Housing briefs

Jim Eisler is the new manager of Edina Realty's Brainerd and Crosslake real estate offices.

Eisler, East Gull Lake, has 25 years of diversified real estate experience. Most recently he was a national sales trainer and speaker for a direct selling company. Before that, he was sales manager for Edina Realty's Monticello, Buffalo and Delano offices.

Home rental rehab program seeks applications

The Central Minnesota Housing Partnership is accepting applications for the Home Rental Rehabilitation Program.

Applications are being accepted until Feb. 15 for the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency's HOME Rental Rehabilitation Program. The central region receives an allocation of funds to administer to rental property owners in Aitkin, Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Mille Lacs, Todd and Wadena counties among others.

The program offers rental property owners a 0 percent deferred loan for rehabilitating their buildings. Repayment is based on project need and a five-year compliance period. Eligible building improvements include, but are not limited to, roofs, siding, windows, major systems updating, floor coverings and painting.

Rental property owners with five or more units in need of renovation may want to consider submitting an application, the CMHP reported.

The HOME Program targets properties that meet certain rent and income guidelines. For more information on eligibility of properties and how to apply, contact Sheri Harris or Deanna Schutz at (320) 259-0393.

Edina Realty collects toys for area charity

Edina Realty's Brainerd office participated in the company's Trees for Toys program and collected toys to be donated to Toys for Kids -- Marine Corps.

Trees for Toys offers Edina Realty homebuyers or sellers a holiday thank you gift of an evergreen wreath, centerpiece or tree. When clients arrived to pick up their gift, they were able to donate a toy to be given to a local charity for distribution to underprivileged children in the community.

This was the 13th year of the Trees for Toys program. Forty-three Edina Realty offices in Minnesota and Wisconsin participated and gave away $4,000 trees and more than 9,000 wreaths, centerpieces and miniature living trees.

Habitat raises more than $6,000

The fourth annual Habitat for Humanity Dinner and Silent Auction, sponsored by the North Crow Wing Chapter and held at Piney Ridge Lodge in Pine River, raised more than $6,000 for Lakes Area Habitat for Humanity projects.

This year LAHFH volunteers and partner families completed five homes: one in Lake Shore, Breezy Point, Crosby, LaPorte and near Garrison. The first twin home LAHFH built is nearing completion in Brainerd.

A house built for Habitat for Humanity by Crosby-Ironton High School was moved to a site in Emily this fall and soon will be ready for purchase by a selected family. The affiliate, which serves all of Crow Wing and Cass counties, hopes to complete at least 10 homes in 2002.

In addition to homes built, a new office/warehouse was completed last January. A tornado destroyed the facility June 13, but it is expected to be ready for re-occupancy this January.

The loss of the warehouse has prevented the acceptance of many offers for donated materials. Donations will be accepted when the warehouse space is again available for storage.

To volunteer or for more information, call 828-8517 or write to Lakes Area Habitat for Humanity, P.O. Box 274, Brainerd, MN 56401.