Ann Arbor Listings

WWT- Wordless Wed w/ Text

Marian Gregor-Ann, Arbor area Real Estate (Keller Williams) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:40:43 -0700

Gifts for my 25 wedding anniversary (to the same man). My beloved horse, Jackpot (it's also his birthday). 'Apple Blossom' Amarillus with their cheerful blooms. Life is good. Sigh.

Bankrupt Commerical Agent Makes Good!

Marian Gregor-Ann, Arbor area Real Estate (Keller Williams) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:01:28 -0700

Financial Sanity! Dave Ramsey has it going on and he will be discussing the current economy in a free event called Town Hall for Hope. Dave Ramsey is an author of books on personal finance and host of a radio program. Dave was a commercial Realtor who bankrupted himself, almost destroying his marriage in the process. However, he decided to learn from successful millionaires and billionaires about financial success. He discovered that most of them built and kept their wealth gradually, working regular jobs or careers. Nothing spectacular. Dave developed a course, called Financial Peace University, which is offered at churches around the country. My husband and I have enrolled in Financial Peace University. We are taking the course at the Dexter United Methodist Church. Though taught at a church, there has been no churchiness or proselytizing, which we appreciate. The course is a 13 week study of personal finances aimed at getting participants out of debt, onto a cash purchase basis, and then building wealth. My husband and I have completed through week nine. We and the facilitators of the class were laughing together about how we wished we had done this class when we were in our twenties (as has one of my nieces). Well, better late than never. As I said, Dave Ramsey will be discussing (via live video) the current economic crisis. Join hundreds of thousands of people for a nationwide town hall meeting. Dave will discuss today's economy, how we got here, and where we're going. Plus, Dave will field questions. This will be Thursday, April 23, at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. Locations on the west coast have the option of either a 5 or (delayed) 7 p.m. Pacific Time Start. Check Dave’s website for a location near you. Locally, Town Hall for Hope will be hosted in the sanctuary of Dexter United Methodist Church. The church is at 7643 W. Huron Drive, Dexter, Michigan. They have two huge screens for video displays. This event is open to everyone and is free. I do encourage you to attend.

SST Speechless Sunday( w/ text) Jade Surprise!

Marian Gregor-Ann, Arbor area Real Estate (Keller Williams) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 11:29:34 -0700

This is my 25 year old Jade plant. It has finally bloomed! I've waited all these years, not really expecting a bloom at all, let alone a multitude of them. The blooms appeared in the coldest stretch of winter while the earth was blanketed with snow. They lasted for many weeks. This is a photo of the plant with its sweeping branches. It is about 32" tall. I'm not sure how I will manage to repot it this spring but after the floral display it deserves a bigger pot! The branches are rather delicate so that makes it a two person job.

Wordless Wed- Spring Temptation

Marian Gregor-Ann, Arbor area Real Estate (Keller Williams) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:48:43 -0700

Is It Over Yet?

Marian Gregor-Ann, Arbor area Real Estate (Keller Williams) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 12:15:56 -0800

The winter of '08-'09 was a doozie, wasn't it? From snow in what is usually warm California and Georgia to ice storms blanketing the northeast I think that we have all had our fill of the ice and snow. In between the storms we had a delightful event in Plymouth, Michigan. That is the annual ice sculpting festival. It was just a quick 15 minute drive from Ann Arbor to enjoy the activies and people watching. Hundreds of people with kids and pets in tow traipsed through the city park sipping steaming hot cups of cocoa or munching on the goodies from a multitude of vendors. The city had its act together as several hundred hand warming packets were given out (for free) to the visitors during the frozen weekend. It was especially fun to watch some of the master carvers at work. Kids lined up to get a good view of the action. Pups of assorted sizes were looking for a pat or maybe a bite of your bratwurst! A great time was had by all. Maybe we'll see you there next year!

Blogging Wiz, If Ever a Wiz There was!

Marian Gregor-Ann, Arbor area Real Estate (Keller Williams) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 12:17:23 -0800

First ever Blogging course approved for Con Ed in the United States! Ann Arbor, MI was the location of a much anticipated blogging event hosted by the Ann Arbor Area Board of Realtors. They were two back to back blog courses given by noted Blogger Lola Audu. Ms. Audu taught the lively group about the development of social networking.She dealt with the conceptual aspects as well as the nuts and bolts. She touched on where society is moving as a whole and what the Gen X & Y members would expect. Ms. Audu suggested some of her favorite books. One is about Survival techniques- “Mere Survival today depends on being able to do something that overseas workers can’t do cheaper, that powerful computers can’t do faster, and that satisfies one of the nonmaterial, transcendent desires of an abundant age”Daniel Pink, author A Whole New MindGrown Up Digital by Don Tapscott How the young movers think.Groundswell by Forester Research tells how to incorporate this movement into ones business. Some of the questions that she so eloquently answeredWhy Blog?What works?Who should set it up?Search Engine Optimization- Get more?Measure how successful are your effortsCreating online LoyaltyDo you need Animation, audio, video?Are tags important?Should you tell a story? The second topic covered Blogging & Ethics for the Real Estate Professional Some quick snippets- Long tailWeb1.0 Marketing vs Web2.0DisclaimersPlagiarismCopyscapeUtterliFlickrNaymz, counterguide, freefind…… A big Thank You to Ms. Audu for providing the most enlightening continuing education I’ve had in my 20+ year Real Estate career. If it’s offered near you- take it!

Free Greeting Cards!

Marian Gregor-Ann, Arbor area Real Estate (Keller Williams) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 01:14:31 -0800

I’ve worked out a process for creating greeting cards on full 8½ by 11 paper using Microsoft Publisher. It is an easier and more flexible process than using the available templates. It is great for sending personal cards to friends and family. For clients, I still prefer the ease and professional look of www.SendOutCards.com .Before we get started, here is a sample card: Yes, it’s SUPPOSED to be upside down! Picture folding the above “card” in half top to bottom and then folding it again side to side.So how was this card created? Creating Cards from Blank Paper Using Microsoft Publisher Open Publisher and click on Blank Publication Click View Menu and click Master Page, hold down Shift Key and move mouse pointer over top edge of Layout Guide. Drag Layout Guide down to new position (5½” on the vertical ruler on an 8½ by 11 sheet of paper) to divide paper in half visually. Click Master Page again on View Menu to return to the working page; otherwise, every page will repeat what is on the master page. Divide guide into equal parts by inserting a text box over the guide to the size you want. Make sure it is aligned evenly on the horizontal ruler. Click on the Text Box (if it isn’t already clicked on), click on format, click on Text Box, click again on Text Box in the dialogue box, click on columns and indicate 2. Click OK, OK. (Later, this step will be repeated to divide the top half, unless you intend to have an inside picture cover both top quarters of the sheet.) Insert text and pictures as desired. Important: Front cover to the right quadrant, back cover to left. For inside of card, insert text box, pictures, or whatever as above; size and place as desired. Click on inside text box, pictures, etc. and use green dot at top to flip everything upside down. Reposition as necessary. Grouping objects beforehand will make the flip easier. To group, click on objects to be grouped while holding down control key. Click on grouping icon that appears. Now flip or reposition the whole group as one. Check to make sure all is as you want and then print. Fold in half from top to bottom, then again from left to right. Remember in Publisher you can use the Arrange Menu to bring objects to the foreground or to the background, overlaying additional textboxes over a picture, or over lapping picture over picture etc. The Arrange Menu can also be used to minutely nudge an object (text box or picture) or a grouped object to the left or right or up or down. Clicking “Nudge”, use the keyboard arrows to repeatedly move the object in the desired direction. This gives you more control than trying to minutely moving an object with the mouse. You can also create a rather large card by having a single fold, top to bottom as is done here: Above is the front and back of the cover. The back cover text and image has been flipped only 180 degrees, but it could also be flipped 360 degrees, but it must be flipped. A fold down the center of the sheet, top to bottom, gives us a good looking large card. Here is the inside of the card: This requires printing on both sides of the sheet and will require you to figure out how your printer feeds. The card that is folded in quadrants is printed on just one side and so is easier on the brain, but maybe not as impressive.In either case, I recommend printing on high quality presentation paper. The paper should be printable on both sides for the half fold card. Could you use photo paper? Sure for the card that prints on just one side. I don’t know of any photo paper printable on both sides.Could you use somewhat heavier stock paper? Yes, but I don’t know how the print quality would compare.So that’s that. Using this method allows you to make cards out of a single sheet of paper. No measuring, cutting, or gluing.

Too Much Chocolate?

Marian Gregor-Ann, Arbor area Real Estate (Keller Williams) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:26:04 -0800

Is it Possible to eat too much chocolate? Well, I intend to find out this Valentine’s Day at the Downtown Chelsea Chocolate Extravaganza. Trinh Pifer, owner of the Garden Mill, got the bright idea of organizing the extravaganza. And what an extravaganza! Over 30 Chelsea businesses and organizations are participating. Whereas most such chocolate extravaganzas cost an arm and leg to sample the goodies, this one will just cost you any pledge you made to never over-indulge. Really! There will be free -- that’s right, free – tastings at many of the shops, although I am sure they will happily sell you more to take home, if you haven’t yet made yourself sick at the thought of chocolate. But is that possible? If you don’t mind parting with your money, plenty of chocolate-themed merchandise will be on sale. Additionally there will be door prizes and various activities from 12 to 5 pm. All of the participating stores will have brochures available that direct you to the events. But if all you want is chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, you will find truffles galore, organic chocolate, a chocolate fountain, chocolate baked goods, hot chocolate beverages, and more! Participating businesses will have a red and chocolate-brown heart on their doors, so you can just follow the trail of hearts, gorging along the way. If you happen upon me with my chocolate glazed face mumbling incoherently, get me into a warm, chocolate-free shop until the sugar shock passes. Too much indeed? No, never.

Wordless Wed ~ Ice Festival ~ Hope

Marian Gregor-Ann, Arbor area Real Estate (Keller Williams) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 11:55:39 -0800

The Greatest Pet Rescue Ever!

Marian Gregor-Ann, Arbor area Real Estate (Keller Williams) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 11:34:05 -0800

An American Opera The Greatest Pet Rescue Ever! That's the subtitle to Tom McPhee's documentary, An American Opera, which will be presented at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Thursday, January 29 at 8 p.m. This is an emotionally moving film about the official and unofficial efforts to save the pets of New Orleans after Katrina.McPhee was watching the drama unfold on the news at home in Michigan. This was a story of a lifetime. He knew that he had to immediately go down to New Orleans with his cameras to document what was happening. He didn't have any particular expectations or agenda. Once there McPhee discovered that it was mandated that people be evacuated out of New Orleans without their beloved animals. But what would happen to the animals? Documenting the rescue became, he said, his destiny. The resulting film is at times both painful and heartening. We see New Orleans desperate to reunite with their pets, sometimes successfully, other times not. We witness volunteers bravely organize rescue efforts. The film isn't so much about facts and figures. McPhee wanted to create an emotional impression and for us to connect to the experience. At this he succeeds. I had the good fortune to see this film at its world premier at the Chelsea Library (Chelsea, Michigan) in November. Mr. McPhee grew up in Dearborn and moved to Chelsea just last year. After the showing of the film, Mr. McPhee entertained questions about it. As at Chelsea, a reception will precede the film at the Michigan, in Ann Arbor followed by discussion with McPhee, at 7:00 PM. The Michigan Theater itself is worth a visit, a historic theater now run by a non-profit. Tickets are $10 ($25 VIP for the meet and greet the director reception). Proceeds will benefit The Michigan Humane Society, Best Friends Network, and other organizations. See www.michtheater.org for more information.

Mr. Fix It Man

Marian Gregor-Ann, Arbor area Real Estate (Keller Williams) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 10:29:00 -0800

Have you slipped on the ice or worse yet, fallen? We have a wonderful resource in the Ann Arbor area. That is Dr. Mark Pinto Dr. Pinto has been practicing in the Ann Arbor/ Chelsea area for years since he attended Medical School at the U of M. His post graduate training was at Southern California Orthopedic Institute, Sports Medicine and the University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers, Orthopedic Surgery.He specializes in knee and shoulder repairs. Dr. Pinto is an avid sports fan. Besides playing hockey he has worked on many players for area sports teams. My little sister who lives in a different area has had 3 shoulder surgeries. She was merely tossing her purse onto the back seat of her car and she threw out her shoulder. She suffered in silence, tears streaming down her face until she was able to ask a good Samaritan who had parked next to her (and had finally come out of the department store) to make a call for help. She had to wait since this was before cell phones were common. Her two small children were buckled into the back seat so there was simply no way that she could get the kids out of the car and go inside for help. If this last surgery doesn't help her then I'll insist that she make an appointment to see Dr. Pinto! My friend, who is an active equestrian injured her knee. Thwarted by the injury she was not able to ride Dressage in her usual competent manner. After being misdiagnosed twice she was referred to Dr. Pinto. He realized that an MRI was needed for an accurate diagnosis. The results showed a tear in the cartilage. Surgery was scheduled. An hour in the OR at Chelsea Hospital and my friend was good to go. She retired her handicap parking sticker and cane. She has made a rapid and complete recovery and told me that she'll ride her horse tomorrow!

At Last- Short Sale Certification!

Marian Gregor-Ann, Arbor area Real Estate (Keller Williams) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 07:53:33 -0800

Seeing a significant need for further training, Keller Williams in Ann Arbor, MI recently hosted an advanced short sale class. Course facilitator, Barbara Horan brought the program from the foreclosure capitol of Temecula CA. The course objective was to educate local Realtors on facilitating successful short sales. Attendees were required to attend lectures, collaborate in problem solving scenarios and pass multiple exams (with score requirements above 90%) to be designated a Certified Short Sale Specialist. A community outreach program has been implemented with the main goal of assisting homeowners to stay in their homes through loan modification programs. If that is not a feasible action the specialist offers additional assistance with a short sale program. This action is much preferred over a homeowner suffering through foreclosure and ruined credit.

Ann Arbor Area Ice Festival

Marian Gregor-Ann, Arbor area Real Estate (Keller Williams) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 14:24:13 -0800

Looking for an Ice Place to Visit? Just 15 min. from Ann Arbor, check out the Plymouth International Ice Sculpture Spectacular!Plymouth, Michigan, hosts the oldest and largest ice festival. This year's event, the 27th annual, will have over 100 statues carved from single blocks of ice, plus lots that are carved from 5 to even 100 blocks! This is a real competition with professional artists from around the world. Participating as well are teams from many schools. The pictures here are from a previous festival in Plymouth. The sculptures can be viewed 24 hours a day in the downtown area, mostly at Kellog Park in the very center of downtown, but also in the parking deck and the "Gathering" area across the streets and in front of most of the shops. Plymouth itself is a delightful town to visit or live in. It features a real downtown with many quaint shops and over 24 restaurants. 2000 census data indicates that Plymouth has just under 9,000 residents. 33% of the households have an income of over $75,000, 41% of residents have a college degree. The surrounding township is rural/suburban.More information on Plymouth can be found here.Maybe I will see you there!

Speechless Sunday ~ My 1,750 lb. 4 legged Friend

Marian Gregor-Ann, Arbor area Real Estate (Keller Williams) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 16:26:43 -0800

Wordless Wednesdays ~ Winter's Best Friend, Lilly

Marian Gregor-Ann, Arbor area Real Estate (Keller Williams) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:49:43 -0800

Ann Arbor Area Holiday Memories

Marian Gregor-Ann, Arbor area Real Estate (Keller Williams) — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 15:31:38 -0800

Chelsea, Michigan, enjoys much sophistication due to the cosmopolitinism of nearby Ann Arbor, yet the city maintains the intimacy of a small town. Chelsea's Home Town Holidays is a prime example of its small town atmosphere with a bit of sophistication. This year was the 21st annual celebration. Most of the local merchants work with the city's non-profits to produce events and decorations throughout town. For example, The Garden Mill donated hundreds of votive candles which the Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts placed in recycled, plastic milk bottles to make luminaries. They lined both sides of Main Street for about a mile. Through the three days of the festival, there was story telling, Gingerbread houses on display at various stores, a live nativity scene with a real camel, a presentation of "The Nutcracker" by the Youth Dance Theater, cookie decorating, many musical entertainments, art and craft activities for kids and adults, holiday art show, visits with Santa, and many more events. My favorite event is the Parade of Lights. Local residents, businesses, and churches drive old cars or pull wagons down main street, each vehicle festooned in Christmas lights. The schools band plays carols; and local residents dressed in Christmas costumes march by throwing candy. Afterwards, everyone heads to the Chelsea Teddy Bear Factory for the "After-Parade Party and Community Sing" or explores the many quaint shops and art galleries that stay open late (and provide refreshments). I look forward to the 22nd annual Home Town Holidays. I plan on driving my pony and his cart in the Parade of Lights!

Wordless Wednesdays ~ Beautiful Horse, Snowy

Marian Gregor-Ann, Arbor area Real Estate (Keller Williams) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:03:25 -0800

Roasted Turkey in half the time!

Marian Gregor-Ann, Arbor area Real Estate (Keller Williams) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:16:03 -0800

Could it be possible? Can someone actually roast a turkey quickly? Wouldn't it be wonderful to not have to get up at 6 am to start the bird that would be carved to feed guests for a 2 pm dinner? Could you actually roast a turkey in half the time? Would it be just as good? I just had to find out. I first started on this quest about 5 years ago. After many failed attempts I came across the perfect method. The answer is YES! Creative Commons Attribution http://www.flickr.com/photos/r_gnuce/ Not only could I roast the bird in less than half the time, but the white meat was Moist, not dry and tasteless like in most of the birds I have sampled. Amazing. I had found the holy grail of holiday meals. So what is the secret? First, you'll need a few kitchen items An accurate meat thermometer Metal (not glass) roasting pan- an aluminum foil pan works too *****Here's the Recipe Set the oven to 500 degrees (this isn't a typo). This browns the skin to a nice Golden brown and seals in the juices. Once the oven has heated up-place the bird in the middle of the oven, breast side up. Don't cover the bird. Also don't add herbs or spices as they will disintegrate! Roast for 20 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 450 degrees. Roast the Bird for the rest of the time at this temperature. How long will it take? The total roast time will be just under 50% of what it normally takes. I did a 22 lb. turkey last week for my office thanksgiving dinner using this recipe. Normally, it takes 6 hours of total cooking time. A ‘22 lber' was done in less than 3 hours. It was actually 2 hours, 45 minutes! You'll find that in using this method your bird will have surprisingly moist, flavorful white meat as well as perfectly cooked dark meat. Be sure to use the meat thermometer in the last ½ hour of cooking time. Push it into the thigh, being careful to not touch a bone, as that would give an incorrect reading. Ignore the ‘pop up' timer as it is inaccurate at this temperature. It should read about 185 degrees. Or cut into the thigh, if the juices run Clear then it's done. What about stuffing? It's best to cook the stuffing separately in a casserole dish. What about gravy? If you want to make gravy, simply add ½-1 cup of water to the roasting pan while the bird is cooking. DO NOT add water to a hot glass pan Unless the water is also hot. (You really don't want to crack a glass pan with cool water!) For No Lumps- just stir the thickener (flour and cold water) in a small dish, until it's 'lump free' then pour that into the turkey juices and continue to stir while it cooks a bit. Need even More Gravy? Add 1/2 can of chicken broth or stretch it with a jar of turkey gravy. **Didn't believe me and you overcooked the bird? Save it by slicing it soon, since it continues to cook even after it's taken out of the oven. Pour a little warm chicken broth over the meat. That would help to make it more moist)

Hurry before it’s gone! (LOCALISM FEATURED)

Marian Gregor-Ann, Arbor area Real Estate (Keller Williams) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 17:53:59 -0800

Several excellent cider mills operate within the county of Washtenaw in Michigan, which itself is renowned for its many cider mills. One of them was named as one of the top ten cider mills in the country by Fine Living Magazine. This mill, the centerpiece of Alber's Orchards and Cider Mill, was established by John Alber in 1890 and owned by the Alber family until Mike and Therese Bossary (from Ann Arbor) purchased the orchards and mill. The Bossarys upgraded the operation to meet modern sanitary requirements, but the original mill still does the work of pressing apples. Saturdays and Sundays, you can watch the mill in operation. The apple blends are choice as the Bossarys grow over 35 traditional and 65 heirloom varieties. Every week the blend is differently delicious and the many varieties of apples are available for purchase as the growing season dictates. Therese will advise you on the best use of each variety and she provides taste samples! Of course, fresh baked donuts are available to enjoy with your cider. ***Northern Spy apples*** (considered the best baking apple by chefs) are still available While at the mill, you can walk through the corn maze or enjoy a ride in a horse drawn carriage to the pumpkin patch where there are many varieties of squash. The property is the site of many special events, as the orchards and pavilion, the rustic mill and barns, and the gorgeous rolling hillsides make for a romantic setting for marriages or birthday parties. Hours? T-F from 12 to 6, Sat. 9 to 6, and Sun. 10 to 6 is Where? 13011 Bethel Church Road, Manchester. The property lies between Pleasant Lake and the quaint village of Manchester. The drive there is scenic from any direction. But hurry out there. The press shuts down after Thanksgiving, but wait, there's more..... Hard cider ? Mike, an authority on the process, begins the production of the spirits. Feel free to ask Mike when the hard cider will be available. I really enjoy the unpasteurized sweet cider and put up several gallons in the freezer to get me and my husband through the winter. As an added bonus, the jugs of frozen cider make great gifts for our family and friends in the far north (Marquette) where apple trees just don't do well. But they bring us lots of wild blueberries. If you buy extra cider to put in the freezer, remember to first pour off a tall glass and enjoy it. This provides expansion space and prevents the jug from splitting. The extra glass of cider now is your reward for being so farsighted. Recap the jug. Put it in the freezer. Sit back and sip your cider between bites of donut. Ahhh. Perfect end to a delightful afternoon.

Ann Arbor Area Board of Realtors Election

Marian Gregor-Ann, Arbor area Real Estate (Keller Williams) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 07:05:39 -0800

OK, Here goes... my 1st blog. The Ann Arbor Area Board of Realtors recently held elections. The purpose was to elect 2 individuals for 3 year terms. The ballroom was packed with an overflow crowd. There was hushed silence as the many candidates spoke. Although the field was competitive 2 stood out from the crowd with their vision for the Board members in these trying times. There was a lot of excitement in the room as the results were finally announced amid cheers & raucous applause. Keller Williams had made a clean sweep. The Team Leader, Chet Hill stood up and announced that there would be a champagne toast to congratulate Ann arbor icon LaTanya Keith and Missy Caulk's win.The Board's EO, Nancy Merdzinski helped us celebrate. OK. This was my 1st post. Yes, I know that it was a bit dry but the champagne was fabulous! Congrats. to LaTanya & Missy!