Beer Tasting Brunch for the Holidays

What do Breakfast Stout and Wild Blue have in common with Dogfish Brewery?

Breakfast Beer Brunch

Breakfast Beer Brunch

They are all micro brews that are unique and great to serve with a breakfast

brunch.    This is the second time we have hosted a “BEER TASTING

BRUNCH”.  What a lot of fun. Now, I must say I am not a beer aficionado.

The cinnamon rolls would have more appeal for me but some of these

specialty brews are really unusual. One of my favs was the Wild Blue,

made with Michigan blueberries. I know it sounds strange but

it was really good! The Oatmeal Stout was hefty…..guaranteed to have you

napping on the couch by 2pm.

The original brunch was gobbled up fast, so I only have a still life photo to

represent our feast.

This is a great idea for a Holiday Brunch…the beer lovers will appreciate it.

And the non-beer lovers will get a chance to taste beers they

never would order at a pub.

Happy Solstice, Everyone!!

Bottoms UP!!

Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate ~ Five Star Realty

Copyright 2008 Allrights reserved

Photo by Bonnie Westbrook

Wyoming MI 4 bedroom, 2 bath Two story ~ Too late sold

They just don’t build houses like this anymore, at least not in this price

range!  This 4 bedroom, two story home has been updated and well

maintained.  The current owners have taken care of this home and it shows.

Located on a quiet street in a desirable Wyoming neighborhood.

 

1823 Havana SW Wyoming MI home for sale

1823 Havana SW Wyoming MI home for sale

 

 

From the original oak hardwood floors & oak trim around the

windows to the spacious eat in kitchen and four generous bedrooms,

 this home has a lot of room to offer.

 

Living Room-Dining Room

Living Room-Dining Room

 

Kitchen & Dining area

Kitchen & Dining area

 

 

Main floor bedroom

Main floor bedroom

The home also has a detached garage, fenced back yard and

a custom tree fort-play structure & play house in the back yard.

All appliances plus a one year home warranty are included.

Offered at $ 74,900  Comes out to $ 43 a sq foot!!!

    

Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids  MI Real Estate 

  

Copyright 2008 All rights reserved

Photos property of Terry Westbrook

Caledonia MI Real Estate Market Report Nov 2008 ~ Crystal Springs

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

Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate  Copyright 2008 All rights reserved

photo of golf tournament by Terry Westbrook

Wyoming MI Real Estate Market Report ~ November 2008

Wyoming Michigan is a large suburban community of Grand Rapids, MI. 

Wyoming MI homes are moderately priced, which should make it an active

market in this economy.  

Obviously the lower price levels have affected the average price

(low price $54,200 vs high price of $236,835).

I  assume some of the lowest price levels are bank owned foreclosures

negatively affecting the market price.

As you can see by the graph pictured below, Wyoming homes listed at a

 high price are not selling until the price gets close to the average or below.

 

188 Wyoming MI Homes Actively on the Market October 2008

36 Wyoming MI Pending Sales for January to November

61 Wyoming Sold Homes for January to November

 

 

Wyoming MI chart of November 2008 listings

Wyoming MI chart of November 2008 listings

 

Wyoming MI  November 2008 listings price

Wyoming MI November 2008 listings price

 

 

Wyoming MI Nov 2008 listings $/sqft

Wyoming MI Nov 2008 listings $/sqft

Wyoming MI Nov 2008 listings DOM

Wyoming MI Nov 2008 listings DOM

 

In Wyoming, MI there is a lot of sold activity in the lower price brackets,

$ 50,000 to  $ 85,000.  There are some great bargains here for

savvy home buyers.  The lowest average sold prices have risen about

$15,000 since August.  At the top end, it looks like the higher prices have

started moving towards the middle, they have lost about $13,000 in

average sold prices.

 

Wyoming MI Market Report August 2008 

Wyoming MI Market Report Sept 2008

 

 

If you have any questions about Wyoming or Grand Rapids Homes,

contact me directly at:    1-888-240-1968 ext 0

 

Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate  Five Star Real Estate

Copyright 2008 All rights reserved

All information is subject to verification and no liability for error or omission is assumed.

 

Pricing Your Home is Crucial to the Sale

Pricing Your Home is Crucial to the Sale

When we sit down with potential clients to list their home, there are so many

issues and hot buttons to discuss.  Inevitably we come to the one where we

really have to agree  to get the home sold quickly and for the most money- 

PRICE

 

Most homeowners want to start high and then come down – if they have

to – to sell.  Of course, they are hoping their home is an exception, it will

sell for more than the market value of all the other homes in the area.

We see this over and over again.

 

If you don’t price your home within the price bracket it will eventually

sell for, you are hurting your chances of selling it for top dollar.  If you

price your home correctly – You are not giving away money!!

 

Money, Money, Money

Money, Money, Money

 

I repeat,

YOU ARE NOT GIVING AWAY MONEY.

 

This phantom money that you think you might get if the one person

comes along who will do anything, pay anything to own your “special”

home does not exist.

 

Let me repeat that  –


The uneducated buyer with money falling out of their pockets,

sprinkled in fairy dust,  so you can make the money you would like to out

of your home sale —– DOES NOT EXIST!!!


You are not letting go of money, you are letting go of the dream

scenario where you get the price that is 25-30% over market value.

It isn’t going to happen.

 

What will happen, is your home will be posted on the MLS, online,

many places where buyers can look at it.  Buyers then compare your

price to others, and say, why would I buy this house??  There are

10-15 others I can look at that are competitively priced and look great.

 

Then….  they are gone.

They don’t come back and revisit your home as an option.

 

Other homes are new on the market to consider.  Yours has been rejected as:

  • too expensive
  • too much work
  • not what they are looking for

 

The first month your home is listed is usually the only month that gets

high traffic.  Some of our sellers will listen, most don’t.

Sadly, two, six, eight months later, we are still trying to get them to

agree to the price they should be listed at, if they want their home to sell.

Chasing this downward price spiral is not the best way to get top dollar

from your home.  When it first hits the market it has the most exposure

and best chance of getting the best price!

 

 

Copyright 2008 All rights reserved

Photos from Flickr Creative Commons photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/quinnanya/2904370326

_____________________________________________________________________________

The authors of the this blog write about Grand Rapids Real Estate,

the Greater Grand Rapids MI area, and what it is like to live in West

Michigan. We believe: Grand Rapids is a Great Place to Live!

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Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids MI Real Estate

Contact Terry   616-292-7263

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