Dee Dee Hanson

There are some fantasic opportunities to purchase your dream home near Allegan, Michigan. Woods and lakes abound. Here you can have Water access to Lake Allegan and the Kalamazoo River as well as opportunities to be near the Allegan Woods for hiking, snowmobiling, hunting, etc. IT is a vacation all year long.

Recently one of my clients sold this beautiful property with acreage on Monroe Road for $224,900. Where else can you get a home at this price in excellent condition with a finished lower level and access to the Kalamazoo River and very near to the Allegan Woods? I currently have an absolutely wonderful home listed. This home can be purchased with either nearly twenty wooded acres or forty wooded acres. Decks abound as you live in your own nature preserve. Along with the furnace, this home boasts a wood stove that is piped through the house and its own supply of timber. The current owners use the wood stove primarily and has someone harvest some of the wood each year. No problem with heating expense here! There is even a pass through door in the living room for passing the wood into the home so you don't have to drag it in the back door.

Start living close to nature now. Watch the seasons change. Watch deer and turkey in your yard. See the leaves change. Here it is like CAMPING BUT NOT SUFFERING! See more photos of of this great home on my website - www.mysaugatuck.com Just go to featured listings or office listings. This home was recently reduced 5% and it can be yours before the snow flies. And speaking of snow, this home comes with its own plow truck. What a way to live!

This is indeed a Buyer's Market. For my number oriented clients, here is a market study comparing sales of properties within a ten mile radius of Perrigo in Allegan for all of 2007 - twelve months versus 2008 to the current date for a nine month period. This is comparing a nine month period to a twelve month period so the second column should be 1/4 less than the first column. You will note that even accounting for difference in time the second column is considerably less than the first which means THERE ARE FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUYERS!

1/1/07 to 12/21/07 1/1/08 to 10/01/08

Single Family homes SOLD to $150,000 271 191

Single Family SOLD $150,000 to $300,000 63 28

Single Family SOLD over $300,000 7 5

ACTIVE HOMES ON THE MARKET NOW Lots of Great Choices

Single Family Homes on market to $150,000 247

Single Family Homes on market $150,000 to $300,000 109

Single Family Homes on market over $300,000 27

NOW FOR THE CREME DE LA CREME

WATERFRONT HOMES ON LAKES AND RIVERS AVAILABLE 47

What are you waiting for? Live the rest of your life close to Nature. Come to Allegan, Michigan. You will never regret the decision. Feel free to me,Dee Dee, at 616-836-8535 or e-mail me at deehans@ameritech.net . Once I know your requirements, I will e-mail you a selection of homes from which to choose.

When you get to Saugatuck, if you have a chance take a cruise down the Kalamazoo River either with a friend or on the paddle boat that leaves from the end of Water Street several times a day.

Sunset cruises are the best. Every sunset is different. They can be gently pink and blue like this one or more dramatic shades of orange.

The river is meandering and quite picturesque with boats, boat houses, and resort homes. Lots to see.

People are friendly and wave as you pass them.

Sunset is a very special time of day - when you want to "hold time in a bottle" and just savour the experience.

Good friends, a bottle and wine and a beautiful sunset - What could be better.

The trip is slow - no wake zone - and affords plenty of time of reflection.

Allow a couple of hours at least for the experience and let go of everything else - on the water there are no problems, no worries only comraderie and beauty.

Once you are in love with Saugatuck - and you will be, go to www.mysaugatuck.com and check out the homes for sale. You can own a Piece of Paradise.

I finally decided that I was going to go to Oval Beach at least once a week. Otherwise what is the benefit of living in Saugatuck? So I am taking time out for myself to spend one hour at the beach at least once a week. Last week I just wandered over there and watched the waves and had a wonderful Chicago Hot Dog at the Beach Stand at Oval Beach. Really fantastic with onions, fresh tomatoes, and dill pickle. I just sat there and let the gentle breeze caress my body. Then I finally understood the Old Testament saying that God was in the gentle breeze. It was so glorious that it almost brought tears to my eyes. This is what life is all about. The kingdom of God is NOW!

I went back to Oval Beach again yesterday for another hot dog and to take a swim. Now I am traveling around with my lawn chair, noodle, towel, swim suit, etc. at the ready in my trunk. Ever ready for a great day at the beach. It was fantastic! Everytime I go to the beach, it is a new experience. Last time it felt like a God touch and this time I felt like I was eight years old again.

I am no spring chicken but with my noodle out in the waves - this is the closest thing to being eight years old again that I will ever experience but with much more appreciation. The water temperature was perfect and the waves bouncy. All my arthritic aches and pains disappear in the water. Grab a good friend and your sun hat, sun glasses, and noodle and get to the beach! Life is a crap shoot so enjoy every day. When it is all over, you won't regret not having worked more but you will regret missing days at the beach. See you at Oval Beach. Life is a cabaret - Your chair is waiting. And while you are here, check out the real estate at mysaugatuck.com.

Al-Van Humane Society set up at Coldwell Banker Woodland Schmidt last Saturday with puppies, dogs and kittys to take applications for adoption. We are hoping to make this an annual event.

It was organized by Mike Bojko and Edie Spencer of our office and well attended by about twenty five visitors, one of whom signed up to adopt one of the puppies and one of whom dropped off a cat that he was unable to take with him when as he was moving.

This is a great event for recognition in the area for the office. Here is a photo the Humane Society people in green and the realtors in whatever.

Realtors include (standing from the left) Dee Dee Hanson, Mike Bojko, JJeff Wilcox, Tammy Watson-Small and Edie Spencer I am holding my little mascot Papillion, Ilsa. She was not a rescue dog. You can see a larger photo of her at my website www.mysaugatuck.com.

During the event, Tammy Watson-Small had to rescue a bird which had fallen out of the nest over our entry way. This seems to be the season for rescuing birds!

The phone number for the Al-Van Humane Society is 269-637-5062.

This event generates free publicity from the media and is a great community service. It really requires very little effort on our part - only a tent for the animals to sit under. The Humane Society does all the work. You might want to consider such an event in your location.

Here is the photo of Tammy with the bird in her hands.

The Waterfront Film Festival will be returning to Saugatuck on June 12th through the 15th. This is a lot of fun with about four different venues going all day long. You can order your tickets right on line and they are very inexpensive. You can sign up at www.waterfrontfilm.org and they will send you a list of the films as soon as they are ready. Make your reservations and come on over! If you missed Cannes, you don't want to miss this too. See you there. Dee Dee Hanson, Associate Broker, CB Woodland Schmidt, www.mysaugatuck.com