Five years ago while visiting my mom on Devils Track Lake I spied a letter on the coffee table from Terry Backlund  announcing his return to the area and foray into the real estate business.  Terry is the youngest member of the Sid and Betty Backlund family who are/were among our very closest friends going way back, and seeing Terry's letter emboldened me follow up on a long held desire to have a piece of property on which to eventually build -- somewhere in the area.  When I called to ask if he was up for showing me parcels of land he was quick to agree.  We spent a day looking at a range of properties and it was clear that he possessed an unusually keen sense of the area's character and nuances.  He was quick to pick up on my own likes and dislikes and made the exploration good fun.  He suggested "for the heck of it" that we look at  a house in town that he had perked up about.  By midday the following day I was signing papers that put me on the path to owning what I still think is one of the best houses in town.  I have friends who have bought and shopped for homes with Terry and come away with a happy and often raucously hilarious experience.  Looking for and finding a home in northeastern Minnesota can be a joy-filled illuminating event... just contact Terry.

- Jeanne Hedstrom   New York, NY  -  Grand Marais, MN

A belated Thank You for all you did for us helping to find a great vacation home in Grand Marais.
Without your insight and help the hunt may have been a bit more daunting and a bit less fun.
Your practical approach towards all of our questions, and even your questions to us, really grounded us during our search.  Thank You.

We have really enjoyed the house, find it very relaxing and have enjoyed getting out and about meeting new people
and also seeing new local friends around town.  We know we have just scratched the Grand Maris surface so far but think we made the right choice in this great community. 

- Ed and Barb Katzmark   Forest Lake, MN

We want to thank you for your outstanding real estate service. You were responsive, reliable and went the "extra mile" --- even putting ads on Boreal for us. We look forward to working with you in the future when it's time to list our current property!

- Doug and Mary Sanders   Grand Marais, MN

Terry shines as a realtor. He helped me purchase my home with a minimum of stress, and didn't balk when I withdrew an offer and made a lower one. Known locally as the Thursday Night Trivia Miester, Terry positively glows when reminiscing about Cook County history and the characters of his youth. He's always ready with a story, a trivial tidbit and a good-natured personality.

- Nancy Persons   Grand Marais, MN

No one knows Grand Marais, Minnesota better than Terry Backlund! During the past five years we have purchased two homes in Grand Marais and Terry was our agent for both transactions. We told him what we were looking for and he helped us find the properties that were perfect for us. He knew what the honest price would be for the buyer and the seller, and also knew more history of both properties than we could ever find in a book in the library!  

We have had two perfectly wonderful experiences with Terry as our Realtor and we cannot recommend him highly enough for any of your real estate needs in Grand Marais or Cook County. 

- Malcolm Smith and Heather McPherson    Indianapolis, IN  -  Edinburgh, Scotland  -  Grand Marais, MN

We want to thank Terry for helping us sell our home. It sold very quickly because we listened to his great advice. Terry is honest, sincere, and willing to listen.

The night before our closing we had rain, rain, and more rain. The next morning we went to check on our home to make sure all was well, and found that we had water in our basement. After seeing this, we called Terry to come and take a look and see what we should do. He called the buyers agent to discuss the problem, and kept the closing on track.....he even helped us wring out the rug! We highly recommend Terry if you are selling or buying a home. He is trust worthy.

- Chuck and Joyce Petek,   Grand Marais, MN

"Terry provided excellent customer service from our first meeting, through the sale and closing process, and for many weeks and months following the closing.  He is extremely knowledgable of the area, local merchants, and the services available along the north shore.  He makes commitments and follows through on the details long after his commission has been paid.  That is what distinguishes Terry and makes him an exceptional real estate agent.  We fell in love with Grand Marais and our cabin; in part because Terry made the transition so easy."

 - Bob and Holly Lamond,    Corcoran/Grand Marais, MN

“Terry is an excellent Realtor who has guided us through several transactions. He is knowledgeable, professional and extremely personable. I highly recommend Terry if you are interested in properties in the Grand Marais, MN vicinity.”

 - Ari and Susan Fuad,    Eden Prairie/Grand Marais, MN

"My wife Laurie and I began working with Terry almost two years ago when we
made the joyous decision to retire to Grand Marais.  For over a year Terry
kept us well informed regarding the available inventory of houses that fit
our needs. One weekend we toured seven homes on Saturday, returned to two on
Sunday, and made an offer on our retirement home the same day. Being a
true local Terry was wonderful at relating the history behind many of the
homes we visited, and he could direct us to local businesses and services
to make our relocation not only easy but pleasant.....he even live trapped
the grey squirrel trapped in the attic at no extra cost!!   We can highly
recommend Backlund Realty to fulfill your Grand Marais dreams .... talk to
Terry you will be glad you did."

- John and Laurie Hill,    Grand Marais, MN  and  Hudson, WI 

"It's great to know there is such a friendly genuine guy selling real estate in Grand Marais. I don't think I'll ever come back from England to G.M., but you can count on the fact that, if I do, I'll be knocking on your door."

- Jim Bowen,   Newcastle, England

Terry Backlund is an excellent realtor to work with and we felt very good
about listing with him.  He is one of those "truly nice guys" who cares
about the people he's working with and has a good feel for matching up
properties with the right buyers.                                                                                                                        We recommend him highly to anyone who wants to sell or buy property in the
area.

- Clayton & Nancy Koss,   Washburn, WI