GrandRapids-West Mi Homes Blog

I apologize for the long post--but it is an easy read.  I truly tried to shorten it up-but I just couldn't figure out what to cut.

~~~~~~~~ How a trail ride parallels Life~~~~~~

We are home from our vacation. The "we" would be me, my husband Ed, our dog Hailee and our two horses, Joey and Scout. Last Saturday we set out for Shawnee National Forest with our riding buddies, Jim & Karen and Deb and their three horses.

This was my first vacation since I started real estate five years ago, that I actually did relax. Usually, I would sit and worry that I was letting someone down or I wasn’t there for them but now I have an incredible assistant at home who was my eyes and ears. Other than texting occasionally, I all out enjoyed my vacation.

In fact, while visiting a local tack store (that’s what us horse people do when it rains on vacation-we go to tack stores) I found a decal that speaks the very essence of my belief in life. “Life is a journey, enjoy the ride.” It really got me to thinking about how much this week was a lot like life.

If you have ever ridden a horse in the Shawnee National Forest you know that it is some of the most beautiful riding to be found. At the same time, it can be a little treacherous and isn’t for the novice rider.  What we encountered out on the trail had many parallels to life.

There are some average hills and then some really big hills. Don’t we all have those times in life when we are climbing a mountain? Then there were times where we had to navigate some really rough rocky terrain. There were times we wondered if we should go back. Do you ever wish in life you could have a redo? But if you persisted with patience and let your horse pick his way, things ended up pretty good. Did you ever notice that if we would let The Almighty guide us through the rough times, we would be much better off instead of thinking we know the correct steps to take?

Another obstacle we had to get through was the mud. Just like life, all the paths were not muddy but when they were, they could suck you in and bring your  horse to its knees.  We could have chosen not to go riding because there were muck holes.  What we did was to go out anyway, work our way through the “sticky” parts and enjoy the rest of the incredibly, gorgeous beauty of the forest? What we saw were rock formations and waterfalls and babbling brooks straight off a Hallmark card.  Do you allow life to suck you in so you can't see the many beautiful facets of it?

In addition to navigating all the rocks, mud and briers, we also had to figure out where we were?  There were miles and miles of trails out there. Where are you in life—what are your expectations?  Have you designed a map? If you don’t know what you want or where you want to go, how are you going to get there? There were times when we had to decide which path to take to get us to our destination. There were times we didn't choose the right path and we didn't get to the destination we had in mind.  But we usually found ourselves in yet another area of the forest that had something for us to see.  Do you accept that fact that you will make wrong turns but that you need to find something in the moment to enjoy anyway? Sometimes the path we have chosen is not the one HE has chosen for us?

I was in luck because I was with people who are not directionally impaired.  In the middle of a forest it is easy to get lost.  I was the follower for this trail ride—unless you count the times I just gave my horse his head. He always gets us home.    Do you know when to lead and when to follow? We are all weak at some point, but if we have our friends and family to support us, we will all get through--God will get us through. 

At one point we were told we could take a short cut to get back to camp sooner. Well that right there was a big life lesson. It doesn’t always pay to take the short-cut. What we found was a trail that was not maintained. We got seriously scratched up by briers. Jim looked as though he had been through a war—his entire arm was covered in blood. I had been right behind him and he tried to protect me from the briers. Once we realized we were in trouble we had to decide if we should go back or deal with where we were at and make the best of it. If we were half way, should we just keep going?

We chose to keep going but abandoned the trail and found it pretty easy to ride through the forest instead of the bramble. You know that old saying, “you can’t see the forest for the trees”? In this case it should have been, you can’t see the forest for the bramble”. But the point here is we all make mistakes. Admit you are human and do the best you can to correct your mistakes and apologize.

One of the very coolest things we did was to ride through One Horse Gap. It was a crack between two huge formations that you could ride one horse through . . .literally. The walls on each side were about 15 feet. In order to get through we had to pull our feet out of the stirrups to get through. It was one of the rockiest paths we had to take to get to it but it was one of the coolest things we did. If that isn’t the way life is than I don’t know what is!

As I have said the riding was beautiful. It was easy to gaze around in wonder only to find yourself starring over a cliff—and I mean a cliff—as in 15 stories down. But what you saw when you carefully looked down was just incredible. Sometimes you just need to take a chance because you never know what may be around the bend or just over the hill. If you proceed with caution, it may very well be worth it!

Every night and afternoon we would all make it back to camp to do a tick check. The ticks were horrendous. We all said the state animal is the tick and the poison ivy was the state plant. But every morning we would get up at dawn and do the whole thing over again. Were we nuts? Are some of you wondering why in the heck we CHOSE to do this for our vacation?

Collectively, as a group we have been told a child would die and didn't, that both of our children were gravely ill and could die and didn't, we have dealt with bi-polar disorder, loosing a parent & caring for the one left, divorce, lupus and this list goes on. As I write this one of our group was not with us because of a broken pelvis and broken ribs. What we have figured out is that  if you put your energies into the negative, you could possibly loose your mind.

But if you choose to look at the good part of the trail . . . . . . Indian Kitchen with its pool of beautiful water, or Owl’s Bluff where you can see for miles, or Stone House where you can walk in a cool cave, or Natural Bridge where you can walk under tons of rock, the Gap, or the old cemetery with markers dating back to the 1800’s or Garden of the God’s where all you could do was stand in awe.   If we wouldn’t have went through the mud, and the rocks, and the briers, we wouldn’t have seen that child survive, or the children get better, get married, had our first grand child be born, or cried as our daughter graduated from high school, or watched our son run in his first track meet with titanium rods in his back. And we would not have had the fellowship of some pretty incredible people! 

As I am writing this post and putting in the tags, something dawns on me.  Do you realize the word trails and the word trials both have the same letters and only two letters are switched.  I guess you could look at life as filled with trails or filled with trials.  The order you put the letters is up to you!!

“Life is a journey, enjoy the ride!”

The Horse Girl ~~ Tami Vroma

www.LiveInWestMI.com

This post was written driving back from vacation last summer.  I knew I didn't understand Active Rain and I wanted to wait to post it because I felt it was something special!  I wanted to be able to do it right!  I think I can now!

**There is suppose to be a frame here with more pics- I'll fix it when I get back from church**

For those of us who are dedicated bloggers, we sit at the keyboard for hours.  By the time we’re done with our post, our hands are aching and our fingers are tingling.  Don’t you wish you could rub a magic lantern and ask the genie to make it so you could speak the words, and have them appear on the page?  But that’s only for fairy tales and fairy tales aren’t real . . .are they????

Did you know that almost everybody has speech recognition on their computer?  Right now, I am speaking these words instead of typing them.  My hand does not hurt—in fact, it isn’t even touching a keyboard. I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “how much does this cost, because in this economy I can’t afford anything”. Want to know how much it cost? It costs nothing.  Yes, you heard me right--- that’s $0.00, nadda, zilch!!

First ask yourself if you have Windows XP or Windows Vista. If you have either one of these,   voice recognition software is included.  All you have to do is set it up. You will need a microphone, but the one I’m using right now,  is just my web cam  microphone. It is by no means perfect, but for the most part, I would say it’s probably 90% accurate. The more you use the voice recognition software,  the more accurate it is.

The best thing about it, is that it’s easy to install.  First make sure all of your updates are done on your computer.  The rest I will show you how to do in this video below.

Note: If you have problems, see the bottom of this post--after the video.

To train the microphone, just click on tools on the language bar that should be on your screen somewhere.  You can move the language bar by moving the pointer to the left side and dragging it

If you are having problems with the language bar being greyed out when you go to Regional Language Options in the Control panel, you can call CCS Computers and they will help you for a small fee.  Unfortunately, most computer geeks can not figure it out.  Before you call, make SURE you have done all your Windows updates as that will sometimes solve it.

CCS Technologies  in Coopersville Michigan  is 616-997-8808 Ask for Karen  If you ever need reasonable computer repair, they are the cats meow!!

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If you are looking for homes in West Michigan or Greater Grand Rapids - Please go to www.LiveInWestMi.com to set up your own home search

Awesome Commercial Real Estate Book!

It is 6:00  pm and it is darker than pitch here in Allendale, MI.  I don't know about you but this is the hardest time of the year for me!

If it was summer, I would be thinking, maybe I'll go for a ride on my horse.  Maybe I will go mow the lawn or go take a dip in the pool  I would have another 4 hours of daylight!!!

Being the eternal optimist that I am, I have decided to look at it another way!!  I only have 33 more days until December 21, 2008--the shortest day of the year.  Which means that on December 22, the day will be longer than it was on December 21.  Just a few precious minutes longer, but hey WE ARE ON THE UPSWING THEN!!  I live for the upswing!!

And here is another way to look at it . . I have all those dark hours to sit in front of this computer and get to know all of you and figure out this whole Active Rain thing.  By the time the longer days role around, I may even have figured out the listing router.  My outside blog might be working.  Dare I say . . .maybe I will even get a lead from all my work in the dark.  See . . the dark is a good thing  . . . it keeps me working . . .right?!!??!?

I can make it until then--I know I can. It really isn't that bad when you consider that it is only a paltry 7 weeks that it seems like there is more dark than light. It is only 33 more days and it will be getting lighter every day!!!

                                                                              Do I hear an AMEN?

Most home buyers fall into one of two categories when it comes to how they want to shop for their home.  They either want to see everything out there that could be a possibility for them or they are the type that has only a few homes they want to see every couple of days.

I'm respectful of BOTH and love to shop with either one!

POWER SHOPPERS  - If you are a power shopper, you probably have a list of 100 homes you want to see.  Most of my power shoppers can narrow it down to 50 with a drive-by.  50 is a doable number . . . as long as you know the true essence of a power shopper!  So what are the characteristics of a power shopper?

#1.  Power Shoppers wear slip on shoes.  No sense in spending too much time putting shoes off and on --we have a lot of homes to see.

#2.  Power shoppers always leave children at home.  They love their children but know they have work to do.  Power shoppers don't have to stop to put little shoes on or curb a temper tantrum.  They don't have to explain why they can't play with the toys in the home.  They have one purpose--get through the homes they want to see.

#3. Power shoppers understand the time frame.  They understand that they are scheduled to see a home every so many minutes and watch the time frame windows on the top of their showing sheets. 

#4.  Power shoppers will tell you if they decided the home was not a prospect just by sitting at the curb and they don't take the time to "just take a peek". (Realtor note-make sure you at least go in and put your card on the counter)

#5.  Power shoppers will tell you the instant they know this is not the right home and are done looking.  They don't feel the need to look at the basement if they already know the layout will not work for them.

#6.  Power shoppers don't take the time to turn on the water faucets, or open the closet to look for size, or to decide if a wall can be moved.  They will do all that when they narrow it down and come back for a second visit.  It either goes on the short list or it doesn't.

#7.  Power shoppers are usually in and out of a house in 5-8 minutes.

SLOW AND EASY - So what are the characteristics of a slow and easy buyer.

#1.  Slow and easy buyers are usually in no hurry to get through a home.  They will only see a couple homes at a time but their list may only be a total of ten long.

#2.  Slow and easy shoppers look at everything about the home.  They will make sure they check the water pressure and the closets to make sure they are the correct size.

#3.  Slow and easy shoppers  will bring their children to make sure they feel comfortable in a home.  Can their children see themselves in this home?

#4.  Slow and easy buyers will never knock out a home just from sitting at a curb.  They may be able to do something with the outside if the inside fits all their needs.

#5.  Slow and easy buyers will sit down on the sofa to get a feel for the home.  Does it "feel" like home to them and can they see themselves there?

#6.  Slow and easy buyers need up to an hour to view a home and take in all the possiilities of the home.

No matter what type of buyer you are, please know that most Realtors will move at the speed is that you would like to move.  Know your own speed and know how you want to look at a home.  It is ok to let your agent know exactly how you want to shop for a home and it helps them tailor the day to fit your needs.  If you want to see a lot of homes, be a power shopper until you narrow them down to two or three.

Many buyers who are relocating, fall into the power shopper category to begin with.  Many times they are in town for only a  few days.  They want to see a lot of homes in several different areas because they only have a limited amount of time.  Buyer who are relocating may be power shoppers for the first trip to town and slow and easy when they are making their final choices.

Above all, find a Realtor that meets your needs and that you enjoy being with.  As buyers, you may spend many hours with this person.  If they are not meeting your needs, let them know what your needs are.  If they don't fit your style after you have made specific requests, then let them know and find a different Realtor.  Find an agent you like and stick with them!!!

Happy Home Shopping!

This is an extremely well written post.  It is a bitter pill to sellers to understand that, yes even my home has lost value in the last year.  If you are serious about selling your home, you need to take pricing very seriously!

Blessings! T

Three years ago I really had it going on with my web-site www.LiveInWestMi.com.  I had leads coming in so fast I could hardly keep up--but I always tried to give people a few personal words whenever they used my web site in a search.  I truly think every person has something incredible to give in friendship.

One such search came in and we hit it off immediately.  I don't remember how it came about, but it came up that she had a horse.  She was very excited about coming to America to live but very sad about having to leave her horse in England.  His name was Fancy Man and her name was Yvonne.   I immediately  told her that I had a horse here in Allendale, MI and told her she was welcome to him any time!  I then asked where they would be moving.  She was unsure but knew they would probably be looking for a home in this area.  I have worked as a relocation specialist for quite some time but this was all the way from the UK.  Heck, I had to figure out how to dial over-seas--this country bumpkin had never done that!

We corresponded back and forth.  I emailed her a pic of my horse and she emailed me one of her and her horse (pic to the left).  We made plans for their first visit to America and when the day came we immediately hit it off. They were very adamant about being in a sub-division where Yvonne could make friends.  Someday they would like to have a home with some land where Yvonne could have horses.  But for right now, it was all about making new friends in America and getting her into a home that would make it easy for her to meet people.

We were having a great time and I enjoyed looking at homes with them.  I'm not going to lie to you, sometimes I had a really hard time understanding them.  And some of their words are really different.  She asked me one time if our horses were afraid of the lorries?  What in the heck is a a lorrie?  I finally figured out she meant a truck and we laughed and laughed.  I also started using the words, "well bloody hell".  That's an engish term for our "what the hell" or maybe "for crying out loud".

It isn't the easiest thing in the world to move to America.  It took them forever, I mean FOREVER, to get their visa to go through.  They have lawyers involved and everything-- it is quite a process!!!  I remember it like it was yesterday.  They were visiting again and we were looking at houses and decided to stop in at a local restaurant for some lunch - The Yellow Jacket  between Allendale, MI and Grand Haven, MI  They like the smaller "pubs" as they call them.  Just as we were about to walk in the door they got a phone call from their lawyer - their visa had come through.  There some tears--some of joy and some bittersweet at the thought of leaving children and grand-children so far away.

On that same day we found a house they really liked.  I liked it because they were going to be just a few miles from my house.  But it was not to be.  The owners were, shall we say, OFF THEIR ROCKER with price.  Norman and Yvonne liked it so much but I just couldn't let them do it.  It just wasn't worth that!  I told them to walk away.

As far as finding a home, that trip was a bust.  But I did get her up on a gaited horse for the first time in her life.  She laughed and laughed, just like most people do when they ride a gaited horse for the first time.  Also on this trip I introduced them  to honey crisp apples.  They are the best apples in the world but dang expensive!!

It ended up being very convenient that the cottage I manage for another client came up for long term winter rental.  It worked out perfect that Norman and Yvonne got to rent The Lakeshore Cottage.  Since it takes forever to get furniture shipped from the UK, it was wonderful that the cottage was fully furnished.

The next spring we found a perfect home for them in Holland Michigan.  They loved the area of the cottage and liked being close to the beach.  It is beautiful there.  Since that time, Yvonne and I have become fast friends!!  I have met her daugher and her grand child and someday I hope to make it to the UK with her.

((Upper right pic of Yvonne at the campground with us---lower right pic, me on the left and Yvonne on the right))

The video is of Yvonne and I riding last week.  She fell off Joey in slow motion.  She wasn't hurt to bad, just a few bruises and we laughed and laughed how it seemed like it happened in slow motion.  You will have to listen to how she says my name.  I love to hear her say it--she makes it sound  . . . so . . .I don't know  . . English.

Real estate is awesome - it brought me a wonderful person I call friend!!!

I am going to tell you honestly.  I did not want to take the time to do this post.  But God keeps throwing it back in my face in one way or another.  I know it is suppose to save someones life out there.  So I am not going to go looking for pretty pictures, I just want to get it out there.  Someone is suppose to read this that needs to save a family member or a friends life!

Every year, people have life changes because of a stroke.  I thought it only happened to old people until it happened to someone I cared very deeply for--she was my kids Godmother and younger than me!!!!  I can't remember how old she was but it was in her 30's.  She is doing great today--I can still remember the day I saw her back on stage singing at our church.  The tears poured down my face.  God thank you for saving her!

THIS IS WHAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW - TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE - and we aren't talking about real estate contracts here!!

The faster you get someone help the better their chances of recovery.  You need to know what the signs of stroke are and DO NOT DELAY ONE SECOND!  This is the numonic that will help you remember what the signs are:

When a stroke occurs you must act F.A.S.T.

F - (FACE) Look at their face and tell them to smile.  Does one side of their face droop?

A - (ARMS)  Ask them to raise their arms in front of them.  Does one drift downward?

S - (SPEECH) Ask them to repeat any random sentence.  Are their words slurred-can they repeat it correctly?

T - (TIME) If any of the above are true, Time is of the essence -DO NOT DELAY CALL 911 - The faster you get this person help--the better the chances of recovery.

Other symptoms may be, numbness (especially on one side of the body), confusion, trouble seeing clearly, not being able to see out of one eye.

Hope this helps someone at some point.  Commit F A S T to your memory.  It may not be today or tomorrow but at some point you may need this!

If there is one thing we have all heard, it is that the new CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light)   bulbs can save you money.  I was a little shocked by how much money when I read Can Fluorescent Lighting Really Save You Money?  But there are some things that can be very confusing about them.  Many also believe they have to put up with that squirrely looking bulb.  Let's face it, lighting should also look atheistically appealing.

First, you should know that the CFL bulb has evolved.  No longer do you have to be concerned you will have to look at that unappealing bulb to save yourself a lot of money.  After all, the average home uses 28% of its electrical use on lighting.  CFL bulbs have been known to save the average household 30% on their electrical bill.  Now you no longer have to give up a normal looking bulb to save money!

The bulbs now come in normal shapes and sizes.  They come in the original bulb form, recessed light form and candle light bulb form.  They also come in soft light and daylight brightness.  There is a bulb that will fit every need you may have and still look as you would want it to.

However, there are some things you need to consider before purchasing your bulbs.  They are much more expensive than the old incandescent lighting.  The curly looking bulb remains the most inexpensive at this time and of course you will need to pay a little more if you would like the traditional looking and the recessed lighting.  With the bulbs being rather costly, you will want to make sure you use the correct light in the correct place.

Dimmer switched bulbs take a special CFL bulb.  Because of the way the bulbs are made, the dimmer places stress on a regular CFL bulb causing it to cease working earlier than its expected life.  They are now making CFL bulbs specifically  for the dimmer switches.  The same is true for the three stage lights.  Make sure you spend the extra cash to get CFL bulbs made for dimmer switches and for dimmer switches.

CFL Bulbs take some time reach their maximum brightness.  The average time it takes to reach full luminosity is approximately 90 seconds. This is why it is best to use a CFL bulb in a place where the light will remain on.  Constant off and on will shorten the average life span of the bulb which is usually 10 times that of an incandescent.  Below is a light in my home coming on.  This video has been time lapsed--it usually takes about 90 seconds for it to reach full brightness.

CFL Bulbs do contain mercury.  The amount is so minimal that it is less than a fraction of the amount of mercury found in the amalgam filling your dentist puts in your mouth.  As the light reaches the end of its life, the mercury becomes inert as it has fused to the glass.  Many places such as Home Depot, will dispose of the old bulbs for you in the proper way.

Know your wattage conversions.  This is where many people get confused.  Because the bulbs create light in different ways, it effects the wattage of the light.  The CFL bulb makes light in a way that uses less wattage to produce more light.  In fact, it is 4-6 times more efficient than the incandescent light.  The conversion chart looks like this:

                                      Standard Bulb                              CFL Bulb

                                          60 watt                                   13-15 watt

                                         75 watt                                     20 watt

                                        100 watt                                   26-29 watt

                                        150 watt                                   38-42 watt

To help you with your lighting plan, click HERE for an interactive guide that allows you to click on each area of your home.  You can adjust the lighting to what makes you comfortable.

Do your part!  A recent study in Canada showed that if every household replaced just one 60 watt incandescent bulb with a CFL bulb, they would save $73 million on in energy and it would be like taking 66,000 cars off the road.  What can we as Americans do?

Is it a Roundabouts or a Silly Circle?

You know that moment. . . . you look down a road well traveled, a road you use all the time, and there it is . . . . road closed, construction ahead!  You bite your lip and take a deep breath and think, OK, I have to figure out a way around this . . . . I wonder how long the road will be closed . . . . .I wonder what they are doing . . . . .is it really closed or can sneak through all the heavy equipment?!!?  Hopefully my car won't bottom out too bad!!

That was my thought last year.  We live in between two small towns.  One is Allendale, MI (home of GVSU) and the other is Coopersville, MI.  Coopersville is even smaller than Allendale.  Coopersville is where I grew up, where I went to high school, where I had my first job, where I got fired from my first job (only job ever fired from I might add), where I drove my first car,where I smashed up my first car and where I met my first love (and married him).  It is a small little town with very little traffic.  When I saw the entire intersection ripped up, I wondered what in the heck they were doing--a small little town certainly doesn't need a big intersection like that.

What I found out was that they were building something called a roundabout.  Roundabout!!!!  What the heck is that?!?!??  I found out it is an intersection where everyone drives around in a circle to get through to where they want to go.  Does this sound absolutely ludircous to anyone but me?!!  Now I will concede, this is a busy intersection because it is the main ramp that everyone from Hudsonville, Jenison, Standale and many other communities use to get on a major expressway.  In the summer, there are a million campers that go through there to head up north to to their camping destination.  But come on!!!  I know that in the summer campers can be lined up for a couple miles but it still seemed a little unnecessary.  I also learned that Coopersville was one of the first communities in West Michigan to put one in . . . . .great!!!  The guinea pig town. 

My second thought was, I drive a big flippin rig!!  It is a big Chevy Duramax diesel and we pull a 32 foot living quarters goose neck horse trailer!!  I'll never make it through there I thought.  I am paranoid enough when I have to drive that rig, now they are going to make an obstacle course for me!!  To make matters worse, the vet is just on the other side--as in you can see it from the intersection . . .but it's on the other side . . .I have to go through it.  This roundabout was the talk of the town and before it was done it had a nickname . . .The Silly Circle.

The day came and the Silly Circle was completed.  I got myself a cup of coffee at the java joint on the corner where the "Silly Circle" was newly opened.  It was absolutely comical--no one had a clue on what they were suppose to do.  In the two hours I sat there, we logged 15 near misses and one fender bender.  We all sat there talking about who the chump was that thought up this great plan.

Now here we are, almost a year later, and I have to tell  you that . . . .jeez I hate to even admit it . . . .I love the Silly Circle!!!  You never have to wait for a stop light, it is never backed up anymore and it is really fast to get through  . . . .even with a 40 some odd foot rig.  There are two lanes and the big rigs take up both, but it is really easy to navigate.  I have actually driven the rig through and not hit a curb (she says proudly to her husband who was sure SHE would be the first one to dent the rig).  Once you get used to it, it isn't that bad.  First rule, ALWAYS yield to those already in the Silly Circle.  Second rule, stay in the outside lane unless you're taking both lanes.  There is one thing I haven't figured out--if your on the inside circle and your are going to leave it, how can you go straight and not hit someone who is in the outside lane continuing around the circle?

Anyway, moral of the story is that sometimes you may think people are crazy for doing something that seems, shall we say, out there.  But in the end, they are probably just the adventurous ones daring enough to do something new.  And to the people sitting on the board at the Coopersville Chamber . . . . . I'm sorry I called you chumps!!

round about sign picture courtesy of FreeFoto.com