About Grand Rapids' Rockford

Coming Soon Gorgeous ~ the Perfect Home?

Here is a peak at a new listing in Rockford, Michigan.

You want a big sprawling walkout ranch with a master suite with over 4000 sq. ft. living space?

Want privacy and seclusion with a five acre wooded parcel? A yard with underground sprinkling to complement the professional landscaping and lush surroundings designed to catch your eye.

The yard has been created to accent nature while limiting the hands on maintenance. A large open floor with fireplaces, decking where serenity or entertaining is your option, take a peek inside...more coming soon.

Simply Beautiful, Inside and out and will be priced at only $289,900.00

Call to be the first to see this home. It won't last long.

Call Gary White 616-821-9375

This years Cottage & Lakefront Living Show in downtown Grand Rapids Michigan was held again ad Devos Place.

It runs March 27-29

Friday 3 - 9

Saturday 10 - 9

Sunday 11 - 5

I enjoyed this year with a couple of friends and found some really cool things that would benefit cottage living. They had landscaping, docks, boats and anything you can think of on the home improvement side, but they had some really fun stuff too! Check it out if you can!

We started to have some fun with the giant wooden rocker! We felt like Eidth Ann aka Lilly Tomlin! Really cool furniture great for home or cottage!

From there we went in to find many exhibitors that were full of info and ready to answer questions!

We were greeted by a beautiful pond with an inviting boat. After the rocking chair we just were happy to know that was more for show than to try to boat in!

Custom made bean bag toss boards with drink holders... that seemed to be MY theme for the day!

Tons of info on Lakes and Wildlife

This was really cool a big sand box! And the Sand Pirate was there!

It is just amazing what people do with sand! Stop by and take a look at her photos too! Just great!

Love this guy!

and you know what he was holding???

This poor little night! But he was armed and ready to battle.

I think he was going to slay this monster so he could enjoy the show!

Lots to see and samples to eat too!

I guess on Sunday they will be tearing these great works of art down!

We also had a discussion of what sort of kayak we would want.

This sounds like fun!

Great 'show speical' pricing on them as well!

Lots of colors to choose from.

Our talk was mostly about what was the right position for the .... drink holder!

This was the winner and my favorite!

Many kinds of out door ~ water fun toys!

Even a full size cottage! They told me it took three days to build!

Would you believe the show special on that was $109,900? and wait till you see the inside!!!

Not big, but it was very well laid out!

I am starting to look for lakefront land now!

This also includes all the appliances!

This upstairs loft was plenty big for friends and guests!

It was very charming and you could just imaging being in there.

Reading a book, cooking fresh caught fish, relaxing by the fire, watching the wildlife!

Relaxing......

The bath was good size! Just charming!

This was on the mail floor.

The stack-able washer and dryer were also included in the 'show special' price....

Even though this was in the bathroom, the bathroom had plenty of room.

I didn't get a picture of it, but the floor was stone!

If you are not in touch with nature when you live in this delightful home, there is no hope for you.

The only thing it was missing was the lake!

This is the view of the outside. It is bigger than it looks!

You can see the stone flooring that was used inside!

The colors in the cottage were just perfect!

Great job!

Can you believe this is an OUTDOOR speaker? YES!

There are different pot sizes and colors and get this.... even rocks!

You can have your outside wired and doc your ipod and with a touch of a button on your dock... play your favorite relaxing tunes!

One system for everything! Very cool for sure!

The sound was amazing too!

Home furnishings to get the look for summer fun!

Living or vacationing in Michigan is the best!

Don't you just want to go sit down and have some iced tea?

Isn't this just the cutes sink?

This portable wood fired oven is perfect for any home or vacation get away!

They had a section to show you how to install ceramic flooring!

These are just amazing!

Trying samples!!! Yum!

Great landscaping ideas and several business there to answer questions about retaining walls, patios, walks, and even fire pits!

This was only a few! But it is worth the time to check it out.

They also had boats, jet skis and artists there.

It was a great day to get into the warmer season ahead.

There were several real estate and rental properties that were featuring many a great place!

I will be back next year for sure!

Leo Brehl, Grand Rapids, Michigan 1948 (This photo was taken for the local paper on the unique design on the home he built)

So many of my clients and friends ask me why I got into selling Real Estate. Some times I wonder, but I was reminded of it when I was looking through some old family photos the other day.

My Grandfather was a builder among many of his talents. He had built many houses in his day. But in spring I often remember him and the special gift he gave to me and my sister … the love of a HOME!

My sister, his first grand child, was blessed with her very own custom play house - just a one room 6 x 6 charming starter home. Complete with working windows, doors, built-ins, top of the line insulation in the day I am sure and not to mention the multi color shingles for siding and roofing. It had great curb appeal to a child. My Mother made matching curtains to the ones in our own home with extra fabric she didn’t want to waste. Today a home inspector might not pass the size of the windows or the fact that the door knob would fall off sometimes from inside and you couldn’t get out. Someone would eventually come looking for you. Sometimes I wonder if they just left the door knob like that for a reason. Having kids of my own, I only ponder! No central air but the windows had screens on them so bugs (bees) wouldn’t get in and sting us. Grandpa was always thinking I tell you. It had its own completely fenced in yard too. My sister called it a prison! Well, it was 8ft tall chicken wire and they locked us in there (yes they did!). Now THERE is a phone call to Social Services today huh? The yard complete with a John Deere tractor tire for the sand box and a swing. We lived on 40 acres at that time and kids wondered and my parents were afraid that we might fall into one of the two ponds on the property. They knew we were safe and we were. We weren’t allowed to have matches in there AT ALL and everything was plastic, the good plastic that didn’t break and had that ‘good plastic smell.

The listing would read: Great little bungalow, starter home or countryside rancher. My sister and I just called it FUN!

I surprised everyone when I came along 8 years later and the need/want for a second (home) play house was not going to happen. Times were tough and you lived below your means. Back in the late 1950’s you recycled and I am sure Grandpa didn’t buy anything but the nails and glue. One of the things he like to do was to tear down old buildings the city didn’t want any more and sell what he could and use the rest. Paid cash for everything or you didn’t buy it (Dave Ramsey was right!). When my sister was older she had abandoned her need for ‘play’ and ‘boys’ took over her definition of FUN! The 'For Sale By Owner" sign didn't have to go in the front yard. No agent got a check on this one! I took up squatter’s rights or the “hand-me-downs” if you would rather. No deed or monies exchanged hands but the ownership was taken seriously. As I grew, the chicken wire came down. Both my sister and I figured out how to climb it, so it was pointless to lock us up. Didn’t really need it anyway, we loved our play house and would play in it for hours!

During the winter, I didn’t use it much. Yes it was insulated, but no heat … that too wouldn’t pass by today’s standards . No mud room so you always had snow all over in it. I would look in the windows and just day dream about the warmer days ahead when I could make mud pies and rearrange my custom furniture that Grandpa made to match.

When the first spring day hit, I was up at the crack of dawn. Play clothes on, bucket and broom ready to “Spring Clean My House” for the whole day! Everything came out! EVERYTHING! Even the vinyl flooring because it was one big piece ( and yes there were hard wood floors in it!). There was always sand under it from a mud pie that might have spilled from the oven which was a cardboard box with pill bottles for knobs (who needs a Wii?). Mom even made me lunch and brought it to me. PB & J with homemade jam of course. She made sure I had clean soapy warm water for my dishes and dry dish towels. Sometimes she would do laundry the same day and we would hang out clothes together. It was great being a home owner and the neighbors were so nice!

When my Grandfather would come over he would walk around and admire his build job or do any minor repairs to the siding or roof when it needed it. I would follow as he talked about some paint on the front door and what color I wanted. I think he thought ahead of how a little girl could change her mind and the multi-colored house was built with a women in mind.

I would invite my Mom and Dad over for tea and mud pie with pine needle sprinkles which they politely pretended to drink and eat. I would read books, feed or wash my baby dolls and think about when I would grow up and have my own home what it would be like. Spring meant a time to dream, a time to play and be a kid.

Today, I don’t play house. It is the real deal. Too many responsibilities in life or maybe I just forgot how. Spring reminds me of that child that loved her first home and dreamed of new possibilities. I remember the importance of family and time together. Even though spring has a feeling of freshness and newness I hope it brings hope to the many home owners who have struggled with job loss and foreclosure or are worrying about losing their home yet today. This spring has taken me way back to simpler day and happier times. My thoughts for the readers here are to connect to the kid in you that couldn’t be stopped and enjoy the spring and allow your self to day dreamed. May you have fresher, happier days ahead. God Bless!

Thank you Grandpa, we miss you and still love you!

“Honey! Get the ladder out, we need to wash the windows and………”

All rights reserved, Charlene Hammontree @ Property Works, Inc. 2009

If you are in Grand Rapids and looking for something to do, you need to check out the Zoo! WE did and we live here and forgot how much fun it really is! Located at 1300 W Fulton

Watch this clip!

The last days of summer slipping through our hands my son and my daughter decided it would be fun to go to the Zoo! After checking some on line info about John Ball Park Zoo. Not to mention my comment of: "What? We live AT the Zoo already! Why should we go visit one?" They were still determined to go so, we packed up and headed off for an early morning visit! It was cooler and the animals were very active! It was a great day of fun!

John Ball was an interesting guy! Even a REALTOR! It wasn't till after he died that the Zoo began to take shape! He left 40 acres to the city back in 1884. The city not sure what to do with it! (Priceless today no doubt!)

I wish I had a nickel for every picture and every kid that climbed on the lap of this guy!

The mission of the zoo is as follows:

WALK THRU WALLABIES and JOEYS – Last day SUN – 9/14

SKY TRAIL ropes course – Weekends only - Thru September – weather permitting – Also available by request for corporate parties or team building events 269-673-0016

GARDEN CLUB PARK

Rockford Michigan 49341

The ideal spot for relaxing in the heart

of downtown Rockford.

This open space park provides wonderful opportunities for picnicking and strolling along the banks of the

beautiful Rogue River. An ideal spot for relaxing in the heart of downtown Rockford, it also provides direct

access to the Frederick Meijer White Pine Trail State Park for 92 miles of bicycling, walking, etc. The park is

located just northeast of the dam on the picturesque Rogue River.

Enhancements in 2005 included new leveling, picnic tables, lighting, and a concert deck.

Grand Rapids Real Estate is My Real Job

Terry Westbrook's Grand Rapids Real Estate Blog

Westbrook Realty

Copyright by Terry Westbrook 2007

Contact me at : 1-888-240-1968 x 0

Website url: Terry Westbrook.com

Email: terry@TerryWestbrook.com

Rockford Dam photo by Bonnie Westbrook