My maiden name is Thomasma and my Grandmother Thomasma’s maiden name was DeKorne.  There are a few things that are amazing to me as I read through the “Boudewijn & Kate DeKorne Oral and Photographic Family History.  “

First of all, I am struck with what our families used to do with nothing.  In today’s world every child “needs” a Wii or some handheld device to entertain them (and we need iphones and blackberries to connect us every minute of every day).  My great-grandfather Boudewijn needed nothing more than some shaved down darning needles from his mother to use as wood carving tools to entertain himself on a brutal boat trip from the Netherlands to the US in 1879.

These carving skills lasted him a lifetime – starting on this trip by carving some knife handles that he sold to the captain of that ship – on through his life as he became a master carver – carving the molds for the Lorna Doone Cookies and many church altars and libraries.  Do we have the drive and perseverance to scrape something out of nothing?  Hopefully the ancestors that live on will learn something from the “old” that we can apply to the “new.”

Secondly, I’m amazed at what great lengths my ancestors went to – to enjoy themselves on lakes and rivers that we can do with ease.  We have a summer cottage on Glen Lake – about 2 1/2 hours by car for us when we go to visit this beaustiful scenic area.  My great-grandfather – in 1916- heard about this “beautiful lake” up north that his pal Levi Green owned some property on – and conviced my great-grandfather to visit. 

 It took him two days in a horse and buggy on all dirt roads to get there.  He bought an abandonded house for $400 (I will chat about the real estate investment part of this in my next blog) with the intent of leaving it to his “family” to keep them all together.  Unbelievably – it worked!  The site of this home now has a cottage on it called “Gram’s Cottage” owned by one of the extended families – next door is “Four-to-Pay” owned by another extended family group, our cottage  (owned by our extended family) is just down the road and a multitude of other properties are owned by the “family” members on the South shore of Glen Lake.

This “Family History” is a treasure trove of wonderful stories and photos that makes me both proud of where I’ve come from – but also excited for where we can still all go.  From this “old” history comes “new” thoughts, ideas, memories and promises that our ancestors will look back on – hopefully with as much pride as I do today.

I’m not sure I’ll be able to convince everyone looking for retirement that Michigan is a great place to be – but those folks who want beautiful landscapes, great sunsets, thousands of lakes, 4 gorgeous seasons, art, theater, symphony, ballet or a quiet place in the woods – plus advantageous tax positions:  Michigan is the place.  Take a look at the article and see for yourself!

http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/11/senior_tax_breaks_cost_states.html

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2009/11/grand_rapids_area_home_sales_s.html

First I was amazed at the positive attitudes of everyone.  From the artists who were engaging the public in discussions about their work – to the throngs of people out to see the art – to the merchants who housed the art  – and just the various folks enjoying the festivities – they were happy! 

Smiles were on the faces of everyone – what a wonderful attitude stimulus.  Here we are in Michigan.  We are faced with some mighty economic challenges and we can take some time to enjoy and be positive!  Hurrah!

Secondly, I was amazed that this great opportunity to see the art and engage these artists is free.  Sure you can buy a wristband to take the shuttle around the loop of venues and get a book with all the artists in it – but you certainly don’t have to.  The GR Press has published all the maps and the venues and you can find them unline – so it would be very easy to see everything totally free.  This in itself makes you smile )

‘Third – It is building a great sense of community.  Sometimes when we are in some difficulties we tend to hunker down and curl up inside ourselves when in reality we all need to reach out to each other and support one another to get through any tough times.  What a collaborative venture this has been – the art community is hanging out with the shop keepers who are opening up their businesses to the throngs – it is a cooperative circle that is building a wonderful community of help for one another.

Fourth – Its FUN!  Smiles are great! Paper Airplanes flying in the wind and as my granddaughter Anna says “got dumped on my head and it was so cool” making people laugh.

Thank You to everyone associated with Artprize – You’ve made my home town proud!

It is a perfect time to finally get your house organized and it’s a forced way of washing those windows that you have been putting off for months.  Some buyers feel much less obligated if they can find a nice neutral time to view a home – so an Open House is a perfect time for that buyer to slip through.

But before you have an Open House make sure you have a nice open discussion with your agent about some things that will keep you and your house out of trouble.  Over the past years we have had really very little theft from Open Houses – which is a good thing.  However, there is no sense in tempting folks – so put away your valuables, jewelery and any small thing that could be stuck in someone’s pocket – better safe than sorry.

The other thing that most folks don’t think about  – and something that is becoming more and more prevalent – is the theft of prescription  drugs.  And the most unassuming folks are at it.  I’ve heard of a little grey-haired lady who asked to use the bathroom and was stealing drugs from the medicine cabinet.  Again, don’t tempt fate.  Put away all your prescription drugs before any open house.

It actually is pretty rare that anything goes missing from an open house – so the odds for you are good to continue to have Open Houses – just be smart about getting ready for it.  You never know when that one person looking for just your home might come through.

The past few years we have been having Sunday Open Houses from either 1-3 or 2-4.  Over the summer when it is lighter later we have been experimenting with some Monday night hours from 6 – 8 (although tomorrow might be the last one on a Monday night and since the sun is setting sooner we are doing 5.30 -7.

Would there be any interest from the public on a weekday afternoon open house?  I know many homebuilders used to hold their model homes open during the weekdays and I’d love to hear from some of you who might think that would be a good (or bad) idea.

Speaking of that – are Open Houses even a good idea?  Give me some feedback!!  Our goal is to help the seller sell their home and want to be doing everything strategically available to do that.  Buyers out there – is this where you go to find your home.  Our statistics at NAR show that very few homes actually sell from an Open House – but maybe locally it is a different case.

#4 – Save Money!! – This is probably one of the most important reasons for using a Realtor when you buy a home.  I know you are thinking – what?? – how is this person going to save me money when a commission is being paid for that person to put the transaction together?  Well – in the most meaningful way – the price of the home. 

 Your Realtor can help you negotiate a better price and is your advocate when putting an offer together.  They know how to negotiate and they can be a go-between to get you the most house for the lowest possible price – so you save on the purchase price if a Realtor has been helping you in the negotiations. 

During the process between sale and close there are many pitfalls – appraisals come in low – radon levels come in high – termites are sighted – well water is high in bacteria – bad roofs – and the list can go on and on.  Your Realtor deals with these snags and knows the professionals to hire to take care of any problems – and they also know when to advise you to step away!  That might save you a lot of money in the long term!

 #5 Do What you do Best and hire a Realtor to manage one of the most important purchases of your life.

 Most buyers only purchase every 5 – 7 years – so you are far better off handing all the details to a professional who is in the marketplace daily – so you can do what you do best and not take time off from your “real job” to put a sale together and get it closed. 

It is very important to have a trusting relationship with your Realtor – so you can turn to them at any time during the process and get good solid advise.  From using the correct forms so that a transaction is “air tight” to help in selecting inspectors who are tried and true – to advice on price, terms, market conditions.

Enjoy the process and look for a Realtor who is an Accredited Buyer’s Agent (ABR) who can help you out in the selection, purchase and close of your dream home.

If you have any questions about the Grand Rapids,MI real estate market please feel free to contact us – Pat Vredevoogd Combs, Coldwell Banker AJS Schmidt www.patsplace.com

   Unless you want to quit your day job and concentrate completely on buying a home – it’s a good idea to use a Realtor to work for you in all aspects of the buying process.  I know – I know – you can all get on the internet and search for homes in millions (might be a bit of an exaggeration) of sites.  Well – guess what – not all sites are created equal.  Some sites don’t have all the listings (only their own companies), some sites direct you to homes or agents that look like “special” prices or “rated or ranked agents” when those are only coming up because they have been paid for.

  Contracting with a good reputable agent in your marketplace to represent you takes the worry out of the details.  The agent will hook you up with a great search engine – will profile you  as far as homes that meet your needs so that you will get automatic updates on any new listings – will help you find a mortgage that suits you and your situation and help you with suggestions for banks or mortgage lenders that are reputable in the marketplace. 

   Finding the home that is perfect for you is just the first in the series of steps that need to be taken to make sure your purchase is satisfactory.  Inspections are a must today – especially when dealing with some of the distressed properties.  Your agent can give you suggestions of inspectors that have done a good job for them, will coordinate any appointments to get in, will counsel you in local customs during the inspection process and be your advocate to get any structural concerns addressed.

  Just of few red flags that can arise during this period between offer and closing are:  radon, septic failure, appraisal issues, structural problems like bad roofs, failed furnaces or water heaters, wet basements – just to name some possible “deal breakers”.  Your Realtor has the contacts and knowledge to help you overcome some of these concerns and get them fixed correctly to make your dream home perfect instead of a nightmare.

(Reason #1 – Information Buster)

Reason #2 – Coordination of Umpteen Details

Most buyers (even the most sophisticated and educated) have no idea how many details go into getting a transaction from the point of identifying the perfect home to closing to move in.  I know it looks easy (our goal is to make it look that way) but it takes knowhow, education, market sense, and local knowledge to make it happen.

Remember that most buyers go through this process only once every 6 – 10 years, so what anyone remembered from the last time are either forgotten or are all new results of the new marketplace.   Realtors go through this process a lot (hopefully) and are the guides through any minefields that could be waiting.

Just in the past 6 months I have had to counsel and take care of issues with radon, failed septic systems, low appraisals, sidewalk inspections, title problems, well clorination, removing property left by sellers, and the list goes on.  A good Realtor on your side fighting for your rights and representing you as YOUR agent is your best insurance policy!

I would be happy to answer any questions on this or any real estate subject.  I am a Realtor with Coldwell Banker AJS Schmidt in Grand Rapids, Michigan serving buyers and sellers with top quality representation.

We left Grand Rapids two weeks ago and drove cross-country to Lincoln, Nebraska – where we spent our first night.  Lincoln is the capital on Neberaska – so we drove downtown and took a look at the beautiful Capital building and the Governor’s mansion across the street.  The capital itself was lovely – but the downtown area seemed a little seedy with a lot of empty buildings (reminded us of Lansing, MI).  We had dinner at the local landmark – Valentino’s – where my friend Karen spent many an evening while going to the U of Nebraska (their local hangout – all you can eat for $8.95).

We arrived in Denver (Wheat Ridge to be exact) and had a great opportunity to hold Willa and Violet and enjoy their company along with their Mom and Dad – Jesi and Jon Josten.  We visited with long time friends – Mary Wolf, Kay and Skip Watson, Katie and Ron Myles, Donna and Pete Van Elderen and Uncle Jack Thomasma.  It seems that their real estate market is still going strong.  While talking with the local Realtors – they think they have hit the bottom and are well on their way to a strong real estate market this year.  

Jesi and Jon had just bought a retro-50s ranch in Wheat Ridge and are loving the solid construction and 50s touches while lamenting the lack of maintenance the past 20 years.  It was exciting to see some vintage rose bushes push their way up our of the brambles and produce lovely flowers!

Our drive to Bozeman, MT was a LONG one – especially since we stopped at Little Big Horn to get a brief history lesson on the conflict between the Indians and the Calvary.  There were beautiful vistas and a lovely thunderstorm to cap off the stop.

Bozeman is Gorgeous – there is not much else you can say.  The snow capped mountains all around the valley – the green fieldss – the flowing (really fast) rivers.  We hung out with son Brett and girlfriend Kelly -   fished the Big Hole and the Madison Rivers – even caught a few trout!!  We had a chance to go look at houses in Livingston, MT – where Brett and Kelly are thinking of relocating.  Amazing the prices here!  Compared to Grand Rapids the prices are probably double – and I’m told they have come down a lot.   More to come on my real estate thoughts around the country…

The landscapes and the beauty of the drive was overwhelming – from the plains – to the foothills – to the mountains – we loved looking at whatever was just around the corner.  While driving, I was remined many times to “keep my eyes on the road” since the scenery was wonderful. 

The weather was a shocker on this trip!   Huge thunderstorms through Nebraska on the way out -  Hail storms and tornados in Denver – 30′s one  night in Montana – Fly fishing on the Big Hole River in Montana in thunderstorms and snow – 95 plus degrees on the drive from Montana to Minneapolis with thunderheads and lightening following us along – blue skys and the 70s on and off all along the way!   Isn’t this a great county?