Robinette's Farm Market is a Fall Destination in Grand Rapids MI

Posted on November 22, 2008 by Terry & Bonnie

Robinette’s Farm Market is a favorite Grand Rapids destination for families,

shoppers, sippers, pie aficionados, hay ride enthusiasts, and just plain folks.

We like to sample the wonderful home baked fruit pies, donuts,

bear claws, and other bakery goods. And of course, the fresh apple cider.

In fact, on weekends in season, you can see the old fashioned apple press

at work.

Located at the East Beltline at Four Mile Road in northeast Grand Rapids

Township, Robinette’s is a farm market that has diversified to anticipate

their customers needs.

Their newest venture in the big red barn is Robinette Cellars,a wine tasting

cellar, which they have added to their repertoire. They feature Michigan wines

and Cider, the typical red and white table wines, a hard cider, and cherry wine.

For the more adventurous, they also offer a sweet Pear Wine, Mirtillo Wine

made from Michigan blueberries, Cyser, a blend of apple & honey wine,

flavored with dates and raisins. MMMmmmm, that sounds good, not sure

I got to taste that one.

Robinette’s offers old fashioned hayrides on their wagons in the fall, they

have lots of pumpkins for holiday decorations, and of course, the apples,

cider, and all things made from them.

We stopped a few weeks ago and took a short video so you could see the

activity on a beautiful fall day. If you haven’t been to Robinette’s Farm

Market for awhile, you might consider a trip for lunch or a weekend drive.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8NU5KQc8hs&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00]

Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate ~ Five Star Real Estate

No remuneration or compensation was given for this recommendation of

Robinettes’ Farm Market.

Grand Rapids MI ~ Autumn Curtain Call

Posted on November 22, 2008 by Terry & Bonnie

Michigan Color Tour

Michigan autumn is an very colorful time of our year.

The lush greens of summer make way for the crisp, clear

firestorm of autumn color here in Grand Rapids Michigan.

The yellows gleam in the sunlight and trees with their autumn

foliage beckon to us…..see me, see how gorgeous I am.

I have to agree, they call out to have their photo taken before

they undress for winter. Here are trees from our own

neighborhood in all their fall finery.

A gorgeous sugar maple tree in full flame

I love the movement of these fall grasses

This is a common sight this week, a lawn coated with leaves

Mature Oak Tree

This majestic oak tree will be the last tree to lose its leaves

A beautiful crabapple tree with a lot of fall color

A fabulous Japanese Maple Tree with its crimson leaves scattered in a drive

Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate ~ Westbrook Realty

Copyright 2008 All rights reserved

photos by Bonnie Westbrook

Caledonia MI Real Estate Market Report ~ Nov 2008

Posted on November 22, 2008 by Terry & Bonnie

Caledonia Michigan Home Values

Caledonia Michigan is a very desirable suburban community to live in

if you work in the Grand Rapids area. The school system is top rated,

the village and surrounding area was rated one of the Top 100 places

to live by Money Magazine in 2005. Caledonia MI is a bit rural

within a short distance of all the city attractions of Grand Rapids.

Example: Caledonia MI is about 6 miles from Gerald R. Ford

International Airport.

Caledonia Real Estate Market Report March ~ November ’08

There are 154 active homes for sale in Caledonia November ’08

Average active price is $ 321,036

Average active price/SqFt is $ 148.01

Average days on market for an active listing is 135 days.

The lowest priced home is $49,900, the highest priced

home is $1,700,000.

Caledonia MI real estate market report 11-08

There are 14 homes in Caledonia in pending sales November ’08

The lowest pending price is $64,900, the highest price is

$ 434,900, averaging 159 days on the market.

Caledonia MI real estate market report 11-08

There are 14 homes in Caledonia in pending sales 3rd Quarter '08

There are 40 SOLD homes in Caledonia November ’08

Average sold price for Caledonia homes is $ 196,291.

Average sold price/sqft for main floor is $ 105.38.

Average sold days on market are 104.

Lowest sold price for Caledonia homes was $52,500

Highest sold price was $ 552,500

MARKET SYNOPSIS: Caledonia MI is experiencing the same

problem as other areas of our real estate market. A glut of homes

on the market and buyers with a bargain mentality. At the current

rate of sales, we have a 30+ month supply of homes, if no other

homes come on the market. If you don’t need to sell your Caledonia

home now, this is not a good time to test the waters with a high price

on your home. Save yourself the trouble and don’t list your home unless

you absolutely have to sell. And price it accordingly.

If you have questions about Caledonia homes or

Grand Rapids homes, please contact me directly.

1-888-240-1968 ext 0

Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate Five Star Real Estate

photo of Thornapple River by Bonnie Westbrook

Rockford MI Real Estate Market Report Nov 2008

Posted on November 22, 2008 by Terry & Bonnie

Rockford Michigan Home Values

Rockford Michigan is a quaint little village on the Rogue River.

It is 10 miles from downtown Grand Rapids, with several major

roads that will take you there. There is a state of the art school

public system, many suburban housing developments, and a busy,

vital village with wonderful boutique shopping and every variety of

restaurants. It is also home to Wolverine World Wide, which is the

manufacturer of Hush Puppies, Merrell, Caterpillar, and Harley

Davidson shoes and apparel. You can get a hot dog at The Corner

Bar or have an evening of fine dining at Reds.

It is a great place to live in the Greater Grand Rapids area.

The housing inventory here is high, like all of the Grand Rapids area.

There are 120 Rockford homes for sale under $ 200,000, which

gives us a 92 month supply (if no other homes come on the market)

at the present rate of sales.

For Rockford homes over $ 200,000, there is a 31 month supply of

homes at the present rate of sales.

This is a desirable community that continues to draw residents to live

in this area. For this market report, we used Rockford Public School

District as the boundary criteria.

Rockford Michigan Real Estate Market Report

April – October 2008

Under $ 200,000 Rockford MI Active Listings: 120

Average active Rockford MI listing price – $ 155,237

Average active Rockford MI price/SqFt – $ 109.77

Average Rockford MI days on market – 45

Under $ 200,000 Rockford MI SOLD Homes: 9

Average Rockford MI homes sold price is $125,122

Average Rockford MI Sold homes days on the market is 28 days

Average Rockford MI Sold Homes price /SqFt $ 82.24

Rockford MI real estate market report 3rd qtr 2008

Over $ 200,000 Rockford MI Active Listings: 200

Average active Rockford MI listing price – $ 325,809

Average active Rockford MI price/SqFt – $ 162.69

Average Rockford MI days on market – 102

Over $200,000 Rockford Mi Homes SOLD: 41

Average Sold price for Rockford MI Homes – $285,963.

Average price/SqFt for Sold Rockford MI homes – $ 137.98

Average Rockford MI homes days on the market – 73

Rockford MI real estate market report 11-08

Rockford MI Market Report October 2008

Rockford MI Market Report Sept 2008

If you have questions about a Rockford MI or Grand Rapids MI

homes, please contact me directly at:

1-888-240-1968 ext 0

Grand Rapids -Ada Real Estate – Five Star Real Estate

Photo of Rockford Rogue River Backwaters by Bonnie Westbrook

Wolverine Worldwide CEO Speaks at GVSU Alumni Breakfast

Posted on November 22, 2008 by Terry & Bonnie

We attended the latest Grand Valley State University Alumni Breakfast

Series this week in Grand Rapids Michigan. The featured speaker was

Blake Krueger, the CEO of Wolverine Worldwide, Inc. speaking on Global

Leadership through Innovation.

If you aren’t familiar with Wolverine Worldwide, they are a local company

based here in Rockford, Michigan. They had annual sales of $1.2 billion

last year as an international marketer of footwear, apparel, and

accessories. They make Hush Puppies, Merrell, Patagonia, Sebago,

Harley Davidson and Cat footwear. The talk was very informative and

relevant to today’s global market place. Wolverine Worldwide decided

to go global back in 1958, so they were way ahead of the curve when

most companies decided to market their products beyond the shores

of the USA.

Which could be why they are a very successful company today.

Here is a short video of the last part of Mr. Krueger’s talk, about

innovation in the global marketplace.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0iGtb4EBow&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00]

Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate ~ Five Star Real Estate

Video by Bonnie Westbrook

NAR and Move.com Working on National Database

Posted on November 22, 2008 by Terry & Bonnie

The last few years NAR has been investigating the possibility of having a

National Data base of all properties in the United States. Filled with

tax information, Insurance documents ( like the Clue report), survey, title

information, anything to do with the subject property. The purpose is to have

a place to go to get all information about a property with one click.

While the project is still in it’s infancy, the final product would be available

to members of NAR and not to the public. The MLS Issues and policy

forum heard from Dale Ross who is chair of the RPR (Realtors Property

Resource). He indicated they have contracted with Move.com to consult with

NAR to bring the RPR to reality.

Inman News also reported on the presentation.

Opinions I have heard vary from:” finally a system that will be helpful” to

“there they go again spending our dues dollars to build something that the

local market may already have.”

I think we have a bigger issues that should be solved first. We need to

have systems in place that offer the consumer programs similar to the

Zillows and Trulias of the Internet and let the brokers and title offices

continue to offer property detail.

I don’t think we need a national MLS but we need to get away from the small

local MLS’s that can not offer all the bells and whistles that are available.

But that is another blog post.

Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate ~ Five Star Real Estate

Real Estate Market Report Nov 2008 ~ Ada Cascade MI

Posted on November 22, 2008 by Terry & Bonnie

Ada Cascade MI Real Estate is always active. These Grand Rapids suburban

communities have wonderful neighborhoods, some new and some older with

prestigious Forest Hills Public Schools, and private schools that attract many

homeowners, such as Ada Christian Schools.

This report will cover the July to November 2008 real estate market activity.

Ada Cascade Listings over $300,000

There are 203 Active Ada Cascade Listings in the over $300,000 category with

an average price of $663,276. The Active Listings have been on the market

for an Average of 150 Days. The Average price per square foot of Active

Listings is $207.16 with a low price of $300,000 & a high price of $2,700,000.

There have been 68 Sold Ada Cascade Listings in the over $300,000 category

with an Average price of $550,287. The Average Sold price per square foot is

$ 184.86 with Average Days on the Market at 124. The lowest sold price is

$306,200 & the highest sold price is $1,500,000. There are 9 Pending

Ada Cascade Listings in this category.

Forest Hills mi real estate market report 11-08

Forest Hills MI real estate market report 11-08

Ada Cascade Listings $100,000 to $300,000

There are 188 Ada Cascade Active Listings

Average Price of $205,252

Average Active Price per Sq Ft is $121.37

Average Active Days on the Market are 104

High Active Price is $300,000

Low Active Price is $104,900

There have been 57 Sold Ada Cascade Listings in the last 4 months.

Average Sold Price is $196,586

Average Sold Price / sq foot at $111.22

Average Sold Days on the Market is 96 Days

High Sold price is $290,000

Low sold price is $104,500

There are 21 Pending Sales in this category.

Forest Hills MI real estate market report 11-08

Ada Cascade Market Report October 2008

Ada Cascade Market Report Sept 2008

If you would like specific information about an Ada Cascade MI or

Forest Hills Home, please contact me directly at:

1-888-240-1968 ext 0

Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate Five Star Real Estate LLC

Photo of the Grand River in Ada by Bonnie Westbrook

A New US Citizen ~ Welcome to our World

Posted on November 22, 2008 by Terry & Bonnie

We have a new US citizen in our family. We are so proud of him. Our

daughter is married to a young man originally from Poland. He arrived on our

shores at the age of ten speaking Polish, German, a little Russian, and

not any English. He had to catch up fast. Luckily for him, he was in a class

of all foreign students, so he was in the same predicament as everyone else.

Flash forward to age 15, high school, lots of teen angst and his parents

must return to Poland. They made a huge sacrifice to leave him here in

the US with friends, so he can graduate and stay safely in the United States.

To make a long story short, he attends college here, gets a job here, and

eventually meets our daughter here in the US. More than two thirds of his life,

he has been living in the United States.

Today is his first day as a US Citizen.

Congratulations Sebastian!

Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate ~ Five Star Real Estate

photos by Bonnie Westbrook

Caledonia MI Real Estate Market Report Nov 2008 ~ Crystal Springs

Posted on November 22, 2008 by Terry & Bonnie

Crystal Springs Development in Caledonia, Michigan is a large,

residential suburban housing development that was started in

the late 1980’s and most construction was finished in the 1990’s

although some newer homes have been built since 2000.

There are also a few vacant lots left to develop.

This development covers a large area around the Stonewater

Golf Course at Crystal Springs south of 68th Street to 72nd

Street and encompassing Kalamazoo Avenue on the east and

west. This development has single family homes and condos,

many located right on the Stonewater Golf Course.

The public school system is Kentwood, even though the

address is Caledonia.

Crystal Springs Homes are close to the shopping plaza at

68th and Kalamazoo, Kentwood High School, and a short

hop to M-6, which is the south beltline for the Greater Grand

Rapids area connecting US 131 on the west and I96 on the

east side of the city.

Golf Course

November 2008 Real Estate

Residential Market Report

Crystal Springs Neighborhood

Active Listings: 26 Active Crystal Springs Listings

Average Price: $262,628

Price per Sq Ft: $110.26 (Main Floor only)

Average days on the Market: 129

PENDING: 1 home

SOLD: 22 Crystal Springs Sold Homes

Average Price: $ 206,677

Average Price Per Sq Ft: $ 96.01 (Main floor only)

Average Days on the Market: 74

Expired: 22 Expired Crystal Springs listings

Average Expired Price: $261,785

Average Price Per Sq Ft: $107.56 (Main floor only)

Average Days on the Market: 139

Crystal Springs Homes that are priced competitively are selling.

As you can see by the statistics, the homes that have their price

per square foot around $100 are selling in under 3 months.

Watermark CC purchases Crystal Springs GC

Crystal Springs GC has a new look & a new name

Caledonia MI Sept 2008 Real Estate Market Report

Kentwood MI Real Estate Market Report Oct 2008

Caledonia MI Crystal Springs Market Report Oct 2008

If you would like additional information about Caledonia

or Kentwood Homes, please contact me directly at

1-888-240-1968 ext 0

photo of golf tournament by Terry Westbrook

Stone Falls of Ada ~ New Apartment Complex Update ~ Ada, Michigan

Posted on November 22, 2008 by Terry & Bonnie

UPDATE: The Stone Falls of Ada Apartment complex has went up fast.

Our last post was in June. The units are up and some are occupied. Not

all units are completed yet. In the short video here, you can see the

approach to Stone Falls of Ada on Spaulding Ave and just how big this

complex is. There was a little excitement a few weeks ago when an empty

unit caught fire, the damage can be seen on our video tour.

I am leaving my original post, so you can the how fast the project has

went up.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5Ec-AribkY&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00]

Stone Falls of Ada Apartments

Original Post about Stone Falls of Ada:

A new 210 unit luxury apartment complex is taking shape in Ada, Michigan.

The new complex, named Stone Falls of Ada, is scheduled to be completed

in spring 2009. The Dayton Ohio based group that is constructing the

development, the Miller-Valentine Group,and their partners, Boston based

Cross Harbor Capital Partners LLC reports that the complex will have one,

two, and three bedroom apartments ranging in size from 856 square

feet to 1460 square feet. The location of the project is on the east side

of Spaulding Avenue just south of Fulton Street.

stone falls of ada mi

As you can see, construction is well under way. The buildings in the far

background are the Townhouses and condominiums of Clements Mill. This

part of the Clements Mill project was sold to be completed as apartment

dwellings. This is a fairly new feature in Ada Township.

Prior to this development 98 per cent of the homes in Ada Township were

single family residences. There are a lot of apartments in the Grand Rapids

area but very few in Ada. It will be interesting to see if Ada is attractive to

renters.

Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate ~ Westbrook Realty

photo by Bonnie Westbrook

Grand Rapids Real Estate

Grand Rapids Real Estate Information

Monthly Archives: November 2008

Robinette's Farm Market is a Fall Destination in Grand Rapids MI

Grand Rapids MI ~ Autumn Curtain Call

Michigan Color Tour

Caledonia MI Real Estate Market Report ~ Nov 2008

Caledonia Michigan Home Values

Rockford MI Real Estate Market Report Nov 2008

Rockford Michigan Home Values

Wolverine Worldwide CEO Speaks at GVSU Alumni Breakfast

NAR and Move.com Working on National Database

Real Estate Market Report Nov 2008 ~ Ada Cascade MI

A New US Citizen ~ Welcome to our World

Congratulations Sebastian!

Caledonia MI Real Estate Market Report Nov 2008 ~ Crystal Springs

Stone Falls of Ada ~ New Apartment Complex Update ~ Ada, Michigan