Marshall, MI

I was in Marshall, Michigan not too long ago and was showing a foreclosure to a prospective buyer. The home was in pretty rough shape, and after a few minutes I knew it was going to be beyond the scope of work for his needs. When he were still upstairs checking out the bedrooms, I walked downstairs and went out on the front porch.

Up in the corner of the porch was a bird nest and next to it was a little model general store with signs for 'fresh produce'. I suppose this did not turn out to be a very good location for that bird's business, because it looked closed. Birds are a lot more industrious than they appear to be on the surface, that is for sure.

So if you ever wondered what birds are up to when you are not looking, here is a clue...

Yesterday morning I drive over with my wife to the Turkeyville 4th of July weekend Flea Market. It is annual 3 day flea market that is usually pretty interesting. It has been a few years since I stopped by one, and this one is usually one of the better ones to go check out. It is located at 'Cornwell's Turkeyville' in Marshall, Michigan between Battle Creek and Marshall.

It is always fun to go walkthrough a flea market now and then. You always find some incredible deals, but also you find a lot of junk. However, I guess there is always something for everyone.

The Turkeyville Flea Market on 4th of July weekend is a pretty large one, and when talking to vendors, it is one that some of them put on their list as a premiun one to go to.

My wife and I did not really have any acquisition in mind when we went there, but she did inform me that I needed to bring cash and my checkbook. So, that being the clue, I knew were were probably going to be bringing something home. We ended up finding an incredible deal on a mahogany chest and a rocking chair that we got for a steal of a deal.

Here is my Sunday Challenge game: Rather than tell you what I paid for them, I thought it would be fun to see what the AR community thinks they are worth. We bought them both together from the same dealer. Look at the chest and chair and tell me what you think they are worth. I am curious to know the feedback.

I will reveal the answer in a few days. Good luck!

Here are the photos of the chest and rocking chair. The chest has an inlay of cedar, and the original advertising from the manufacturer on the inside cover. It also has an inlay pattern on the front, and it is in near perfect condition. The seller had misplaced the key, and thus you see a little piece of paper sticking out from under the lid so it does not close and lock. He is going to look for it and mail it to me.

The rocking chair is a solid hardwood stained a dark mahogany color. Looking at the grain, it appears to me that is may also be made of Mahogany, or perhaps Maple.

I was out showing a house a few weeks ago in Marshall, Michigan. It was a foreclosure, and the buyers were taking their time going through each room, assessing the size. At one point we went into the basement to look at the furnace, and water heater, and see the overall basement size.

In Michigan, it is not uncommon to see a small basement which is commonly called 'A Michigan Basement'. It ususally consists of stone or concrete walled basement, with a small amount of space. They were originally used to store coal, for coal furnaces back in the day. This particular home was built in the mid 1800's. Something I have learned as a Realtor, is when you are exploring a basement it is always important to remember to look up.

In this case, when I looked up, I saw that the floor joists were made from original trees fallen back when the house was originally built. The logs still had the bark on them, which is not very common. I have seen it a few times before in homes built in this era, but these seemed particularily well preserved. I guess it just goes to show you the endurance of wood when it is preserved properly under the right conditions.

I cannot help but let the imagination roll when I see something like this. I wonder about the people that built the home, the resources they had, and whole era it was built in. So it goes to show you, there are always surprises when exploring old homes.

About a week ago, I had an early appointment in Marshall which is just East of Battle Creek. Some clients wanted to have a look at a property over there in the rural back roads, and in order to meet them at 8:00am, had to hit the road at just after 7:00am.

The timing was right to drive right into the sunrise, and as I carry my camera with me wherever I go, I took several shots. The one below was taken when I was driving and placed the camera on my steering wheel. I have included two photos here of the ones I liked best. It is kind of interesting to chase the sunrise, and I did so that morning all the way to my appointment. I thought about all the other people that were perhaps seeing this and just too worried about their day ahead to notice.

As a Realtor, I know my days are different than most people and I kind of live life sideways from the norm. In my business you never know where the day will find you, and what part of the town, county or sometimes the State you will be in from day to day. Despite the hectic days, and sleepless nights that accompany this crazy business, I still find time to look and admire the beauty of nature. Perhaps it is the photographer in me that makes me notice.

I love a good sunrise. And like a day in the life of Real Estate, and a Realtor, no two are ever alike. The day I took this photograph, I showed the same house to two separate couples. I wrote a contract with the second couple on that house, and we are closing today on their new home. So sometimes a sunrise can lift your spirits on a cold December morning, and remind you that good days are always around the corner.

Buying a home in Marshall, Michigan is to become part of a wonderful community that has a strong pride of ownership throughout. Marshall, Michigan is the County seat for Calhoun County, and according to the 2000 U.S. Census has a population of 7459 people.

The homes in Marshall, Michigan are a mix of many eras of history, and a great many of them are well preserved. My impression of this community is that they tend to take very good care of their homes. So buying a home in Marshall, Michigan is a good move for long term property values.

One of the exciting features about buying a home in Marshall, Michigan is that the entire community qualifies for the USDA Rural Development single family loan program as a rural community. So you can buy a home right near downtown if you wish, and still be able to use the Rural Development loan program which allows a buyer to obtain 100% financing on their loan. Few loan programs today offer this, and this one also carries with it a competitive low interest rate as well.

The Marshall community has many other qualities that make buying a home there a desirable goal. There is a nice walking path along the river, well maintained city parks, a historic downtown full of great shops, the County fairgrounds, and the high school football team won the Michigan State Championship in 2009.

The downtown area also holds festivals and parades throughout the year, which offer a lot of interesting things for the family, which is another great aspect of buying a home in Marshall, Michigan. There are even some new construction homes in Marshall.

For more information on buying a home in Marshall, Michigan, visit my website at: www.michaeldelaware.com or call me directly at: 269-441-8182. I can send you listings of available properties in Marshall through your email. I look forward to working with you on finding your home.