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Newsletter from Montana - Minnesota
November 2007
Horses, we have quite a few horse properties listed and if that is not enough, there are more on the six MLS systems of which we are members. Just say the word, and we will put your email address into an automated search that will notify you every time a new listing comes on the market that meets your criteria.
To check out our listings for Montana, go to:
http://montanahereicome.com/Listings
To check out our listings for Minnesota, go to:
http://minnesotahereicome.com/Listings
In the left margin of those pages are the searches for the various MLS systems, if you like to do the search yourself to get a feel for the prices. Montana is much more expensive than Minnesota, that is actually the reason why I decided to become licensed in Minnesota as well, since many people would like to get out of the crowded areas and have a little bit of land to keep a horse, have a nice garden or even keep chickens. In Montana, you would need much more acreage to fulfill this dream than in Minnesota, because the land is so dry. It seems like all the movie stars are drawn to Montana, Denzel Washington just bought a piece of land near Red Lode, and all the publicity drives the prices through the roof. Land bargains in Montana are to be viewed with caution; quite often, you run into access problems, no ground water at all or you are sitting on a rock and cannot get a septic system. Weed infestations with larger chunks of land are also a problem with bargain basement prices in Montana.
One of the reasons Minnesota land is still affordable, is that it is not well publicized. Hardly anybody seems to know that there are 4 million acres of forest in the northern part swarming with wild life and managed for timber by the state. The north central part is far from being flat, there are beautiful rolling hills clothed in different colors due to the variety of crops that are grown there, interlaced with old growth tree stands and lakes. What a beautiful country and NO water shortage! You just poke a whole in the ground and you have all the water you can possibly use. Yes, it gets cold in winter, but there is no bad weather, it is just a matter of appropriate clothing. The winters are by far not as severe anymore as they used to be and the bugs are not nearly as bad as the media wants you to believe.
In spring I will go on Public Television just before prime time and there will be a 3-5 minute public television story - This is the purely educational portion of the project that will air as part of the Today's Business Solutions Series. We will follow that up with a 6-8 minute corporate documentary - This is the educational segment combined with additional information about my company Sky Lodge Properties, Inc. and then we do a one minute commercial. I had sent a professional photographer up in the air with one of our airplanes to shoot some footage of Minnesota, so that will be shown as well as photos of Montana of course. Tuula, my daughter, after seeing this, said "I will hold you personal responsible for the great Northern migration of Americans in the early 21st century..." Well, I am all for it! I sure enjoy raising my children in a small town atmosphere where there is no crime worth mentioning (horse theft is still the most common crime committed in Montana) and where deer and moose along with wild turkeys congregate in the back yard.
You might like to know that the
Wild Horse Range in the Pryor Mountains finished an interpretive center in Lovell. There are 145 adult horses in this oldest wild horse herd in the United States. They had 35 foals born this year and 34 of them survived! They are sending out free information packets to schools all over the US and they are planning to make another instructional DVD with more information on specific aspects of the Pryor Mountain Wild Horses. If you like to help preserve and promote a genetically viable herd of Colonial Spanish American Wild Horses, they still need some donations to help pay for the information packages. So far, they raised $21,000 and their goal is to raise $100,000.
Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center, PO Box 385, Lovell, WY 82431, info@pryormustangs.org
While we are on the subject of horses, my favorite horse trainer in Minnesota (Christie at Sandy Oaks Arena, 218/841 5618) introduced me to some interesting items, which I immediately put to use. The first one is a rope halter with strategically placed knots making your horse mind and there is no hardware to break! These halters are custom made to fit your horse by Pat Fredrickson, pat@halterlady.com
The second item is the Blocker Tie Ring, which will hold your horse secure, but if he spooks while tied, it will give your horse some slack. This patent prevents spine injuries or even death of your horse if it should try to pull loose and cannot. We are using them for the grooming area, the hitching post and in the trailer. info@horseloversoutlet.com
The third item she uses is a twisted wire snaffle for a bit, which makes your horse mind, but feels comfortable the rest of the time. You can buy those anywhere, but I found a link on the Internet for it also.
Another item I found all of my own is a Kalglo electric radiant infrared heater. It saves energy by just heating the animals below it, but not the air around them. They come in various sizes and models, with or without temperature controls and a five year limited warranty on all heating elements. Why heat the entire building when all you want to do is provide warmth for the animals/birds that are confined in one space? Those heaters are ideal for foals, old horses and the grooming area and if you have chickens, they work for them too! Kalglo heaters look similar to a shop light. There are no expensive plumbing and installation costs or necessary routine maintenance as with gas heaters, they just plug into a wall outlet. Newly born animals usually have no problem finding the warmth under the Kalglo heater. They remain warm, dry and comfortable for better health and faster weight gain.
All of those make great gifts for the horse lovers in your family, but if you are looking for a nice gift for just about anybody, are you familiar with IRobots? I own a few... I started to buy those little robots when I had a house full of hard wood floors, kids and a dog... Now I have two Roombas that vacuum (one for each house) and one that mops for the farm house. On my Christmas list is one that sweeps the garage and shop, and maybe next year I will get one that cleans the pool and one that sweeps out the gutters. Take a look:
http://www.irobot.com
Then go to
http://www.google.com/products
and find the lowest price for the one you like to buy :-)
Those little robots really work and they take the grunt out of housecleaning if you just do not have the time or inclination. I turn the little vacuum on while I take the dog for a walk. When we come back, the house is vacuumed and ready to receive clients or guests. I just love it!
While we are talking holidays, did you know that LED stands for light-emitting diode - a heavenly little bit of technology that lights things up using very little energy? Watch your energy bills flatline. LED bulbs use 90% less electricity than traditional holiday bulbs. With their 20-year lifetimes, you do not have to replace LED light-strings as often as conventional ones. Burning 10 strands of lights with 100 lights per strand, eight hours per day for a month costs $175 for incandescent bulbs vs. about $1 for LED mini-bulbs! Incandescent lights give off as much as 90% of their energy as heat, leading to fire concerns, while LEDs barely warm up. You can pick up LED Christmas lights at Home Depot or your local hardware store. If you like to order them on-line, I found small white or multicolored lights; 24-ft strands for $20.
Your Senators need to hear from you about the need to support two measures of vital importance to real estate markets across the country regarding FHA Reform S. 2338. Ask your Senator to support FHA reform legislation this year. FHA reform will provide existing homeowners with secure and affordable refinancing alternatives and more mortgage options for first-time homebuyers. Increasing the supply of affordable mortgage money is a critical component for bringing stability to the nation's turbulent housing markets. Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae (GSE) Loan Limits: Ask your Senator to support legislation that allows regional increases to the Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae loan limits and stress the need for quick Senate action on this vital reform. This change will make lower-cost GSE mortgage financing available to more families trying to buy homes in high cost areas and increase the supply of mortgage money, without falling into the trap of risky loans.
To find your congressional representative, here is a helpful link.
Some changes in our listing supply include the butcher shop in Geraldine (Northern Montana). The owners took a survey and collected over 200 signatures of people who would like to see the butcher shop open the doors again. It is on the market for $85,000 and it will afford you a modest living in Montana:
The automotive shop in Billings, Montana, has now opened a branch location in Hardin which will also convey with the business.
If you are interested in remote land in the mountains west of Missoula, half of the 410 acres with the log cabin went under contract, but there are still 200 acres with three homesites and a creek left for $650,000
For Minnesota, the owner of the Equestrian Estate with logsided home and historic barn on 117 acres will carry $200,000 of the $785,000 purchase price.
I found out some details about the builder of the
brand new home near Park Rapids, Minnesota, on 2.4 acres for $185,000 (all one level and an ideal spot to retire!)
The home was built by Becker-Dahl Building and Design, which is a custom home building company based in Park Rapids. The company builds up to date, energy efficient homes on their clients' property. Many of these homes are lake homes and country homes, which range in size from moderate to spacious. Exterior finishes include pine logsiding, cedar lapsiding, vinyl, and fibercement lapsiding with low maintenance finishes. The company uses energy efficient, low maintenance windows and doors. For interior finishes they like to use popular knotty pine paneling, trims, and doors combined with painted drywall for that country/cabin look. They also have a showroom for Pine Country Carpet and Cabinets, where clients can choose the latest in cabinets, countertops, and floor coverings for their new home. Their designer uses state of the art CAD to illustrate designs for homeowners. Their many years of experience in the industry assure their clients quality, cost efficiency, and modern techniques in the building of their home. Contact Jim Becker or Rich Dahl, 218-732-9494, bdbdprmn@unitelc.com
Mike Olson just listed an inexpensive home for $97,000 in Perham, Minnesota, which could be used as a single family home or duplex. Perham is a small town nestled among over 1000 lakes surrounded by rolling hills and woods. The city is located 180 miles NW of Minneapolis / St. Paul and 70 miles SE of Fargo, ND along U S Highway 10. Perham is named after Josiah Perham, the first President of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The railroad arrived in Otter Tail County in 1871. A mercantile store was erected on the north side of the tracks the next year and Perham has been prospering ever since. Perham is now a city of over 2,559 and boasts an impressive business community based upon industry, agriculture, and tourism. The economic base is highlighted by several industries and a strong downtown business district.
This property is located near downtown and is a quick walk to the many downtown shops and stores. The home is in an area that is zoned R-2 for multi-family housing. Most homes are single family and are very well kept. One could keep the property as is or easily turn it into a duplex to rent out. Another option would be to keep the main level for yourself and finish the basement off your visiting friends and family. Either way this solid home presents some great options.
Perham is a great place to call home. Come and experience the small town atmosphere as you stroll along the tree lined cobblestone walks. Shop in the 20 plus unique gift and specialty shops - Dept. 56, Snowbabies, Thimble Berries, Boyds Bears, antiques, coffee shops, family dining, clothing, sporting goods and home interiors. Whatever your interests, Perham is sure to have it, including jobs!
To stay healthy over the holidays, drink a 24 oz bottle of water before you get out of bed in the morning and do not eat or drink anything after that for an hour. I usually wake up at 4am anyway, I drink it then and go back to sleep. Then during the day I guzzle two more of those bottles. You will be surprised to see that most of your ailments take for the hills after just a few days of that and if you keep it up, there is hardly anything left to go see the doctor for. You also might enjoy the book: "Your Body's Many Cries for Water: You Are Not Sick, You Are Thirsty" by Fereydoon Batmanghelidj
I wish you a happy healthy month of December until my next newsletter on New Years Eve!
:-)
Best Regards,
Dorothea Lowe, Broker
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