Grand Haven, MI

On a beautiful day in April, we went on a day road trip

to Grand Haven Michigan, which is about 30 miles from

Grand Rapids.  Grand Haven is on Lake Michigan, it has a

great beach.  If you won't take my word for it,  it was

named one of the Top 5 Beaches in the United States by

Good Morning America-Travel Mom and has hosted the AVP

Pro Beach Volleyball Tournament throughout the summer

months,  due to the quality of its sand beaches.

It also has 2 lighthouses, connected by a lighted catwalk

which runs along the pier to the shore.  Grand Haven is a

Great Lakes port, home to a large charter fishing fleet, the

US Coast Guard Lake Michigan Group, which coordinates all

 Lake Michigan Coast Guard activities.  In fact, Grand Haven

 is officially nicknamed, Coast Guard City USA. 

 Grand Haven State Park is also a popular destination for tourists,

because it is on fabulous Lake Michigan.  We are so fortunate to

live so close to a natural wonder, Lake Michigan, one of the

largest fresh water lakes in the world.  On a balmy day in

April, it is so serene.  The same scene in stormy November

or January can look totally different.  We get warnings on our

weather channels about wave heights and swimming in

dangerous rip tide conditions all summer.

But on a day trip to Grand Haven in April, all we have to

concern ourselves with was lunch.  Which we had on the channel

at the Snug Harbor Restaurant while we watched the boats

going up and down the channel out to the big lake.

 

Grand Haven has lots to offer, whether you come for a vacation,

the Annual US Coast Guard Festival, or just a day tripper, like us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids Real Estate

Copyright 2009 All rights reserved

This tax credit can give you a refund in the next 60 day. If you buy a house from me today and have not owned a home in 3 years your 2008 tax return can be amended and you can get a refund in the next 60 days.

Expanded Tax Break Available for 2009 First-Time Homebuyers

IR-2009-14, Feb. 25, 2009

WASHINGTON - The Internal Revenue Service announced today that taxpayers who qualify for the first-time homebuyer credit and purchase a home this year before Dec. 1 have a special option available for claiming the tax credit either on their 2008 tax returns due April 15 or on their 2009 tax returns next year.

Qualifying taxpayers who buy a home this year before Dec. 1, 2009 can get up to $8,000, or $4,000 for married filing separately.

"For first-time homebuyers this year, this special feature can put money in their pockets right now rather than waiting another year to claim the tax credit," said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. "This important change gives qualifying homebuyers cash they do not have to pay back."

The IRS has posted a revised version of Form 5405, First-Time Homebuyer Credit, on IRS.gov. The revised form incorporates provisions from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The instructions to the revised Form 5405 provide additional information on who can and cannot claim the credit, income limitations and repayment of the credit.

This year, qualifying taxpayers who buy a home before Dec. 1, 2009, can claim the credit on either their 2008 or 2009 tax returns. They do not have to repay the credit, provided the home remains their main home for 36 months after the purchase date. They can claim 10 percent of the purchase price up to $8,000, or $4,000 for married individuals filing separately.

The amount of the credit begins to phase out for taxpayers whose adjusted gross income is more than $75,000 or $150,000 for joint filers.

For purposes of the credit, you are considered to be a first-time homebuyer if you, and your spouse if you are married, did not own any other main home during the three-year period ending on the date of purchase.

The IRS also alerted taxpayers that the new law does not affect people who purchased a home after April 8, 2008, and on or before Dec. 31, 2008. For these taxpayers who are claiming the credit on their 2008 tax returns, the maximum credit remains 10 percent of the purchase price, up to $7,500, or $3,750 for married individuals filing separately. In addition, the credit for these 2008 purchases must be repaid in 15 equal installments over 15 years, beginning with the 2010 tax year.

I find myself glancing at the cities you all are from and thinking... uhhmmm... what's your neck of the woods like? (sorry Mr. Al Roker!)

So hey...I'll go first!

My favorite place....drum roll.....GRAND HAVEN, MICHIGAN is a wonderfully inviting beach town known as Coast Guard City, USA. It includes a host of beautiful classic cottages up the winding hills with majestic views of Lake Michigan. My Mom tells story's about the fun she had at party's on the hill in the mid 1950's.

You will find tranquil beaches, trolleys, shops, restaurants, boardwalk, boats and fun galore! So come visit and enjoy the history and sites of my Grand Haven!

If your like me you're wondering how to keep your school age children busy this summer! My family and I love the Grand Haven area and spend a good part of our spring and summer in our own little piece of paradise! In the upcoming months I'll be blogging about all things Grand Haven!

Mary's May pick for family fun~

Visit Grand Haven State Park for the GREAT LAKES KITE FESTIVAL the weekend of May 15th-17th 2009. This is a spectacular cause to benefit the Children's Leukemia Foundation of Michigan. This event is also sponsored by Mackinaw Kite and Toys in Grand Haven, Michigan.

Check out the SCHEDULE OF EVENTS for the Kite Festival, it's full of fun for the whole family! For walkers out there The Children's Leukemia Foundation has a walk scheduled for May 15 that will wind its way from Grand Haven State Park through the downtown business district and back to the park for lunch and the Great Lakes Kite Festival. SIGN UP FOR THE WALK HERE!

If you're looking for a dedicated professional real estate agent in Grand Haven or Ottawa County call Mary Kent, agent with Five Star Real Estate @ 616-915-3987 or visit http://ottawacountyhome.com

West Michigan has disappeared. No longer does the state look like a mitten. It is being called the Alaska syndrome. Word has it that West Michigan does still exist but it is buried under several inches feet of snow. The city's started disappearing first. It has been reported that each neighbor kept shoveling mounds of snow so high on each side of the drive that avalanches have occur ed and buried entire neighborhoods.

Ok I am going to gripe. I'm unabashedly looking for pity. Most of you who know me, know that I don't complain. WELL I AM GOING TO COMPLAIN. I am sick to death of all this snow!! I get text messages sent to my phone whenever there is a weather alert. Mostly, it is for the summer because I have a nasty habit of driving into tornadoes. But I have been getting two and three weather alerts daily for weeks. Into the late hours of the night, my phone is going off.

This is my friend on a ride yesterday in Grand Haven, MI on a full size horse - not a pony!

This video was from last week when we went to get a CHRISTmas tree. This guy slid off the driveway where the trees were at. Of course he sees us in our 4WD and thinks life is good!! So did we. We love to help people out. USUALLY we just hook on a strap and pull them out in seconds flat. NO NOT THIS TIME! It was so icy that the 4WD couldn't dig in. We had to haul him along until he got to the drive so we could force him up. It was truly comical! We did end up getting the guy out--he tried to pay us but we wouldn't take it. I'm not taking money from someone when it cost me nothing to help him.

Today, I thought about canceling an appointment to show houses to a couple for the second time. I REALLY wanted to show them houses-they sounded like such nice kids. But I REALLY didn't want to end up in the ditch either. I finally decided to take the darn 4WD and just go!! On the way I saw about 12 cars in the ditch and the finale . . .a jack knifed semi on the highway! Flippin' lovely!

If you can believe it, it gets worse! We have a big snow blower that attaches to our garden tractor. Our drive is way beyond shoveling or even using a little snow blower! It would kill it quickly, there is just too much there. Our snow blower broke . .can you believe it?!!? The belt broke! Now just a belt breaking is not a big deal. I have a husband that can fix anything and I mean anything! BUT NO PLACE ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH CAN YOU PURCHASE THE STUPID BELT RIGHT NOW!! We have to order it!

ORDER IT!! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? It will take 3-4 days to get it. By then, we will be buried in snow. We are suppose to get 6 more inches tonight and it is suppose to keep coming tomorrow!! Do you know how much snow we already have???!?!! Look at the pictures. That was from last week folks!! It has been snowing for 5 solid days since then!!

Ok . . you all know I am an eternal optimist so I do have to look on the bright side. This is going to be awesome for Lake Michigan. Water levels have gone down so much that people are destroying props when they put their boats in. This will really help!

The other bright side is that the schools are off for Christmas so they aren't using up a ton of snow days so they have to keep going in June. My daughter would be beside herself . . she graduates in June!

Another bright side is that it will make for an awesome blog about our local cross country skiing and sledding place. I am already forming that one in my mind and have the cam corder primed and ready. I can't wait for you all to see it!

And see I just thought of another plus . . .I can get out my cross country skis. I haven't been able to use them for two years because we haven't had enough snow. WELL WE GOT ENOUGH NOW!

Allendale, MI 12/20/08 3 feet of snow!

<This was actually posted on 12/24/08, but there were some problems with it appearing. It was recommended I delete it and repost it to see what happens . . .so here it goes! By the way we are under yet another warning . .flood warning because now the snow is melting and dense fog advisory! Enough already!>