Vacation Property

If you are preparing to sell your cabin, you can do some easy things to help get top dollar and sell it quickly. 

Declutter

Walk through your cabin with a critical eye and put away any seldom-used recreational equipment, as well as any piles of books, magazines, or odds and ends that have accumulated. If an item doesn’t have a home, pitch it or pack it! Clean all clutter from countertops, including small appliances. You might be amazed at how much bigger your cabin will look when all of the extra “stuff” is put away!

Clean up the outside

The more work a buyer thinks is needed, the lower the price they will want to pay. Taking a bit of time to power wash the deck, dock, or any other parts of your property that have moss, mildew, or are grungy can help make things look spic and span. Trim dead limbs or anything blocking the lake view if you have one. Showcase the beauty of your property!

Make the inside smell good

Sometimes cabins, especially the older ones, may smell musty or have that “not so fresh” smell. Doing a deep clean can help. Mop, dust, clean the baseboards and polish any wood. Painting takes a bit of time, but a fresh coat of paint can make things look and smell newer. 

Ready to buy or perhaps sell your Up North property? With offices in Longville, Hackensack, and Walker, we can assist you in finding the best properties in Northern Minnesota. Contact us today to get started!

Have you ever thought about buying a vacant plot of land? While most people are looking for a lot that already has a home built, there are actually several benefits to buying bare land or hunting land. 

1. Land can be an easy investment. 
Because you aren’t dealing with the upkeep of a building, land can be a wonderful investment opportunity that requires very little work. 

2. There is little risk.
For the most part, nothing can really be destroyed, broken, or stolen from bare land. Therefore, there is less risk of something being damaged and having to deal with extra expenses. 

3. It is inexpensive. 
Investing in bare or hunting land can be relatively inexpensive. Apart from taxes, you will not be paying for electricity, water, or other utilities. Additionally, there is typically little competition when it comes to purchasing land, meaning that you can often get it at a lower price.

4. You have plenty of options.
Whether you want to build a vacation home you can enjoy with your family, a cabin you can rent out, or keep your land bare for hunting or investing, your options are endless!

Whether you’re looking for land or a vacation home, we can help! Contact us today so that we can assist you in finding your favorite spot Up North in Minnesota!

Ready or not, winter will be here before we know it! Whether or not you are planning on closing up your cabin during the snowy months, you’ll need to do a bit of preparation to make sure that it withstands the harsher temperatures and conditions. Here are a few things you will want to make sure you do:

Outdoor Maintenance 

• Store any patio furniture and outside decor.
• Mow the lawn one last time and rake up any leaves.
• Clean out the gutters.
• Check for any leaks or cracks in the windows and doors and seal them up so that the cold (and creatures) stay out.
• Winterize your boat dock.

Indoor Maintenance

• Check your furnace (if you have one) to make sure it is running properly. 
• Winterize your plumbing if you haven’t done this before.
• Turn off your water if you are leaving for the winter. 
• Make sure all of your appliances are running properly and unplug anything that will not be used if you are closing up.
• Clean out your pantry and fridge.
• Close all curtains and shades. 

Contact us at Bill Hansen Realty today if you’re ready to start your search for the Up North lake home you’ve been dreaming about!

Summer is drawing to a close, which means it’s time to prepare for the cold weather and snow. Winterizing your boat dock is an important task for this time of year, and doing it properly will help everything stay in top shape. If you’re not sure where to start, here are 5 easy steps to winterizing your dock: 

1. First, remove all accessories you have attached to your dock. This includes things like kayaks and paddleboards that you may have tethered as well as anything else that may be attached.

2. Next, check and tighten all bolts and screws. Some of these may have come loose from wear over the summer, so it’s a good idea to make sure everything is secure before you use your dock again in the spring. 

3. It’s always a good idea to clean and seal the decking portion of your dock before the season is over. This way, it can avoid damage that might be caused by algae or other bacteria. 

4. If you have a fixed dock, you may want to use a bubbler or de-icer to reduce the amount of ice that is formed around your dock in the winter. 

5. Depending on what kind of dock you have, the last step is to either remove it from the water or attach a safety line to it and secure it on a fixed structure on shore, such as a tree. You will also want to detach it from shore the best you can by removing any ramps or steps. This can help avoid shoreline erosion. 

Are you ready to find the Up North lake home you’ve always wanted? Contact us today so that we can help you with your search! 

If you dream of owning a cabin in Northern Minnesota, now is a great time to pursue that dream! One question potential cabin buyers always have is how to pay for it. When it comes to financing a cabin, you have multiple options:

Second-Home Loan

If you’ve already paid off your first mortgage or would like a conventional loan for your cabin up north in Minnesota, getting a vacation home loan is your first option. We recommend using a mortgage lender who specializes in second homes in the local area. These lenders will have ready financing sources and understand the required rules and specifics of the place you’re buying in.

Cash-Out Refinance

If you have equity in your home and it makes financial sense, you might be able to refinance at the current rate and get the cash to buy your vacation home by doing a cash-out refinance. A cash-out refinance allows you to replace your current loan with a new mortgage loan for a larger amount than the existing mortgage and keep the difference between the two loans in cash. 

Home Equity Loan 

Home equity loans are a very popular way of financing a cabin. They allow you to borrow money against the equity you’ve built up in your home. This type of loan is a lump-sum payout with a fixed interest rate and is paid off in equal monthly payments, like the mortgage on your primary home. 

Go in with Friends or Family

Sometimes buying your Minnesota dream cabin might feel out of reach. One option you could consider is going in on a vacation property with friends or family. Two checkbooks are larger than one and could make buying a vacation home achievable. 

Need help finding your dream cabin in Northern Minnesota? We would love to help! Bill Hansen Realty is the market leader in Northern Minnesota. Please click here to contact us.