If you have ever dreamed of owning your own vacation home in Crosslake or the Brainerd Lakes area now is the time to buy. Your dreams of retiring lake side are not out of your reach. Prices are at an all time low and if you can afford it now is the time to buy.

According to a recent report released by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) in 2010 the median price of a vacation home was $150,000 which was down 11.2% from 2009. This drop was quite a bit more when compared to the average median price of a primary residence only fell 4.5% last year. The National Association of Realtors' Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun, had this to say in regards to the vacation home market. "The fall in prices has opened opportunities for more families to enter the second-home market."

Of all the homes sold last year across the nation vacation homes only accounted for a total of 10% of transactions. The difficulty encountered when trying to obtain a mortgage has also played into the decrease in vacation home transactions. Those that were able to secure a loan for second home brought a large amount to the table as a down payment. The average down payment was 30% of the purchase price of the property.

Let me help you find the perfect vacation/rental home in the Crosslake and Brainerd area. Contact me, Bill Grunewald for all your real estate needs.

If fishing in the Brainerd area is something that you are passionate about you are not alone. Recently, Brainerd was nominated as the Ultimate Fishing Town USA through a promotion with World Fishing Network. With over a thousand lakes here in central Minnesota you are sure to have experienced fishing on one of them. Brainerd is home to the largest ice fishing tournament, and the state's biggest bass tournament and there is no better town to win the Ultimate Fishing Town USA title.

Port Alberni, British Columbia won the title last year when the World Fishing Network started seeking out the Ultimate Fishing Town. This small Canadian town is not that different than Brainerd and is very well known for top-notch fishing. World Fishing Network is North America's only 24 hour fishing lifestyle network. The town who wins the Ultimate Fishing Town Title will also receive a $25,000 donation to be used toward a fishing related cause. The town will also be spotlighted on a 30 minute shown on the World Fishing Network. Winning this award also holds the potential to bring in revenue via the means of tourism.

Reinforce Brainerd's need to hold the title of Ultimate Fishing Town add your own photos, videos, or essays of why it deserves to win. If you are looking to live in this Ultimate Fishing Town contact me, Bill Grunewald.

Spring is officially here and residents throughout the Brainerd area are ready to get out and enjoy some spring time fun. One of the sure signs that spring is here is the annual Bicycle Recycling program dates. As part of the Independent Living Skills classes for youth the Lutheran Social Services operates the Bicycle Recycling Program.

This year's recycling days will kick off on Aprils 16th from 9:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Northern Pines Mental Health Center Building on Ninth and Maple Street. If you are interested in picking up a bicycle you should pick up a Bicycle Request Form and turn it in at the LSS Office in the East Brainerd Mall. If you would like to donate a bike to the program you can drop them off anytime at the Habitat for Humanity's ReStore which is located across from the National Guard Armory on Wright Street. You can also donate on the day of the event at the Northern Pines Building. The program is always looking for volunteers and if you are interested you are encouraged to call 824-3700 for more information.

The Brainerd area offers many different areas to enjoy biking with beautiful views of the lake areas. There are more than 850 miles of bike trail and 17 different routes you can take when you decide to bike in the Brainerd area. Pick your favorite trail or try a new one this spring and enjoy your time outdoors.

If you are looking to buy or sell a home in the Brainerd area contact me, Bill Grunewald. I would be more than delighted to help you through this process.

If you are a home owner in Crow Wing County beware there is a new scam aimed at you. According to Kathy Ludenia, Crow Wing County's Recorder, companies are sending direct mail notices to home owners offering to provide you with a certified copy of your property deed. The only thing the company requires from you is to pay in advance for you certified copy.

There is no need to send any form of payment to any of these types of companies, and you should just toss this nonsense mailing away. These companies are getting sneaky and try to make you think there is an urgent need for you to obtain a copy of your property deed and will charge you an arm and a leg for the copy ranging somewhere between $50 to $100. If you would like a copy of your property owners deed all you have to do is visit the Crow Wing County recorder's office and for a $10 fee you can obtain it yourself.

The letter these companies are sending out are also very misleading by suggesting that home ownership can only be secured by having a certified copy of your deed. The county recorder always has these documents archived at their office. Kathy Ludenia said that the evidence of their ownership is not based on whether or not they have a certified copy in their possession as the solicitation letter implies.

This scam is not illegal but it is taking advantage of an unaware Crosslake home owners. These companies are utilizing public records for their own profits. If you have any more questions regarding this you are encouraged to contact the Crow Wing County Recorder's office at 824-1280.

Homes are more affordable than ever and now would be the time to buy or sell your Crow Wing County home. If you are interested in buying or selling a home in Central Minnesota contact me, Bill Grunewald.

Over the past year the housing market has seen the price of homes declining, which will lay the ground work for the housing market to recover. Moody's Analytics tracks the median price of homes in ratio to household incomes in 74 markets across the United States. This past September 47 out of those 74 markets saw the affordability of homes return to levels last seen between the years of 1989 to 2003. Many economists feel that the recent housing boom began in 2003.

Across the United States the price of homes compared to the home owner's annual income reached a high of 2.3 in towards the end of 2005. By September of 2010 that number had fallen to 1.6 which was equivalent to the lowest level which had not been seen in 35 years.

"Based on incomes, this is as affordable as it gets," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. "If you can get a loan, these are pretty good times to buy." Unfortunately, when the price of homes decline some homeowners are left underwater, meaning their homes are worth less then what they owe on them. In many areas of the country it has now become cheaper to buy than to rent.

If you have ever considered owning your own vacation home in Crosslake there is no time like the present to buy the home of your dreams. If you are interested in buying or selling a home in Central Minnesota contact me, Bill Grunewald.

Hundreds of residents and visitors recently bundled up and attended the 8th annual Crosslake Winterfest. What started out as a way for families to break out of their winter hibernation and enjoy time with family and friends has now become a very popular annual event. The weekend event was full of family friendly winter activities. Crosslake Winterfest entertainment started out on Friday night with Crosslake Community School's hosting an open house that was filled with plenty of family activities and was a huge success. Following, the open house Crosslake Community Center also joined in the action by hosting their own family centered fun such as pond ice-skating, horse drawn wagon rides, a bonfire and a 25-foot high snow mountain. There was something for everyone.

Saturday morning the fun resumed with a wonderful pancake breakfast sponsored by the volunteer fire fighters. The proceeds from the breakfast will go towards purchasing new equipment. Many chose to participate in the mini golf and Bocce Ball tournaments.

Maucieri's once again held their annual Winterfest Italian Olympics which drew a record number of participants. Maucieri's was also the place this year to host a new event, the Vintage and Antique Snowmobile show. Ice Car Racing proved to be another popular activity. If you and your family were not able to attend this year this is something to not be missed next year.

Crosslake is the perfect place to live or vacation. If you are interested in buying or selling a home in Central Minnesota contact me, Bill Grunewald. You can also reach me directly at 218-820-7355

Questions?
Call the Real Estate Professionals at Up North Properties
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