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Bill Hansen Realty first opened its doors in 1977 under the direction of Bill Hansen, Sr. Its mission was simple, to provide outstanding real estate service to their clients and it has done so for the past 29 years. Today, the tradition of excellence continues with the next generation of Hansens at the helm, Bill, Jr., and his wife Laura.

A native of Longville, Minnesota, Bill Hansen, Jr. became very familiar with the lakes area as a youngster looking for places to fish, hunt, and enjoy the great outdoors. After high school, he studied at the University of Minnesota Duluth, earning a degree in business marketing. Bill, Jr. then went to work for Cargill, Inc. for 10 years as an international grain trader. He's lived all over the United State, calling Ohio, Colorado, and Kansas City home, before returning to Longville in 1998 to join the family real estate business.

Selling real estate has been a good fit for Bill, Jr., combining his business and marketing expertise with his deep love and knowledge of the area.

LakeshoreDreams.com had a chance to chat with Bill, Jr. and learn more about him and the area that he serves.

LD: What do you love most about living and working in Longville?

Hansen, Jr.: It's absolutely gorgeous out here. Within a 25 mile radius we have about 127 lakes. Lots of people are drawn here because there are plenty of amenities. There are lakes to fish and boat in and trails for hiking. Even driving through Longville is a treat because of the trees.

Approximately 2/3 of the land surrounding Longville is public land, so everyone is free to use and enjoy it. The Chippewa National Forest is also nearby.

And during the winter time, a lot of the locals may head to Arizona during the winter, but it's just as enjoyable up here. There's snowmobiling and ice fishing, things like that.

LD: What do you feel is your biggest obligation to your clients?

Hansen, Jr.: I always work with the client's best interest in mind. If you are looking to buy, I want to find you the best piece of property that suits your need and is in your price range. The same goes if I'm helping you sell. I strive to show your property to as many prospective buyers as possible. The more people who view your property, the better chance of finding the person who would be a good fit for that property. And when you find that person, they tend to pay the best price for it.

LD: What kind of properties are you working with now?

Hansen, Jr.: About 80% of my business revolves around lake homes. The remaining 20 is a mixture of everything else, some residential, some rec land, things like that. It's kind of funny. A lot of the real estate agents have "Lake Specialist" in their title, but the thing is that the majority of the places for sale out here are lakeside property. I guess that makes me a Lake Specialist by default. That's what's available to show, so I show them.

LD: Who's buying out there?

Hansen, Jr.: Most of the people buying are the baby boomers, the people who aren't quite at retirement age, but are looking for a place out of the city to stay before the snow hits.

LD: Any new developments or big projects on the horizon?

Hansen, Jr.: Nothing really big on the horizon. About 93% of the lakes out here have houses on them already. What a lot of individuals are doing is rebuilding or refurbishing existing cabins and turning them into more permanent homes. For example, I've seen a 900 square foot 2 bedroom, 1 bath cabin be remodeled into a 2,400-3,600 square foot house with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. These projects are usually undertaken by our semi-permanent residents. They want a nice place to stay out of the city for six months out of the year before moving on to warmer climates for the next six.

For more information on properties in the Longville/Leech Lake region please visit Bill Hansen, Jr.'s listing page on LakeshoreDreams.com.