Karen Moorhead Ann Arbor Area Real Estate

We have one of the best treasurer's in the country and I say this because of all the proactive things she does to keep people in their homes. Catherine McClary has a wonderful website and has been helping people long before it was in the public's awareness.

Lately there has been a larger group of con artists who are taking advantage of people when they are down. Please allow the staff at Catherine's office to help you and not an unoffical who might be a scam artist.

If you are falling behind please know there are officials who can and want to help. The first thing to do if you are late with a payment is talk to the bank or credit card company. If it is mortgage problems you can also get in touch with Catherine McClary's office. The link is provided but here is the phone number: 734-222-6600. They will help you with a hardship letter and a new home budget.

This is the very important information from our treasurer's office. They are there to help; please do not let a con artist speak with you about your home. Here are the steps as outlined from our treasurer's office:

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I hope this helps because the incident of people preying on others has increased. We have state employees and volunteers who are very helpful in this area; if you need help don't be afraid to ask for it!

Washtenaw County 4H Fair

It is an important event for many in the Ann Arbor area.

This is the most important week of the year!

You have worked with your dog, lamb, steer, horse all year to go to win the blue ribbon. Wow the excitement is huge and the anticipation is great.

This year the Grand Championship was from Manchester, Michigan and he is Zach Osborne and his beauty is J Bars Hardy Hammer. He is usually called Hammer by his family but he was winner on this night. It is an exciting time for everyone who rides horses and the whole fairgrounds becomes full with the other animals and crafts and visitors from the community.

The 4H fair in Saline, Michigan is a safe haven which holds the children and animals in the highest regard. They are the objects of the fair and there isn't a carnival ride to be found. The families who are there all week long end up feeling like this is a new family or fun camp for a whole week long with the community visiting and taking photos and thinking about how they might be a part of the fun next year. We hope you consider joining a 4H group, volunteering if you are an adult, visiting with children or grandchildren.

The 4H families come from every community in this area: Ann Arbor, Saline, Chelsea, Dexter, Ypsilanti and it just keeps getting larger. There are 200 horses who arrive on Sunday and there are often more than one kid who rides each horse.

I was thrilled to be a part with my daughter and son for 10 years and would be happy to find someone to teach your son or daughter if they get the horse "bug". If that happens, it will be a wild and wonderful ride and many years of fun. Don't say I didn't warn you.

This might be your dusty days watching the riders warm up.

These could be your evenings for a whole week...but then its all over. You are so tired and ready to be finished by the time Friday comes...but the next week when your daughter starts to ride again... if they *love* 4H they will begin to train for NEXT YEAR!

These kids work all year long to have a wonderful week at 4H fair and the people who I have known who participate...wouldn't change it for the world.

Become a part of 4H or at least visit to learn how hard the kids work. Everyone one of them waits a long year till it comes around again.

Oh there are many times when Ann Arbor, Michigan is the best place in the world...some would think of fall with UM Football or winter snows which are beautiful as well as the springtime when it's cool enough to run a 10K in the Arboretum. But none of these wonderful times compare to summertime in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

My favorite time of the year is the fabulous summer with the fairs all summer long. We start with Summer Festival and Top of the Park.

It is a party which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year and I was there to document the evenings often with my camera as well as video camera. The Top of the Park is free for all of Ann Arbor and there are wonderful performers who sing, dance or perform comedy at the Summer Festival and these events help pay for the free events.

Summer Festival starts as soon as the public schools are out for summer and runs every evening until July 4th weekend and our very favorite George Bedard and the Kingpins close down the show. They are always a crowd pleaser and this year was just like all the rest ... kids dancing with Mom and Dad if they are little ones and the teenagers dancing with each other as well the jitterbuggers who dance in the street all evening long.

Let me tell you, we have more fairs to enjoy as well. This week starts the Ann Arbor Art Fairs and they begin the fun with a party for the town. We call it the Townie Party and it will be so much fun! The band is wonderful and then the crowds begin and I will share all the excitement with you this week. Check back and read about a group of art fairs which bring in 500,000 people to our town.

This is summer in Ann Arbor, Michigan!

I have become a huge fan of some blogs in my hometown. These are folks I met through Twitter and have since met in person. They are very cool people and their blogs may not be on the top 5 blog list anywhere but they might be nice for each of us to review and learn something from.

Here are some of the most popular blogs:

http://annarborisoverrated.com

(I strongly disagree with most of this blog but its success can not be denied. I think A2 is highly rated because it is a great place to live.)

This blog is so well known that if you Google aaio you come up with this website! Wow that is success. The author was just announced because she is leaving A2. She should sell it, but its her creation and I doubt she will do so. I recommend this read for a few minutes of your time. Look at her comments. They are really great comments, not always agreeing with her. Excellent comments here none the less!

http://homelessdave.com

This is a guy who takes all his "guests" on a teeter totter ride. Very clever & "completely 100% injury free". Check out the YouTube in the middle of the front page...you will wish you live in Ann Arbor to see these guys live. Show it to the kids you know, it is very cool!!

http://vielmetti.typepad.com/ Edward is a typical Ann Arborite who writes and knows a ton about public libraries and everything/everyone Ann Arbor.

I would recommend these as powerhouse blogs for my hometown and they are great reads. Enjoy for your holiday and think about what makes them special and how can we make our blogs special?

My outside blog is http://treetowntalk.com.

I can only hope to be as consistant and strive for excellence as my friends. I would love to read a post of your favorite blogs from your hometown.