Kent County Youth Fair Week August 9-15 2009

Posted on August 11, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Judging, Classes, Entertainment = Family Fun

The Kent County Youth Fair is celebrating its 75th year at the Lowell

Fairgrounds. I have fond memories of the County Fair from my youth

and 4-H days. It is a lot more than cotton candy and carnival rides.

I really enjoy seeing all the animals and the exhibits that the kids work

so hard on all year. Many times you will see sheep, pigs, horses, chickens

on display that are pampered and well cared for. It is a chance to see

what is popular on the farm and what might be showing up next at the

Farmer’s Market or on your table.

Just the variety of animals can be overwhelming. The last time I went

to a fair, there must have been 50 different kinds of chickens.

Who knew? You kind of know this is true but seeing them in the

flesh and variety of feathers is something else again.

Each day brings its own special events, including free nightly

entertainment. Don’t miss the Cow Pie Bingo!

Tuesday August 11th – The Pub Runners 7:30 pm

Wednesday August 12th – The Jabs 7:00 pm

Thursday August 13th – Patchwork & Black Canyon

Bluegrass Band 6:30-9:30 pm

Friday August 14th – Country Karaoke 6:30-10:30 pm

Saturday August 15th – Blue Star Pilot & Guitar Hero 5:30-10:30 pm

Annual Rodeo (tickets req.) 7:00 pm

There are dozens of events I couldn’t mention here, like the Ice

Cream social, Bingo, Garden tractor pull, Livestock sale, Goat

milking contest, performing arts, & Draft horse pull to name a few.

Come on out to the Kent County Youth Fair in Lowell this week.

I think you might have a great time.

Grand Rapids Real Estate ~ Westbrook Realty

Photos by Bonnie Westbrook

Kids Can Watch Whitecaps Baseball Free ~ Monday August 17th, 2009

Posted on August 10, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

West Michigan Whitecaps Baseball is one of the best things

about summer in Grand Rapids.

And they just made it a little bit better! On Monday August 17th,

the Whitecaps management is offering free tickets for up to 4 kids

(12 and under) when accompanied by an adult. You must purchase

a reserved seat adult ticket ($9.50) and the kids, yes, up to 4 kids

can get reserved seat tickets for free.

They must be purchased at the Whitecaps Ticket Office at

Fifth Third Ballpark, no phone or online sales.

The Whitecaps appreciate the support they get from local fans and

realize many families are feeling the pinch of less money for

summer fun activities. See Whitecaps Blog Article here.

So, if you have been waiting for the right opportunity to see a

Whitecaps game this summer, this could be it. They will be playing

the South Bend Silver Hawks at 7 pm Monday, August 17th.

Play Ball!

Grand Rapids Real Estate ~ Westbrook Realty

Kentwood Michigan Real Estate Market Report ~ July 2009

Posted on August 10, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Kentwood Michigan is a large suburb of Grand Rapids with a population

under 50,000. It has manufacturing, shopping centers, and lots and lots

of residential housing. Kentwood Public Schools are one of the largest

school systems in the area with over 9000 students and 16 buildings

within a 24.25 square mile area.

Kentwood high school kentwood mi

Kentwood home sales are still on a general downward trend

in price. Over 1/3 of Kentwood Homes Equity has dissolved in

the last 3 years, according to the current stats.

We are seeing some price recovery from last month’s figures

and the overall summer activity is high. Kentwood has one of

the lowest absorption rates in the area.

Foreclosures and short sales are still affecting the average

market price here as Grand Rapids has seen jobs disappear.

The homes under $ 150K in Kentwood are seeing about 70% of the

overall sales. The homes over $150K may be priced too high for

today’s timid buyers (many of them think prices will erode still

further) or it could be condition. Your list price has to

be close to the sale price or your home just doesn’t get serious

buyer activity. And if you still have the old carpeting,

you will need to upgrade or lower your price if you want

to see a sold sign this year. We are seeing serious buyers

vying for the best homes on the market with multiple offers.

In 2006, Kentwood has 495 home sales:avg sold price:$159,788

In 2007, Kentwood had 434 homes sales: avg sold price:$151,009

In 2008, Kentwood had 722 home sales:avg sold price: $115,127

In 2009, Kentwood has had 547 home sales: avg sold price:$ 99,354

Home sales for Kentwood – Up to $150,000:

153 Active Listings with Avg price $ 124,754

139 sold since May 1, 2009

Avg sold price $108,847

Avg Days on Market – 87

Home sales for Kentwood – $150,001 UP:

70 Active Listings with avg price of $ 189,463

29 sold since May 1, 2009 Low: $150,195 High: $232,000

Avg sold price $150K+ = $168,976

Avg Days on Market – 138

Kentwood Absorption Rate for this price range is 4 months,

at the current rate of sale (which means if no new listings come

on the market, it will take 4 months to sell the active listed

homes). This is down from last month, which is great news,

though the average sold prices on the lower end are going up

slightly and average price on upper end is going down. I would

assume this is due to bank foreclosures and short sales which

have driven down home price averages for most of Kentwood.

Kentwood Michigan Top Best Buy Homes July 2009

Kentwood Michigan Absorption Report June 2009

Kentwood Michigan Real Estate Information

Real Estate is always hyper-local. If you have questions about

a specific Kentwood home, please contact me:

phone: 1-888-240-1968 ext 0

or email: Terry@terrywestbrook.com

Grand Rapids Real Estate ~ Westbrook Realty

East Grand Rapids Michigan Real Estate Report ~ July 2009

Posted on August 10, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Current Real Estate Market Report For East Grand Rapids Michigan

East Grand Rapids MI Public Library

Absorption rate for East Grand Rapids MI housing market is currently

at 7 months, which means if no new listings come on the

East Grand Rapids market, it will take 7 months for the existing

home inventory to sell.

There are 123 active listings on the East Grand Rapids market now,

down about 30% from last month, ranging from $99,980 to $2,039,000.

25 Pending Home Sales

123 Sold Homes with sold prices ranging from $ 25,000 to $ 1,300,000

since Jan 1, 2009 in the East Grand Rapids housing inventory.

East Grand Rapids Homes up to $200,000

Active Listings – 29

Pending – 15

Sold – 45

Avg Sold Price – $ 139,240

East Grand Rapids Homes $200,000 to $300,000

Active Listings - 47

Pending – 4

Sold - 31

Avg Sold Price – $ 250,468

East Grand Rapids Homes $ 300,000 to $450,000

Active Listings - 46

Pending - 3

Sold – 32

Avg Sold Price – $ 363,813

East Grand Rapids Homes $ 450,000 ++

Active Listings - 47

Pending – 3

Sold – 15

The lower end of this market (under $300K) has seen about 75 %

of the sales in the last six months. With the current lowest list price

at $ 99,980, it looks like the bargain basement days in EGR housing

is over. Homes in the higher prices are selling, but at a

slower rate. The Absorption rate is in the normal range for East

Grand Rapids homes at this point, something we haven’t seen

for a few years.

East Grand Rapids June 2009 Absorption Report

East Grand Rapids Top Best Buy Homes July 2009

East Grand Rapids Michigan ~ America’s Hometown

If you have any questions about East GR homes,

please contact me directly:

ph 1-888-240-1968 ext 0

email:terry@terrywestbrook.com

Grand Rapids Ada MI Real Estate ~ Westbrook Realty

Photo of East Grand Rapids Public Library by Bonnie Westbrook

Rockford Michigan Real Estate Report ~ July 2009

Posted on August 10, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Current Real Estate Market Report ~ Rockford Michigan ~ July 2009

Current Absorption Rate for Rockford Michigan is 8 months

on average, which means if no new listings come on the market,

it will take 8 months to sell current inventory.

Rockford Public Library Rockford MI

The under $200K market is moving faster than the over $200K.

Homes less than $200,000 since May 1, 2009 sold prices appear

to be selling for slightly more in Rockford Public School District

last month. Foreclosure & bank owned homes could be keeping

the figures down.

The over $200K market has taken a slight increase in average

sold price from last month. All good signs for Rockford sellers.

255 Active Rockford MI Listings under $200,000

Sold Rockford Homes: 76

Pending Rockford Homes: 51

Average sold price $ 133,794

High Sold price $196,000

Low Sold price $46,200

Average Sold Price/SqFt $100.79

Over $ 200,000 Rockford MI Homes

227 Active Rockford MI Listings

Sold Rockford Homes 35

Pending Rockford Homes 15

Average Rockford List Price: $ 370,115

Average Rockford Sold Price: $ 259,634

Average Sold Price/SqFt $ 136.68

High Sold Price $ 548,000

Low Sold Price $200,000

Inventories have increased with the summer market and sales are

starting to take off in Rockford over the last 3 months. The absorption

rate is 8 months which is a normal market range for our area.

It appears that smaller homes are selling faster than the larger ones.

This is true across our market area, as people reassess their housing

needs. It appears that many are choosing to downsize in this economy.

It is important that you have your home in great condition

and priced correctly. Over-priced homes and tired looking homes

will not sell for top dollar in this buyer’s market.

If you have any questions about Rockford or

Grand Rapids MI homes, please contact me directly:

1-888-240-1968 ext 0

email: terry@terrywestbrook.com

Rockford Michigan Real Estate Market Report ~ June 2009

Rockford Michigan Top Best Home Buys ~ July 2009

Rockford Michigan Video Tour

Grand Rapids -Ada Real Estate – Westbrook Realty

Photo of Rockford Public Library – Downtown Rockford by Bonnie Westbrook

Caledonia Michigan Real Estate Report ~ July 2009

Posted on August 10, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Current Caledonia MI Absorption Report

Absorption rate for Caledonia MI Market is currently 8.6 months,

which means if no other homes come on the market, it will take

8.6 months for the current inventory to sell at the current

sales rate. This stat is one third less than last month’s figure.

We are seeing a definite upturn in sales in Caledonia homes and

sell times are returning to the normal range.

Ruehs Park Caledonia Michigan

There are 156 current active listings, from $39,000 to

$1,284,900 in Caledonia MI.

The current average Caledonia home listed price is much higher

[about $324,828] than the average sold price [$188,447].

25 Pending Home Sales, and 69 Sold Homes since Jan 1, 2009.

The average sold price/Square foot is $ 98.42

Sold High $875,000 Sold Low – $34,000

There are 6 homes in million dollar + range listed, so this skews the

figures somewhat in the upper brackets.

The Caledonia market is much brisker this month as buyers try to get

situated in their new homes before school starts. Newer and higher

end homes are selling, only 3 homes sold at $100,000 or under.

Average sold price per square foot rose again this month. There

are some excellent buys in Caledonia but they are

disappearing fast. Don’t wait until they are gone.

Caledonia May 2009 Real Estate Market Report

Caledonia April 2009 Real Estate Market Report

Caledonia March 2009 Absorption Report

Caledonia Michigan Video Tour

Caledonia MI Top Best Buy Homes June 2009

If you have any questions about Caledonia or Grand Rapids MI

homes,please contact me directly through my web site.

Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate ~ Westbrook Realty

Photo of Ruehs Park Caledonia Michigan by Bonnie Westbrook

Forest Hills Michigan Real Estate Market Report ~ Watermark Residences July 2009

Posted on August 10, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

The Residences at Watermark are located on Watermark Golf Course just

south of Cascade Road. Yes, I play Watermark golf course every chance

I get. Watermark is a premier course with friendly players.

It has an excellent grounds staff and a great pro shop staff, as well.

Watermark single family homes and condos make this a very attractive

place to live. Quality built homes with access off Cascade Road and

Spaulding Drive, you are close to the airport, 28th Street shopping,

I96 expressway and close to Cascade, Ada, and Forest Hills

schools and shopping areas.

watermark residences entrance grand rapids mi

Watermark Residences

July 2009 Real Estate Market Report

For Sale: 7

There are 7 active Watermark Homes currently on the market.

The median Watermark Homes current active price is $ 834,943

The average Watermark Homes current price per sq ft is $ 278.71

The average days on the market for active Watermark Homes is 158

The high price is $ 2,700,000 and the low price is $ 399,900.

Sold: 2

There has been 2 Watermark Sold Homes since Jan 1, 2009.

The average Watermark Sold Home price is $ 412,500

The average Watermark Sold Homes price per sq ft is $195.61

The average days on the market for Watermark Sold Homes is 190.

Pending: 0

Expired: 7

At the current rate of sales, we have a 25 month Absorption rate at the

Watermark Residences. This means that it will take 25 months for the

current listed homes to sell based on the current rate of sales, up 7

months from our last report.

Watermark buyers don’t seem very interested at the present prices.

The listed avg. price/square foot is over $80 more than the 2 sales

so far this year. The $2.7 million home does inflate the figures but

price/sq ft should be similar. Summer has seen another sale here, but

overpriced homes just aren’t selling no matter where they are located.

Additional articles about Watermark Residences:

Watermark Country Club

Watermark CC Golf Pro ~ Mark Wilson

Watermark Country Club ~ Pool Time

The Grille Restaurant at Watermark

If you would like further information about Watermark Residences

Cascade or Forest Hills Homes, please contact me directly:

1-888-240-1968 ext 0

terry@terrywestbrook.com

Grand Rapids – Ada Real Estate – Westbrook Realty

photo of Watermark Residences Entrance by Bonnie Westbrook

Indiana Road Trip

Posted on August 8, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

We travel through Indiana frequently. Our son lives in Indianapolis,

so we usually stop there, but on our trip to North Carolina, we

traversed the length of the state. If you haven’t traveled through

Indiana before, I will tell you the code word…….FLAT.

Indiana is a pretty flat state, which makes it perfect for growing

things. There are lots of farms and fields of grain, soybeans, corn,

and other crops. If you stop in a small town restaurant, you are

likely to see farmers and farmer’s families. In the spring, they

still have the mud from the fields on their boots. So, now that

you know where lots of your food comes from, you might like to

take a look at our photos.

These are typical photos of Indiana countryside…… but no silos.

There were so many I couldn’t decide which ones to photograph!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8ZUGzoH8lQ&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6]

We made a few stops. Once at a rest stop to check email and water

our dog, Kitty. You can see her right under the table where Terry

is reading his email. The harvested wheat field was right behind

the rest stop area. On the way home, we stopped for blueberries.

We get blueberries at this farm every year when we take or pick

up our grandson for his annual stay at Grandpa & Grandma Camp.

We hope you enjoyed our little romp through Indiana from the

Interstate.

Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids Real Estate

Photos & Post by Bonnie Westbrook

No soybeans were harmed in taking these photos- the blueberries

weren’t so lucky.

Forest Hills Schools Get A Face-Lift This Summer

Posted on August 4, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Six different schools in the Forest Hills Public School District are under

some kind of construction this summer.

Every school site will receive different combinations of security cameras,

roof repair/ replacement, parking lot resurfacing, and energy

conservation/sustainability improvements (window replacement,

lighting and mechanical system upgrades).

See details at Forest Hills District News Site

Some photos of the Construction Sites:

Warning - if you like hard hats, you will be in 7th heaven!

Ada Elementary School

Central Middle School

Forest Hills Central High School

School districts reflect the interest people have in their

community public education systems. Forest Hills Schools are

one of the best in our state in almost every category. New

school updates are one of the ways we try to keep you informed

on what is happening in the Forest Hills District.

Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids Real Estate

Photos by Bonnie Westbrook

Golf Vacation Day at Spring Lake Country Club ~ Spring Lake Michigan

Posted on August 3, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

There are so many golf courses in Michigan, over 900 public courses,

ranking third in the nation in public golf courses and over 400 member

clubs to play. We are crazy about golf in Michigan.

With courses like Spring Lake Country Club, it is easy to see why.

Spring Lake Country Club is an old course, founded in 1911, and it is a

private, member owned facility. From the longest tees, it is 6525 yards.

“Going green” is taken seriously at Spring Lake CC. In May of 2005,

they received the honor of being named a Certified Audubon Cooperative

Sanctuary, only the 14th course in Michigan to be recognized. In 2007,

SLCC was named #1 for total number of bird species counted on the course

in the Great Lakes region and 3rd in the entire country for the Audubon

International North American Bird Watch Open, held in May each year.

Spring Lake CC is seriously into Junior Golf. Don’t be surprised to

see a few future PGA professionals hail from this course. Last year

they had 180 Junior PGA Golfers (aged 7-17) in their Annual Junior

Golf Tournament held in August.

We were invited to play this fabulous course last week by our friends,

Charles and Joann. We had a beautiful day to play golf and enjoy the

aesthetics of this picturesque golf course. Spring Lake CC is heavily

wooded, and indeed, we saw several oak trees with trunk girths of

15-20 feet or more.

75-80 degrees, sunny and a slight breeze off the Lake (Spring Lake is

open to Lake Michigan) is a perfect Michigan summer day. And we

couldn’t think of a better way to spend it. Because Spring Lake is

connected to Lake Michigan, it is a prime resort area and has many

elite homes on the lake.

We are sharing our photo montage of Spring Lake Country Club.

Grab a cart and ride along!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTsK7IknFR0&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6]

Spring Lake Country Club

18496 Fruitport Rd

Spring Lake Michigan 49456

616-842-4200

Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids Real Estate

Photos by Bonnie Westbrook

Grand Rapids Real Estate

Grand Rapids Real Estate Information

Monthly Archives: August 2009

Kent County Youth Fair Week August 9-15 2009

Judging, Classes, Entertainment = Family Fun

Kids Can Watch Whitecaps Baseball Free ~ Monday August 17th, 2009

Play Ball!

Kentwood Michigan Real Estate Market Report ~ July 2009

East Grand Rapids Michigan Real Estate Report ~ July 2009

Rockford Michigan Real Estate Report ~ July 2009

Caledonia Michigan Real Estate Report ~ July 2009

Forest Hills Michigan Real Estate Market Report ~ Watermark Residences July 2009

Indiana Road Trip

Forest Hills Schools Get A Face-Lift This Summer

Golf Vacation Day at Spring Lake Country Club ~ Spring Lake Michigan