# Looking for a place in MN



## Tmama (Oct 22, 2013)

We have been pre-approved through a lender for a home loan for a few months now and not having any luck at all finding a place. We don't have a huge budget and some of the houses, even the ones within our budget have been "cash only." As much as we would love to be able to buy with cash, that isn't the case right now. So, we want 3 or more acres with a house on the property. We are looking in the Isanti county and Chisago County areas but are open to other areas as well. I'm not sure posting this will bring anything our way, but I suppose it's worth a try =)


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## FireMaker (Apr 3, 2014)

What are your occupations? Are you looking for on or off grid? We always try to sell cook co. But jobs can be an issue as most are seasonal. Google Boreal Access and you can look at some of the job postings. It's a great area.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Usually low property values go together with low wages but if you don't need to work or get paid a lot there are counties with reasonably priced properties.

It also varies within counties. In this county (Crow Wing) there is everything from 50 yr old trailers to 10,000 sq ft "lake cabins".


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## Adisiwaya (Nov 27, 2013)

Did you try using Medina reality app? That's what we have been using and found some good houses. Most tells what they are viable for rural development/ FHA/ag loan etc etc. Can select to view properties 3+ acres on there. (Better than truilia/zillow due to fact there up to date)


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## buffalocreek (Oct 19, 2007)

If you are approved for a loan, why are you worried about the cash only sellers. The bank provides the cash for these sales, and you pay the bank back. Or am I not getting it?


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## Tmama (Oct 22, 2013)

Yeah it doesn't work that way, cash only means cash, no banks or anything involved


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## Tmama (Oct 22, 2013)

We are getting somewhat discouraged lately. We have been approved since February and have only gone on 1 showing. The market is so slow going. We even decided to raise the amount we were will to spend just in hopes that it would open up some new options for us. Now, since we are feeling discouraged we are starting to wonder if we should just buy something that isn't what we want (Like there are some properties that have less than my 3 acre minimum). But then we don't want to regret it later. This is hard!! 

We actually get emails sent to us from our realtor, their site, northstarMLS is really up to date and has good, detailed info. 

We aren't concerned with being off grid and Cook County is a bit too far.


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## sisterpine (May 9, 2004)

cash only, to me, means the building/property cannot pass inspection for mortgage insurance. I have recently lost out on two perfectly mortgageable places by folks who came in with all cash and quick close? i think most are investment companies who paint the place and then rent or resell it for a bunch more money....very sad conditions for those of us looking for a forever home.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I see lots of for sale signs in this area.


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## Tmama (Oct 22, 2013)

fishhead said:


> I see lots of for sale signs in this area.


Quite possibly then, they may be out of my price range or have problems that won't pass inspection


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

My brother lives in the Chisago area. I wonder if they have any small newspapers up there. You might try taking out an ad saying you are looking to buy. Sometimes you can find someone who is thinking about it but hasn't listed yet. A friend of mine got her place that way.


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## Adisiwaya (Nov 27, 2013)

Or go to local ma and pa dinners and ask the elders during breakfast time and see what people have to say they might know someone who would sell too.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Try putting an ad on craigslist


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## Tmama (Oct 22, 2013)

All great ideas!! Just getting a little discouraged because we have been looking for 2 years now and we have raised our budget by $20k and started considering short sales and there are a few houses being listed but they either need full renovations or they are listed as cash only or conventional only sales. We just don't have the amount of money to put down on a conventional loan. It's hard. I have 2 little girls that are getting older and I want to put them in a house while they still care to have one. I just get emotional about it. Sorry guys! Haha


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## Kevingr (Mar 10, 2006)

Tmama, sent you a PM for NW Isanti County.


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## Adisiwaya (Nov 27, 2013)

Did you try FHA or rural development loan programs through gov


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## Tmama (Oct 22, 2013)

Adisiwaya said:


> Did you try FHA or rural development loan programs through gov


That is what we are doing, but because of their standards, they rule out properties that we would otherwise want


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## Adisiwaya (Nov 27, 2013)

FHA is far better than the rural development which oddly enough isn't for rural areas more for town which is dumb acre restrictions and if any farm buildings on property it won't qualify. Yea we are still looking been for a year. We are qualified for fha and finally just now found a good place {wanting to move badly now fiance is preggers  }waiting to see if it qualifies or not. Best of wishes to you!


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## Tmama (Oct 22, 2013)

Adisiwaya said:


> FHA is far better than the rural development which oddly enough isn't for rural areas more for town which is dumb acre restrictions and if any farm buildings on property it won't qualify. Yea we are still looking been for a year. We are qualified for fha and finally just now found a good place {wanting to move badly now fiance is preggers  }waiting to see if it qualifies or not. Best of wishes to you!


Yeah, as far as I know, I haven't heard of acreage restrictions but I do know that commercial farm buildings do disqualify the property, which does suck! There have been 3 houses that we wanted but one had a silo and the other had a working milk barn and the last one had old electrical and all properties came back as disqualified.

It is also hard because when you get into rural areas, a lot of the houses are older and are more likely to have peeling paint or old electrical and those are automatically disqualified for both FHA and the rural development loan.

It is tough. We have been looking for about 2 total years. We actually just put an offer in on a place with 4 acres! Not as big as we wanted but my absolute minimum was 3 acres, so it wasn't a total deal breaker. There is a good sized pond and lots of trees so not all of the 4 acres is usable but, we had to make some compromises only because we are getting sick of waiting. I can only be patient for so long!! Haha. So, we hope that this all goes through because we are ready for the house life!!

Congrats on the baby and the property!! Best of luck!!


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## Tmama (Oct 22, 2013)

The home that we really like had a bum roof that needs replacing so we negotiated the price down a little, not as much as we were hoping for but we didn't want to push to hard and risk losing the house. So we are walking into a house we will have to spend a good chunk of money on very soon (like in the next year). But we love the house! There are still hoops to jump through but keep your fingers crossed for us!!=)


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## DLMKA (Jun 28, 2014)

Good luck on the new place. My mom grew up on 80 acres between Rush City and Harris, my uncle still lives there but is in poor health. Never been married or had kids so my brother, sister, and I will likely inherit the property. I like that area, spent lots of time there as a kid. Remember walking the gravel roads and finding bucket fulls of Lake Superior agates in the gravel.


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## Tmama (Oct 22, 2013)

We are closing on Monday!!! =) Excited and very very nervous to be a homeowner haha


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## Tmama (Oct 22, 2013)

We moved into our 4br, 4.2 acre home at the end of August!! Things have been really crazy with the house, new school, new daycare, new vehicle, increased work and commute hours and we got kittens too!  we find out that the roof "won't make it through the winter" AFTER we moved in. Called the Realtor and the loan guy and they said there isn't anything we can do which I think is crap. So, we had no choice but to take out and max credit cards to get it done. We are supposed to get a foot of snow by Monday and the roof isn't even started yet. I'm getting really nervous!!


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## bugstabber (May 12, 2002)

Congratulations on getting the new place! Do they require home inspections in Minnesota when you buy a house?


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## Tmama (Oct 22, 2013)

bugstabber said:


> Congratulations on getting the new place! Do they require home inspections in Minnesota when you buy a house?


Not require but they encourage and we did get one but are finding out he wasn't that thorough...


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## Kevingr (Mar 10, 2006)

Building inspections around here are a joke and there's no recourse if they are wrong. 

If you moved into NW Isanti county, welcome to the neighborhood!


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## Tmama (Oct 22, 2013)

I'm actually in a township southwest of cambridge


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