west michigan: Women of Facebook . . . Reclaim your Identity! - 11/27/08 10:22 AM
Being married is a wonderful thing.  I myself have been married almost twenty years!  But  . . .there is one bad thing about being married for a women-- on some level you give up part of your identity.  On Facebook it's all about your identity. Finding friends that you haven't seen for years is more difficult when your last name is changed.  I know what a good friends name was when we were seventeen, but there's a good chance that her name has changed.  How do you find those people on Facebook?  Better yet, the question should be; how do you make yourself findable?
The … (15 comments)

west michigan: Let me tell you about my friend Jay . . . Welcome to Active Rain - 11/26/08 12:14 PM
If you’re lucky, you have cheerleaders in your life.  They come in different forms and can be mothers, aunts, friends and pastors.  They’re the ones that believe in you, when you don’t believe in yourself.  They’re the ones that push you when you need to be pushed.  Jay Capozzolli is one such person in my life and he is new here at Active Rain and has written his first blog.  I would like to introduce you all to Jay -- one of my good friends!  I wouldn't be the Realtor I am if it weren’t for him.
I met Jay six … (19 comments)

west michigan: OMG Is this not Beautiful? The Lord can paint a pretty darn awesome picture! - 11/24/08 02:13 PM
I  just couldn't resist sharing these beautiful pictures with my friends at AR.
When you think there is nothing positive and things seem to all be going wrong, you have find something beautiful in the moment.  This is my moment!
This is my home in Allendale, Michigan.  I live up against state land.  I was typing away here on Active Rain and I happened to look out the window and I see this incredible picture.  I just took these pics 5 minutes ago.  It is the most beautiful kind of snow.  The big, fat, heavy flakes that stick to everything can … (38 comments)

west michigan: For two Friends About to Have to Make the dreaded Decision. - 11/24/08 12:20 PM
This is for two friends of mine, one a new friend Marian Goetzinger another an old friend Deb Murray, who are in the position that they have to decide when is the best time to put their dog ddown. Is there ever a right time?
One of them just put a dog down that she rescued, a little yorkie named Pixie. As fate would have it, just a few months later, she may have to put down her beloved boxes named Willow.
Putting a dog down, a beloved friend, is one of the hardest things to do. I remember when our … (24 comments)

west michigan: Beans to Brew Cafe ~~ Allendale, MI - 11/24/08 10:38 AM

 
Want to meet for coffee?!?!?!?!?!?
Beans to Brew Cafe at 6177 Lake Michigan Drive in Allendale, Michigan isn't your average run-of-the-mill coffee shop!! It is special in so many ways!  Marcia VanderMolen, who owns Beans To Brew with her fiance Jim Wood, has been the propritor for two years but it has been in the Allendale area for about 10 years.  She says it has the atomosphere of the show Cheers in that it seems you can always run into someone you know .
~~Chocolate is an Essential Nutrient~~
As you walk in the door you can almost feel … (11 comments)

west michigan: Life Is a Journey . . . . Enjoy the Ride - 11/22/08 08:38 PM
I apologize for the long post--but it is an easy read.  I truly tried to shorten it up-but I just couldn't figure out what to cut.
~~~~~~~~ How a trail ride parallels Life~~~~~~
We are home from our vacation. The "we" would be me, my husband Ed, our dog Hailee and our two horses, Joey and Scout. Last Saturday we set out for Shawnee National Forest with our riding buddies, Jim & Karen and Deb and their three horses.
This was my first vacation since I started real estate five years ago, that I actually did relax. Usually, I would sit … (17 comments)

west michigan: Talk to the Page . . . NO I didn't say "Talk to the Hand" . .Talk to the Page! - 11/21/08 03:39 PM

 
For those of us who are dedicated bloggers, we sit at the keyboard for hours.  By the time we’re done with our post, our hands are aching and our fingers are tingling.  Don’t you wish you could rub a magic lantern and ask the genie to make it so you could speak the words, and have them appear on the page?  But that’s only for fairy tales and fairy tales aren’t real . . .are they????
Did you know that almost everybody has speech recognition on their computer?  Right now, I am speaking these words instead of typing them.  … (28 comments)

west michigan: Marketing a Commercial Real Estate Book - 11/19/08 02:38 PM
 
Awesome Commercial Real Estate Book!
 
Via Josef Katz - Trump University {Marketing Maestro} (Direct Response Marketing):
If you look at the post I reblogged yesterday you can see we launched a new book. C Tann-Starr took the initiative to share the info with the AR community (thanks again).  Today (and I probably should have done this a few days ago...) I wanted to share some of the behind the scenes info on our book marketing effort and ask for your help.
I have participated in a number of book launches over the years. But this one is shaping up to … (4 comments)

west michigan: I can make it . . . . I know I can . . . Just 33 more days . . . that's it! - 11/18/08 05:37 PM
It is 6:00  pm and it is darker than pitch here in Allendale, MI.  I don't know about you but this is the hardest time of the year for me!
If it was summer, I would be thinking, maybe I'll go for a ride on my horse.  Maybe I will go mow the lawn or go take a dip in the pool  I would have another 4 hours of daylight!!!
Being the eternal optimist that I am, I have decided to look at it another way!!  I only have 33 more days until December 21, 2008--the shortest day of the year.  … (10 comments)

west michigan: What kind of home buyer are you . . Power Shopper or Slow and Easy? - 11/17/08 05:17 PM
Most home buyers fall into one of two categories when it comes to how they want to shop for their home.  They either want to see everything out there that could be a possibility for them or they are the type that has only a few homes they want to see every couple of days.
I'm respectful of BOTH and love to shop with either one!
POWER SHOPPERS  - If you are a power shopper, you probably have a list of 100 homes you want to see.  Most of my power shoppers can narrow it down to 50 with a drive-by.  … (9 comments)

west michigan: So are things really different today in selling my home? - 11/14/08 09:48 AM
 
This is an extremely well written post.  It is a bitter pill to sellers to understand that, yes even my home has lost value in the last year.  If you are serious about selling your home, you need to take pricing very seriously!
Blessings! T
 
Via Don Rogers REALTOR®, CRS O'Fallon MO & St Charles County MO homes (RE/MAX Gold):
So are things really different today in selling my home?
I was reading a checklist today that was written before I came into the business in 1998 and surprise of surprise, IT STILL HOLDS TRUE TODAY!  Now it may be … (8 comments)

west michigan: My client that turned into an incredible friend . . .all the way from the UK! - 11/14/08 08:05 AM
Three years ago I really had it going on with my web-site www.LiveInWestMi.com.  I had leads coming in so fast I could hardly keep up--but I always tried to give people a few personal words whenever they used my web site in a search.  I truly think every person has something incredible to give in friendship.
One such search came in and we hit it off immediately.  I don't remember how it came about, but it came up that she had a horse.  She was very excited about coming to America to live but very sad about having to leave her … (17 comments)

west michigan: The ugly duckling CFL bulb turns into a beautiful recessed light. A true story. - 11/10/08 10:11 PM

 
If there is one thing we have all heard, it is that the new CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light)   bulbs can save you money.  I was a little shocked by how much money when I read Can Fluorescent Lighting Really Save You Money?  But there are some things that can be very confusing about them.  Many also believe they have to put up with that squirrely looking bulb.  Let's face it, lighting should also look atheistically appealing.
 


First, you should know that the CFL bulb has evolved.  No longer do you have to be concerned you will … (9 comments)

west michigan: Is it a Roundabout or a Silly Circle? Coopersville, MI - 10/24/08 04:23 PM
Is it a Roundabouts or a Silly Circle?You know that moment. . . . you look down a road well traveled, a road you use all the time, and there it is . . . . road closed, construction ahead!  You bite your lip and take a deep breath and think, OK, I have to figure out a way around this . . . . I wonder how long the road will be closed . . . . .I wonder what they are doing . . . . .is it really closed or can sneak through all the heavy equipment?!!?  Hopefully … (16 comments)

west michigan: Are you a City Dweller or a Country Bumpkin? - 10/09/08 05:14 PM
 
Where do you want to live is probably the wrong question.  It should be more, how do you want to live?  What is it about living in the country that draws so many people?  Why do some gravitate to the city?  As a realtor in the West Michigan area, I find people and their living habits fascinating.  As a person describes what they are looking for in a home, you start to think of the scene in your mind.  What makes someone choose living outside of the city as opposed to living inside the city?   What is the definition of … (11 comments)

west michigan: Allendale Cross Country Presents The Gina VanLaar 5K Cross Country Run/Walk - 07/03/08 12:04 PM
Gina VanLaar 5K run in Allendale, MI   I am so excited!  My son is entering his first 5K race!  He has gotten involved with The Allendale Cross Country Team.  I love to see him getting involved and choosing to try.  It's hard to express what we have been through with him!  Let's just say bi-polar is something that is difficult to deal with!
If you want more information, you can go to Classic Race Mangement for the printable entry form. 
 

Here are the Details
Where:  Allendale High School 10760 68th
When: July 4, 2008  8:00 AM
Cost:  $25 - … (4 comments)

west michigan: Prayers for Troy Vanderstelt Realtor Shot by Client this morning - 07/01/08 01:19 PM
As I am sitting here reading the many awesome blogs of AR, I just got an email that an agent has been shot in the head by a client just 20 minutes away from my own home!
I can not even begin to understand the pain his family and children are going through.  It has not been confirmed that he has died but all indications are such.
Having been a Realtor for several years now, it amazes me that everything is the fault of the agent.  It is our fault they have not paid their mortgage.  It's our fault the market is … (25 comments)

west michigan: Conflict with another IP - 06/02/08 09:06 PM
As I was reading Michael Thompson's post,  To Secure or Not to Secure, I was reminded of one of those moments in the world of computers where you are pretty sure you are going to take a sledge hammer to it and then throw it off a 50 story building.
I had been having issues with my laptop saying that there was a conflict with another IP address and then loosing my connection.  I could shut down and re-open and have the connection for a while and then I would get booted.  I called my computer guru and no one could … (7 comments)

west michigan: Grand Haven State Campground Going Green - 05/28/08 09:15 AM
Memorial Day my husband and I, our two teenagers, and my daughter's boyfriend went for a walk out on the Grand Haven pier.  First thing I realized immediately was that I was going to freeze as I had forgotten my coat.  As we briskly walked down the pier I noticed a new building and wondered what was up with that.  What I found out was that was no ordinary building and that my little community was going "green"!
Grand Haven State Campground is leading the way to providing a more earth friendly atmosphere in West Michigan--The Other West Coast!  Today is … (4 comments)

west michigan: Overcoming my fear of Blogging - 05/27/08 12:46 PM
I spent several hours with an incredible women last week.  Many of you know her as Lola Audu--the blogging queen here in West Michigan.  I have been very fond of Lola for many years and find that she is one of those people that you meet, and know she is a very special person.
While others are out there hiding what they do, Lola is so willing to share and believes that we can all have a piece of the pie.  So she gave a class on blogging.  I decided to take the class because I knew that I had to … (3 comments)

 
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Tami Vroma-Realtor Grand Rapids MI Real Estate

Grand Haven, MI

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West Michigan Real Estate Specialist-Five Star Real Estate

Address: 4601 Lake Michigan Drive NW, Grand Rapids, MI, 49401

Office Phone: (616) 209-8626

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Real Estate Blog about Grand Rapids, MI and surrounding areas of: Allendale, Coopersville, Jenison, Rockford, Grand Haven, Holland, Byron Center, Forest Hills and Hudsonville. Your West Michigan Specialist.

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