Over the years I have worked with many buyers and sellers. Buyers always are looking for an incredible buy, the buy of a lifetime. Who doesn’t want that?

I remember many years ago attending an open house of a property that was being offered for sale by a lender. The property was held open only for a period of two hours and for only one particular day. There were cars parked along the street for several blocks with both the curious and the serious. At the asking price, this was an incredible deal.

I have no idea why there was such a limited inspection window of time and why the low asking price. But then, I have no idea why lenders do what they do when trying to sell property. Lenders make terrible sellers.

The next day, at 12 noon, was the deadline for all offers to be presented for the lender’s consideration. Needless to say, there were multiple offers, over three dozen. The highest offer was accepted and this house was sold.

When we were writing up our offer, I remember overhearing a prospective buyer telling his real estate agent. “If you come across a good deal, give me a call.” I could not help wonder if they had looked at the same property.

Whether you are buying Michigan real estate as an investment, or you are making an offer on your first home, do your homework on the market. Become an expert yourself. Then and only then you will recognize an incredible buy when you see it.

P.S. I saw this sign and was grateful to have my camera with me. I used Photoshop to remove the phone numbers.

Sometimes when purchasing a lakefront property you may to receive a free house. The value can be found in the land rather than the structure especially in the case where the property includes an older mobile home or an antiqued cabin or cottage. Often the property could have more value without the neglected or unwanted structure.

When faced with the question of what to do with an old unwanted lakefront cabin or mobile home do not disappear there are several options. There are many people who are looking for an inexpensive hunting cabin for their land. Sometimes you can place a “free” sign on a mobile home and it can be moved off your property by someone. If the condition of the mobile home is so poor that it cannot be towed to a new home site or the land fill, it should be torn down. One can expect to pay anywhere from $300 to $2,500 to have it torn down and removed.

An old cabin is a little different. One option is to contact the local fire department who use structures such as this for firefighting practice. A controlled burn provides invaluable fire fighting experience. This can be messy if damage occurs to trees surrounding the structure. Every township will have different requirements for their service. Many will want the shingles removed first – a concern regarding asbestos. After the burn, the property owner is responsible for cleaning up the charred remains, as well as removing any slab/foundation, fireplaces and chimneys that were part of the structure.

Please remember to check with the local township for any permits needed.

One other important thing that is often over looked. If there is a septic system or well on the property, the septic tank may have to be abandoned, then crushed and filled. The existing well if not able to be brought up to today’s requirements will have to be pulled by a licensed well driller.

Have you ever seen a sign and thought “What’s up with that”? Of course you have. I have driven by this particular sign in western Ionia County along Grand River Drive for the last twenty years. This time I decided to stop and investigate.

The Michigan historic sign states: “Here on old US 16 in Boston Township, Ionia County, the first picnic table along a highway right-of-way was placed in 1929 through the initiative of Allan Williams, county engineer. The table was built of salvage planks formerly used for guardrails.

The idea immediately caught on and was adopted by the State Highway Department. The Ionia County Road Commission made the state’s tables until the work became too great. The roadside table became an emblem of Michigan’s hospitality, one which has widely emulated by states the nation over”

It’s interesting; when I visited, there was no roadside table there.

Fremont may be best known as home to Gerber Products, originally known as the Fremont Canning Company. Today Fremont is known worldwide as the baby food capital of the world. The third full week of July, Fremont celebrates this notoriety by hosting its annual National Baby Food Festival. Over 100,000 people visit Fremont to enjoy a week full of events for people of all ages and all interests.

Fremont is also proud of its four community parks, and rightly so. One of them, the Arboretum Park, is devoted to Michigan’s native trees. Over forty different species of trees are identified in this park. The park’s trails and its cobblestone bridge over the stream, make this park a popular place for outdoor summer weddings and photo sessions.

Another park, the Fremont Lake City Park, is located on the north side of Fremont Lake, a 790 acre all sport lake. This park has 17 acres of lakefront for the public to enjoy, along with a boat launch, sand beach, volley ball court, picnic tables, a covered pavilion and a full service RV park and campground. On the south side of the lake you will find the Sheridan Township Park, also with lake frontage to enjoy.

The Dutch moved into the area in the 1800’s from the Muskegon and Holland area. Today, a visit to the main street is a reminder of the Dutch heritage, as many of the buildings in the business district reflect Dutch architecture.

Fremont is close to many golf courses, Newaygo County’s many natural lakes rivers, streams and the Manistee National Forest.

I have had a favorite pair of shoes for a few years. They are comfortable, look good and don’t go out of style.  Unfortunately, they had another attribute that I was not aware of. They tasted good, so my dog chewed them up.

So, I went out in pursuit of a pair exactly like the ones I had. When I got to the store, I found they didn’t have what I wanted, but I found a good sale on another pair. They were nothing like what I was looking for, but I couldn’t pass up the great deal.

Now that I have the shoes, I really don’t like them. I haven’t worn them, and probably never will.

Not such a good deal after all! I should have waited, looked around a little more and bought the shoes I wanted.

Too many people make the same mistake in buying lake front or water front property. Most prospective buyers start their search knowing exactly what they are looking for; some want the quiet privacy of a fishing lake, others are looking for the action of an all sports lake. Some want their piece of paradise far from civilization, others want to be close to the action.

And then they go out shopping…. and they find a GREAT deal. No, it is not what they are looking for, but the price is right. So, they make the offer and settle in. And they are disappointed. They wanted quiet and seclusion and all they hear is speed boats and laughter. Or, they wanted to hear speed boats and laughter and all they hear is birds singing.

So, my advice to you is, take your time and look for the perfect piece of property for you. It may take longer and it may cost a bit more, but it will be well worth it in the long run. You and your family will be glad you did.

 So you found it, a one in a million view, a place to retire, the weekend getaway. The land is what you were after, but the waterfront cottage is, shall we say not exactly ‘home sweet home’. You have dreams and plans for the site. You may be planning on tearing it down and building something new. You may be considering doing a major remodel or adding a room or two. But, for now, you have to wai

The good news is, you may not have to wait for the budget to catch up to your dreams. You may have purchased it as a retirement home and living there is 5, 10 or 15 years away, but you would also like to use it now. You do not have to spend a lot of money to get a whole different feel for you new lakefront home.

The first thing add a fresh coat of paint inside and out. You can change the mood quickly by changing the color entirely or just paint the trim. New lighter and brighter colors can easily replace those older darker colors.

For some curb appeal, Add some shutters to the cottage, paint them a complementary color. Try adding some flower boxes. Plant some easy to care for perennials around the property as well as a couple of hanging flower baskets.

It could be a sin to just have a vanilla here. I am talking about Jones Ice Cream on Main Street in Baldwin. Jones is a long established family business serving up some of Michigan’s finest ice cream. The walls inside make the trip worthwhile in itself. They display many years worth of fascinating memorabilia of Lake County and Baldwin’s history.

Please do not interpret this post as a commercial for Jones Ice Cream Store, it is not a commercial, nor did the staff at MichiganLakes.com receive any financial incentive for this post.  But, as one who enjoys both ice cream and nostalgia, I find this place worthy of recommending to my friends.

Located on the southern Ionia County line lays a wonderful small Michigan town. Lake Odessa lies along the northern shore of Jordan Lake. Nearby are Tupper Lake and the popular Morrison Lake.

Founded in the 1800’s, Lake Odessa was named for the city of Odessa in the Ukraine by one of the town’s founders who had an interest in the Ukraine and the sincere desire to have a distinctive name for the village.  Lake Odessa is proud of their history, as displayed in the Lake Odessa museum located in the historic train depot.

The village’s slogan is “Welcome to our Friendly Port”. It is evidenced by a very friendly main street, featuring many sharp, and renovated store fronts. The  homes well kept homes lining the streets make this community an all Michigan community.

Lake Odessa is home to Cargill Kitchen Solutions, formerly Sunny Fresh Foods, a company making processed egg products. It is also home to Twin City foods, a processor of vegetables.

Lake Odessa is large enough to have a Mc Donald’s, but small enough not to lose the small town character. It is located only 6 miles south of exit 64 off I96.

When buying a piece of Michigan real estate, a question that often arises is, “What about the well”? Or, “ What are the depths of the wells in the area?”

The State of Michigan has well records on line. Close to one million are listed and are available to search at no charge. The site is easy to use. You will be asked for the county, then the township and finally the section number.

In my due diligence, I have used the site many times and found the site to be very beneficial in uncovering lots of information. For an existing well, it tells of the depth of the well, the diameter of the well, the age of the well, the static water level, the installer and other technical information.

I have also used these reports to tell me about soil conditions in the area. The well driller, when drilling a new well, records the types of soil he encounters and at what depth he finds them. This information can be very useful when locating proper soil conditions needed for a septic system.

State of Michigan Well Records Listed by County

 People looking for a good vacation lakefront cottage to rent would look for the same things you would find appealing.

A lumpy or well worn mattress that is no longer providing you a good nights sleep at your home will not improve by being at the rental cottage. A shower that quickly runs out of hot water will be as disappointing to others as it is to you. A cottage that is not clean or has an “old” odor to it probably will not encourage guests to return.

Make the cottage feel like home. Attractive pictures on the wall, plenty of blankets for chilly evenings and comfortable furniture to relax on make for a very pleasant stay. Make sure you have a TV that works and has a clear picture for those evenings indoors and rainy days.

Guests tend to remember the worst of their vacations. You and your cottage do not want to be part of those memories. People will often return year after year if they had a good experience the first time.

A few basic tips:

If you know of any problems or things not working properly- fix or repair them before hand. Emergency repairs are often very expensive and guest’s vacations are interrupted.

Make sure the cottage is squeaky clean. You do not want guests feeling they have to spend the first half day cleaning the unit prior to using it.

Make sure your cleaning cabinet is well stocked with cleaning supplies and equipment. A guest that cleans up well during the course of their stay makes your job easier.

Use your parental eye on the property. Look around the property and determine if there is anything you should do to “child proof” the property for any children.