Drew Brudvig - RE/Max Dynamic Agents

06/19/2026

Buyers are getting some of their leverage back. First-time buyers are back up to 35% of sales, the Senate just passed a big housing supply bill, and locally we've got more homes to choose from and rates easing into the 6% range. Full breakdown in this week's Mankato Market Minute, plus a new 2024 build with lake-access listing in Elysian at $399,900. Take a look.

Mankato Market MinuteWhy First-Time Buyers Have More Room to Work With This SummerDrew Brudvig | The Home Team | DrewMN

06/19/2026

Closed! Huge congrats to my client Sam, who just got the keys to her new home in Owatonna, all the way from Washington state. So happy for you, Sam!

Thinking about a move of your own? Let's talk.

🇺🇸Drew Brudvig
📲(507) 327-2549
📧[email protected]
🏡The Home Team • RE/MAX Dynamic Agents

06/14/2026

There's a lot of mortgage advice floating around, and some of it keeps good buyers on the sidelines longer than they need to be. Three myths worth letting go of:

You don't need 20% down. There are plenty of low-down-payment options out there, and for first-time and VA-eligible buyers, some paths need little to nothing down. Your credit doesn't have to be perfect either. A solid score helps, but "flawless" was never the requirement. And not all lenders are the same. Programs, communication, and service vary a lot, so working with someone you trust actually matters.

If you're not sure where you stand, that's usually a quick conversation, not a big commitment. Happy to point you in the right direction.

🇺🇸Drew Brudvig
📲(507) 327-2549
📧[email protected]
🏡The Home Team • RE/MAX Dynamic Agents

06/13/2026

If you've been looking at listings or getting ready to sell, you've probably seen "DOM" or "Days on Market" somewhere in the details. Here's what it actually means and why it matters.

Days on Market is simply how long a home has been actively listed for sale. The clock starts the day it hits the MLS and stops when it goes under contract.

If you're a buyer, DOM is useful context. A home that's been on the market for 60 days might have more room for negotiation than one that just listed three days ago. It doesn't always mean something is wrong with the house. Sometimes it was overpriced at launch, sometimes the timing wasn't right. Either way, it's worth understanding.

If you're a seller, DOM matters a lot. The longer your home sits, the more buyers start to wonder why nobody else has bought it. That perception can push you into price reductions you didn't plan for. This is why pricing it right from day one is so important.

One thing to watch for: DOM resets if a listing is canceled and relisted. A home showing 5 days on market might have actually been listed for months. Your agent can pull the full history so you know the real story.

Questions about a specific listing or what DOM looks like in your price range around Mankato? Reach out anytime.

🇺🇸Drew Brudvig
📲(507) 327-2549
📧[email protected]
🏡The Home Team • RE/MAX Dynamic Agents

06/12/2026

Lots of housing news close to home this week. Mankato construction is picking back up, the old Good Counsel campus is becoming home lots, and Congress is the closest it's been in decades to a major housing bill. New Market Minute is up, plus a great little cabin on Lake Jefferson that just hit the market.

Mankato Market MinuteMankato Is Building, and Washington Just Gave Housing a PushDrew Brudvig | The Home Team | DrewM

06/11/2026

After your offer gets accepted and the inspection and appraisal are done, your loan goes into underwriting. This is the part of the process that makes a lot of buyers nervous, mostly because nobody explains what's actually happening.

Here's the short version.

Your lender packages up everything you've submitted (income docs, bank statements, tax returns, the appraisal report) and sends it to an underwriter. That person's job is to verify that everything checks out and that the loan meets the lender's guidelines.

First, they verify your income and assets. They're comparing what you told them on the application to what the documents actually show. Consistency matters here.

Then they review the appraisal to make sure the home's value supports the loan amount. If it comes in short, that's when the appraisal gap conversation happens.

Next come conditions. The underwriter might ask for an updated bank statement, a letter explaining a large deposit, or proof of insurance. This is completely normal. It doesn't mean something is wrong. Just respond quickly and clearly.

Once all conditions are satisfied, you get the three best words in the process: clear to close. That means your loan is fully approved and closing can be scheduled.

The whole thing usually takes one to three weeks. Your lender handles the heavy lifting, and I stay in the loop to make sure nothing stalls.

🇺🇸Drew Brudvig
📲(507) 327-2549
📧[email protected]
🏡The Home Team • RE/MAX Dynamic Agents

06/10/2026

Want to go check out this lake cabin before I go get it?? Call me at (507)327-2549 for a private showing

06/09/2026

Some people considering selling will say: "Why would I pay an agent when I can just list it myself and keep the commission?"

I get the logic. But the numbers usually work against it.

NAR data consistently shows that FSBO homes sell for less than agent-listed homes. In many cases, the difference in sale price is larger than the commission would have been. So you're not actually saving anything. You're leaving money on the table.

Part of the reason is exposure. An agent puts your home on the MLS, runs professional marketing, and taps into a network of active buyers and buyer agents. A yard sign and a Facebook post reach a fraction of that audience, which means fewer offers and less competition.

The other part is negotiation. Pricing a home correctly from day one, evaluating offers, managing contingencies, navigating inspections and appraisals, and keeping the deal together through closing. Those aren't just tasks. They're skills that directly affect how much money you walk away with.

If you're thinking about selling, I'm happy to walk through what the process looks like and what your home could realistically bring in today's market. No pressure, just real numbers.

🇺🇸Drew Brudvig
📲(507) 327-2549
📧[email protected]
🏡The Home Team • RE/MAX Dynamic Agents

06/06/2026

If you've been looking at homes in a competitive market, you might run into something called an appraisal gap. Here's what that means in plain English:

When you make an offer on a home, your lender orders an appraisal to confirm the home's value. If the appraised value comes in lower than what you offered, that difference is the appraisal gap.

Here's an example: you offer $300,000, but the appraisal comes back at $285,000. Your lender will only base the loan on the appraised value, so that $15,000 gap has to be addressed.

At that point, you typically have a few options: you can renegotiate the price with the seller. You can cover the gap out of pocket with extra cash. Or, if your purchase agreement allows it, you can walk away.

This is one of those situations where having a good agent and a solid lender really matters. I help buyers think through this before we even write an offer so there are no surprises. If you've got questions about how this works, reach out anytime.

🇺🇸 Drew Brudvig
📲 (507) 327-2549
📧 [email protected]
🏡 RE/MAX Dynamic Agents

06/05/2026

New post on the blog this week. The 2026 market didn't go as planned for a lot of buyers and sellers, but the conditions right now in southern Minnesota are actually pretty solid if you know what to look for. Worth a read if you're thinking about making a move.

Mankato Market MinuteMore Choices Now, More Competition Later: What the Mid-Year Shift Means for Mankato BuyersDrew Brud