Matt Case

Holland Michigan Real estate

February 8, 2011 By Matt Case

This was an interesting look at Holland Michigan Home sales. http://www.cbgreatlakes.com/Blog/Holland_Michigan_Home_Sales_Price_Per_Square…

For the most part in more rural markets, we don’t focus much on price per square foot- there just aren’t enough similar properties to make a comparison. Said another way, when it comes to Northwest Michigan Real Estate, most homes are somewhat unique, whether is it the amount of land, or the view, or the style or construction.

Full disclosure- I am reposting this not just to share the information, but as a demonstration/experiment in affect of blogging on search relative to Holland Michigan Homes.

Posted via email from Matt’s posterous

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Drive a car, raise money for schools

September 14, 2010 By Matt Case

Stop by Crystal Lake Elementary in Benzonia tonight beginning at 5:30 and take part in Chrysler’s Drive for your Schools program. The crew from Watson’s Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep will be there with new vehicles to test drive, and Chrysler will donate $10 per test drive to our schools.

I’m hoping they bring a Challenger… of course, I might not bring that one back if they do.

Posted via email from Matt’s posterous

Filed Under: Uncategorized

What’s new at Rivers Bend? Well, there’s a new price…

September 8, 2010 By Matt Case

We’ve reduced to $695,000 on this exquisite retreat- a reduction of $170,000 from the original price, and WELL below the total invested in this property.

As the salmon fishing heats up in the Betsie River, so has the opportunity to own one of the rarest, most exclusive properties on this blue ribbon trout stream. This one of a kind peninsula is wrapped in over 4000 feet of prime fishing waters, with resident brown trout, spring steelhead runs and fall salmon runs. A fly fishing dream come true, with a compound taken straight from the pages of an Orvis catalog, including a sun room overlooking several hundred feet of river frontage.

The sellers were kind enough to share this slide show they created for their property:

<div style="width:425px" id="__ss_5158351"><strong style="display:block;margin:12px 0 4px">Betsie River Property Presentation</strong>

Posted via email from Rivers Bend on the Betsie

Filed Under: Uncategorized

But I’m not dead!

September 7, 2010 By Matt Case

The headline of this article from the Traverse Business News “Ticker” today says “Local Real Estate’s Obituary was Premature“ and is a great, brief summary of what’s happening in our local real estate market.

The headline first brought to mind the Mark Twain quote “Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated”, and then, perhaps even a better metaphor for those of us whom have struggled through adjustments in the Northwest Michigan Real Estate market. From Monty Python and the Holy Grail:

Well… except for the the part where he gets offed.

Filed Under: Benzie County Real Estate, Northwest Michigan Real Estate, real estate

Greetings from Mackinac Island

August 24, 2010 By Matt Case

It’s a beautiful morning on Mackinac Island, and it looks like the last of the clouds have moved off to the East. For those not familiar with Mackinac, it’s one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Midwest, and is an island in Lake Huron at the Straits of Mackinac. No motor vehicles are allowed on the island, so once you get off the ferry, your transport is by foot, bike or horse/horse and carriage.

I’m up here with fellow Directors for the Michigan Association of REALTORS(R), and have enjoyed some great conversation with leaders from around the state already. This morning Past NAR President Pat Vredevoogd Combs will be sharing some of her insight with us. Pat and I are meeting over coffee this morning to talk about the role and potential of social media in association activities. Pat’s a fantastic example of what you’d like to see in a leader: passionate about her industry, an active listener, eager learner, empowering of others, and fantastically bright. I take special pride that she’s a part of the Coldwell Banker Schmidt organization as well.

While we’re here to discuss association matters and work to develop a vision for the future of our association, the dinner table conversations are a great opportunity to get a sense of what’s happening in markets all over the state. The sense I’ve gotten so far is that there is a lot more optimism, and better levels of business are being done by most. Deals are still full of hurdles and pitfalls, and financing remains a challenge. Short sales still are a great source of frustration, and while the handling of these by the banks may be improving, it has a long way to go and still is an impediment to successful transactions, especially with large national banks.

Filed Under: real estate Tagged With: Michigan, real estate, REALTORS, trends

Day Dock in the news!

August 18, 2010 By Matt Case

Taken direct from www.9and10news.com!

A new dock is making a splash in a small Northern Michigan community.

There hasn’t been a public dock in the village of Beulah for years, until the Beulah Boosters made it happen.

Businesses say the new dock will bring more people to the area, and that’s good for the entire community.

There are roughly 1,000 homes on Crystal Lake, and that means a lot of boat traffic.

“Customers come in and they’ll ask… ‘is there a place we can bring our boats over in the summer time and tie up and just come into town and have dinner or do a little shopping or come to one of the concerts in the park,’” said Steve Loveless, Owner of State of the Art Framing and Gallery and the Crystal Lake Community Business Association President.

Jennifer Profitt and Photojournalist Justin DePrekel checked out the new dock and have more on the story.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Things I learned this weekend

August 16, 2010 By Matt Case

1. People are nicer when they are on a boat (I actually knew this already)

I mean, where else but a marina can your family swim over and make new friends. My wife swam/floated past a neighboring boat, and in conversation discovered that she’d actually graduated high school with one of the boaters, Tim Beson of Bay City.

2. Loaning your car to someone you’ve known for 30 minutes is actually NOT a bad idea…

Since we established such a fast friendship, of course we volunteered our vehicle for Tim’s use in the morning so that he didn’t have to leave via boat that evening.

2. Tim owns Beson’s Market in Bay City. Beson’s Market has the best meat in Bay County the greater tri-cities area

Our car came back unscathed, with a full tank of gas, and a cooler of amazing fresh meats…

3. You can save a boat from sinking with quick thinking and a piece of rag.

Shortly after the sun set and we gave up on swimming, it was discovered that Tim’s boat was taking on water. As in a LOT of water. In an amazing display of quick wits, a flashlight was produced, bilge pump activated, and a rag stuffed in a split outdrive boot to save the boat from a quick trip to the bottom of the harbor.

4. I can still do front flips off a dock.

Did anyone take a picture? Better yet, video?

Filed Under: Family Tagged With: boating

Deals

August 13, 2010 By Matt Case

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Michigan hits list of markets with price recovery

August 8, 2010 By Matt Case

This article from Yahoo puts Michigan in the top 3 strongest markets by 2014!

http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/housing-markets-that-will-be-strongest-by-2014

Filed Under: real estate Tagged With: Michigan, real estate, recovery

Come to Beulah…by boat!

August 7, 2010 By Matt Case

The new Day Boater dock has been installed at the Crystal Lake beach in Beulah. An idea that was long overdue, this gives people from anywhere on this 7 mile long jewel of a lake the opportunity to tie up and walk into town to shop or dine.

Awesome work by the Beulah Boosters, and kudos to John Darien for stepping up on this effort.

Filed Under: Things to do Tagged With: beach, Beulah, boating, dock, lake, restaurant, shopping