Welcome to my Big Rapids Real Estate Blog: December 2010

The minute I turned the morning news on today I noticed something different. Something was missing. There was the usual ten minutes of negativity but there was glimpses of hope in there. What??? the media spreading hope? Caught my attention. Here in Michigan we wake up to see how many more jobs have been lost and how many more foreclosures so when Gentex added 240 people I stopped and actually listened, followed up by another company adding workers. Could this be the sign we have been waiting for? Just last week I heard Geo Group is reopening the prison in Baldwin, MI which should give that area a boost in economy. I guess hope is where we find it but it sure is nice seeing new jobs coming to Michigan. It was on my Christmas list so who knows, this might be a new beginning we all hoped for. Best of luck in all you do and thanks for reading.

Congrat's for being accepted to Ferris State University in Big Rapids, MI. One of your many new challenges is to find a place to call home while attending school. There are always the dorms, and for some , that is the only option available. Ferris has restrictions on who can live off campus and while the price of the dorms seems pricey it is your only choice. For others the lure of buying a home, renting a few rooms to buddies while going to school and then selling for a huge profit is too much to resist. Like any journey, the first step is deciding on whether to go it alone or use a guide (in this case a Realtor®). There are so many things to keep an eye on in Big Rapids, it would be insane to not at least talk to a local agent. Many people think they can just find a home zoned correctly and buy it. Not so. Even if the zoning is correct for renting to students, the home may not be. Unless it has been used as a rental before it has to go through a "Change of Use" process which involves several inspections by City and County agencies to make sure the home is safe to rent. Parking is another thing to consider. Big Rapids has a parking rule that says you must have 1 parking space for each bedroom plus one for a guest. These spaces have to be on the side or rear of the home and must be at least 180 sq. ft. per spot. So a 4 bedroom house must have 5 parking spots to be able to rent rooms out. I hear agents tell clients to just go outside the City limits to avoid the zoning hassle but Big Rapids Township is also zoned, so that is not always a good option. Best bet is to find an experienced Realtor® that is familiar with the City of Big Rapids zoning laws and let them guide you. Most will answer questions for those who still want to do it alone. Best of luck and I am here if you need me.

Today is the 69th anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. More than 2,000 American citizens lost their lives that day and another thousand were injured. Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is not a federal holiday. Government offices, schools, businesses and other organizations do not close. Public transit systems run on their regular schedules yet we should all take a few moments and remember those who were lost. If you have a flag fly it at half mast and if you don't, today is a great time to start. Best of luck in all you do and thanks again for reading.