REAL ESTATE

Property owner Karen Skoyles told the Detroit Lakes Board of Appeals and Equalization this week that her family's 6.4 acre property on Ox Cart Trail shouldn't have more than doubled in value when no major additions were made to the property or surrounding area.

More than 400 acres of farm land, homesteads and outbuildings in Frazee, Minnesota will be auctioned off live on May 4 beginning at 10 a.m. during an event hosted by Bachmann Auctioneers of Perham. The total 2022 assessed value of the six land parcels is $1,391,800.

Deanna Sinclair was named Realtor of the Year by the Lakes Country Association of Realtors based in Detroit Lakes. She currently works for Counselor Realty of Detroit Lakes and specializes in residential real estate; working with buyers, sellers and investors in throughout the lakes region, according to a news release from the group.

The former ERA Northland Realty sign over the offices at the southeast corner of Washington Avenue and Frazee Street in downtown Detroit Lakes now reads Counselor Realty, marking a significant change on the local real estate scene. ERA Northland owners Dave and Patty LaBarre have closed up shop and headed into retirement, selling their former office building to Counselor Realty partner Eric Lundmark.

The Real Estate Company of Detroit Lakes is under new ownership and was purchased by a long-time realtor with the company in April 2021. Chris Nord, the company's new owner said he hopes to expand the multi-media reach with his listings by implementing 3D-tours and aerial drone footage for future listings. Also, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development revised its latest state employment report for September which showed Minnesota reached 3.5% unemployment, the same percentage as March 2020 before the pandemic forced stay-at-home orders and health mitigation measures.

The revised requirements are expected to reduce home construction costs in Minnesota and make the state more competitive when it comes to attracting new residents.

The two most expensive lakeshore parcels on the upcoming Becker County public auction are on Abbey Lake south of Detroit Lake and Height of Land Lake about 15 miles east of Detroit Lakes.

Two residents of the Jackson apartments, at 1210 Jackson Avenue in Detroit Lakes, have recently gone public with their complaints about ongoing health hazards in the building. The residents said they tried to work with the Fargo-based management company, but became frustrated when their concerns were met with delays and unprofessional repairs. Now, they are trying to raise awareness about the conditions of the building in a hope that changes will be made and new prospective tenets won't suffer the same unhealthy conditions.

An open house was held at the Plummer pump house Saturday, May 8, 2021, in Southwest Rochester. A real estate listing for the home, which was originally a pump house for Dr. Henry and Daisy Plummer’s nearby house, and features tunnels into the hillside, was posted on Twitter by the popular account @zillowgonewild.