Home Matters

Real Estate - an essential service. We all need a roof over our heads and we all need to be able to move for a variety of reasons. The very latest Rochester area housing market update and how do things look differently with stay-at-home orders for many. We chat with Kevin Bright of Destination Medical Center and City of Rochester, energy and sustainability director. How does someone get into a career like that? What does the energy and sustainability future look like as Rochester continues to grow and develop and how do you help steer that ship? Is biking to work in Minnesota, in the winter, a viable option? That and more, including pigs, in this podcast.

Ron, Lynn, and Randy chat via zoom with our colleague and now broker, Samantha Pyfferoen. We talk about the challenges facing the world of real estate at this time, how buyers and sellers are still navigating the landscape, and what we're doing to stay positive and focused. Homes are still being bought and sold, so how does that look given "social distancing?" Sam also gives us a bit of a brief on her role as backup Broker at Property Brokers of MN.

Excellent conversation with Bethany von Steinbergs, Strengths Consultant, entrepreneur, business owner in the Rochester, MN area. We talked about what being a Strengths Consultant means for her and her clients, how she got started, her amazing family and husband Jed, and much more. This is a great listen if you're wondering how to give your workplace a boost in energy, understanding, and more positive culture.

While Ron and Lynn were out of the office, I had a chance to chat with my friend Brenda Chilman of Family Service Rochester. We've been working together to put together a fun event to support Meals on Wheels in Rochester - Denim, Diamonds & Dueling Pianos - coming up Saturday, March 28th! In addition, the work Family Service Rochester doesn't stop there. They work for and support the health of families throughout the area. For more: http://www.familyservicerochester.org

If you haven't had a chance to meet William Forsman yet, here's your opportunity to learn a little more about him. But we do encourage you to stop in and meet him. William manages Cafe Steam in Rochester and is a wealth of knowledge, not only in the realm of coffee. His coffee business has pushed him to travel the world to learn more about where coffee beans are sourced and the people who cultivate that resource. From talking about what makes a good cup of coffee to who has influenced him, we greatly enjoyed our conversation and know you will too.

Brandon Helgeson, Executive Director of Rochesterfest, joined us for a fun discussion regarding his business, how he got his start, his family, and the future of Rochesterfest. And to start off the podcast, we discussed when, how, and why you may (or may not) be able to negotiate as a buyer in today's market.

We were thrilled to welcome Rochester Mayor Kim Norton back to the show! Instead of plodding through the latest political discussions, we talked with Kim about what she’s learned from other Mayors and cities in her travels. Is a trip to Japan in the books? What new opportunities are out there for young women to get into public service? What about role models?

Quick market update, one you might find very interesting if you're thinking of selling sometime soon. We talk with Todd Hanson who's day job is at Wells Fargo and in his "spare" time has become an inventor! We learned from him what it takes to put his ideas to work and create, from the purpose to manufacturing to marketing. Find out more about his work at theEXOlife.com