Are you moving and wonder what it’d be like to live in the Brainerd Lakes area? In this episode of Brainerd Redefined, I’m going to give you a rundown of everything that Brainerd, Minnesota has to offer. We’ll look at the location, neighborhoods, lifestyle, and more so you know if this area is right for you.
Welcome To Brainerd Lakes
Brainerd Lakes is located two hours north of the Twin Cities right in the central part of Minnesota. One of the reasons why people love this area is that it’s just two hours north of the Twin Cities—making it a really quick drive to get to your new cabin.
The cost of housing in the Brainerd Lakes area varies depending on the neighborhood, location, the size of the home, and if it’s on the water or off the water. While I can give you more detailed information anytime, here are some general numbers you can expect when living here.
Housing Costs
If you’re looking for a three-bedroom, two-bath home in the Brainerd Lakes area, you’re going to pay under $200,000. On the other hand, if you’re looking for something on a lake, the price will depend on the size of the lake, age of the home, waterfront type, etc. Still, you can usually get a pretty nice Lake home for under $500,000.
If you’re looking to rent in the Brainerd Lakes area, prices will vary between $800 to $1,600 a month. This also depends on the age of the home, the location, and the size. One of the things people love about the Brainerd Lakes area is that it caters to a lot of second homes. In fact, roughly 40% of the sales in our marketplace are second homes.
Some of these homes are used strictly for families, while others are used for Airbnb or Vrbo. The beauty of the Brainerd Lakes area is that you have a lot of different options when it comes to buying real estate and how you’re going to use that real estate. It’s not uncommon for people who purchase their first lake home to actually buy a second Lake home and start their very own Airbnb or Vrbo business.
The Lake Lifestyle
If you really are interested in Brainerd Lakes, you probably want to know what the lifestyle is like. The area is very popular; there are a ton of lakes and world-class golf courses that provide plenty of recreation opportunities. The beautiful outdoor environment is perfect for people that love to hike, bike, fish, do water sports, canoe, and kayak all over the Brainerd Lakes area.
If you’re looking at the Brainerd Lakes area for full-time residency, you might be asking yourself what the schools are like. Brainerd has some of the best schools in the whole state. The high school is under a major renovation: a $13 million expansion and remodel. Additionally, Forestview Middle School is less than 10 years old and was a $65 million project.
What we love about the Brainerd Lakes area is everybody seems to know each other’s names. The downtown area has that old town flair with some great coffee shops, shopping, and plenty of bars and restaurants. If you’re stopping into the Brainerd Lakes area and you’re hitting downtown, a must-visit is Coco Moon. They have some of the best coffee in the entire state. You’ll also want to see the historic Brainerd Water Tower, an iconic symbol right here in Brainerd.
One last thing you need to know about the Brainerd Lakes lifestyle is that we have a ton of second homes. This means our population increases dramatically during the summer months. During the off-seasons, the population sits around 25,000. So for those of you that love the winter months, Brainerd has plenty to offer. People love to snowmobile, downhill ski, cross country ski, and of course ice fish.
Is Brainerd Lakes Right For You?
I hope this gives you a great rundown of what the Brainerd Lakes area has to offer. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me anytime. My team and I have been working in real estate in the Brainerd Lakes area for over 20 years, and we’re proud to call Brainerd home. We even graduated from Brainerd High School—so we know the area extremely well.
If you want more information on the Brainerd Lakes area, make sure to subscribe to my channel so you never miss an episode of my show. Stay tuned to the next episode of Brainerd Redefined to see what I feature next!
