GrandRapids-West Mi Homes Blog

West Michigan Lake Property-There aren't many people who wouldn't want to live in a West Michigan Lake home. Crockery Lake in Conklin was where I grew up hearing the sounds of peacocks yelling across the lake. Memories of swimming late at night when it was dark are very fond. I was sure the big rubber back turtles were going to come up and eat my toes--they never did but the fish did take an occasional nibble.Or, how about water skiing. At 6 I was being pulled behind a row boat with a motor.

The fact is that memories are made from experiences in Michigan Lakefront Homes and cottages. If you have made those memories and are looking to sell or if you are ready to make those memories and purchase a West Michigan Waterfront Property, please give me a call. As an avid boater and lake person, there couldn't be a better West Michigan Waterfront Realtor to help you! Below you wind find a search tool to help you find the perfect West Michigan Waterfront Home. It is categorized by County.

West Michigan Lakefront Property by Country

Kent County Lakefront Homes	Ottawa County Lakefront Homes	Allegan County Lakefront Homes
Lake Acres Angel Lakefront Property 42.5 Austin Lakefront Property   Bailey Lakefront Prperty   Barber Lakefront Property   Bass Lakefront Property 18.4 Big Crooked Lake Lakefront Property   Big Pine Island Lakefront Property 223 Big Spring Lake Lakefront Property   Black Lake Lakefront Property 10.1 Blodgett Lakefront Property   Blue Lakefront Property 49 Bostwick Lakefront Property 221 Brower Lakefront Property 85 Buck Lakefront Property   Bush Lakefront Property   Camp Lakefront Property   Campau Lakefront Property 125.3 Campbell Lakefront Property   Cedar Lakefront Property 9.4 Cedar Lake West Lakefront Property   Church Lakefront Property   Chapin Lakefront Property   Clark Lakefront Property   Cobb Lakefront Property   County Line Lakefront Property   Cowan Lakefront Property   Crawford Lakefront Property 33 Davis Lake Lakefront Property   Dean Lake  Lakefront Property   Deer Lake Lakefront Property 22.8 Downs Lake Lakefront Property   Duck Lakefront Property   Dunlop Lakefront Property   East Lake Lakefront Property   Echo Lakefront Property   Elk Lakefront Property   Emerald Lakefront Property   Fisk Lakefront Property 26.5 Grass Lakefront Property   Green Lakefront Property   Hanna Lakefront Property   Hart Lakefront Property   Hayard Lakefront Property   Hilton Lakefront Property   Hopkins Lakefront Property   Horse Shoe Lakefront Property 45 Hoskins Lakefront Property   Howard Lakefront Property   Indian Lakes Lakefront Property   Laraway Lakefront Property   Lemunyon Lakefront Property   Lewis Lakefront Property   Lincoln Lakefront Property 411 Little Blue Lake Lakefront Property   Little Bostwick Lakefront Property   Little Brower Lakefront Property 23.8 Little Muskrat Lakefront Property   Little Myers Lakefront Property 46 Little Pine Island Lakefront Property 120 Little Wabasis Lakefront Property 38.5 Long Lake Lakefront Property 47.7 Maston Lakefront Property 104 Mead Lake Lakefront Property 20.8 Middle Lakefront Property   Morse Lakefront Property   Mud Lakefront Property   Murray Lakefront Property 320 Muskrat Lakefront Property   Myers  Lakefront Property   Palmer Lakefront Property   Paradise Lakefront Property   Perrin Lakefront Property   Pickeral Lakefront Property   Pine Lakefront Property 56 Porter Lakefront Property   Quiggle Lakefront Property   Reed Lakefront Property   Reeds Lake Lakefront Property 265 Round Lakefront Property   Sand Lake Lakefront Property 95.5 Sandybottom Lakefront Property 22 Scally Lakefront Property 43.2 Scott Lakefront Property   Scram Lakefront Property 86.5 Silver Lake Lakefront Property   Spring Lake Lakefront Property   Stoney Lake Lakefront Property   Sunfish Lakefront Property   Tamarack Lakefront Property   Tower Lakefront Property   Truax Lakefront Property   Twin Lake Lakefront Property   Twin Lakes Lakefront Property   Upper Lakefront Property   Wabasis Lakefront Property   Walden Lake Property   Whispering Springs Lakefront Property   Wilson Lakefront Property   Wolf Lakefront Property   Woodbeck Lakefront Property 88 Wood Lakefront Property   Ziegenfuss Lakefront Property	Lake Acres Crockery Lake Lakefront Property 110 Cranberry Lakefront Property   Fennessy Lakefront Property   Georgetown Park Lakefront Property   Kenowa Lake Lakefront Property   Lake Jabocena Lakefront Property   Lake Macatawa Lakefront Property   Little Black Lakefront Property   Maplewood Lakefront Property   Mud Lakefront Property   Pigeon Lakefront Property   Round Lakefront Property   Rushmore Lakefront Property   Sloans Pond Lakefront Property   Spring Lake Lakefront Property   Stafford Lake Lakefront Property

  West Michigan Lakefront Property-West Michigan Waterfront Homes for Sale                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

 

 

Info from a Grand Rapids Short Sale Agent-What documents do I need to gather for my West Michigan Short Sale?

 

Grand Rapids Short Sales-What documents do I need to gather for my West Michigan Short Sale is a question many people ask.   You have decided you don't want your Grand Rapids Home to Foreclose and have decided a short sale is the way to go.  You have chosen an agent who is experienced in doing short sales in the West Michigan and Grand Rapids area.  Before you call, many like to gather the documents they will need to do their short sale.

You need to understand that the banks want to know EVERYTHING.  They may even ask for your first born—ok I am kidding there but they will want your entire financial history.  Selling your Grand Rapids Home at short sale requires the bank to know everything about how you are sitting financially.  To give them a clear picture of this, you will need to gather several pertinent documents.  Collect the following documents and know you may need to update them regularly.

 

Last two year of taxes-Signed 1040’s with W2’s and any Extensions

Two months Most Recent Bank Statements

Two months Most Recent Paystubs or Proof of Income (Profit/Loss Statement or Unemployment)

Most recent Mortgage Statement (s)

Correspondence Regarding Mortgage Delinquency

 

These are the documents you should already have on hand to do your West Michigan Short Sale—all you will need to do is gather the information.  For some this is easy because they are extremely organized but for others, this is something they will have to work at.

Our next blog will cover what expenses you need to consider and document in order for the banks to consider your Grand Rapids Short Sale.

Copyright © by Tami Vroma  2011* ALL RIGHTS RESERVED *Info from a Grand Rapids Short Sale Agent-What documents do I need to gather for my West Michigan Short Sale? *

 

 

The Word HOSPICE Used to Mean it was finally time to camp!

 

It used to be when I heard the word Hospice it meant spring was here.  That it was time to camp.  It was time to go party at Silver Creek Park in Allegan County at the big Cancer Ride . . . . . . how things change!

{My Horse Scout to the Right}

Since I was a little girl, I have wanted a horse with every bone in my body.  13 years ago I went on a church camp out at Double JJ Ranch and marveled at the horses, wanting so bad to go on the trail ride.  It was so expensive but we did it anyway.  I remember going down the trail and breathing in the smell of the horse.  To this day I wish I could bottle that smell.  Yeah there is always the smell of horse poop but if you nuzzle up against them, you smell heaven and freedom and you feel the wind blowing through your hair.  Even at 31 years old, that need for a  horse was still in my heart.  Some people are just born with the love of horses and I was one of them.

When we got done with the ride there was a lady with our church there mumbling to herself, “I cannot believe I just paid all that money when I have two at home of my own”.  That ladies name was Deb and she changed my life and the life of my family forever.  I told her I would do anything to own a horse and she said “you can come ride mine anytime”.  I swear I was instantly giddy, a 31 year old women with two little kids, and I still could feel my heart pounding.

 I asked her if she was serious and she said “sure”!  My next thought was, I bet she lives a million miles away from me.  I took a deep breath and asked her where she lived.  “Right in Hudsonville” she said “but my horses are boarded out by 72^nd and Tyler.”  Wholly cow, that is only like 2 miles away from where I live!

We exchanged numbers and so began my journey with horses.  Now the funny part of this story is my husband’s first words.  “I am not interested in this horse thing just so you know”. 

I rode her son Heith’s horse.  His name was Dakota a six year old bay and I was immediately in love.  Heith was getting older and motorcycles held far more interest than Dakota. Deb invited me to a campout shortly after that.  She referred to it as the “Cancer Ride”.    It was a three hour ride to raise money for Hospice.  It cost $20 to come on the ride and I will never ever forget it.

My son was very little at that time (picture at left) and he had to ride in the front of the saddle with me.  My daughter (who promptly also got bit by the horse bug) rode behind Deb’s husband on horse called Storm.  Not only was I on a three hour ride with my very not-used-to-saddles-butt but I had my son riding in my lap. I had the time of my life but had never been in so much pain in my life.  Every part of my body hurt when I got home from that weekend.  Especially the part my young son rode on.  I remember lying in bed telling my husband, “Do not touch me-everything hurts!”

Deb offered me a free lease on Dakota which meant he wasn’t mine but I could use him anytime I wanted, but had to pay for his board, ferrier fees, vet fees and all that went with owning a horse.  What you all need to understand is that usually boarding a horse costs about $300 a month.  That is just to have the horse stay there and doesn’t include vet, shots, grain, etc. . . .etc.

But God was definitely there because board at Mel’s was only $60 a month.  I could afford that!!!  I will never forget the first time I went out to Mel’s all by myself.  I got Dakota out and tied him up at the hitching post.  I was literally shaking as I brushed him out as Deb had taught me to do.  All of the sudden birds flew out of the tree, spooked him, he pulled the hitching post out of the ground and took off running through the trees.  Wholly crap I am going to kill Deb’s horse the first time I take it out!

In the back of my mind I remembered Deb telling me I had to be very firm and tell him “quit” when he was doing something naughty.  I had heard her say it a million times so I mustered up all I was and yelled, “QUIT” at the top of my lungs.  Dakota stopped mid step in the middle of the trees.  To this day I can still see the hitching post swinging back and forth hanging from his head.  I went and got him, took off the halter and put him back in the pasture.  It was hilarious!

Now that Dakota was mine to take care of,  I would go out every other night to grain him.   Deb would grain him the other days.  My husband, you know the guy who “wasn’t interested in the horse thing”, started coming with me to feed.  Pretty soon he was calling to ask me if I could wait till he could get home to go feed.  Next was, “do you think there is a horse at Mel’s I could ride” and shortly after that was “I want my own horse”.  My husband had got bit by the horse bug.

{Benefit gathering last year-lots of goodies raffled off!}

That was thirteen years ago and we are horse people to the core now.  We still have Dakota or Cody as we call him.  He was my first horse, my husband’s first horse and the love of my daughter’s life.  She is 20 now and has had him since she was 9.  We now own our own place and we look at the horses out our back window.  We have a 3 horse living quarters camper and haul the horses all over. 

We have been going to the Cancer Ride every year for the last 13 years but this year is different because now Hospice will be a part of our life at some point.  My step-dad Sam, the only Grandpa my kids knew for a long time,  was diagnosed with lung Cancer about 6 months ago.  He is terminal but doing remarkably well.  There will be no chemo and radiation will not kill it--it is too far advanced.  Right now we are living in the moment of the gift of time.  The ride this year is different and I want to raise money for Hospice because I love Sam.

It used to be when I heard the word Hospice it meant spring was here.  That it was time to camp.  It was time to go party at Silver Creek Park in Allegan County.  All those things are still true.  Spring is almost here but now it is also a celebration that right now the cancer isn’t growing.  It means Sam has had time to mend some fences with his daughter’s that I truly didn’t think could be mended.

{Pic to left- Horses being watered at Benefit Ride last year}

So this year I would love to be the one who raises the most money for the 37^th Annual Benefit Ride which benefits Wings of Hope Hospice, Silver Creek County Park, Camp Beechpoint, and Camp Kidwell.

If you could help me reach my goal I would be incredibly thankful and I know Wings of Hope will be able to help more people as they leave this life.  I know there are kids who would love to go to camp but can't afford it and I know it will keep our parks open.

Click this link to dontate Donation Info Here

This benefit raised over $13,000 last year and there were 252 registered riders.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!  Tami Vrom If you need more information, you can check out the Allegan County Pleasure Riders Facebook page OR feel free to call me 616-209-8626 or email me

Tami (at)GRHomePro.com  I promise I will let you all know if I reached my goal and I will write a blog with pics and videos of the benefit.  Just seeing all the trailers lining the road is amazing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

West Michigan Home Buyers get a new lease on FHA purhcase with the new 203K loan product. 

It seems like the only way most first time home buyers buying the Grand Rapids, Mi Real Estate market can buy a house these days is by FHA.  So you take buyers out with the FHA glasses on.  You look for the peeling paint, you look for rails that are too low, electrical that isn't up to par, etc. etc.  You hope you see it all because you certainly don't want them to pay the appraisal fee and then end up not being able to purchase the house.

The other sad thing about the whole situation is all the homes that are not able to be purchased by the average buyer purchasing in the Greater Grand Rapids area.  It just keeps more homes on the market and drives the prices down of the homes that are out there.  Or how about all the people who are needing to short sale thier home West Michigan Home?  They ahve no money for repairs.

All that has changed.  I can not wait to take my first buyer out who can look at a home, see it potential and actually be able to purchase.  So many buyers are willing to make the repairs, burt alas you usually cannot close until thre repairs are done.  So who wants to spend money on repairs without a guarantee of a close.

The FHA 203K is changing all that.  Now a buyer can go out.  Find a home that may need repairs.  Write an offer and immediately meet with a contractor once the offer is accepted.  So let's say someone finds a home on Grand Rapids, MI West side.  The house is perfect except we know it needs a roof.  We write an offer for $70K.  The offer is accepted.  Two days later they meet with a contractor to find out the roof repair will cost $5K.

The $5K is added onto the price of the home so the buyer ends up financing $75K.  The contractor is cut a check at close for half of the money and get the other half when the repairs are completed.

I think this is an incredilbe answere to getting some of the homes off the West Michigan Real Estate market.  What an incredible way to get some of the inventory levels down!  If you a new West Michigan Home Buyer and want to take advantage of this program you can do a West Michigan home search or give me a call for more detai

Copyright © 2011 by Tami Vroma, All Rights Reserved ...*West Michigan Home Buyers get a new lease on FHA Purchases"

Muskegon River Camping in Newaygo-Vic's Canoes-Salmon Run-NEVER AGAIN!!

It's summer again!  In Michigan we look forward to our summer's in a big way.  One of the best ways to spend a Michigan summer in Newaygo is to go tubing or canoeing down the Muskegon River.  We have done it for 14 years and for 14 years we have stayed at Salmon Run Campground at Vic's canoes.  Well we won't be doing that this year and my kids who are now 16 and 18 are so disappointed.

So why aren't we going camping at a place we have been at for 14 years? Why aren't we camping with the other 10 some odd couples, many of whom we met at church?  Simple, last year the owner of Salmon Run Campground had us escorted off by the police.

It would be somewhat rebel like to be able to say this family of four got escorted off Salmon Run Campground for partying to hard--isn't that why most people get kicked out of a campground?  It would be a heck of a story to tell for the guy who runs sound at his church.  It would be fun for these teenagers to say they got in trouble for being to loud.  But no that would not be the story.

So why, you ask, did this family of four, plus a friend, get escorted out of the campground by the police?  Simple, for saying we would tell our story . . . .  so here is what happened.

Last year we arrived at Salmon Run Campground late because my daughter was showing her horse at the Berlin Fair that day.  We arrived around 9 pm.  Since we have three teenagers with us in tents, we always get two sites because our living quarters horse trailer and two tents is just way to tight of a fit in these small sites.  For the last approximately 4 years we have had two sites with our kids in tents on one site and us right next to them.  Our big group usually takes up all of the river sites.  When we arrived, however, there were several sites between us and our children.

Now mind you, the rules at the campground are that all children must have parents present.  The year before, the kids were asked to quiet down and it wasn't even them-it was the site across the street.  So that night the owner asked us to put up the tents all on one site with our big trailer and we would straighten it out in the morning and she would ask someone to move.  I knew that wasn't going to happen because we had ended up with  people between us that weren't in our group.

Morning came.  We went in to talk to the owner. She said the people wouldn't move but we could use the site to park our truck on . . . WHAT!!?!?!!?  There was no way I was paying $30 a night to park my truck.  That would have been $60 a night for parking.  I told the owner there was no way we were doing that--we would keep the tents on our site but we wanted our money back for the other site we weren't using.  She said she wouldn't do that.  Ok this is just wrong.  This was not our mistake it was the campgrounds.  She informed me that it was impossible for them to make a mistake--their computers wouldn't allow it.  Ok now this is seriously commical.  How many of you fine people out there have never had to deal with a computer glitch?

We argued back and forth and I could see that this was going no where so I thought compromise was in order.  I suggested we split the cost and she could give us half our money back.  She said she wouldn't do that unless she could get the site rented.  Ok that is NOT compromise-she would end up ahead in this whole thing.  I wish this was the first time I had heard something like this going on in this office--it wasn't. Over the years I have heard angry customers so we were just one more. 

I said, "you can't do that, it is wrong and unfair especially when these aren't the sites we reserved a year ago".  The owner said, "I can do anything I want, this is a private campground".  I commented to the owner that the days of a business being able to treat customers unfairly without anyone knowing were over.  These days we have the internet where people can speak out and tell their story.  I turned around and walked out the door.

We went down the river which is approximately a four hour trip from where we put in.  When we got back there was a note on our camper door.  "Come see Annette".  I walked up to the office thinking we had worked something out but what I was told was to get off her campground that no one was going to threaten her.  She handed me $30 and told me to get out.

ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?!?!  You are going to kick someone out of a campground because they said they would write a blog about what happened to them in their campground?  Someone who had been coming there with their kids for 14 years . . .people who had made their kids pick up every scrap of paper on their site before they left.  Never mind the fact that we had already paid $120--$30 per night for two sites.  We had used one campsite (as directed by her) which would have amounted to $30.  By my calculations we should have gotten $90 back. 

I was stunned.  I walked back to where my sister was camping and told her what happened.  She told me to sit down that they had many run-ins like this with her over the years and that no one would kick someone off for something so stupid.  She said sit down and wait till the guys come back with the tubes and we will walk up there.  In the mean time, after we weren't gone for an hour she apparently went to our camper and knocked on the door.  My daughter said we weren't there and the owner told my daughter that she knew we were hiding in there.  Does this sound crazy to anyone yet?

We were told by someone else in our group that she had been there so my sister walked up there with me and said we were going to work this out.  We were met by the police . . yes I wrote that right.  They were there to escort us off the campground.  My sister couldn't believe it and tried to talk to the owner but she refused to compromise. She was more than willing to kick a patron of 14 years out of a campground for asking for money back for a site she didn't reserve.  Keep in mind kids under 18 are not allowed to camp by themselves in this campground.  She kicked us off because I apparently threatened her by saying I would tell my story in a blog.

So this is my story of what happend at Vic's Canoes-Salmon Run in Grant Michigan.  My kids are so disappointed.  We have been doing this for years-they won't be camping with their cousins and all the kids they have grown up with.

As a side note, when I got home I looked up the check I wrote.  When we write a check there is a carbon.  I looked at the check I had wrote and on it, in the memo section, were the the site numbers we had--they were sites right next to each other.  So much for computers never making mistakes. 

What type of business owers throw away patrons of 14 years--patrons who have brought friends with them who made them more money.  Well you know the story now and who does that.  Like I said . . .  .

Muskegon River Camping in Newaygo-Vic's Canoes-Salmon Run-NEVER AGAIN!!

Thanks to Bathmasters, a company that does Bathtub Resurfacing in West Michigan, my bathub looks like brand new.  I wrote a post several weeks back, Bathtub Refinishing West Michigan - Will they be able to make my tub look new again?,  about checking into having my bathtub refinished or resurfaced.  Not only did I need it done myself (as you can see my the picture to the right), but I wanted a viable option to be able to recommend to both my clients who have just purchased homes in West Michigan and those that are about to sell.

When my husband and I started thinking about ripping out our old one piece tub and surround, it sounded daunting.  Although we were fully capable of doing the work ourselves, it was still going to cost money and time.  I started calling around Grand Rapids for bathtub refinishing, a process by which they reglaze the bathtub.  As I explored the possibilities, I found that not only can your refinish a fiberglass bathtub but also ceramic tile, porcelain and counter tops. 

I got quotes from two different companies.  Bathmasters definitely beat everyone in price and they have been around a long time.  My bathtub and surround ran $450 which is well below the cost to rip the whole shower out and put a new one in.  Bathmasters called me back within the same day and had it scheduled for the next business day. 

They arrived exactly when they said they would at 8:30 am this past Monday.  He immediately started preparing the entire bathroom for the process by making sure everything was covered so as not to get over spray dust on anything.  All my cupboards, counters, toilet and towel bars were all covered.  Even the floor was completely protected.  The process with the tub was started by a very thorough cleaning.  I was concerned because there was some adhesive and also two small chips in the bottom of the tub.  But the chips were repaired and the adhesive taken off.

He began spraying the tub at around 10 am with the primer.  I was already excited with just the primer on!!  He then put the non-slip material in the bottom which I am really glad I got.  It was all said and done by around noon and it looked absolutely gorgeous!

This is definitely a much more inexpensive way to go and there is a 5 year warranty!!  If you refinish your bathtub, I would advise you do it before any painting of the bathroom.  If I were to do it again, I would definitely wait until we were going to be out of the house for several days.  We only have one bathroom and we were not to go in the room for at least 24 hours.  Additionally, the fumes are noxious--but well worth it because it looks great!  I am so excited to clean my new bathtub.  Instead of five hours to clean, it will only be 5 minutes.

Now I have to tell my husband we need to paint, get new light fixtures, get new cupboards.  Somehow I don't think my husband will be too happy to have more "honey do's" added to his list.  Thank goodness he is used it.  We do a lot of work ourselves.  You can also read Oak Cabinets with a New Face - Glazed Cabinets are Beautifulabout reglazing our cabinets!

So, If you are looking for someone in West Michigan to refinish your bathtub, I can not recommend Bathmasters high enough!  You can call them today at 800-585-1000.  Tell them Tami sent you!

West Michigan Short Sales-If I knew then what I know now about Michigan Short Sale Experts I would have been able to help some really incredible people stop their home from foreclosing.  I would have been able to put them in the position to purchase a home in 12-18 short months iinstead of years!

I was once told I would never make it in the Grand Rapids Real Estate business because I cared to much.  How can anyone care too much about people?

Many years ago I was referred by a lender to a couple who needed to sell their Rockford home because they could not make their payments.  He said he gave them my number because money was not the driving force in my life.  That was quite a compliment.

The meeting with the couple was heart breaking, to say the very least.  They had six children ranging in age from about 4 to 21.  They all lived in the Rockford house which was immaculately cared for.  The distress in their eyes was evident as they told the story of how they came to own the home.  Too many people in cahoots including a lender that dropped the bomb on them at close that there were two loans.  They wanted to back out but were told there would be lawsuits.

With all my heart, I wished I had been there when this couple purchased the house but it was too late for that and they were in serious trouble.  The financial information they gave me was devastating.  There was absolutely no way they were going to be able to sell this house and pay the real estate fees.  They were drowning in debt and this house was the cement block around their neck.  At that time, I didn't even know what a West Michigan Short Sale Specialist was!

Life has taught me that if you pay if forward, you will be given back.  I listed the house taking no commission for myself. 
Even with no commission for myself, the home did not sell.  Even though this home was only a few years old and on over an acre, there were other homes just as nice selling for less.  So many people had lied to this couple and I didn't want to give them false hope, so I told them honestly that there was no reason for me to keep the home listed.  My heart broke for them.  The house foreclosed!

With all that I am, I wish I had known then what I know now about Michigan Short Sales.  If I knew then what I know now, they would probably already be purchaing a home.  Now I count myself among the Michigan Short Sale Realtor Experts that our times have demanded.    There are quite a number of West Michigan short sale homes, but there are a very limited number of agents who really are West Michigan Short Sale Experts.  Not only is it important to have an agent experienced in selling a Greater Grand Rapids Short Sale, but it is also important for buyers to have a West Michigan Short Sale Expert representing them in the sale.

For sellers, it can be extremely difficult to weed through and find an agent who is truly experienced in selling Ottawa County Short Sales and Kent County Short Sales.  What questions should a seller ask to find a West Michigan Short Sale Expert?   See my next blog, West Michigan Realtors Experienced in Short Sales - 6 Tips on How to Hire a Short Sale Agent  to find out what steps you need to take to make the best choice.

Let me know if you would like a West Michigan Short Sale Consultation.  Everything is kept confidential and there will be no pressure--I think  you probably have enough pressure in your life at this moment.  When you fill out the information on to submit a West Michigan Short Sale, I will contact you.  We will go over your situation and I can let you know if I can help.  Please feel free to call if you just want to talk.

Copyright Tami Vroma West Michigan Short Sale -If I knew then what I know now about Michigan Short Sale Experts

 

 

Bathtub Refinishing West Michigan - Will they be able to make my tub look new?

I got a quote from a company yesterday to have a bathtub restoration done in my West Michigan home.  We just can't keep it clean anymore and we really don't want to rip it out-it would be so much easier to do a bathtub restoration. 

The pictures attached make it look like I am a pig and I really am not.  The process we have been following to get this tub to look even remotely clean, is absolutely ridiculous.  It is literally an all day event and it involves A LOT of Kaboom.  I go through a whole bottle and just keep spraying it, letting it sit, scrubbing and spraying it again.  It takes about 8 times of repeating this to get it to look even a little clean. Then we use it twice and it looks absolutely awful again.

I even tried getting it all clean and went out and bought this stuff that was suppose to seal the fiberglass.  What a waste of money!  The sealer did absolutely nothing but make it slippery for three days and then it was just as nasty looking again.

So about a month ago, I was watching a show called "Take five", a local talk show, that had a company  on talking about how they could restore a fiberglass tub and ceramic tile.  They showed pictures of this awful pink tiled bathroom and then they showed pictures of it restored.  I'm pretty sure as a Realtor I have been in that pink tiled bathroom five thousand times.  My clients could really benefit from this and I am more than willing to throw myself out there to be the guinea pig. 

Yesterday Scott came out and looked at it.  First off, he was a very nice guy.  Easy to talk to--just a genuinely good guy.  He talked about the steps they take to clean the tub--they even remove all the old caulk around the tub enclosure.  He talked about how they don't use acid etching because it is bad for the environment.  They spray the tub several times with a special bonding agent.  To top it off, there is a 5 year warranty. 

The cost to do it was $500.  At first it sounded really expensive.  Then I started adding up the cost to rip it out and replace it.  Now true, my husband and I are fully capable of doing all the work ourselves but it would still cost us about $1000 and a lot of time that we don't have.  So, I am jumping in with both feet to be the guinea pig.  We will let you know how this West Michigan Bathtub Refinishing goes.  I am going to be excited just to spend under 15 minutes cleaning a tub!  So hopefully this bath tub refinishing will be well worth it!!!  Stay tuned with a follow up on how it went.

Read my follow up post West Michigan Bathtub Resurfacing-

Copyright Tami Vroma Bathtub Refinishing West Michigan-Will they be able to make my tub look new again? 09/26/09 3:13 pm

 

My Daughter, Lindsey Vroma, named Top Student Web Designer in the Nation!


To say I am a proud Mama would be a serious understatement. How many parents can say their daughter took the title as Top Student Web Designer in the Nation according to Business Professionals of America? When my daughter Lindsey (far right) and her partner won at Regionals, I thought it was really wonderful. When they took 2nd at the state level and qualified to go to Nationals, I wondered if they could really pull it off.

When she boarded the plane to Dallas June 18, 2009, I was seriously bummed that I could not go with her!! I knew she had worked really hard on all the graphics. She is a wiz with Adobe Photo Shop and she taught herself!! Lindsey would spend hours and hours creating the most incredible graphics. She was constantly changing her computer desk top to show off her latest creation. She would sit for hours looking at code trying to figure out what was wrong--changing and tweaking as she went. When she decideded they needed to do a omplete make over before Nationals, I have to admit I was a little worried. They pulled off in days what it usually takes moths to do. My daughter was at it constantly. She wanted to win in the biggest way. Her partner, Alex, wasn't quite as in to it as my daughter was. In fact, at one point Alex decided she didn't want to go. It was hard for Lindsey who was after a career in web design. Alex wasn't pursuing a career in web design but opted to go to school for nursing. After urging from her instructor, she decided to go.

Each time they competed, they had to give a presentation and then take 5 mintues of judges questions. Their design, "Top 10 Things to do in Dallas" was judged on knowledge of web design, layout, graphics, team work, leadership and flexibility of browsers. Lindsey called and said they did really well on the presentation but she was still nervous. They were to get the results at the awards ceremony the next day. Saturday I was pacing waiting for Lindsey's call . . . phone in hand . . .waiting . . . . waiting. Finally at around 10:05 pm the phone rang, "Mom" she said in a sad voice, "your not going to believe what happened . . .", my heart dropped and I was ready with, 'just getting there alone means you are a winner' speech when she screams, "WE WON . . .WE WON". I was giddy, "You mean, as in first place?" "Yes we won first!!"

Lindsey is now attending Baker College for web design. She won a full ride scholarship to Davenport College but they wouldn't give it to her because they said it was past the application period. The finals were suppose to be held in May, but because of the Swine Flu epidemic, it had been postponed. One would think she would have won other scholarship money but they got absolutely nothing. That part makes me so sad. All these athletes get all these free ride scholarships and kids who are competing in what they would actually be attending the school for get nothing!!

But the important part is, she won!! She is showing the world what she is made of!!!! She recently went to the State Horse show and placed twice. She is an incredible singer and she can draw like I can not even believe. She also recently did the header desgn on my web site, Grand-Rapids-Homes-for-Sale.com

I am so proud to call her "Daughter"!

 

Every once in a while I like to do a post on who I am besides Tami Vroma, Grand Rapids Real Estate Specialist.

Today I was driving back from doing a walk through on house that is due to close next week (thank you God!).  A song came on the radio that put a lump in my throat and I felt the tears start to well up.  It wasn't the usual song that would bring a women to tears but it reminded me that I have been through worse than this real estate market.  Only God knows what the next year will bring but nothing will compare to that period in my life 5 years ago when I begged my husband to put me in our local mental institution.

My son was completely out of control.  I did not understand what was going on because the same rules were in place for him as they were for my daughter.  My son would rage.  He was destructive.  He was ten years old and our family was going under. 

At the same time my husband was not working regularly, I was starting a new real estate career, our tenant had done $6000 damage to one side of our duplex and the other side was not rented.  To say I was a little stressed would be an understatement.

I was feeling extreme despair.  Though my son was out of control most of the time, he had a golden retriever that was always by his side, no matter how cruel my son was to him.  He would get put in the corner and the dog would go and lay by him.  Honestly, it seemed the dog was the only one that could stand him when he was raging.  The dog was extremely emotional also- when we left we would have to tie him up in the basement or he would potty on the floor.

My breaking point came on a super-bowl Sunday.  We had went after church to work on putting the duplex back together and then we were going to head to a super bowl party.  This day would be the worst day of my life--everything went into slow motion as my son came up the stairs saying Tanner was dead.  He had run himself in a million circles and had hung himself and my ten year old son had found his dog.

I remember sliding to the floor begging my husband to put me in Pine Rest.  I couldn't take anymore- I was at my breaking point.  My husband picked me up off the floor with tears streaming down his face.  "You can not go to Pine Rest and leave me with him because I don't know what I would do to him."  Him being our son-our life was so far out of control.

Shortly after the dog died, my son got in trouble at school yet again.  He was raging and I had to get him up a flight of stairs to his room.  On the way up he was kicking me, biting me, pulling my hair, scratching me and punching me.  We fell several times as foul words, that we don't use in our home, streamed from his mouth.  Our regular routine was to get him up to his room and sit on him where we would wait until the rage would come to an end. 

This time was different. I had small children here and did not want them hearing the F-bomb so I put my hand over his mouth.  He bit me and would not let go.  I had to slap his face in order to get him to let go.  This was our life.  It sucked.

The next day he went to school and told them I beat him because he had a bruise on his face.  I was horrified that I had done that until I realized that the bruise was on the wrong side of his face for me to have done it but the machine was set in motion and I was investigated by protective services.  It was a scary experience but protective services knew that something was off.  As I stood there terrified they were going to take my daughter away, the case worker hugged me and offered to help.

I learned that day that God has a plan for everything.  Had my son not turned me in to protective services, we never would have been offered help by protective services and we never would have found out he was bi-polar.  So we started our journey of finding the right meds.  Once we found the right meds, life got much better.  Still more than most can handle but way, way better than the past few years had been.

But life was about to offer us another punch in the gut.  We noticed a large hump on my sons back so we took him to the doctor.  You can always tell when something is serious by the look on your doctors face and by the fact that he won't tell you anything and you get into a specialist within days.

We took him to the specialist and I was in shock as they described how my son's spine was curved to the point that it could compromise his life.  I was stunned as they described how he would need to have a titanium rod put in his back and how they would fuse his spine.  As if this kid didn't have enough going on we were put on yet another roller coaster.  To make matters worse, everything he loved would be gone.  No more motor cycle, no more snow boarding, no more skate boarding.  The spine will have no flex.  Great one more thing to make a very angry kid even more angry.

So we went down that road and my son had the surgery.  At one point we almost lost him because the morphine had suppressed his system.  I am pretty sure that night took 10 years off my life span.  It was at that time the song by Rodney Atkins came out.  I would just sing it and keep moving in the hospital and on the days after where my son had to use a walker to walk.   It was my montra.  I would sing it with tears running down my face . . .but I kept moving. . . .and tried not to show I was scared and kept hiding from the devil by repeating Romans 5:3-5 over and over again.  I was building some major character here!

We made it through those times and today my son is one of the lights of my life.  He was the number 1 JV runner on his cross country team last year and he is an incredible kid to be around.  He is still a teenager but where I used to wish for just 5% of happy times with him, now I have 100% times of happiness.  Even when he is angry he is joy because I am so darn proud of how well he handles his anger now.  He is a different kid with an incredible smile and we have a new life.

One more thing--I have the most incredible friends one could ever have.  It was my freinds who came and helped my husband bury the dog and it was my friends that kept my husband and I going.  Friends are the most incredible thing in the world and I have THE MOST incredilble!

So while I don't know what the next year may bring and things are really tight here . . . .it isn't anything compared to where we have been!! 

Enjoy the video and sing it to yourself when you aren't sure if you can put one foot in front of the other--God is there.