As the real estate industry continues to evolve, I try to look for new ways to use my experience to help lakeshore buyers the most. With over two decades as a waterfront specialist throughout most of Minnesota and Western Wisconsin, I've probably learned a few things along the way that can be of great value to many prospective lake property shoppers. So I thought it might be beneficial to our visitors to point out some of the more attractive lake listings on good quality lakes new to the market each week. Especially since the spring market is now starting to heat up.
This first group is made up of lake properties just listed during this past week in various parts of Minnesota. They are in no particular price range or area, but each had certain characteristics that stood out from the other new listings. Some have great lots, a few may look like attractive values, and others may just have that "lake feel" that a lot of people are in search of. All are on good quality lakes, and when you combine good properties with good lakes...you tend to get the best long term value!
This is certainly not to say that there weren't a lot of other nice lake properties listed during the past seven days. I will be adding more from other MLS areas as well, so I hope to make this an ongoing value to our visitors. Please email me at info@lakehomes.com if you have questions on any of these listings, or if you have suggestions on other lake properties to feature in this blog.
Thanks,
Dan Anderson
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Another Way To Find Great Lake Information
For several months, we've been putting together another great lake property site for Minnesota and Wisconsin, too. It is LakehomesMinnesota.com, and most of it is complete...at least a lot of the information you are looking for.
Unlike this site at Lakehomes.com, LakehomesMinnesota.com breaks out micro lake areas in each larger region, and then points out the best lakes in those locales. In many areas we have also completed the details about those smaller segments that help you understand what it might be like there. And, you'll find direct links to the DNR data for those lakes, so it is incredibly easy to use.
With spring almost here, we wanted to make your search for lake properties as easy as can be, so we hope to be adding new material to LakehomesMinnesota weekly. And between our two great sites, you should not be disappointed.
Unlike this site at Lakehomes.com, LakehomesMinnesota.com breaks out micro lake areas in each larger region, and then points out the best lakes in those locales. In many areas we have also completed the details about those smaller segments that help you understand what it might be like there. And, you'll find direct links to the DNR data for those lakes, so it is incredibly easy to use.
With spring almost here, we wanted to make your search for lake properties as easy as can be, so we hope to be adding new material to LakehomesMinnesota weekly. And between our two great sites, you should not be disappointed.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
When the Rich Jump In, There's Probably Gold at the Bottom of the Pool!
It might be a silly headline, but it's probably pretty true. People with money didn't get there by making stupid decisions. And it isn't a bad idea to watch where they are spending their money -- especially when it comes to real estate -- because they will most likely come out OK on most of their investments.
The problem is that, oftentimes, the great majority of the population can't make decisions or move fast enough financially to get in the game at the right time. And when it comes to purchasing a lake home or cabin, the sense of urgency can be curtailed by family gatherings, summer vacations, and any number of other important events.
This article from CNN Money talks about the fact the million dollar plus homes are now the fastest ones moving. Obviously, in a pure dollar comparison, these homes have been reduced by more than most homes even sell for, so it is a huge savings...and most likely a very good investment. But there are tons of lower-priced properties on the market that have been reduced just as much on a percentage basis, and many of them are great bargains as well. And that is especially true in waterfront and vacation homes on good lakes and good lots, which will always be in demand by people of all income brackets.
So with spring almost here, maybe it is time to check back into that lake house shopping mode and see what's out there. If you're a highly qualified buyer, you may never get a better chance to find the most for the money in a lakefront property.
The problem is that, oftentimes, the great majority of the population can't make decisions or move fast enough financially to get in the game at the right time. And when it comes to purchasing a lake home or cabin, the sense of urgency can be curtailed by family gatherings, summer vacations, and any number of other important events.
This article from CNN Money talks about the fact the million dollar plus homes are now the fastest ones moving. Obviously, in a pure dollar comparison, these homes have been reduced by more than most homes even sell for, so it is a huge savings...and most likely a very good investment. But there are tons of lower-priced properties on the market that have been reduced just as much on a percentage basis, and many of them are great bargains as well. And that is especially true in waterfront and vacation homes on good lakes and good lots, which will always be in demand by people of all income brackets.
So with spring almost here, maybe it is time to check back into that lake house shopping mode and see what's out there. If you're a highly qualified buyer, you may never get a better chance to find the most for the money in a lakefront property.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Lakehomes.com Takes a Big Step
If you are on this page -- which used to be our home page -- you have probably already seen a new look to Lakehomes.com. One that encompasses 48 more states than we used to have, and one that also adds an incredible amount of features and technological advances from our old programming.
But you will also notice, at the current time, the only new state in operation is Alabama. That may seem like somewhat of a disconnect, but there is a good reason for it.
Any new site, especially one with this much technology, needs a little time to work out a few bugs and make sure everything operates correctly. Because of that, we decided to keep our old design and functionality intact for Minnesota and Wisconsin for a little while, until we make sure everything is working great. We obviously don't want to confuse our visitors in midstream, so everything should still work for you just the way it did before. And sometime soon -- maybe in a few weeks, or a bit longer -- you will also have all the great features that Alabama has.
In reality, we have been working on this strategic plan for nearly two years. But going back further yet, we've always known that Lakehomes.com was the best domain name for lake properties, and sooner or later it had to grow. Now we are there, and what comes next should benefit all of our agents and visitors to a great extent.
So go ahead and use Lakehomes.com like you always have: as the best place to search for waterfront and recreational properties across Minnesota and Western Wisconsin. And when it comes time to launch our new features up in these parts, we will make sure they are even better than you have imagined.
Dan & Sandy Anderson
Founders of Lakehomes.com
Broker / Owners of Lakehomes.com Realty
But you will also notice, at the current time, the only new state in operation is Alabama. That may seem like somewhat of a disconnect, but there is a good reason for it.
Any new site, especially one with this much technology, needs a little time to work out a few bugs and make sure everything operates correctly. Because of that, we decided to keep our old design and functionality intact for Minnesota and Wisconsin for a little while, until we make sure everything is working great. We obviously don't want to confuse our visitors in midstream, so everything should still work for you just the way it did before. And sometime soon -- maybe in a few weeks, or a bit longer -- you will also have all the great features that Alabama has.
In reality, we have been working on this strategic plan for nearly two years. But going back further yet, we've always known that Lakehomes.com was the best domain name for lake properties, and sooner or later it had to grow. Now we are there, and what comes next should benefit all of our agents and visitors to a great extent.
So go ahead and use Lakehomes.com like you always have: as the best place to search for waterfront and recreational properties across Minnesota and Western Wisconsin. And when it comes time to launch our new features up in these parts, we will make sure they are even better than you have imagined.
Dan & Sandy Anderson
Founders of Lakehomes.com
Broker / Owners of Lakehomes.com Realty
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Wall Street Journal Can't Be All Wrong
As 2011 begins to unfold, I'm seeing more and more articles that the waterfront real estate market is probably...finally...on the rebound. As I had mentioned earlier, my conversations with waterfront brokers and agents around the country each week all seem to point to better days ahead.
Last week the Wall Street Journal put out this article, which talks about a resurgence in sales throughout many vacation home markets around the country. We have a few of those markets in Minnesota and Wisconsin as well, so I wouldn't be surprised to see activity heating up quite soon. Especially if the temperatures heat up a bit also.
Last week the Wall Street Journal put out this article, which talks about a resurgence in sales throughout many vacation home markets around the country. We have a few of those markets in Minnesota and Wisconsin as well, so I wouldn't be surprised to see activity heating up quite soon. Especially if the temperatures heat up a bit also.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
A December to Remember
Typically, December is one of the slowest months for real estate sales across the country, and waterfront real estate is generally one of the least interesting during that month. But for some reason, this year's sales were somewhat robust for us. And brokers in waterfront markets across the country have told me the same was true in their areas.
One broker near Corpus Christi, Texas said it was the best December -- and starting out to be the best January -- they have had in ten years in the real estate business. A recent article in the Star Tribune talked about the resurgence of multiple offers again in Twin Cities market. Something we haven't seem a whole lot for quite a few years, and even then not as much in mid-winter.
As one of my long-time colleagues said the other day, "Perhaps the buyers are just worn down from waiting on the sidelines." Or maybe people just finally feel a little better about the economy and the fact that prices have dropped nearly 50% in some markets!
Whatever the reason, our website traffic is up about 50% from last year at this time...and inquiries from prospective waterfront buyers as well. We seem to be continuing into early January with a fair amount of sales, and many of those tend to be higher prices than we saw last year.
The bottom may have hit in 2010, and market activity seems to just be awakening once again. Even during this typical time for hibernation!
One broker near Corpus Christi, Texas said it was the best December -- and starting out to be the best January -- they have had in ten years in the real estate business. A recent article in the Star Tribune talked about the resurgence of multiple offers again in Twin Cities market. Something we haven't seem a whole lot for quite a few years, and even then not as much in mid-winter.
As one of my long-time colleagues said the other day, "Perhaps the buyers are just worn down from waiting on the sidelines." Or maybe people just finally feel a little better about the economy and the fact that prices have dropped nearly 50% in some markets!
Whatever the reason, our website traffic is up about 50% from last year at this time...and inquiries from prospective waterfront buyers as well. We seem to be continuing into early January with a fair amount of sales, and many of those tend to be higher prices than we saw last year.
The bottom may have hit in 2010, and market activity seems to just be awakening once again. Even during this typical time for hibernation!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
The Ghost of Lakehomes.com...Past, Present & Future
Lakehomes.com has been a favorite destination for waterfront buyers since 1996, although only about 2% of real estate buyers were online back then. Today, nearly 100% of waterfront buyers are online, and we continue to keep making the website better all the time.
We wanted to share a few snapshots from our early days on the Internet until today, and then into the future as we seeing it playing out. Because of changes in technology from then until now, some pages may take ten or fifteen seconds to load (let them load fully before you click on them again), but please enjoy this voyage of our company history if you'd like.
In 1996 our site was truly one of the early sites for individual agents, or even real estate companies. We were a bit younger then, and this is how we appeared in those days as The Metro Lakes Specialists.
1997 saw a few minor changes to our design, and the addition of some calming music instead of the brief splash of seagulls -- and even a more professional look. Internet awards were big back then, and so we added some of ours to our home page.
Through the late 90s, the Internet was growing rapidly in strength, and our site was becoming more and more popular. We didn't make a lot of major changes to the design over the next few years, except for those relating to the text and how properties were displayed. During 1999, we changed from being agents with Edina Realty to using our domain name of Lakehomes.com in our own company name -- as Lakehomes.com Realty.
By 2002, we had moved to Grand Rapids and expanded from our core Twin Cities market. What is really amazing is that our looks had not changed at all since our last major design change in 1997. We were in our late thirties then, and we figured that those youthful looks would probably stick with us forever.
By 2003 we had begun to grow into other waterfront markets around Minnesota, and so our design began to take on the look of a real estate company, instead of just the two of us as lake specialists. New agents began to join Lakehomes.com Realty, and we came up with the ship's wheel to help direct buyers to various areas and agents on our site.
In 2004, we were beginning to add a lot more lake properties to our site from around the state, and we massaged our design once more to accomodate that.
2005 was a great year at Lakehomes.com Realty. Our listings and the number of agents working for us were both growing rapidly. The company created a new logo for the times and many changes in the website as well. However, one of the worst things that occured is that all of sudden we became older one day and needed a new photo for ourselves immediately.
Things stayed pretty much the same on the site until 2008, when we added blog articles like this one, and more direct contact with each of our agents directly from the the website. That was also a the year we saw a need to give much better information to the consumers, so we began to redesign the site to give highly defined area information to our visitors, along with direct links to waterfront properties in each market area.
By early 2009, our new design was in place, and with our traffic increasing almost tenfold overnight, we could tell that was what you all wanted! The site has continued on without much change during the past two years, and we are now ready to embark on our largest modification ever...by far!
In the next few weeks, you will begin to see some major changes here that will give you even more information than you get now. Our design and functionality will be growing along with the beginning of a new decade, and our reach across many states will also begin to take effect. As technology continues to give us so many more options, we need to offer as many of those as we possibly can to our customer base, and 2011 is the year that will begin to quickly ramp up.
Lakehomes.com and Lakehomes.com Realty will continue to give consumers the best source of information they can get when it comes to waterfront real estate. Only now we will begin to offer that to even more people across America.
We thank you for all the years of being here with us as we have grown from a couple of lakeshore agents into a real company. Please also stay with us for the next round.
We wanted to share a few snapshots from our early days on the Internet until today, and then into the future as we seeing it playing out. Because of changes in technology from then until now, some pages may take ten or fifteen seconds to load (let them load fully before you click on them again), but please enjoy this voyage of our company history if you'd like.
In 1996 our site was truly one of the early sites for individual agents, or even real estate companies. We were a bit younger then, and this is how we appeared in those days as The Metro Lakes Specialists.
1997 saw a few minor changes to our design, and the addition of some calming music instead of the brief splash of seagulls -- and even a more professional look. Internet awards were big back then, and so we added some of ours to our home page.
Through the late 90s, the Internet was growing rapidly in strength, and our site was becoming more and more popular. We didn't make a lot of major changes to the design over the next few years, except for those relating to the text and how properties were displayed. During 1999, we changed from being agents with Edina Realty to using our domain name of Lakehomes.com in our own company name -- as Lakehomes.com Realty.
By 2002, we had moved to Grand Rapids and expanded from our core Twin Cities market. What is really amazing is that our looks had not changed at all since our last major design change in 1997. We were in our late thirties then, and we figured that those youthful looks would probably stick with us forever.
By 2003 we had begun to grow into other waterfront markets around Minnesota, and so our design began to take on the look of a real estate company, instead of just the two of us as lake specialists. New agents began to join Lakehomes.com Realty, and we came up with the ship's wheel to help direct buyers to various areas and agents on our site.
In 2004, we were beginning to add a lot more lake properties to our site from around the state, and we massaged our design once more to accomodate that.
2005 was a great year at Lakehomes.com Realty. Our listings and the number of agents working for us were both growing rapidly. The company created a new logo for the times and many changes in the website as well. However, one of the worst things that occured is that all of sudden we became older one day and needed a new photo for ourselves immediately.
Things stayed pretty much the same on the site until 2008, when we added blog articles like this one, and more direct contact with each of our agents directly from the the website. That was also a the year we saw a need to give much better information to the consumers, so we began to redesign the site to give highly defined area information to our visitors, along with direct links to waterfront properties in each market area.
By early 2009, our new design was in place, and with our traffic increasing almost tenfold overnight, we could tell that was what you all wanted! The site has continued on without much change during the past two years, and we are now ready to embark on our largest modification ever...by far!
In the next few weeks, you will begin to see some major changes here that will give you even more information than you get now. Our design and functionality will be growing along with the beginning of a new decade, and our reach across many states will also begin to take effect. As technology continues to give us so many more options, we need to offer as many of those as we possibly can to our customer base, and 2011 is the year that will begin to quickly ramp up.
Lakehomes.com and Lakehomes.com Realty will continue to give consumers the best source of information they can get when it comes to waterfront real estate. Only now we will begin to offer that to even more people across America.
We thank you for all the years of being here with us as we have grown from a couple of lakeshore agents into a real company. Please also stay with us for the next round.
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