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

The thought of selling can be very overwhelming. Not knowing the market conditions are only part of the reason a good real estate agent can add value in the home sale process. Here is a little quiz to get you started.

1. Do you want an agent to:

( ) a. Tell you what you want to hear?

( ) b. Tell you the Truth?

( ) c. Tell you to list it yourself?

2. Do you want an agent that:

( ) a. is an expert in negotiating?

( ) b. is passionate about real estate?

( ) c. customizes a marketing plan to your home?

( ) d. All of the above

3. All real estate agents do is list your property on the multiple listing service, and stick a sign in the yard and get paid a lot of money to do that.

( ) TRUE

( ) FALSE

4. I can sell my home myself.

( ) TRUE

( ) FALSE

5. I can save myself money by selling the home myself and pass that savings on to the new buyer.

( ) TRUE

( ) FALSE

ANSWERS:

1. B, but any could apply!! It is up to you. Having a agent tell you the truth is really what you should HAVE to hear, not if you WANT to or not. Sometimes we don't come with good news, but in the long run, our knowledge is for your benefit. Pricing the home correctly can produce a quicker sale at a more attractive price. Lets just say you want $120,000 for your home. You list it for $125,00, but the home is not being looked at in that price range. You lover the price to $115,000 after 90 days. Now you have an offer of $110,000 and do not take that. After another 90 days you lower the price to $110,000 and get an offer of $95,000. We do not have a crystal ball, but if you would have priced your home closer to the the $115,00 t0 begin with you may have had an offer closer to that than having it on the market for that long and taking much less. Also remember you still made payments on the home and paid for property taxes.

A good agent would have told you that and would have had a plan to get the most for your home.

2. D. ALL OF THE ABOVE

(And by the way, if you ask them to cut their commission, which one of those would you like less of? There is value in a good agent and they should be able to tell you and show you their value!)

3. FALSE! But just like in any business there are a few agents out there that have done just that! You should ask before you sign and get it in writing, what the marketing plan is for your home. Ask questions like: Do you have a website, blog or what advertising do you do on the web? Do you network and where, do you have a data base that you market to? When was the last time you sent out something to your data base? Do you do client events? Do you hold open houses? (There are many others as well)

4. TRUE! You can sell your home yourself. But when you go to the dentist do you do your own fillings or does he? The same is true for REALTORS. They have been educated to look out for your biggest investment. Find one you are comfortable with and the process will be worth every penny and the peace of mind will be great!

5. TRUE! There is some savings, but the agent can provide so many other valuable benefits: Qualifying the buyers so they are not wasting your time, taking care of all the state mandated forms, marketing, and negotiating the best price for your home in the quickest time frame.

All rights reserved 2009 by Charlene Hammontree of Property Works, LLC 426 North Park, Grand Rapids, MI 49525

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When events happen in your life you are sometimes not sure as to what to do with them. Where they are to be used to shed and grow. We have had several in our family over the last few years. We have embraced some and are still learning with others..

In early Feb of 2002, my husbands father had passed away and we all deeply saddened by this event. Our 3 year old was very sick during December of that year that included a trip to the ER. He was fine, but my husband carrying and holding the weight of a sick child, herniated a disc in his back. He had surgery early in 2004. After a mild recovery period was able to go back to work at a desk job he had for 11 years. Shortly however, they restructured the company and he was with out a job.He has accepted many short term jobs, but his field has a limited amount of openings. After the death of his father, my own mother was having medical issues and passed away in 2006. That was extremely hard on all of us.

Daisy (left) and her friend Zo (right)

My husband had asked me what I had wanted for my 40^th birthday of that same year his father died and I told him that I wanted a dog. (i.e. puppy). I knew he wouldn’t get one. We just put the last dog down after having 2 of them (Springer and Siberian) for several years. I did find an ad in the paper for a springer and called. I knew we couldn’t/shouldn’t get a dog at this time. I just wanted to touch, hold and have the reality set in about all the care of, training, shedding, feeding, pooping any responsible dog owner should accept .... to sink in. It did!

The gentalman I called was nice enough to bring the dog to us! He was conveniently coming into town and would drop her off ( and Yes, it was a fantastic sales ploy). When he came back to pick her up a few hours later, I told him that we just could not do it right now and that if she didn’t sell, to give me a call. Yes, I sent her back!!! His tactic didn’t work on me. I indeed realized in a few hours what it would mean from us as a family .... (ok "me" as the mom who takes care of everything) .... what it would mean to have another dog around. That was all I needed. I was cured of my "we need another dog" phase for the moment! He emailed me a week later and told me she was gone. Whew! (Still No regrets!)

My husband came home a week and half later, and told me the news of his loss of employment. Within hours, we got the phone call from the gentleman with the puppy. “If you want her, she is yours. The other family decided not to take her.” Well, I told him that husband lost his job and we didn’t know if we were going to be able to feed our own mouths, yet that of another one. I also told him we just couldn’t spend the money right now to purchase her. Well, what he said next was not expected: “You guys have a great family and you have a nice big yard that is fenced in and you can just have her if you want her. I know she will be taken care of and that is really what I want for her. I travel a lot and I just can’t let her be alone so much…”

Well, indeed she became part of our family. However within six monthsshe ate one of my Hosta’s and was in doggy ICU for almost a week. Over the years, she has become a faithful friend and family member. She guarded my garden from the squirrels and birds. She could hear the ice cream truck a mile away and always enjoyed the dog bones they had. She was a guard dog to our family, loved to play with our family and never left our side if one of us were sick.

The day after Thanksgiving this year, she just was not herself. We took her in and found out that she had a blood disorder. They were not sure if they could treat. That wouldn’t have been so bad, but again my husband was terminated from yet another employer the end of October and we used all of our house payment to attempt to make her well. Only 4, her body just could not fight this. We had to put her down peacefully. Our family gathered one last time to say good bye and be there for her as she was so many times for us. She was so very weak, but her eyes watched us all. Despite her sickness, you could tell she was so very happy to see us, happy we were there. With or without money, with our without food, with or without smiles on our faces. She was loved!

(Go ahead and drop some'thin dad!!!)

I really believe we were "chosen" to be her family and that she was "chosen" for this short stay with us. She was a gift in time. A blessing in disguise. Despite our own financial situation, I would give it all way to bring her back. I am embracing this journey and again realizing that everything has a season and a reason. Some are soft and furry. Some are small and cold like a snowflake. Taking the time to be still, reflect and listen are so very important. Allowing time to grief is also a gift and should not be discounted in the healing process or journey. I have not allowed myself to do this until now. The power in the post may only be for my purposes, but thank you to those that have taken the time to be part of my journey.

God Bless you and my Daisy! (You tube video made by my daughter)

All rights reserved by Charlene Hammontree, Property Works, Inc. 2008

Our thanks go out to Dr. Mark at the Animal Emergency Hospital and our vet at Rogue Valley Veterinary Hospital

We would also like to thank the staff @ Sleepy Hollow Pet Cemetery & Crematory who helped us with the final choices. They were very symathic and caring with our wishes.

Your professionaism, care and support was shown in your passion for our pet(s). Thank you!

As I prepare for the feast of feasts I just wanted to take a sec to tell all my friends, family and neighbors that I am blessed to be living in such a great little town!

I wish you and yours a great holiday season!

I love the Rockford community!

I love the events to bring together family and friends!!!

Lots to do and fun!

Should you be wondering what the Christmas season will bring... stay tuned or check out the Rockford Chamber for more info!

All rights reserved Charlene Hammontree of Property Works, Inc 2008