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What is an acre?

1.  A city in Israel, one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world.

2.  An acre is a unit of measure for determining the size of a parcel of land. An acre consists of 43,560 square feet of land.

An acre could be formed with varying lengths and widths totaling 43,560 square feet. For example, a parcel of land with a width of 132 feet and a depth of 330 feet would be an acre.

A parcel of land with a width of 208.71 feet and a depth of 208.71 feet would also be an acre. When the length and the width are the same, as they are in the second example, the parcel would be considered a square acre.

A forty acre parcel with a length of 1320 feet and a width of 1320 feet is often referred to as a “square forty”.

Something no one wants to talk about-what to do with Grandpa and Grandma’s lakefront cottage.

Some family members want to sell it and divide the proceeds among the heirs. Others love it with all the memories and can’t bear the thought of parting with it. Without careful planning, you can imagine the problems that could arise.

A friend recently recommended the book: Saving the Family Cottage and the Author’s Website  Rather me than giving you a book review, check it out for yourself. It is full of good information and well worth the time!

The Manistee National Forest extends over several Michigan counties: Lake, Manistee, Mason, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana and Wexford. The majority of  Newaygo County also lies within its district.

There is something for everyone including hiking trails (48 miles) and camping, horseback trails (35 miles) and ski trails, snowmobile trails (50 miles) and ATV trails (19 miles).

Within Newaygo County, the forest offers two developed campgrounds. Nichols Lake and Benton Lake campgrounds are less busy than a private campground or a state campground. These campgrounds are designed for those who really like to rough it, as electric and sewage hookups are not available.

You may chose to use the campsites on one of Michigan’s small lakes within the forest: Brush Lake, Condon Lake, Hungerford Lake, Sawkaw or Shelly lake. These sites are more rustic but generally have drinking water, garbage disposal and restrooms.

As with most attractions, there are fees involved: $3.00 for one day, $5.00 for up to seven days or $20.00 for the season. You can get more information by writing: District Ranger, 650 N Michigan, Baldwin Mi., 49304 or by calling 1-231-745-4631

When selling or buying real estate, there are fees or costs involved. It is very easy to overlook or forget about the costs involved until it is time to sign the final papers.

Just so you are not surprised at the time of closing, I made a list of potential fees that may be involved. Different types of transactions or financing may involve different types of fees. The amount of the sale or the purchase price may also affect the amount of the fee that is involved.

Expenses could include but not be limited to:

• Taxes, which could include: current, past due, prorated due to the city or township, county, state and school.
• Property assessments, including due, pending or past due.
• Payoffs of first, second mortgages oother type of debt.
•  Real Estate Commissions
• Attorney fees
• Notary fees
• Survey expenses
• Pest Inspections
• Building inspections 
• Title insurance fees
• Document preparation fees. 
• Fees associated with lender required escrows for hazard insurance, mortgage insurance, city or township, county taxes annual assessments

Other lender costs could  include fees for a credit report, loan processing fees, application fees, lender inspection fees, appraisal, loan discounts or points, loan origination fees.

As you can see, it is important to always ask for an estimate of all closing costs and always ask about anything you do not understand.

Flat Iron Lake - Ever hear of it?

Michigan reportly has over 11,000 lakes. Many of the lakes are household words, but many are unknown except to the property owners on the lake.

For many people, the peace and quiet these lakes offer is a major consideration when deciding where to build their home or lakefront cottage.

Flat Iron Lake is one of these unknown Michigan lakes. It is a small lake of only seventeen acres and is reported to have a depth of 30 feet. It is surrounded by private property with no known public access.

The lake is located in Oakfield Township, in northern Kent County. The lake is marked with a road sign, but is often overlooked by those traveling to other nearby lakes, Big Wabasis Lake, Cowan Lake,  Big Pine Island lake and Chain of Lakes.

I think one of the reasons people chose to live in Michigan is because of the sense of tranquility and beauty these lakes bring into our too often hurried lives.

It’s Saturday, it’s summer and it’s time to enjoy a Michigan lake.

Half Moon Lake is located in Casnova Township in eastern Muskegon County, just off M37 one mile North of the M37 and M46 intersection.

Half Moon Lake is a pretty little lake of 63 acres of surface water, with estimated depths of 70 feet.

On the Northern side of this Michigan lake, you can discover Moore Park, a Muskegon County Park. This park consists of 36 acres of woods, open land, wetland and 1500 feet of Michigan lakefront.  The waterfront is great for swimming, picnicking and fishing. Half Moon Lake is known for Black Crappies, Bluegill, Rainbow Trout, Steelhead, Large Mouth Bass, Northern Pike, Pumpkinseed and Yellow Perch.

At the park, you will also find picnic tables and grills, a small cover shelter and restrooms. There is also a gravel boat launch at the far end of the park.

The next time you are headed North on M37 and see the lake, stop to take a closer look. You may just come home with some fresh fish for dinner.

(Continued from July 18)

The minutes pass. The darkness stretches toward you, reaching, growing, shot through with periodic bolts of lightning—and now, out of the storm’s black canvas, the grim contours of an arcus cloud begin to emerge. This is the leading edge of the storm: a shelf-like, turbulent formation—visually imposing and at times mind-boggling—which forms at the boundary between cold surface winds rushing outward, and warm, moist air higher up racing in to feed the storm. The squall line is an amazing machine, a complex process balancing order and chaos. To you, though, more than anything, it is a grand-scale juggernaut bearing down on you with unsettling rapidity.

For a minute or two, as the shelf cloud advances overhead like a vast flying saucer, there is silence, a stillness you can feel, as if the very atmosphere is holding its breath.

And then it comes:

the wind…

building suddenly and swiftly…gusting…intensifying into a full-fledged blast, kicking up dust, tearing leaves and even entire branches off the nearby trees.

The first drops of rain pelt you—large drops, just a few to start with, but looking across the field, you can see a gray curtain charging toward you like a battle host. It is upon you in seconds, plunging you into a deluge. Just like that, the storm is at hand, arriving in full, magnificent fury—and you yourself are transformed from a mere spectator into a participant. The rain lashes past you in a blinding confusion of wind-driven torrent and white spray. Lightning sizzles to the earth in every direction. Thunder explodes overhead. Nature is playing one of her finest, most extravagant symphonies, a clamorous and exuberant orchestration of light and sound, wind and water.

But inevitably, the symphony begins to fade. The torrent diminishes into a downpour, and the downpour into a light rain, and by and by, the rain tapers into a sprinkle and then into nothing. The incessant cannonade of the thunder diminishes into an echoing roar, and then a fading rumble. The storm has passed. To the east, a rainbow hangs in the air, set against glowering clouds filigreed with lightning. To the west, the late afternoon sun peers through a clearing sky.

You breathe deeply. The air smells fresh… feels fresh…and you yourself feel rejuvenated. The drama of the storm leaves grace in its wake, a landscape dripping with life-giving water and bathed in golden light.

Another Michigan thunderstorm has come and gone. But no storm is the same. Each has its own personality, and its visitation brings a unique drama to our Michigan landscape—and to our lives, if, like Huck Finn, we’ll relax, open our senses, and enjoy the show.

We are not the only ones who enjoy a summer afternoon at the lake.

It’s that time again. The 52nd annual Troutarama is being held in Baldwin Michigan Wednesday, July 23 through Sunday, July 27.

I checked out the schedule of activities and there is something for everyone.  From food booths to crafts, from the fireman’s water battle to live music and everything in between.

The activities begin today @ 4:00 p.m. and conclude Sunday with the Lake County D.A.R.E. Car show at the Baldwin Airport.

Recently I wrote an article on Warranty Deeds. Another type of deed is the quitclaim deed.

As you may recall, a warranty deed is a document that conveys (warranties) the grantor’s (sellers) interest in a piece of real estate to another person.

On the other hand, a quitclaim deed disclaims any interest the grantor may or may not have in a piece of real estate to another party.

Quitclaim deeds are often used to clear up title defects that a property may have. They are often used to transfer interest in real estate from one family member or spouse to another.

Another common use of the quitclaim deed is a tax deed which governing authorities use when they sell real estate seized for non payment of real estate taxes.

The quitclaim deed doesn’t release the grantor of the quitclaim deed from any liabity or obligation they may have from any mortgage or secured lien secured on the property.

A quitclaim is not a quick claim deed, there is no such thing as a quick claim deed.

As with all real estate transactions, order a Survey and Title Insurance.