Archive for the 'Cool Guys' Category
Short Sales and Cheese Cake
May 19th, 2009 Categories: Cool Guys, My Listings, Real Estate News, The Good Life
Short sales take a long time to happen from the moment a home is listed until the day of closing. There are a myriad of twists and turns that take place and, I for one, do not enjoy working them through. It is, unfortunately, a fact of life these days. For some reason, some buyers’ agents still don’t realize the time it takes for the bank to get its act together. I have written about short sales on this blog before, so I won’t get in to all of the gory details here.
Nope, this post is about my real estate colleague, Bob Bergh. I just want to thank him publicly for taking the helm on a tricky short sale that we just completed. He basically did all of the leg work after we received a purchase agreement on the property. We had at least four purchase agreements that I recall and hundreds of inquiries. Plus many hours, days, weeks and months of wrangling. Whew!
I also wanted to thank him personally so I took him to lunch at the Cheese Cake Factory after the closing. Bob had wild blue berry cheese cake and I had carrot cake cheese cake. Yum!
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Just a Little Christmas Present From Todd Bracher at Bell Mortgage, a “Best of 2008″ Inductee!
December 19th, 2008 Categories: Cool Guys, Mortgage Stuff, Real Estate News, Twin Cities Home Buyers
We’ve all just about have had it with the predatory lending fiasco. What with the TJ Waconia scandal, BC lending, etc. it’s time to focus on what is right in the world of home buying.
Yes, it’s going to be tougher to buy a home!
You’ll have to work a little harder and save a little more and maybe go to Mom and/or Dad for a loan. If you are ready to buy a home and have done the right things to get yourself to this point, read on!
Here’s a message from Todd Bracher, a top-notch mortgage lender at Bell Mortgage that I have recommended to my first time home buyers. He is reliable and trustworthy…a great combination! he also is on my
“We have had a incredible week in the markets with rates reaching 4.5% earlier in the week. We have come up off of those lows but remain just under 5% currently.
The market is perfect for those first time home buyers. Bell Mortgage has always had a purchases come first mantra. We will never lose sight of our bread and butter Realtor clients.
When the refinances disappear again, so will the brokers that concentrated only on the feeding frenzy that low rates can create in our world.
I will be working through the Holiday Season so if you are in need of any mortgage related help please do not hesitate to call.
Have a HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!!!
Todd C. Bracher
Mortgage Banker-Bell Mortgage Trusted Since 1880
Office: 952-591-1880
Cell: 612-221-4677
Fax: 952-591-9060
www.toddbracher.com<http://www.toddbracher.com/>”
Thank you, Todd, for all you’ve done for me and my clients this year! You are on my “Best Of 2008″ list. You rock!
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Count Down to the End of the Year…You Know, The “Best Of” Stuff!
December 12th, 2008 Categories: Cool Guys, Eden Prairie Home Buyers, Real Estate News, Twin Cities Home Buyers
Today is the first of the “Best Of’s” for me in my real estate business this year, 2008. I have some people and things that were-and are-very near and dear to my heart. I will share them with you until the end of the year.
OH, BY THE WAY…THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF MY BEST YEARS OF MY LIFE, NOT TO MENTION MY BUSINESS!
OK, here’s the first, not the least:
Aaron Boyer, First-Time Home Buyer
Aaron is a first-time home buyer that was recommended to me by my BNI buddy, Bridget Lorentz. She is a graphic artist and she has worked with Aaron at Digital River, a top notch internet software programming corporation, in Eden Prairie.
Not only is Aaron one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met, he is also Read the rest of this entry »
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Bullet Holes and Duct Tape in North Minneapolis
November 30th, 2008 Categories: Cool Guys, Minneapolis Home Buyers and Sellers, North Minneapolis, Real Estate News, Silly Property Repairs, That Flippin' House
In the past week I’ve had the pleasure of showing off my client’s new TJ Waconia flip at 3306 James Avenue North to one of North Minneapolis’ most insightful residents, Johnny Northside.
We spent an entire day together scoping out different aspects of his neighborhood, Hawthorne, to be exact. We made a few sudden stops to check out the homes that had unknown visitors lurking about. Johnny wants to make sure that the people there are supposed to be there and not making off with copper and other belongings of the residents.
We also saw some beautiful homes that have been well-kept, the eco-village and the tree nursery in the neighborhood.
We saw shoes Read the rest of this entry »
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My #1 Reason to be Thankful ~ Secret Weapon Revealed!
November 26th, 2008 Categories: Cool Guys, Keller Williams, Outside of the Box, Real Estate News, The Good Life
There’s plenty to be thankful for at Thanksgiving. I have Keller Williams Realty to thank for helping me power through the rough spots. A Realtor can’t get a better education or a more solid foundation. So, thank you, Keller Williams…especially, my market center at Keller Williams Classic Realty Northwest in Maple Grove! We are having a record month and have been continually adding agents to our wonderful market center. Yes, even through all of the doom and gloom…we’re growing!
But here’s my secret weapon that I rarely talk about. It’s probably not a secret to some. I don’t speak about my husband, Tony Hoholik, very often. He most likely wouldn’t want me to. I’m actually not real big on talking about myself and my personal life. But after reflecting on this past year and all of its events, one thing stands out for me.
My husband.
He is not a warm, fuzzy kind of guy. He doesn’t Read the rest of this entry »
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And Now, A Brief Intermission From All This Stuff…Thomas Shakin’ It Before School!
November 12th, 2008 Categories: Cool Guys, Outside of the Box, Real Estate News, The Good Life
Here’s Thomas Shakin’ It Before School…
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Digesting the Hawthorne Neighborhood Real Estate in North Minneapolis - Literally!
October 17th, 2008 Categories: Cool Guys, North Minneapolis, Real Estate News, Twin Cities Home Buyers, Twin Cities Real Estate Economy, Twin City Sellers
It’s a sad day when you watch a beautiful home that once had a family living in it that cared for it and took pride in it get taken out by a digger. (Not sure if that’s what that’s called. I should…I had three boys. They played with this stuff.)
I didn’t have the opportunity to view the inside of this historic home. I wish that I had.
Johnny Northside got a take on it for us to see before it was totally razed. It was a crack house, among other things.
One Realtor who viewed it on Johnny’s website said she “felt like crying”. Me too. There were some really cool features about this home. The dentil molding on the outside is the first clue.
What’s This?
It looks as if we have someone who knows this particular property and has a sense of restorative vigor about him. His name is “Kevin”. He told Johnny about Bauer Brothers Salvage. So far, there’s a clawfoot bathtub that sounds quite interesting!
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Cry Baby, Cry. How to Get Over Yourself and Your Woes
October 6th, 2008 Categories: Cool Guys, North Minneapolis, Real Estate News, That Flippin' House, Twin Cities Real Estate Economy
Here we are in the midst of some trying times. The stock market tanked today.
It will come back.
I’ve been watching and pouring my money in to it since 1984. If we go bust, we go bust. I’m a tad tired of the doom and gloom. I know what it takes to buck up. I’ve been there a few times and will be there again, I suppose.
It’s called dollar cost averaging.
Invest a dollar every day. Some days your dollar will buy more, some times less. It’s all good.
Here is a fun blog to look at while you are waiting for the stock market to return. Just sit back and enjoy. In case you missed the link above…
http://adventuresofjohnnynorthside.blogspot.com
Now, is your life so bad?
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Reason #2 Why Plymouth, MN is Rated for Best Places to Live in the U.S.
October 3rd, 2008 Categories: Cool Guys, Plymouth "News", Real Estate News, The Good Life
We are lucky to have Discover Strength, a personal fitness facility, located right here in Plymouth, MN! As I have stated in my previous post about my personal training at Discover Strength, it helps me in my personal life, but it totally helps me keep my stamina and good nature in my real estate life here in the Twin Cities.My personal trainer at Discover Strength, Luke Carlson, has some great words of advice for those of you who are running the Twin Cities Marathon this weekend.
“Good luck to those of you running the marathon this weekend (or Chicago/Whistlestop next weekend). If you are not running and plan on watching the marathon, the DS staff will be watching just before mile 24 at Summit and Lexington - stop by and join us for eating, drinking, and cheering on runners! Watching a marathon is truly an incredible experience!”
Here are some more words of wisdom for you runners:
Tough Thinking for this Weekend’s Marathon and 10-Mile Runners
(adapted from Dr. Jim Loehr’s book “The New Toughness Training for Sports”)
One of the greatest secrets of peak performance in sport: sustaining a here-and-now mental focus during competition makes the natural expression of your talent and training easier. During battle, thinking about the future lets fear beat you; thinking about the past lets anger and frustration beat you. Aim to maintain a moment-by moment focus during the race.
When old man fear has you by the throat, look him straight in the eye, smile inside, and with all the conviction and passion you can pull from deep within your soul, think – or better yet, say out loud: “I LOVE IT!” “Tough Thinking” is based on your ability to use words and images to control your Ideal Performance State. This means disciplined thinking and visualization during competition. Tough thinking will keep you from panicking when things get crazy and prevent you form surrendering when the battle appears lost. Here are some examples of tough thinking. It is a great idea to pick 2 or 3 “go-to” phrases or words that you can continually repeat to yourself during the race. Pick a few words or phrases and repeat them to yourself throughout the entire race.
“I’M TOUGH ENOUGH”
“I’VE PUT IN THE TRAINING”
“LOOKING GOOD, FEELING GOOD”
“I FEEL STRONG”
“ONE MILE AT A TIME”
“I LOVE HILLS”
“BRING ON THE PAIN”
Or my personal favorite: “JARED MONDRY’S GOING DOWN!
When your back is squarely against the wall, think:
“THIS IS REALLY TOUGH – BUT I’M A WHOLE LOT TOUGHER”
When facing the hill on Summit Ave, say to yourself:
“BRING IT ON! BRING IT ON!”
When you feel tired, burned out, negative, and weak, think:
“TODAY WILL BE A GREAT CHALLENGE FOR ME. I’VE GOT TO BE SUPER-TOUGH TODAY TO MAKE IT. I’M GOING TO HANG IN THERE NO MATTER WHAT! NO EXCUSES!”
When things get painful and you feel like abandoning ship, think:
“I NEVER SURRENDER! NOT ME. NOT EVER! I WILL FIGHT UNTIL IT’S OVER. AND IT AIN’T OVER TILL IT’S OVER!”
Love the process, the fight, the marshaling of your resources, the pushing, the falling back, the breakthroughs, the struggles. Loving to win is easy. Loving the process moves you to a whole new level of competitive skill. Love the battle!
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Here’s My Friday Insight From My Awesome Personal Trainer in Plymouth, Minnesota
May 30th, 2008 Categories: BNI Full Circle Chapter, Cool Guys, Plymouth "News", Real Estate News, The Good Life
Luke Carlson, my personal trainer and owner of Discover Strength in Plymouth, knows that I work hard physically to maintain some sense of a decent body at the ripe old age of 54. It helps me in my personal life, but it totally helps me keep my stamina and good nature in my real estate life here in the Twin Cities. Here’s my (and could be yours) personal trainer’s latest for everyone to learn from…
Insight from Dr. Stephen Covey on Exercise
Mounting evidence suggests that proper exercise is as important for our mental acuity as
it is for our “bodies.” Dr. Stephen Covey, internationally respected leadership
authority, organizational expert and best selling author of “The Seven Habits of Highly
Effective People” contributes to this idea and comments on the importanceof exercise in
his latest book “The 8th Habit.” Covey writes, “I am convinced that exercise increases
our own sense of self-control and self-mastery, which enhances the totality of our lives
and truly enlarges the space between stimulus and response (Note: Covey describes the
space between stimulus and response as our freedom and power to choose our response - and
in these choices lie our growth and happiness).” Interestingly, Dr. Covey also comments
on the importance of strength training to the point of muscle failure stating “This is a
great metaphor for the other three dimensions of life as well. As we go to the end of our
tether, our capacity to do increases. Emerson put it this way: ‘That which we persist in
doing becomes easier, not that the nature of the thing has changed, but our ability to do
has increased.”
Every Friday, Discover Strength will email a “Fit Tip” to all clients. Tips will be brief and science based, covering health & fitness topics in strength training, cardio-respiratory training, flexibility, nutrition and athletic performance.
Don’t hesitate to check Luke and his awesome team out for a free trial. You’ll be amazed at the results! I never thought I would do anything like this and I’m so glad that I did!
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