Welcome to my Big Rapids Real Estate Blog

Recently in our area everyone who was Alltel was switched over to Verizon. Has been a pretty easy conversion. Yesterday at lunch with my wife I get a call from Verizon wanting to conclude the switch over by authenticating my phones. He asked a few normal screening questions like the last 4 of my social and billing zip code and then to verify ownership he was to text me a code (while I was on the phone). He asked what the numbers were, said I was verified and thanked me for my business. After I hung up I got that sinking feeling like something just wasn't right. I dialed the number on my cell and it was Verizon. Luckily the restaurant we were at was near our Verizon Store so I stopped in. Turns out it was a newly devised scam. The man somehow had access to Verizon and when he sent me the text code in reality had Verizon reset my password and text it to me which I of course read to him. The folks at Verizon were great. They called their fraud division right from the store where we reset my password again and reset my billing password as well. Just thought i would share that if your phone carrier calls you to read back a text they sent you DON'T DO IT!. Best of luck in all you do and thanks for reading.

While driving through rural McBain this week we noticed something peculiar rising out of the cord fields. Seems technology has arrived in Northern Michigan in a big way. These giants aren't just big they are huge. Approx 475' to the top of the blades. A company called Heritage Sustainable Energy is building this wind farm and plan to have 20 to 30 when completed. Having been raised where two story buildings are tall these guys are amazing. If you plan on being in or around the McBain area these are a must see. You can see them all the way from Cadillac (where I first noticed them). Enjoy the drive and thanks for reading.

One of the best things about school being back in session is the opportunity to attend and watch the school sports. There is no feeling like seeing your team do an amazing comeback to win a clutch game against their biggest rival. The only way to keep track is to have an accurate sports schedule and here in Big Rapids the school offers a web based version. The Big Rapids Public School Sports Schedule covers it all. On the left menu just pick the sport you want to check out and it will open to a schedule of events including times and locations so you won't have to miss another game. I urge everyone to get out to a school sports event this year and support where you can as they have been hit hardest by budget cuts. Enjoy the game and I will see you there!

This should be title Big Rapids Schools Lack of Supply List. Seems like the first place that tightens up whenever there are budget cuts are schools. This totally confuses me as to why we would want the people who will be running our Country when we are too old to not get a quality education? Maybe it is because our Government is banking on people joining in to help the schools. This is a place everyone can help. Maybe not in a huge donation but even a few packs of paper or pencils can make a big difference. I know of one teacher that paid almost $1K out of pocket to keep their class rolling. This time of year there are all sorts of fund raisers to help the schools so try extra hard this year as the needs are greater than ever. Keep in mind these little people are tomorrow's future and we can make a difference. Do what you can and Thanks for reading.

Less than a week till school starts so it is time to post the best place to check out the school calendars. Big Rapids Schools have a few to choose from.

The Main Calendar is the general complete calendar for the BRPS system.

The Holidays and Breaks covers the Holidays abd Breaks for the school year.

The Big Rapids Schools Events Calendar covers all school events.

Finally the BRPS Sports Calendar covers all the sports dates and times to keep in mind.

When in doubt you can always check out the Big Rapids Public Schools website. It has a complete list of contact numbers and news related to the schools. Enjoy the school year and thanks for reading.

I am not one to share funny stories but in the weekend edition of the Pioneer News in Big Rapids, Mi there was a story told to Jack Batdorff by a friend of his that I have to pass on.

The Story is called "The Homeless Man's Funeral" and it goes:

As a bagpiper, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no friends or family, so the service was to be at a pauper's cemetery in the back woods. As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and, being a typical man, didn't stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral guy had eventually left and the hearse was no where in sight. There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch. I felt terrible and apologized to one of the men for being so late. I went to the side of the grave and looked down only to see the lid was already in place. I didn'know what else to do so I started to play. The workers put down their lunches and gathered around. I played my heart and soul out for this homeless man. As I played Amazing Grace the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept, we all wept together. When I finished I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car when I heard one of the workers say "I have never seen nothin' like this before and I have been putting septic tanks in for over twenty years". Apparently I am still lost.

Have a great day and thanks for reading.

Leadership Mecosta 2012 will be starting soon and being an Alumni member I can attest to the importance of this program for anyone looking to hone their leadership skills or get to know their County better. Leadership Mecosta is a nine month program that includes a two-day retreat at Cranhill Ranch and eight once a month day long sessions at various places throughout the County.  Participants will enjoy learning more about the community they live in as well as sessions focusing on leadership skill development and community education which includes an inside look at the systems that make our County what it is today. I have lived in the area 30 years and thought I knew the County quite well but each week I was overwhelmed by what I didn't know. Seeing the behind the County "behind the scenes" is a great way to find out more about the place we call home. Here is a link to the Mecosta County Chamber of Commerce website where you can even find an online application form. Anyone interested might want to call the Chamber direct at (231) 796-7649 as the cut off for registering is early this week. If you can take advantage of this opportunity I highly urge you to do it. The networks you will build on will be with you forever.

Leadership Mecosta Class of 2011

August 2011 Rise and Shine will be held at the Comstock House in Big Rapids. The Band of Locals will be celebrating their 3rd year of successfully educating and promoting the public to shop local at locally owned businesses throughout Mecosta County. The Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce sponsers both the Rise and Shine and Business After Hours events to help promote networking of business in our area and to help spotlight a different business every month. The Band of Locals is a great program that offers Blue wrist bands or key chains for $10 and can be used for huge discounts all around the mecosta area. I used mine at Preferred Office Machines for half off my copying and saved a lot of $$$. After this months Rise and Shine the Band of Locals will be touring the county in search of new places and faces for their group. See you there.

August 17th, 2011 the Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting our monthly networking event, "Business After Hours" at the downtown branch of Fifth Third Bank. Starts around 5:30 pm and last a couple hours. Great opportunity for business to business networking. Beings they are my neighbors adjoining our building I think I can make it, how about you? Plenty of parking in the City lot behind Fifth Third and I am sure this will be a good one. Calling all Chamber members....see you there.

Just when I thought I had heard it all I was schooled again by an out of town lender. Buyers were attempting to purchase a home using FHA financing. Credit scores were fine so appraisal was ordered. Appraisal came back with a couple repairs but nothing serious. Buyers actually did repairs and appraiser came back out. House and property look good for FHA now. Set a closing? Nope. Loan denied. Apparently even with good credit and appraisal coming in fine this lender had another road block up his sleeve. He called it merging commercial. I had never heard of it before but lender says if the subject property is on a four lane road or street it is considered "merging commercial" and not something they are willing to loan on. It is zoned Residential, no plans by the City of ever changing that, the buyers qualify, the appraisals is good but the lender feels FHA might not want to buy it so they are passing on the loan. The word "might" really threw me. They weren't denied, they won't even present it to FHA. Lender says if FHA won't buy on it they would be forced to sit on it and they don't keep any loans in house. Everything is sold. So....they refuse to try in case FHA won't buy it. I am sure by now there is another obscure reason for banks to hang on to their money but for now this one takes the cake. I still think Merging Insanity is a better fit. Best of luck in all you do and thanks for reading.