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Grand Rapids, MI Real Estate News

By Michael Delaware, REALTOR®, CRS, GRI
(North Sky Realty LLC)
When you visit the Fredrick Meijer Garden and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and you want to make your way into the butterfly exhibit, they route you along a path that takes you through the cactus exhibit first. Here they have a wonderful collection of cactus, mostly from the Southwestern U.S. and Central America. Being originally from Arizona, I have always had a great appreciation for cactus.  As a kid, when I would go with the Boy Scouts on a desert camping trip, our excursion often included instruction from a Scoutmaster on the subject of cactus and safety.   You soon learned as a Scout that cactus deserved respect, and if you violated that, it generally taught you a lesson at some point.  Nonetheless, what is being a boy growing up in the desert without an occasional Cho...
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By Michael Delaware, REALTOR®, CRS, GRI
(North Sky Realty LLC)
It has been a few years since I visited the butterfly exhibit at the Fredrick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture park in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  I went there this past Sunday with my wife, and we spent several hours there.  The exhibit runs from March 1st through April 30th, and the butterfly exhibit offers an escape from the bitterness of winter.  When we went, it was windy and chilly outside, but when you walk into the enclosed exhibit, it was hot and humid, so you soon removed your coat.  Butterflies are warmer weather creatures.  There is a nice ventilation system in the exhibit, so you get the sense of a tropical breeze now and then.  This year was the 16th year of the exhibit, and when you visit you enter into the Lena Meijer Tropical Conservatory, and walk among the butterflies as the...
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By Gary White~Grand Rapids Home Selling Pro Call: 616-821-9375, Real Estate Services You can Trust!
(Flexit Realty "Flexible Home Selling Solutions")
Flexit Realty launched a new Real Estate Website.   We reviewed the needs of real estate buyers and sellers and made some very important adjustments to our website.  Our goal is to help serve our current and future clients better. Many websites make it difficult to find information.  We have streamlined our search process.  We have added some features that will help both buyers and sellers get a "real time" price perspective on the value of the home being purchased or sold. Flexit Realty, a name derived out of "Flexible Real Estate Solutions" has helped both buyers and sellers find homes easier and be able to compare properties. It is simple...If you live in Michigan...Click on the Property and then a drop-down window will show you a property search link. Notice:   The Map at the top le...
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By Terry & Bonnie Westbrook, Westbrook Realty - Grand Rapids Forest Hills MI Re
(Westbrook Realty Broker-Owner)
Forest Hills Plat Homes Grand Rapids MI Real Estate Market Report Jan-Mar 2011 Forest Hills Plat in Grand Rapids Michigan is a well established home neighborhood located just west of Forest Hills Drive and just south of Fulton Street.  Built in the late 1950′s and 1960′s by R.D. Brooks, this development has a community outdoor pool, community association, and common park area for residents who belong to the association.  Forest Hills Subdivision is in Grand Rapids Township, prestigious Forest Hills School district and close to the I96 Expressway for fast access to many parts of the city.  Just minutes away from the Forest Hills shopping, 28th Street retail corridor, and about 10 minutes from downtown Grand Rapids or Gerald R. Ford Airport. A very desirable suburban area to live in, val...
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By Gary White~Grand Rapids Home Selling Pro Call: 616-821-9375, Real Estate Services You can Trust!
(Flexit Realty "Flexible Home Selling Solutions")
Sometimes you can't win even when you go by the rules! I own an A Design Suite (Premium), these programs help me create my advertising, brochures, pamphlets, flash, video and internet sites. The cost for the software is 1299.00 dollars.  Not a cheap investment.  I recently upgraded my laptop to a new PC.  It created a nightmare of crashes.  So like any good consumer I went back and placed my defective PC on the counter of Best Buy and they cheerfully helped me upgrade to a MacBook Pro to the tune of another $1000.00 more than the PC by the time I bought the new software I needed. It hasn't crashed once! :-) My heart faltered a few times during the processing of my credit card and then again when I had to reinstall all the programs, transfer files and update a blank laptop. My final step...
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By Terry & Bonnie Westbrook, Westbrook Realty - Grand Rapids Forest Hills MI Re
(Westbrook Realty Broker-Owner)
Top Five Reasons to Move to Caledonia Michigan: Rural, Suburban setting Low Population density Highly rated public school system  Proximity to Grand Rapids, Lansing, Holland Close-knit community Caledonia Michigan has a small village, an expanding commercial and life style sector building up on M-37 to the east of the village.  The new Caledonia Township offices and a newly constructed library are now residing here.  While lots of rural farm land and suburban housing is sprinkled all over Caledonia Township, the public schools system consists of 9 schools.  The high school campus is located just west of the village off Kraft Avenue.   You can register on our website and have up-to-date emails sent to you with the newest listings in Caledonia sent right to your mail-box every 24 hours. ...
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By Terry & Bonnie Westbrook, Westbrook Realty - Grand Rapids Forest Hills MI Re
(Westbrook Realty Broker-Owner)
Forest Hills Schools Top Ten in Michigan MEAP Scores 2011 Forest Hills students have posted outstanding MEAP scores for  the 2010-2011 year.  The Forest Hills students placed at the top of the Kent County District and the State of Michigan charts.    Mathematics Gr 3 – 99% Gr 5 – 96% Gr 8 – 97% Reading Gr 3 – 96% Gr 5 – 97% Gr 8 – 96% Writing Gr 4 – 72% Gr 7 – 75% Science Gr 5 – 96% Gr 8 – 96%  Social Studies Gr 6 – 95% Gr 9 – 92%   You can view all Forest Hills Public Schools test scores here As state and federal governments have raised expectations for student performance, Forest Hills students have recorded higher levels of achievement.    Forest Hills 8th Grade students placed in Top Ten scores in 2011 MEAP test results for reading and science.  Of the other Top Ten ranking schools...
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By Terry & Bonnie Westbrook, Westbrook Realty - Grand Rapids Forest Hills MI Re
(Westbrook Realty Broker-Owner)
Comparing Caledonia & Lowell School Districts in Grand Rapids Michigan If you are considering a move to the suburban/rural communities of Caledonia or Lowell on the southeast side of Grand Rapids, how do they compare?  Besides the obvious answers of the local businesses, size, and culture, the school system is usually a large drawing card to attract local inhabitants.   Let’s see how the 2 public schools compare:   Caledonia is a Class A public school system 7 schools 3501 students 85.8% proficiency rate in Math & Reading Median household income = $81,718 92.2% graduation rate Average SAT score = 1169 Average ACT score = 22 SEARCH FOR CALEDONIA HOMES   Lowell is a Class A public school system 8 schools 3897 students 95.7% proficiency rate in Math & Reading Average household income = $9...
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By Bonnie & Terry Westbrook, Grand Rapids MI Real Estate
(Westbrook Realty)
Spring is reluctant to arrive here in West Michigan this year.  Our grass is still brown and  the landscape is winter bare - except for the Crocus!   The little crocus bouquets that are scattered around my gardens are pushing their way  up through fall leaves and other winter debris.  When the sun shines, they open up and shine forth with brilliant color.  One of the welcome harbingers of spring!  
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By Mary Kent, Grand Rapids to the Lake Shore
(Five Star Real Estate )
Exploring the Short Sale from Start to Finish. What sellers and buyers need to know: Your home is now listed and active on the MLS. The agent has created a marketing plan and priced the home aggressively with in market value range. The offer and/or offers are coming in, you sit down with your agent and pick the offer that works the best. From there you submit the package below to start the process the bank.   Offer with all signatures Buyer Pre Approval Letter Copy of Buyer earnest check Buyer signed Short Sale Disclosure Seller Short Sale Package (already complete) Up to date financial Information from the seller HUD this is a form with all the numbers as related to the offer submitted Off the file goes: Once the lender has received all the information above they assign the file to a n...
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By Michael Delaware, REALTOR®, CRS, GRI
(North Sky Realty LLC)
I was driving down the road coming from Grand Rapids Michigan a few weeks ago, and the time of day with the sky behind the leafless trees inspired me to snap a this photo.  I know that winter can be difficult, and when you are outside you tend to want to just get where you want to go.  It is easy to ignore even some of the simple beauty around us.  Leafless trees are not much to look at, but when I think about the annual transformation of Mother Nature, it is quite wonderful.  In a few weeks or maybe a few months, these trees will have a new look, and may be filled with green, red or golden leaves.  It is the ongoing cycle of the seasons, and I think against the blue and white sky these barren branches are a work of magnificent art. Just like life, it is easier sometimes to appreciate t...
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By Gary White~Grand Rapids Home Selling Pro Call: 616-821-9375, Real Estate Services You can Trust!
(Flexit Realty "Flexible Home Selling Solutions")
I used to think this "Crash-N-Burn" comment was only related to when I raced motorcycles back when I was young and daredevilish.  Now I know the real meaning of Crash-N-Burn! You can do all the research you want and still get Burned!  You can select the right agent the right car the right anything and still get Burned! I have owned 10 laptops over the years at a minimum and this latest purchase was going to be grander than all that I owned before this.  Wrong....it was grander all right.  It was grander all right, it cost me grander.  It caused my temper to be grander.  It cost grander in time and energy. So here are some grander thoughts.  Best Buy now loads their software promotions on computers.  I don't want their stuff...I didn't pay for their stuff so don't embed it in my start-up...
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By Gary White~Grand Rapids Home Selling Pro Call: 616-821-9375, Real Estate Services You can Trust!
(Flexit Realty "Flexible Home Selling Solutions")
You might not live under a rock as the new commercial suggests but forgetting to set your clocks forward an hour can still make you late tomorrow! I look forward to gaining that extra hour I lose every fall back because I know spring is around the corner.  We had a couple bad weeks over the winter but all in all I was my usual shut-in self.  I used to enjoy winter with skiing and outdoor fun.  Some how that has pasted...now I enjoy spring, summer and fall.  Warmer parts of the country are going to be my new home when the snow flies. So don't forget, this is you last warning....then it is on you!  Over sleep and drag into church looking like you just forgot to set your clock back...reminder to self on refrigerator! Enjoy the change of seasons and especially enjoy the increase in daylight...
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By Terry & Bonnie Westbrook, Westbrook Realty - Grand Rapids Forest Hills MI Re
(Westbrook Realty Broker-Owner)
Foto Friday: MSU College of Human Medicine Secchia Center Grand Rapids Michigan We attended a recent open house for Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce members at the MSU College of Human Medicine in Grand Rapids new Secchia Center.  The building and its facilities have state of the art technology, commanding views of downtown Grand Rapids, and a beautiful new LEED certified building.  MSU’s College of Human Medicine is ranked in the Top 25 Medical Schools by U.S. News and World Report, so you can see why we care excited to have them here in the heart of Grand Rapids.   The Secchia Center, a seven-story, 180,000-square-foot building atop a five-story parking deck along Grand Rapids’ Michigan Street, serves as the medical education building and administrative headquarters for the MSU Colle...
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By Bonnie & Terry Westbrook, Grand Rapids MI Real Estate
(Westbrook Realty)
SugarBush Time at Blandford Nature Center Grand Rapids Michigan March is sugarbush time in Michigan.  Even though the trees  are bare, sap is flowing upward to feed the new leaf growth ready to sprout.  This sap is sweet but gets even sweeter by heating and boiling down the water content.  The collection of sap and  making of maple syrup is called SugarBush.  This activity is going on all over Michigan and the northern areas of the United States, where sugar maple trees grow.      Blandford Nature Center  is located at:   1715 Hillburn Ave NW  Grand Rapids MI 49504 616-735-6240   Saturday Program: Sugarbush Tours March 5, 12, and 19  2011       12pm – 4pm, $3 Sugarbush programming all month long. Saturday tours from 12pm – 4pm. Come see the history of syrup making and taste the results...
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By Bonnie & Terry Westbrook, Grand Rapids MI Real Estate
(Westbrook Realty)
Foto Friday - Night View DeVos Children's Hospital Grand Rapids Michigan This is the street view of Grand Rapids Michigan's new DeVos Children's Hospital from the Secchia Center, which houses the new MSU College of Human Medicine newest campus in downtown Grand Rapids.  It is located on the Medical Mile - a local nickname for the development that has put Grand Rapids on the map in the medical world, whether it is  the Van Andel Research Center, Cook DeVos Center, or the huge Spectrum Hospital and all its affiliate buildings.
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By Terry & Bonnie Westbrook, Westbrook Realty - Grand Rapids Forest Hills MI Re
(Westbrook Realty Broker-Owner)
Grand Rapids Michigan Real Estate Market Report by School District 2007-2010 Real Estate is always local. Grand Rapids is such a large metropolitan area, the real estate market report for the whole area is not necessarily true for your specific neighborhood.  Some areas are growing and some areas are shrinking in population.  Hopefully this report will give you a glimpse of the big Grand Rapids picture by looking at the suburban pieces. sub We have split the Grand Rapids area up by public school district, to give a logical approach to this report. This is a macro neighborhood report, not a micro report.  Bear in mind, these are average home prices for large areas, not specific neighborhoods.    Belding 2010 – $ 59, 747 2009 – $  55,110 2008 – $  71,758 2007 – $ 100,416   Byron Center 2...
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By Gary White~Grand Rapids Home Selling Pro Call: 616-821-9375, Real Estate Services You can Trust!
(Flexit Realty "Flexible Home Selling Solutions")
Foreclosures keep coming and the reports of it being over are just not true.  The latest report by the Feds showed a slight increase in home sales .02%.  That number included 27% foreclosed homes, for the nation. We would love to have our state be able to say only 27% of the sales were foreclosed homes.  The facts for Michigan are simple we have lost jobs...thousands of jobs only behind California.  I can say with reasonable certainty that it wasn't the workers that caused this. We have a large blue collar workforce well trained and versatile.  We have a new governor that is making some very needed but unpopular decisions. In our area we have had investor groups take advantage of the foreclosure purchase option.  Many of these purchases were motivated over greed.  As the market still li...
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By Gary White~Grand Rapids Home Selling Pro Call: 616-821-9375, Real Estate Services You can Trust!
(Flexit Realty "Flexible Home Selling Solutions")
I was listing a home on Lake Isabella.  For those of you unfamiliar with this beautiful area it is located just 15 miles west of Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. The home is a Chalet style with many amenities which I will provide in a listing post.  I had completed the listing documents, had taken inside photos, place my yard sign, secured the Realtor access lockbox and was preparing to take the outside photos as my final step. Here is one of the outside photos.  This beautiful home has composite decking, heat pump open floor plan, laminate flooring, 3 bedrooms and more. www.FlexitRealty.com While taking the exterior photos I saw a couple young children coming down the road.  The little girl looked to be 4 or 5 and the boy about 7 or 8 years old.  I snapped several a...
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By Terry & Bonnie Westbrook, Westbrook Realty - Grand Rapids Forest Hills MI Re
(Westbrook Realty Broker-Owner)
Grand Rapids Michigan East Suburban Top Best Buy Homes - January 2011   The Top Best Buy Home Blogs that we publish every month give us a great overview on what is happening to the lower end of the market in each of these east Grand Rapids suburbs with pricing and sales.  We can see the uptick in sales or the downturn in pricing, at a glance.  We always give a brief market synopsis of  each particular area and what we see as the trend that month.   If you are looking for a modestly priced home in these Grand Rapids suburbs, then you will be interested in reading these blogs: Adacroft Commons Neighborhood Real Estate Market Report 2010 AdaWoods Neighborhood Real Estate Market Report 2010 Cascade Woods Neighborhood Real Estate Market Report 2010 Centennial Park Condos Neighborhood Real Es...
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