SOLD by Friday!

Stunning 80 acre retreat in Willow River.

Joel Friday, e-PRO (DMR Realty, Inc.) — Fri, 08 May 2009 09:08:19 -0500

At first glance you say, another 80 acre property up north but, as soon as you pull int the driveway, you notice something different. Rolling terrain with towering pines, bright white birch, stately oaks, and then a spring fed pond. Then you see the home, cedar shakes and siding, a screen porch along the entire west side, a deck off the loft bedroom above the porch, and a patio below from the walkout basement all facing the pond. Upon entering the home there is a mud room and stairs to the basement. Around the corner the kitchen greets you with a cathedral ceiling, tongue and groove aspen woodwork harvested from the land. Beyond that you see oak hardwood floors and a pot belly stove in the wide open living area. The screen porch is right behing 3 huge sliding doors that allow great scenes from outside to be right there in front of you.

Once you have explored the main level with 2 bedrooms including the master with a bathroom and sliding door, you notice the winding stair case to the loft. You quickly race up the stairs to see what is up there and discover a huge area that can be used as a bedroom or a family room. Another sliding door takes you to the balcony over the porch. Your view includes fantastic sunsets, deer coming down for water from the pond and abundant wildlife. There is also a huge walk in closet or play room. The smell of bacon and coffee will make getting up a memorable experience.

The lower level awaits your ideas as it is wide open and has two more sliding doors that open to the patio below the porch. Time for a leisurely stroll around your new home. The trails wind throughout the hills, forest, wetlands and you take even more wildlife. There are a few tree stands for hunting or bird watching that are well marked. There is even a 5 acre pasture for Elk, which you could also use for cattle or horses. A large pole barn and 3 car garage are just the start of your storage area as there are several additonal out buildings scattered throughout the acreage.

Time for fishing or boating, Long Lake is just around the corner as is the Kettle River. The Willard Munger State Trail is only a mile away. Hinckley is around 20 miles to the south and Duluth is now less than an hour away. There are also several state parks in the area including Banning State Park with an old rock quarry that is very scenic.

For more details check out the links below or give me a call to come and see this stunning 80 acre retreat that can be lived in year round.

This could be your

"HOME By Friday!"

http://HomebyFriday.com

Joel Friday Homes 612-868-6287

What happened to Realtor's basic honesty?

Joel Friday, e-PRO (DMR Realty, Inc.) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 09:35:33 -0500

How does one explain to a client where the supposed 3rd bedroom is in a home? Sure the listing agent conveniently hides the non conforming bedroom in the agent notes. I can explain this to my client when a closet is not there and most will understand. But I have show a few homes lately where the 4th wall is missing along with no door. As a matter of fact it is part of the family room.

About a year ago on 60 minutes or 20/20, there was an agent who claimed he sold his listings in an average of 21 days. The reporter went on to discover that he simply relisted the homes every 90 days. The agent actually bragged about this deceitful practice on the air and admitted this is how his time on market numbers were so low.

Our code of ethics states we must treat everyone with honesty, whether or not they are our clients. Advertising a home with 3 bedrooms when it only has 2 wastes everyones time. Looking back at the home the dining room and living room were also nonconforming bedrooms too. I guess they should have called it a 5 bedroom. And yes I can see the market history on the MLS but, home owners can't. We need to live up to the code of ethics we signed when we became Realtors.

Make sure your home is

"SOLD by Friday!"

Joel Friday

http://JoelFridayHomes.com

Uniquely charming home on the edge of a 200 acre nature preserve

Joel Friday, e-PRO (DMR Realty, Inc.) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 09:49:04 -0500

This is a perefect chance to buy this home with a fantastic yard, hardwood floors, lofted master suite with whirlpool tub. Two tiered deck on the back for picture perfect sunsets every night or you can watch the kids playing on the play ground. Huge windows on the west allow daylight to come into your living and dining room. Gas fireplace in the family room is perfect for those cold nights or fire up the sauna and melt your troubles away. You are far enough away from the city to see the stars at night, yet just minutes from downtown via highway 65.

The up north charm of rough sawn wood and exposed wood beams make you feel right at home. Insulated 2 car garage is great for your handy work and you have over an acre to call your own. The nature trail start just down the block for an evening stroll or bird watching. No homes are in your back yard for extra privacy.

What are you waiting for? Call me now for an appointment before this home is gone.

Virtual tour link

Joel Friday Homes

This could be your

"HOME by Friday!"

612-868-6287

A great loss for Coon Rapids

Joel Friday, e-PRO (DMR Realty, Inc.) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 20:02:18 -0600

Coon Rapids lost an icon during the last week. Have you heard of her before? If you have ever been to Crooked Lake Park or even the beach years ago, you most likely know to whom this story is about. The little store that almost goes unnoticed as you play at the park or drive by on your way home. The road that passes by once was a busy county road, now only the local traffic passes by. If you ventured in this 15 x 15 foot store you could quickly find what ever it was you wanted. If you brought a credit card or forgot your cash, you were instantly given credit by the clerk and owner. Could a place like this really exist in 2009? Indeed it did but, sadly Millie Buzzelli died recently.

Millie's husband Ted opened the store back in 1936 to serve Crooked Lake Beach in Coon Rapids, MN. My first visit came when I was still a kid enjoying the beach around 1976 grabbing some ice cream. My last visit was last summer on a bike ride through our neighborhood getting food for my next breakfast. The family isn't sure if they will continue this legacy but the community will certainly miss Millie.

Local TV news coverage

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=540571

And of course a fabebook group, even though Millie probably never visited the site.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=58058851559

$8000 for first time home buyers available now!

Joel Friday, e-PRO (DMR Realty, Inc.) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:04:17 -0600

The new stimulus bill has a $8000 credit for first time or new buyers who haven't owned in 3 years or more. This credit is taken after the purchase so may be used for improvements or paying back Mom and Pop for the down payment they borrowed you. This is a great deal and with low prices and interest rates, you may never find a more affordable time to buy.

Go to HomeByFriday.com to start your search or email me at joel@joelfridayhomes.com.

Hidden Gem in Champlin

Joel Friday, e-PRO (DMR Realty, Inc.) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 11:11:08 -0600

Buona Sera is a restaurant you may have driven by several times and never known it is there. The building is not much larger than the homes in the area and other than a parking lot and small sign, you might think it is a home. The location is West River Road and Douglas Drive in Champlin, MN.

Inside you will find a family dining place seldom seen in Minnesota. The Italian food is very good and the chef may even stop by your table. We saw the owner greeting guests with his 4 year old grandson at his side. The service was great, they even spent extra time helping us to select a wine to make our Valentine's meal extra special.

Make your next occassion extra special by stopping into this great restaurant.

I will help you find a

"Home by Friday!"

Joel Friday Homes

HomeByFriday.com

Ice palace in Ramsey, MN

Joel Friday, e-PRO (DMR Realty, Inc.) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 20:17:17 -0600

I received a call last month from an assett manager in Dallas. He asked if I could check on a home in Ramsey, MN for him and of course I said yes. Asked if the utitlities were on he answered probably not and was stunned to find out it was -24* F here in the Twin Cities that day. He thought 50* F in Dallas was cold. The utility companies both said they were on but, a trip to the home quickly revealed the furnace was shut off. Apparently the last tenants had moved out in August so this wasn't a surprise.

The company who winterizes for me came out, shut off the well and started the furnace up. Pipes had already burst in several locations along with the fiberglass water softener tank. Fortunately the thaw produced very little leaking on sheet rock and other sensitive areas. The ice is now all melted so time to start marketing the home.

This is a great reminder for those of you who work with banks to make sure the winterizing is done by late September.

If you are ready for a little work...

This could be your

"HOME by Friday!"

Joel Friday

HomeByFriday.com

Coon Rapids Dam

Joel Friday, e-PRO (DMR Realty, Inc.) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 18:39:39 -0600

We just went for a walk at the Coon Rapids Dam. It is one of the hidden gems in Anoka County. We typically ride our bikes down there several times a year but, it is a tad cold and icy for that right now. So we drove down to the park and hiked out across the dam. Their is some great ice formations and ice bergs floating on the river below the dam. We also saw a red tailed hawk and several deer, one had even ventured out onto the ice. I snapped a few photos for your enjoyment. I highly recommend coming out of hybernation one of these days to see the mighty Mississippi River as it winds through Coon Rapids and Brooklyn Park.

Make sure your home is

"SOLD by Friday!"

Joel Friday Homes

JoelFridayHomes.com

612-868-6287

Sick of slush in your garage?

Joel Friday, e-PRO (DMR Realty, Inc.) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 17:16:20 -0600

We have been receiving snow almost every other day here in Minnesota this season. While that keeps everything nice and white, the slush tracked into your garage and driveway is annoying. Seems like I can shovel out gallons of the stuff on a daily basis. Worse yet that salt in the slush eats away at your concrete floor.

I have found a great way to clean your garage floor and remove the slush with out buying anything. The trick is to simply shovel clean snow onto the garage floor and wait an hour. By then shovel the snow back out as it has absorbed 90% of the salt and dirt that was on the floor. You will be amazed by how great this works. Just remember to use clean white, powdery snow.

I am dreaming of a green spring!

Make sure your home is

"SOLD by Friday!"

JoelFridayHomes.com

Joel Friday

612-868-6287

Finally widening 242

Joel Friday, e-PRO (DMR Realty, Inc.) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:54:35 -0600

I just went over to the Coon Rapids City Center to hear about the plans to widen Highway 242, now known as County 14 and Main Street. The road will be upgraded to 4 lanes from Coon Creek to Crane Street, which is just past Hanson. The construction will start in 2010 and likely close down the road from Hanson to Shenandoah Blvd to clear out the peat bog or build a land bridge. The county engineer said there is around 5 feet of tar from all of the fill down over the years in the area by the sod fields.

This project will be the first of many segments to turn county 14 into a 4 lane highway from 10 to 35W. Of course this will go as fast as funding comes through. The state has turn back funding available to help as part of giving the highway back to the county last year. Very little land acquisition is needed as the county has a wide right of way along the higway. They also plan to build a bike trail along this section of the road.

Make sure your home is

"SOLD by Friday!"

JoelFridayHomes.com

The Call

Joel Friday, e-PRO (DMR Realty, Inc.) — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 17:13:07 -0600

As a parent we hope to never receieve a call saying your child was in an accident. Last night my phone rang after midnight. My daughter said we were in an accident and every one was alright. She was planning on spending the night at friends anyway so we said we would pick her up in the morning.

The story was not a good one on how this happened so I thought I would share it with others so they can talk to their kids. They were already at the friends house and it after 11. They decided to go play a game called ding dong ditch. When they went outside they heard voices and discovered the boys were there egging one of thier cars.

Mistake #1 They ran for their car and gave chase.

Mistake #2 There were 7 of them in a 6 passenger car.

Mistake #3 None of them wore a seat belt, which they are ussually very good at doing.

Mistake #4 The chase began and they followed the boys down a dead end street, now they have them!

Mistake #5 After the boys simply turned around in the cul de sac, they continued pursuit.

Mistake #6 They were going too fast!

Mistake #7 The speed prevented them from making a corner and they spun the car and headed for the ditch. Mistake #8 This occurred in a residential neighborhood.

End result was the car took out a 6 x 6 post, some fencing and stopped when it hit a tree. The girls paniced when they saw smoke, most likely antifreeze from the radiator. They had been pinned in the back seat as the rear passenger door was against the tree. Once they all were out and back on the street, they called the boys to rescue them. The boys brought them back to the home they were spending the night at and they started to call home.

Blessing #1 Other than a few scrapes and bruises, the girls were protected by God.

Blessing #2 Many lessons were learned and they owned up to their responsibility for what happened.

Blessing #3 The cause of the egging was shown to be very minor compared to the forgiveness shown to them on the cross. I believe they will all grow closer together as friends because of this incident.

Blessing #4 These are all great kids who seldom cause any problems and we love them.

Disappointed, angry, thankful and blessed parent.

Fall Colors In Coon Rapids

Joel Friday, e-PRO (DMR Realty, Inc.) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 19:23:38 -0500

The fall colors were spectacular this year in Coon Rapids. I added a few pictures below to show you some of what I saw on our walk today through Bunker Hills Regional Park and the Oaks of Shenandoah. We walked through the new tunnel under Hanson Blvd and over to the new tunnel under the railroad tracks and through the golf course. They still have it closed at the tracks but we walked on around anyway. The trail map is below the pictures.

Enjoy the pictures!

JoelFridayHomes.com

612-868-6287

Joel Friday Homes

Two tunnel hike
Find more Walks in Coon Rapids, Minnesota

Rhinestone Roundup

Joel Friday, e-PRO (DMR Realty, Inc.) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 11:10:34 -0600

We attended the fund raiser for Meadow Creek Christian School last night. They have a silent auction of donated items, you could buy anything from Wild tickets to baskets for presents. There was easily 400 different items to bid on. The items made by specific classes were always bid very high as each parent wanted to bring home what their child had made. My favortie was the scrabble board with everyone's name on it. We didn't win any bids.

After that we had dinner and updates on the capital campaign for the new building. Sounds like they are almost ready to start building on the land they bought in Andover, MN. The city has already apprived the plan for the lot at 161st and Tulip.

Sweetwater Revival performed while we ate our meals. They are 4 lady singers that sing original gospel music. They did a great job.

After dinner they do a live auction on 12 items that range from rock climbing with a couple of teachers, to a condo in Florida for a week. Everyone enjoyed the evening and a lot of money was raised. Last year they were able to purchase Mac books and projectors for the class rooms.

Hopefully we can raise enough money to start building the new school soon!

http://meadowcreek.com/

Make sure your home is

"SOLD by Friday!"

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Joel Friday

Redneck bottleneck moves West

Joel Friday, e-PRO (DMR Realty, Inc.) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:25:27 -0500

If you drive through Coon Rapids during rush hour you will be glad to read this note. Highway 10 from Egret to Hanson Blvd will be upgraded to 6 lanes next year. MnDOT plans to spend $10 million to move the redneck bottleneck west 3 miles, potentially eliminating the jam completely for afternoon and morning commuters. Construction will start next April and continue until November when the new lanes will open. The largest expense in the project will be replacing the bridges over the railroad tracks.

Currently, Highway 10 goes from 3 lanes to 2 right after 610 and 47 join the freeway, making for a long slow rush hour as traffic merges. Now the 3rd lane will end at Hanson where 1/3 of the cars exit anyways, This could easily knock off 5-10 minutes from your commute!

Make sure your home is

"SOLD by Friday!"

JoelFridayHomes.com

MCCS Volleyball SubSection Champions!

Joel Friday, e-PRO (DMR Realty, Inc.) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:55:14 -0500

After watching New Life Academy almost knock off Southwest Christian in their sub section final, the Meadow Creek Christian School girls volleyball team took the court against Heritage Christian. We were expecting to win coming in as the #1 seed and having beat them earlier this year. The Heritage team had a different plan though. After MCCS took an early lead in game one, they quickly found themselves in big trouble, down 23-17. Rolly called a timeout and Kelly Strandland rotation to serve was up. MCCs then rattled off the next 8 points to win 25-23. Heritage was not to be denied yet though as they came back to win game 2 25-19. The MCCS girls decided to take it to Heritage in game 3 winning decisively 25-7.

Heritage never gave up and survived several match points in game 4 before winning 29-27. The crowd was going wild on both sides at this point. Game 5 here we we come! Meadow Creek took an early advantage and never looked back in this game winning 15-4. Senior captain Tija Rudzitis had many blocks and made it clear this wouldn't be her last varsity game. Captain Lauren Sutherland also had a great match.

Here is the link in the Star Tribune showing their record.

http://preps.startribune.com/teamschedule.php?yid=0809&tid=1714

On to the section finals now against Southwest Christian who won the battle for the paddle earlier this season against MCCS. Stop by Minnehaha Academy Saturday at 1 to see how this match turns out. Winner goes to State!

Make sure your home is

"SOLD by Friday!"

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