He's an enigma, in a good sort of way! The owner of Land & Cabins in Hinckley, Minnesota, is an outdoorsman who would rather disappear into the deep woods with a backpack than be surrounded by people in a city. And yet he is one of those people who is extremely well-known, well-liked, and has “friends everywhere”. Get to know Brian Weidendorf, and you’ll quickly appreciate why. He’s friendly, good-natured, and there’s no question about his passion. He’s a man that loves land, through and through! He is also passionate about what recreational properties can do for families, because of the enjoyment that he, his wife, Shari, and their two children derive from their properties.
At forty-six, Brian is part of a breed vanishing as fast as the wild places that he cherishes so much. Like craftsmen, who build fine antique furniture by hand, you don’t often encounter people who have that level of devotion to such a singular purpose. “I’m into the land, and the love of it!” he says passionately. “Along with my team, we love it. We believe in the land, and that it’s the best thing people can own. I pride myself in that.” It’s his life! “ I never want to do anything different than what I’m doing. I’m not going into houses, or residential development, or anything else. This is what I do!”
Christmas Trees & Paper Clips
Brian’s always been the athletic, outdoor kind of guy. In high school he participated in wrestling and football. His one regret is that he never paid more attention in typing class. “I’d put a paper clip in the electrical outlet to short out all the circuits in the room”, he laughs, “Because I didn’t want to type!”
In 1979 he went on to trade school and then started his career as a commercial pilot. He flew commercially for a couple years, but every weekend he’d feel pulled to go to land sales. “I’ve definitely got the real estate bug!” he says cheerfully. “It’s like a disease. It’s like flying that way! Once you get bitten, and it gets into your system, you’re hooked for life!”
So, in 1982 he left the security of a salary and has been in recreational land sales ever since. He worked his way up into various sales manager positions until at last, in 1990, he was able to go out totally on his own.
He began by looking for creative ways to add value to barren land. “I used to buy a field,” he reminisces, “and plant it full of pine trees just to get it looking great. It’s like you’re doing something to make it better.” He got more blessings than he bargained for. He chuckles, “I ended up harvesting Christmas trees for the next twenty years!”
The Company
Land & Cabins, LLC is based in Hinckley, Minnesota. They have specialized in recreational and second properties in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Canada for over seventeen years. Conveniently located just an hour and fifteen minutes from the Twin Cities, Land & Cabins covers the north-eastern Minnesota corridor from Pine City all the way up to Canada. Their area also includes western Wisconsin (Bayfield and Hayward, down to Spooner and Siren).
They have done some high-end lakeshore development on Lake Superior as well, where they built Cobblestone Cove -- ten townhouses in Grand Marais. Those sold quickly, and now they’re working on a big lakeshore development in Canada.
Their main emphasis, however, is the land. Brian is enamored by the privacy, the beauty, and the wildness of it. Land & Cabins, LLC has never listed a third-party property. They own each tract of land they sell and offer a wide array of inventory – from small to large, wooded acreage to lakeshore, raw land or with a cabin – to fulfill a family dream or meet the needs of real estate investors. “Seventy-five percent of our business is referral and repeat business,” Brian says, “clients coming back and buying their second, third, and fourth properties. Some even have as many as twenty or thirty that they own!”
There’s just something about property. You can walk on it, enjoy it, share it with your family, and pass it on to future generations. It feels like you can survive, like you can plant a garden or something … like you’ve got something they can’t take from you!
In sheer volume, Land & Cabins moves more acreage annually, than any one individual in the state. They buy and sell over ten thousand acres a year in wooded acreage and lakeshore. Business is good, and this summer they will be building a new office out by Tobie’s, just of I-35 on Highway 48.
Quality & Caring
The team at Land & Cabins takes a unique love and a liking into the piece of land to make sure it’s just right for you. Every person on the team is an expert woodsman. They each take particular pride in knowing the land inside and out; and in their special ability to prepare the raw land better than anyone else.
They prep the land and mark the boundaries for you. Whether you just bought forty acres or a thousand, they build in road and trail systems that make it easier for you to manage your investment. They’ll even show you how to properly manage deer on the property.
With lakeshore property, they will do whatever it takes to prep the property. Need a driveway, a dock system, or even a whole cabin? You don’t have to worry about a thing! You can simply let their experience and passion assist you in owning that special piece of nature. Whatever you need, they will put it in, or build it for you. They take care of any and all the questions and concerns you may have.
Still Flying High
Brian still enjoys flying. In fact, he owns the airport! The airport has both float planes and regular planes, and they use the planes for showing clients Real Estate. Customers get to see the land from “upstairs”. It gives Brian a chance to get to know who he is dealing with. “I try to only deal with people who feel the same way that I do -- about the land, and the value of it!”
Brian’s nephew, Matt, is also a commercial pilot. He does a great job of giving people a lot of paper information on the property. Such as, topographical maps, terrain navigation, aerial shots, and GPS coordinates – all at no cost to the client!
Land is a solid thing! – Not where others control your destiny, but where you control your own! Owning land is the backbone of the country, it’s an investment. With land, you really do own a piece of the rock. And, it’s just about impossible to lose money in land. You can argue about houses, commercial property and other developments – but not raw land. About the worst thing that can happen is that you will have fun using it!
Passing It On
What if Brian were ‘king for a day’? “I’d like to see younger people buying more property!” Brian says emphatically. “These days, there’s no longer a small entry point for young people to own land. The days are gone where a few hundred dollars could get you a contract for deed. Readily available financing has had the effect of driving up the prices of land.” Now, most of Brian’s clients are forty to sixty years old.
Brian has a heart to help and states, “If I found the right kid who had a burning desire to own the land – who loves to hunt, and fish, and not sit at a computer all day – then there’s always a way for them to own the land, but they’ve never been shown that.” In his mind, the time to start is when you are young! “We’ve always heard that people buy their second property when they are forty to sixty years old, but why does it have to be their second house? Why not get the land first, their piece of heaven, and make it feel good? Get that feeling of actually owning something that grows in value!”
“We’ve all heard stories of someone who bought land for five-thousand dollars twenty years ago that’s now worth forty-thousand. Why wait? If you see something else you want, you can always trade up. But get that first one! Get started!
Got the land bug? Land and Cabins has the passion to make it happen!
Hinckley Office: 320-384-6488
Spooner Office: 715-635-7527
Email Brian at: brianw@landcabins.com
