week or two ago I found myself watching one of those interior design television shows. But this wasn’t your run-of-the-mill kitchen remodel – the designers were helping a family beautify their new lakefront yurt.
What’s a yurt? Basically it is a huge, permanent tent with a long history dating back to Central Asian nomads. They come in many sizes and colors and can be fitted with walls, kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms. They are erected on a wooden foundation and can be placed pretty much anywhere you can build a home. After a little research, it seems that most agree that it will provide you with about 25 years of all-weather/season shelter if cared for properly.
I know that many of our readers (maybe you) are searching for that perfect lake lot where you will eventually build your dream home. Instead of camping out or placing a travel trailer on the property for now – you may want to look at a yurt as a short/mid/long term alternative. Yurts start at around $4,300 for a 12×12 and the massive 30×30 model will run you about $9,500. A couple of leading yurt manufacturers are Pacific Yurts and Rainier Yurts.Â
So, you’re thinking about buying that coveted Minnesota & Wisconsin icon – the cabin up north. You have been watching the market for a year or two or three and prices have been increasing a lot faster than your savings account. In my humble opinion, waterfront property prices are going to continue to rise for the next 20+ years. I cannot say that I am 100% positive that we will see the same 20%-30%-40% + annual increases, but I am very bullish on the waterfront property market long-term.
You’ve heard it before, “they can’t make any more of it†and you know, its true – “they†really can’t. Besides the fact that waterfront property is a finite commodity, many lake areas are putting major restrictions on lot sizes, making it increasingly difficult for large waterfront parcels to be broken up and sold off as smaller lots. I think that I can safely say that this is a trend that we will see continue – and most likely grow.
Supply and Demand…Economics 101 taught us all the simplest of equations:
Demand Up + Supply Down = Higher Prices.
Over the next 12 years we will see the largest and wealthiest generation in our country’s history begin to enter their retirement years. I expect we will see many baby boomers move some of their retirement savings/investments from the stock market to the vacation home market. Last year was just the tip of the iceberg and the second home market became the fastest growing sector of the real estate industry. We will also see a huge transfer of wealth over the next 20 years and the coveted cabin up north will be in reach for many Gen X’ers as they inherit their parent’s estates.
My take on the “real estate bubbleâ€â€¦I am often asked if I think lakeshore prices are going to flatten or even come down. In my opinion, the real estate bubble is very, very real – on the east and west coast. When a starter home costs $850,000 – $1M in parts of California and New York – there is bound to be a correction. Common sense tells me that it is going to be very difficult for your average first time homebuyer to go from apartment rent to a $1M mortgage – and this is what “they†are talking about when they talk of a real estate bubble. Common sense also tells me that the luxury real estate market is a different animal. Yeah, a small lake cabin (complete with outhouse and propane lighting) is a luxury, not a necessity. Several recent studies and surveys show that the American Dream has changed from “Home Sweet Home†to “Home Away From Home†and if you are planning to sit and wait for waterfront property prices to come down, you may be waiting 20 years.
When I bought a small lake place up north a few years ago, my year-round neighbor across the road (gorgeous home, but not on the lake) came over and told me that he considered buying my place – but the price was way too high – he could not imagine paying that much for that place. I wonder what he was thinking when I sold the place two years later at a 40% profit.