2022-12-02 15:07
Pantone has announced that Viva Magenta is their color of the year for 2023. To some, this annual announcement may elicit an eye roll. But if you are a homeowner in Alexandria, it should be… Read More
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Alexmn.com By Craig Mische - Alexandria, Minnesota Blog
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lake
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tiki brand bitefighter
string lights
pods
dieu
viva magenta
north union
magenta
walking videos
Lakefront and residential real estate for sale in Alexandria, Minnesota and nearby communities such as Miltona, Glenwood, Garfield and Brandon.
2022-10-07 21:52
The colors of the leaves in Douglas County are at their Fall peak right now. So pretty. I am frequently out on the Central Lakes Trail and the portion of the trail between Lake Cowdry and La… Read More
2022-10-07 21:52
The colors of the leaves are so pretty right now. I am frequently out on the Central Lakes Trail and the portion of the trail between Lake Cowdry and Lake Brophy is especially beautiful. Her… Read More
2022-07-28 21:28
Have you noticed the proliferation of walking videos on YouTube. If there is anywhere you haven’t been and are thinking of a visit, search the location with “walking” on Yo… Read More
2022-06-25 00:32
Today there is a new MLS listing of an HOA property for sale at Lake Minnewaska and three “coming soon” lake home listings. The three listings that are “coming soon”… Read More
2022-06-23 13:46
They aren’t inexpensive but the string lights I bought at the beginning of summer have already paid for themself. No mosquitos on my patio when the Tiki Brand BiteFighter is turned on… Read More
2022-06-23 13:46
They aren’t inexpensive but the string lights I bought at the beginning of summer have already paid for themself. No mosquitoes on my patio when the Tiki Brand BiteFighter is turned on… Read More
2022-06-20 19:35
South of Voyager Elementary School and north of City Park in Alexandria on the east side of Lake Henry there are the ‘Explorer Streets’. I don’t think that is an official l… Read More
2022-06-17 13:56
Until July 15th or until the lake levels have decreased there is a no-wake zone 300 feet from the shoreline. The new rule is for the following lakes; Brophy, Burgen, Carlos, Cowdry, Darling… Read More
2022-06-14 02:14
Before I bought the first consumer drone in 2011 (primarily out of searching for a solution to show off great lake lots to buyers because the lots were so thick with trees) I used to visit A… Read More
2022-06-10 17:41
If you see me on a paddleboard it will usually be out on Darling, Carlos or Le Homme Dieu. But I keep one of my boards locked into my roof rack so I am ready to explore any lake with an acce… Read More
2022-05-29 21:06
If you pass by the Legacy of the Lakes Museum in Alexandria you will notice a small pontoon outside the front entrance. Here is the story about one of the first pontoons on Alexandria’… Read More
2022-05-20 14:02
Earlier this week Alexandria added four to its population. A couple and their two kids will be living and working remotely from the home I helped them purchase on the east side of Lake Carlo… Read More
2022-05-14 14:29
KARE11 has aerial footage of some of the damage from Thursday’s storm. The aerial video shows the east end of Lake Darling’s Casa Marina Lane and the southern end Casa Marina Roa… Read More
2022-05-04 13:25
Sun starved Alexandrians were outside in force yesterday, myself included. The ice is off the lakes and everyone’s spirit was brightened. I was glad to be outside doing yard work in th… Read More
2022-04-20 20:37
58 years ago on April 22, 1964, the New York World’s Fair began on 646 acres of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. There were two six-month seasons at the fair, April 22 – October… Read More
2022-04-16 22:56
If you aren’t in Alexandria and are wondering about the status of the ice at our lakes, here is a photo of L’homme Dieu looking towards L’homme Dieu Bay, Zorbaz, and Lure L… Read More
2022-04-06 20:31
The screenshot to the left is of an app on my iPhone that I use and if you aren’t familiar with it I am confident you will want to use if you are in the market to buy or sell. It is fr… Read More
2022-04-05 16:37
Over the past two decades, there have been many instances where buyers or sellers that I am assisting need to find a notary public. Usually, it is because they aren’t going to be at th… Read More
2022-04-01 20:15
The old post office building on Broadway in Alexandria was renovated by my dad back in 1977. He owned Crown Realty (now Crown Realtors Coldwell Banker, a friendly competitor of yours truly)… Read More
2022-03-24 21:16
Lake Darling, June 2020I’ve been around the Common Loon for a long time but learned something new about them this week. At the beginning of summers I will often see Loon babies with th… Read More
2022-03-21 20:01
A friend and classmate that grew up a few blocks from my family’s home on Douglas Street bought a church in 2016. Yes, a church. The Norwegian Lutheran Church (circa 1907) is located i… Read More
2022-03-12 15:56
Co-ops are common in Manhattan but not Minnesota’s Douglas County. One local co-op is on the east side of Lake Ida. The photo above (July 2017) shows a bird’s eye view of the Car… Read More
2022-02-16 22:10
If you are in the market for a home and know the area of Alexandria that you’d like to live, consider using Advanced Property Search. In it there are many options to filter your real e… Read More
2022-01-27 21:13
Did you know that refrigerators can be painted? I didn’t until reading an article from Architectural Digest. To top it off, they say it can be accomplished for less than $75. At the bo… Read More
2022-01-08 22:56
It was a tough week to be in Minnesota unless you really love sub-zero weather, bad driving conditions, and shoveling snow. I don’t mind any of it and the Winter Classic was fantastic… Read More
2022-01-04 20:42
If you were on a lake home hunt in 2021 you have likely become familiar with “Coming Soon” as a listing status. It is a listing option that is a fantastic tool for listing agents… Read More
2021-12-28 14:41
Lake Ida is already one of the cleanest lakes in Douglas County and steps are being taken to keep it that way and even improve its water quality. Close to $288,000 in grants for projects to… Read More
2021-12-06 17:59
Throughout summers in Alexandria I record videos of lakes for my archive so I am ready to share with visitors to my web-site, alexmn.com. When the weather turns cold in Alexandria I really a… Read More
2021-10-14 15:34
Stor Smart North is a storage community conveniently located north of Alexandria 1.5 miles east of Lake Carlos. There are twenty units that are 3,072 square feet (the largest size at Stor Sm… Read More
2021-09-15 14:19
This morning I watched a short video from Houzz. If you are interested in what is popular right now inside and outside homes, a great source is big increases in internet searches. The Houzz… Read More
2021-09-01 21:39
Have you bought real estate and received a letter like this soon after closing? Don’t send a check.
It looks official and if you don’t read it carefully it is easy to be fooled… Read More
2021-08-12 16:44
East of the Carlos-Darling channel there are only twelve homes with Carlos Darling Drive addresses. Eight facing Lake Carlos and four facing Lake Darling. As you will see in the video below… Read More
2021-08-10 22:25
It has been another beautiful day in Alexandria, Minnesota. The photo below was taken about 20 minutes ago and shows a little bit of Big Darling, all of Little Darling, and glimpses of Lake… Read More
2021-07-01 20:18
Earlier today I was reading through a collection of memories from Alexandria’s Lake Ida and came across a page titled ‘On The Lighter Side’.
I am unsure of the date this li… Read More
2021-06-16 22:52
This Friday a lake home at Idawild East goes on the market. The current status is “coming soon” which means potential buyers can view information and photos/videos about the prop… Read More
2021-06-03 21:00
Each year when I observe some lake properties that sell before winter I wonder if the new owners are aware what their place at the lake will look like in the middle of summer. In 2021 I have… Read More
2021-05-22 22:00
Back in 2006 land at the northwest corner of Lake Irene was platted. The plat name is Irenes Sunny Brook and the lots are located on NW Irene Road. Most of them sold and then in 2008 there w… Read More
2021-05-03 20:05
You may have viewed the title of this post and wonder if I am having some typing challenges. All is okay, or at least that is what I tell myself…
At the northeast corner of Lake Carlo… Read More
2021-04-22 14:32
If you are like many and have been waiting for a lake home to go on the market, it’d be good to brush up on Smith Lake if you aren’t already familiar with the Douglas County lake… Read More
2021-04-10 14:48
With an ultra tight lake home market maybe it is time to consider building. You will be able to get the floorplan that suits your lifestyle and needs as well as choose the materials. The rub… Read More
2021-04-07 17:01
If your lake home is in a location where your down/up speeds aren’t very good, there is a new option that may interest. T-Mobile’s wireless home internet is now available nationw… Read More
2021-04-02 00:36
Due diligence. Do it or have a trusted Realtor with direct knowledge of the shoreline when considering buying lakefront real estate at this time of year in Alexandria, Minnesota or any lakef… Read More
2021-04-01 12:31
Are you without a dishwasher at your lake cabin? Sign up to have Bob do your dishes.
Bob is made by a French Company named Daan Tech and soon Bob will be available in the USA. Bob is a mini… Read More
2021-03-30 16:31
Did you know that L’homme Dieu‘s Government Point used be named Boy’s Point? Before it became Government Point it was owned by six Alexandria men that intended to build a c… Read More
2021-03-21 16:40
Close to one year I recorded the video below. It was early April of 2020 and the video starts from the Lake Le Homme Dieu side of Blakes by the Lakes (Blakes owns frontage on both Carlos and… Read More
2021-03-06 18:33
This morning I had a phone conversation with someone that is actively searching to buy a lake home in the Alexandria area and a number of good questions were posed to me. One was about the d… Read More
2021-03-03 23:02
Delete aerial video footage containing lakes of Alexandria? Never. If it is the middle of winter, a video above a lake such as Carlos provides a boost. And they usually come in handy when th… Read More
2021-02-24 21:20
There is a new lakefront condo listing that should grab quite a bit of attention and the question about whether dogs are allowed will be asked many times. I’ve already been asked a few… Read More
2021-02-10 22:55
If you own a lake home, have you considered adding an outdoor shower? Or, if you are actively been looking for a lake home, it might be worth considering lake homes with fewer bathrooms desi… Read More
2021-01-26 02:22
In the market for a lake home in Alexandria on its Chain of Lakes? Check out this lake home that will be available for showings starting this Friday. It is in the MLS as of today with a stat… Read More
2020-11-24 22:16
The Ida Lake Association shares on their web-site, history about the lake. History that probably is not known by many that love the lake. Here are three things you may not know about second… Read More
2020-11-05 16:28
How about the weather in Alexandria this week? Last month I was shoveling and this month I’ve been raking leaves I missed before the snowfall. Any free time I have had I’ve also… Read More
2020-10-14 17:01
Any time of the year is a good time to visit Lake Vermont but I especially enjoy being anywhere along its shoreline in the fall. Yesterday brought me to Lake Vermont and I brought along one… Read More
2020-09-23 16:26
A Sunday morning ritual for me is watching CBS Sunday Morning. It is tough not to have your spirits raised after an episode. If you also are a viewer you will know the show always ends with… Read More
2020-09-11 20:07
Late in the fall of 2011 I was laying on a couch in my living room on a Sunday afternoon paging through an issue of Wired. Vividly I recall turning to a page about a French company named Par… Read More
2020-08-23 21:00
You are getting a first look at a new listing at Lake Ida. One of my partners, Tom Wegner, is the listing agent and he asked me to grab some aerials and record a Matterport Virtual walk-thru… Read More
2020-08-07 14:48
“Fountain of Truth” in Rome from a Feb., 2020 visitI am fond of the saying “crisis doesn’t build character, it reveals it”. Full of truth. The same can be said… Read More
2020-08-02 13:48
The title of this post refers to the name of a statue at the northeast shoreline of Lake Minnewaska near the Lakeside in Glenwood that you will see in the video I have shared (Lakeside too)… Read More
2020-07-23 13:12
A friend of mine is an owner of a property at Lake Darling‘s Browns Point and had family from Texas visiting earlier this week. She loves aerial photos and videos so I gave her a call… Read More
2020-07-13 03:41
Normally at this time of year the Legacy of the Lakes Museum would have had classic boat lovers having a great time at Arrowwood Resort at their classic boat show. These aren’t normal… Read More
2020-07-05 12:41
The video below was collected yesterday as participants in the Lake Carlos Fourth of July Boat Parade gathered at the southwest corner of Lake Carlos prior to the start of the annual event Read More
2020-06-26 14:05
Yesterday I biked into Alexandria from Lake Darling and passed through Big Ole Park to check out the progress of the new musical playground that the Alexandria Rotary Club funded along with… Read More
2020-06-17 21:35
Another windy day in paradise. While windy days put a kink into my paddleboarding routine I usually enjoy them. But this has been crazy.I’ve been an iPhone user since the first model w… Read More
2020-06-14 12:24
Any visit to Osakis requires a stop at Tip Top Dairy Bar. Or at least it should. An appointment at a Lake Osakis property late in the morning resulted in lunch at Tip Top. It isn’t fas… Read More
2020-06-13 01:35
My week was a busy one and I was in bad need of some time on the Central Lakes Trail or any trail for that matter. After an early morning final walk through at a home on the eastside of Alex… Read More
2020-06-05 15:15
Three years ago at my lake cottage I had some hungry chipmunks that did some chewing under my car which led to a $600 repair and also led me to purchase a scooter for summer use. At the lake… Read More
2020-06-01 19:04
I never grow tired of arriving at Glenwood from the north via Hwy 29. The video I recorded (see below) Sunday morning doesn’t do the view of Lake Minnewaska justice. Fittingly U2&rsquo&hell…Read More
2020-05-31 02:17
Each year there are a handful buyers and sellers in the Alexandria area that choose to use REALTORS® (not being like Trump, the label is trademarked and supposed to be in all caps) that… Read More
2020-05-03 16:26
A frequent question put to me these days is about showings of homes during the lockdown. I’ve done virtual showings (either via streaming with Duo or Facetime and also sending a video… Read More
2020-04-15 14:42
The video below was recorded during the afternoon on Saturday April 11th in Alexandria. I didn’t edit the video at all (not too shabby of a smooth flight) which will take you along the… Read More
2020-04-12 02:27
This afternoon I stopped at the Le Homme Dieu Public Access next to Rotary Beach to record some photos and videos. Tomorrow or Monday I’ll add a video and some photos but in the meant… Read More
2020-04-10 16:17
Continuing my recent lake ice storyline (Darling and Le Homme Dieu) I now move eastward on Alexandria’s Chain to Lake Geneva. A handful warm, sunny days since last Sunday when these ph… Read More
2020-04-07 13:22
LAKE LE HOMME DIEUIce on the lakes in Alexandria, Minnesota have limited time left this spring. These photos were taken this past Sunday afternoon and show only part (mostly the southern hal… Read More
2020-04-04 23:52
Every day is a beautiful day but today in particular was a really beautiful day. A needed beautiful day. Everyone seemed to be outside enjoying the weather (at a proper distance from others)… Read More
2020-03-28 15:02
This market report for Alexandria’s Chain of Lakes is automatically generated and you can view the same type of report on most of the lake home pages of Alexmn.com. Signing up to recei… Read More
2020-02-27 16:01
It appears to me that the real estate market in 2020 is going to be strong for sellers of lake homes in the Alexandria Lakes Area. The inventory of lake homes is still very tight. Being Febr… Read More
2019-11-19 20:16
Casa Marina Lane at Lake Darling is arguably one of the best locations to live in Alexandria, Minnesota. Most of the homes enjoy level, sandy shoreline with a gradual increase of water depth… Read More
2019-10-22 15:31
This past Saturday I had an enjoyable fall drive top Brandon, Minnesota. My destination was 10350 Chippewa Heights NW which is on the west side of Big Chippewa at about the halfway point of… Read More
2019-10-10 20:36
The lakes are at the top of my list of reasons why I love Alexandria. The Central Lakes Trail is very close to the top. A portion of the trail passes by Lake Brophy and through Brophy Park w… Read More
2019-10-02 13:17
Minnesota Monthly Magazine named Alexandria as the best town in Minnesota.“I’m excited to announce Alexandria as Minnesota Monthly’s 2019 Best Minnesota Town as it truly em… Read More
2019-08-31 15:25
Over and over again I hear from lakefront buyers “I am healthy now but worry about steps down to the lake if my knees aren’t the best later on” or “I have concerns ab… Read More
2019-08-14 01:17
Take a look at a portion of Lake Miltona’s Gold Coast (recorded last week) and see why the southeast corner of the largest lake in Douglas County is one of the most desirable places to… Read More
2019-07-23 14:53
The video (no sound, safe for work) in this post was recorded late this June on a Sunday afternoon above Lake Darling in Alexandria, Minnesota. Beginning where Arrowwood Resort and Conferenc… Read More
2019-06-13 13:42
It was another beautiful morning in Alexandria on Wednesday, June 12th. Honestly, even when the weather is sour it is beautiful. I love living here. Anyway, back to Wednesday morning. Below… Read More
2019-06-04 23:15
Last week I was at the northwest corner of Lake Ida for some property photos. My location was Betsy Ross Road and I decided to fly around Little Ida Bay to show an aerial view of the homes a… Read More
2019-05-16 21:36
Yesterday almost wiped the memory of the winter of 2018-2019 from my head. Almost. It sure was a beautiful day in Alexandria, Minnesota. I was at Lake Carlos for an appointment and afterward… Read More
2019-05-14 20:27
One of the last remaining lake lots at Lake Carlos, Lake Darling and Lake Le Homme Dieu is for sale. It is located at the southeast corner of Carlos on East Lake Carlos Drive. In a video I r… Read More
2019-05-10 21:08
Yesterday I added a Smith Lake home to Alexandria, Minnesota’s MLS. It is a two bedroom, one bathroom lake home that is ready for the summer. By that, I mean there really isn’t a… Read More
2019-04-29 00:32
This spring or summer if you are in Alexandria and would like to go to a restaurant near your lake cabin or cottage and not worry about driving, Lyft is now available! Still no Uber drivers… Read More
2019-04-02 17:46
Chippewa Trails is a homeowners association at Lake Ida in Alexandria on Wahtomin Trail NW. I was nearby it last Sunday and being that each year I receive inquiries about Chippewa Trails rea… Read More
2019-03-29 16:18
The view, for those wanting the ice and snow to leave, should be even better at Lake Darling today than in the photos below. Wednesday of this week I was at Baywood, Arrowwood’s neighb… Read More
2019-03-15 12:19
A three bedroom, two and a half bathroom home at Lake Darling’s Baywood went on the market late yesterday. The last time there was a home listed for sale at Baywood was 2016. Located o… Read More
2019-03-01 19:11
It is good for me to remind myself periodically that each industry has terms that are used that might not be fully understood outside the industry in which they are used. Real estate is no d… Read More
2019-01-24 16:18
Late last year I found some old videos promoting Alexandria, Minnesota. The quality of the videos isn’t very good but the production is quite good. Enjoy Read More
2019-01-04 16:55
Photo courtesy of THE WALL STREET JOURNALI subscribe to The Wall Street Journal and look forward to reading it each morning. Fridays issues I particularly enjoy as there is a section ca… Read More
2018-12-17 16:38
It is the time of year where you can’t escape lists of “Top Tens” and “Best Ofs”. In that spirit, I present to you the the ten highest sale prices of lake homes… Read More
2018-12-04 20:32
Maple Lake is nearby the southern business district of Alexandria. In the video embedded above (recorded in October) you will see a number of Maple Lake homes. They are located at the southe… Read More
2018-11-20 17:57
Late in October of this year I recorded the video below at Lake Le Homme Dieu. With November having been frigid, it seems like a long time ago. What you will see is the north shore of the la… Read More
2018-11-14 16:59
Not the best blog post title. Kind of sounds like it might be a bad television series on one of the many obscure networks. But, that is what you will see in the video recorded on Friday, Nov… Read More
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