ARTICLES

What do I need to think about when selecting a property?

August 13, 2025

When it comes to building your dream home, one of the most important decisions you'll make is selecting the lot. It's not just about finding a piece of land that looks nice — it's about envisioning how your home will function, feel, and fit into the landscape. Check out this video with John Dotty as […]

How to Design the Perfect Floor Plan for Your Dream Home

April 3, 2025

Building your dream home on a lake in Minnesota is about more than just stunning views—it's about crafting a space that enhances your lifestyle while embracing the natural beauty of the surroundings. In this article, we’ll explore six lakefront floor plan considerations in greater detail. Designing for Your Lakefront Lifestyle Your dream lake home should […]

Finding the Right Place for your Dream Home

July 11, 2024

It’s the most common phrase in real estate: “Location, location, location.” It makes sense, because location is a major factor in the value of most homes. So choosing a great location for your home is critical. Most of the custom dream homes we build in the Brainerd Lakes Area take advantage of one of the […]

Things to Think About Before You Build

November 20, 2023

Custom dream houses don’t just pop up overnight. Or overweek or overmonth. If they do, they’re not custom and they’re probably not anybody’s idea of a dream. Custom houses take time. They take time to design, time to build, time to craft. You can’t build a dream home without making time for dreaming: imagining what […]

Should You Rebuild or Remodel Your Home?

September 28, 2023

This can be an easy question, or a very hard one. Hate your dated bathroom? Remodel! The foundation is buckling, the roof bowing, and the plumbing and electrical are constant problems? Probably time to rebuild. But there are plenty of situations that are not nearly as simple to resolve. If you’re struggling to decide on […]

Top 5 Fishing Lakes Around Brainerd, MN

June 14, 2023

It’s right there in the name: Brainerd Lakes Area. The primary appeal of the area is its wonderful lakes. They are central to the area’s culture and a recreational marvel. Swimming, boating, fishing, waterskiing, paddle sports—anything you can do on a lake, you can do here, and everyone does. The people who live here year-round, […]

Planning for Accessibility

July 22, 2022

When we design and build custom homes for our clients, we very deliberately take the long view. We want to build generational homes that serve our clients’ families for decades. Because of that, one of the things we often try to account for, that people often overlook, is long-term accessibility. People who have mobility challenges […]

I'm planning on building my dream home. Where do I start?

August 21, 2020

On Careful Design

June 4, 2020

People have a hard time believing us when we tell them Design is the hard part. We get it: seeing people hauling drywall or large sheathing looks exhausting. The tat-tat-tat-tat of the heavy coil roofing nailer sounds like a lot of work. And it definitely is! The difference is that those tasks are being performed […]

Two Easy Dream Home Tips

March 6, 2020

Many people who start looking into building their custom dream home find the process daunting, overwhelming, and stressful. That makes sense: it's a big deal! Building your custom home is one of the biggest investments you'll ever make. But it can be a lot easier. Here are two quick tips on how not to have […]

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4593 Morehouse Drive
Pequot Lakes, MN 56472

Phone: (218) 568-6160
Fax: (218) 568-6108
info@dottybrothers.com

License# BC062426

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