Election 2010 Final Four
March 4, 2010
In the spirit of March Madness, I have prepared my own Final Four, as it pertains to our political choices this August. Remember, the election this year is one of the most important elections of our lives. Get out and vote!
Michigan State Representative – 100th District
Tim's Pick: Jon Bumstead
Currently held by: Goeff Hansen (R)
District Covers: Oceana, Lake, and Newaygo Counties
Who’s Running:
- Jon Bumstead (R) – Newaygo
- Jane Drake (R) – Fremont
- Marc Libants (R) – Newaygo
- Scott Tillman (R) – Fremont
Michigan State Senate – 34th District
Tim's Pick: Goeff Hansen
Currently held by: Gerald Van Woerkom (R)
District Covers: Muskegon, Oceana, Mason, and Newaygo Counties
Who’s Running:
- Goeff Hansen (R) – Hart
- David Farhat (R) – Muskegon
- Mary Valentine (D) – Muskegon
U.S. Congress – 2nd District of Michigan
Tim's Pick: Jay Riemersma
Currently held by: Peter Hoekstra (R)
District Covers: Consists of the counties of Benzie, Manistee, Wexford, Mason, Lake, Oceana, Newaygo, Muskegon, Ottawa, and the northern portion of Allegan County and the northwest portion of Kent County.
Who’s Running:
- Jay Riemersma – (R) – Holland
- Bill Cooper – (R) – Muskegon
- Wayne Kuipers – (R) – Holland
- Bill Huizenga – (R) – Holland
- Fred Johnson – (D) – Holland
Governor of Michigan
Tim's Pick: Pete Hoekstra
Currently held by: Jennifer Granholm (D)
Who’s running:
- Peter Hoekstra – (R) – (US Congress)
- Mike Cox – (R) – (Michigan Attorney General)
- Mike Bouchard – (R) – (Oakland County Sheriff)
- Tom George – (R) – (Michigan State Senator)
- Rick Snyder – (R) – (Venture Capitalist)
- Alma Smith – (D) – (US Representative)
- Andy Dillon – (D) – (State House Speaker)
- Virg Bernero – (D) – (Lansing Mayor)
- George Perles – (D) – (MSU Trustee)
The list of candidates is still changing as we lead up to the primary on August 3rd. For an unofficial list of candidates visit http://miboecfr.nictusa.com/election/candlist/10PRI/10PRI_CL.HTM
To learn more about my picks, subscribe to my blog! You can also visit their respective websites by clicking on their highlighted names.
Jay Riemersma is Coming to Hart, MI
March 4, 2010
Congressional Candidate Jay Riemersma will be in Hart, MI visiting with Oceana County residents tonight from 5pm-7pm.
It’s an informal event, and all are welcome to attend. This is a free event, and families are welcome. Jay will be on hand to answer questions, and wants to meet and hear from as many Oceana County residents as he can. This is a great opportunity to get to know the man that we want to see representing Michigan in Washington. Refreshments will be served starting at 5pm.
Jay Riemersma is running for the 2nd Congressional District seat for Michigan. The 2nd District includes 11 counties in West Michigan, from Holland to Benzie. Oceana, Mason, Muskegon, Manistee, and Lake Counties are all a part of the district, and I hope to get people motivated to get out and vote this year.
The seat has been held by Congressman Pete Hoekstra for the last eighteen years. Pete is currently running for Governor of Michigan (GO PETE!). We need to make sure that we replace Pete with someone of similar Conservative values, and Jay is the guy for the job.
I will be hosting the event at the Starting Block, the local small business incubator that I have blogged about before. The Starting Block is a great venue for Jay, as Jay plans to address the challenges that small businesses face today. Jay is all about getting government out of the way of business, and the Starting Block is all about helping small businesses get started. When small businesses can flourish again, our economy in West Michigan will heal.
So please, come on out and see us tonight, be it for ten minutes or two hours.
The Starting Block is located just off of Polk Road in Hart, about a mile east of US31. Take the Polk Road exit off of US31, head east toward downtown Hart, and just look for the signs! If you see the Oceana County Fairgrounds, you went too far.
“The Starting Block” – Hart’s Very Own Business Machine
February 23, 2010
In my little town of Hart, MI, you can always find something new. Being a Realtor here, and having lived here for 15 years, I don’t know how I didn’t know about the Starting Block and the folks that are doing some amazing things over on Industrial Park Drive.
The Starting Block is a kitchen incubator and entrepreneurial center. It is a nonprofit, regional economic development organization committed to small business development initiatives. The Starting Block helps entrepreneurs in an 8 county region from Manistee to Holland start and/or expand their food-related business at reasonable rentals without the initial investment or costly facilities and equipment.
OK, I borrowed most of that last paragraph from their brochure. Here’s my take on what Jane, Jim, and Ron are really up to over there:
AWESOMENESS!!!
With the help of The Starting Block, over 25 entrepreneurs have taken an idea, and turned it into a business venture over the last four years. The majority of these are food processing ventures, like Good Life Granola, Randy’s Granola, Wee Bee Jammin’ fruit jams, and a myriad of other products, ranging from dry spice mixes to meat stuffed pasta shells.
The Starting Block starts out by helping an individual with an idea to develop a label, and get it approved. Once the label is approved, the Starting Block has a large common kitchen with industrial mixers, convection ovens, stoves, and more.
They’ve even brought in packaging equipment. A small business owner can come up with an idea, apply for USDA and MDA approval, prepare the product, package the product, and even store the product all on site. Most importantly, since The Starting Block is a nonprofit organization, the costs to do so are very low.
You can use the kitchen, and all the equipment, for $10-15/hour. Dry storage runs $10/month for a pallet, and cold storage runs just $1.50/cubic foot. This is incredibly low overhead for a start-up business, and a great way for a fledgling company to get its feet under it and get running. Oh, and if you need a special piece of equipment, just ask Ron, he’ll probably be able to find it for you.
The kitchen is also available to caterers, church, school, and civic groups.
In addition to the kitchen incubator side of the house, The Starting Block also leases office space to start-up businesses. Summit Laboratories is one company that leases space on site. They’re just getting up and running, and recently received accreditation that will allow them to provide food processing testing for local farmers this season.
Office space starts at an incredibly low price of just $110/month for a 90 square foot office. It even includes phone and internet access. Need something a little bigger? You can get 225 square feet for just $275/month!
In addition to all this, The Starting Block provides its users with countless other resources, including product development, ingredient sourcing, nutritional analysis, marketing strategies, a resource library, computers and internet access, and so much more.
The Starting Block Staff
The Starting Block is staffed by Ron Steiner, Jim Henley, and Jane Dosemagen. These three folks wear a lot of hats, and are ready to help you take your idea for business to the next level. Jane was extremely helpful in giving me a tour today, and I thank her for helping me gather this information.
Small businesses are vital to rebuilding our economy, and the gang at The Starting Block are providing an invaluable service to Hart, Oceana County, and West Michigan.
To learn more about The Starting Block, visit http://www.startingblock.biz or stop by. The Starting Block is located at 1535 Industrial Park Drive, just off of Polk Road in Hart.
*Photos courtesy of The Starting Block and http://www.startingblock.biz and used with permission.
Aegir Wind Farm Project Debate Heats Up
January 28, 2010
Over the last couple of months, the wind turbine tower project proposed for the waters of Lake Michigan off of Oceana and Mason Counties has generated a lot of debate and discourse. As Realtors, we have a vested interested to stay informed of this project, and the ramifications, good or bad, that it could have to our communities.
I recommend that all local community members familiarize themselves with the proposed projects, and do some research to understand the economic and environmental repercussions, good or bad, that such a project could potentially have on West Michigan.
The wind turbine project is being proposed by Scandia Winds, LLC of Chanhassen, MN and its Norwegian partner, Havgul Clean Energy. Scandia Wind has dubbed the project “The Aegir Project”. They have developed an informative website for the project. To read more, visit http://www.scandiawind.com/Aegirproject.html
Suggested view of what a Wind Farm could look like.
Similiar projects are proposed in various parts of the country. To read about these projects, and see photos of other proposed projects, visit the ecopolitology blog at http://ecopolitology.org. The photo above is courtesy of ecopolitology.org.
The Industrial Wind Action Group has a site that demonstrates some of the local community members’ concern about the Aegir Project. You can view the page at http://www.windaction.org/news/25129
An article on MLive.com has generated many comments, both for and against the project. To read the article and comments go to http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2009/12/wind-farm_developers_face_hurd.html.
Legislation has been introduced to the Michigan State House of Representatives to issue a moratorium on permitting or leasing for offshore wind energy development. Rep. Geoff Hansen (R-Hart) introduced House Bill 5671 to legally prohibit development of a project until the state has had a chance to institute oversight measures. You can review this bill at http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(mptgzfaeef3jy1uojajhws55))/mileg.aspx?page=GetObject&objectname=2010-HB-5761
It is my intent to provide you with the tools to form your own educated opinion on this matter. If you would like to voice your opinion to your local representatives in Government, here are some links to some local Government Officials:
Rep. Geoff Hansen (R-Hart) http://www.gophouse.com/welcome.asp?District=100
State Rep. Dan Scripps (D-Leland) http://101.housedems.com/
State Senator Gerald Van Woerkom (R-Muskegon) http://www.senate.michigan.gov/gop/senators/vanwoerkom.asp?District=34
Governor Jennifer Granholm (D-Mich) http://www.michigan.gov/gov
U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich) http://stabenow.senate.gov/
U.S Senator Carl Levin (D-Mich) http://levin.senate.gov/
U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich) http://hoekstra.house.gov/
For tips on how to effectively communicate with your government representatives, visit http://www.congress.org/communicate
$159,900
This beautiful ranch home features an open floor plan in a country setting. The main floor includes a living room, dining area, and kitchen under a cathedral ceiling. Master suite includes a full bath and walk-in closet. Two bedrooms and another full bath are located on the opposite end of the home from the master suite. There are lots of closets for storage, and main floor laundry.
The home sits on an unfinished walk-out basement, and is pre-plumbed for a future bathroom. A built in egress window allows for a future basement bedroom.With 1344 square feet of finishable basement space, this could become a 2600+ sqft home with 4 beds, 3 baths, and added living areas.
The exterior is maintenance free vinyl, and since everything is new, you don’t need to fear having to replace the roof or furnace. Many of the home’s products are still covered by manufacturer’s warranties.
The two car attached garage includes an electric opener. Relax on the 10×12 deck and enjoy watching birds and deer. Lots of trees provide privacy. The deck has a retractable awning to provide shade on a summer day. The home sits on over 3 1/2 acres of land with lots of trees and a view of the neighboring pond.
Located just a few miles from Pentwater and Silver Lake, this home would make a great year round home or summer vacation getaway. The location is just a couple of mile from US-31, which is on the West Michigan Fall Color Tour circuit. At this new price, this one won’t last long. To see more of the home, visit http://www.timwhitehomes.com
First time home buyers may be eligible for $8000 federal tax credit when purchasing this home.
First time home buyer activity is on the rise in Oceana County. A significant reason for this is the number of bank owned properties currently for sale in the Hart, Shelby, New Era, and Pentwater areas. Bank owned properties, often referred to as foreclosures, are often sold well below market value, and create unique opportunities for first time home buyers.
I recently had the pleasure of writing an accepted offer for a young engaged couple from Hart, MI. They are getting married this summer, and wanted to start looking for a home now. They have decent credit, but relatively low income, and the majority of what they could afford consisted of manufactured housing, which they hoped to avoid if at all possible.
I sent them to one of my preferred lenders, and had them prequalified. Prequalification is vital when attempting to purchase a bank owned home. Once the lender had them preapproved and through underwriting, and we had established a monthly payment that was affordable and comfortable for them, I began my search in earnest.
I was looking for a home that would meet their needs, and their budget of about $60,000. I ran searches daily, as I knew that when the right one came up, it wouldn’t last wrong. I searched for about three weeks, in which time we looked at a handful of bank owned properties. The majority of these properties were going to require too much work to make them livable, so I continued to search.
Last week, I found a listing that was just unbelievable. It was a bank owned property in New Era, listed for $60,000. I was familiar with the home, and the location was perfect for what my buyers were looking for. I made a phone call, and told my clients that we needed to act fast, and see the home that night.
My buyers rearranged their schedules, and we went to see the home. The curb appeal was great. The home was less than ten years old, and was in great shape. The yard was just over an acre, and even had privacy fence built along the neighbor’s property line. This was a three bedroom home with a two car attached garage, and 1300 square feet of clean, well kept living space.
My buyers were instantly excited, and quite frankly, so was I. This was exactly what we had been praying to find, and we immediately submitted a full price offer. Since I already had them preapproved and through underwriting, our offer was solid and attractive. As it turned out, there was another offer made the same day, so we submitted an addendum offering to bump our price by $1100.
Earlier this week, I found out that that little bump sealed the deal. Our offer was accepted, and this previously bank owned home will soon be owned by two wonderful people. When they return from their honeymoon, they’ll be coming home to a home that they own. They also qualify for $6110 in federal tax credit from the 2009 Federal First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Program. I couldn’t be happier for them.
The Aftermath of Tea Parties in West Michigan
April 23, 2009
I was driving east on Ocean Dr. in Hart, Michigan today when I saw this little gem sitting alongside the road. I had my camera with me, like any good realtor should, and I just couldn’t resist blogging about it.
Michigan is widely held to be a left leaning, liberal state. So much so, in fact, that Senator McCain’s campaign withdrew from the state early during the election runoffs of 2008. John, I think you gave up on us too quickly.
You see, there are strong pockets of conservatism in West Michigan. The recent Tea Parties have sounded a clarion call to the formerly “Silent Majority”, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see more of these types of displays.
Even if you’re a liberal, you have to admit this is pretty clever.
Tim's Train of Thought 