Southwest Michigan Realtor Blog

By Michael Delaware, REALTOR®

Tag Archives: Cities


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Montgomery, Michigan AKA ‘Frogeye’

I was visiting the small community of Montgomery, Michigan last week to photograph a house for a bank, and came across this sign.  Montgomery is a small community not far from the Indiana State line in Hillsdale County.  According to the 2010 census, the little community has a population of 342.

The area was first settled around 1870 by several farmers: Joshua Dobbs, Israel Sheppard, Enoch Teachout and George Hewitt. When they went to the Hillsdale County Registry to register the town in 1871, then county clerk William R. Montgomery said he would perform the task for nothing if they named the town after him, which they agreed to. It was eventually incorporated as a village in 1906.  Th community also apparently goes by the name of ‘Frogeye’ and host an annual festival by the same name.

Montgomery Michigan


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Balloon Love in Battle Creek

Our community of Battle Creek, Michigan has long had a love of Balloons. There are many events during the summer, and the city even hosted an international competition last year. I attended a ‘Balloon Illume’ a few years ago as part of the Battle Creek Field of Flight, and shot the following video and thought I would share it today:


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Tekonsha, Michigan

In Southwest Michigan, we have a lot of beautiful little villages and towns.  A few weeks ago I was driving through the Village of Tekonsha, which is Calhoun County.  I was there to photograph some property for a client, but could not help but stop and take the following photo of this classic home with the town water tower in the back drop. Tekonsha only has a population of just above 700 people that live there, but the homes in the area are quite traditional and classic.

Tekonsha, Michigan

Tekonsha, Michigan


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Nashville, Michigan

Recently I had to take a drive to Nashville, Michigan to look at some houses for a client. The community has a population of around 1600 people, and historically was a milling town for flour and it also had some saw mills. In the 1920′s it was the main railroad stop between Grand Rapids and Jackson, Michigan.  Today it is a community that still retains many classic homes, and some residents commute each day to other areas.

Nashville, Michigan

Nashville, Michigan

Downtown Nashville, Michigan

Downtown Nashville, Michigan


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Sunset in Battle Creek, Michigan

I took this photo a few months ago when driving through downtown Battle Creek, Michigan. The sun was setting near downtown, and I though it appropriate to post this on my blog as we near the end of 2012.

Sunset in Battle Creek, Michigan

Sunset in Battle Creek, Michigan


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Attending the National Association of Realtors Convention 2011

This year the National Association of Realtors (NAR) Convention for 2011 was held in

Me at the 2011 National Association of Realtors Convention in Anaheim, CA.

Anaheim, California.  I attended, and was there for a period of five days.  As part of the convention, I was able to participate in special exclusive events for Realtors called ‘knowledge sessions’.

Some of the knowledge sessions consisted of briefings on the national economy from members of the Federal Reserve, as well as a NAR economist.  Others that I attended were on marketing, social media, video making and many other special interests I had to help me improve my business and relationships with my clients.

There was also in the convention center a bookstore and a very large expo center.  In the expo, I was exposed to products and services from around the world to better help my business and relationships with my clients.

Being a Realtor from Battle Creek, Michigan, it was very benefitial to find new ideas to help me reach more people to help them become homeowners.  Having an understanding of what is happening at a national level gives me an better understanding on how my local market will be impacted.  Here is a photo of me on one of my more casual days on Sunday at the NAR convention.


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Great Riverfront Towns in Southwest Michigan

Allegan Michigan has a beautiful boardwalk system in downtown along the river.

There are a few communities that really have beautiful downtown riverfront areas.  There are several towns in the Southwest, Michigan region that this is a highlight of the downtown. 

Cities such as Battle Creek, Allegan, Kalamazoo and Marshall have beautiful riverfront walkways and sometimes shops along the rivers of their downtown district.  Allegan has a magnicent boardwalk and old iron bridge in the downtown district, and Battle Creek with its overlooks, benches and shade trees make for an inviting stroll along the river. 

A river going through downtown is a great highlight that not every community can boast, and not all that have them present them in the same way.  The ones that do feature them bring a sense of beauty into the district that brings people back for more.  There is nothing quite like a seasonal stroll along a beautiful river in a downtown district.

Battle Creek, Michigan has a beautiful riverside walkway in downtown.


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Cerealfest is an Annual Tradition in Battle Creek, Michigan

Cerealfest in Battle Creek, Michigan is a popular regional Annual Event.

Last weekend the city of Battle Creek hosted the annual Cerealfest in downtown on June 11th.  It was moderately cool weather, and it turned into a great outdoor event.  The Cerealfest is now over 100 years old, and is also known as ‘The World’s Longest Breakfast Table’.  It features free breakfast for thousands of people on the street for a summer morning, and the cereal is donated by Kellogg’s, Ralston Foods and Post. 

I have attended this outdoor event every year since I have lived in Battle Creek, Michigan.  To me it marks the beginning of summer officially for the region, and it is one of my most favorite outdoor events to take part in.  Thousands of people walk the streets, eat cereal, and sit on picnic tables.  Live entertainment it provided, and even games for the kids to partake in.

The mascots from the various cereal companies wander the streets for photo

Free cereal for thousands of people, especially kids!

opportunities, and everyone in general has a good time.  It is a piece of Americana that is a benchmark event for the city that refers to itself as ‘The Breakfast Capital of the World’.  You will never go hungry at the Cerealfest, as long as you like cereal. 

On some years, if you got there early, there were free bananas, pop tarts and juice.  Every year is different.  This year for the 2011 Cerealfest, they held the event at the West end of downtown near the McCamly Park area because the main road into downtown was torn up from construction.  The extra space in the park allowed them to add hotdog and hamburger stands, and even a lemonaide stand to fit everone’s taste. 

Walking around the Cerealfest this year, I decided to create a video to put on my YouTube Channel, and share with everyone.  Writing about the good things in my community is important to me, and Battle Creek, Michigan deserves recognition for putting on this fabulous event. 

 


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Buying a Home in Athens, Michigan

If you are considering buying a home in Athens, Michigan, this is an area of Calhoun County that you want to work with an experienced Realtor who knows the area. 

Athens is a great community in Southern Calhoun County.

When buying a home in Athens, Michigan you need to be aware that both Athens and Union City in some of the outlying areas have a high water table in the land.  What that means is that there is a lot of marsh land and partial marsh land, and when you get outside the village of Athens, you may encounter flooded basements, and yards at times of high rain. 

Buying a home in Athens, Michigan is a

The Athens area qualifies for USDA Rural Development financing.

 good choice if you are buying right in the village, as they have a city water and sewer system, and most homes are connected to it.  The community is very close and friendly as well. 

The downtown grocer, although it may be small, is competitive with rival larger chain stores in Battle Creek, and many people that live in Athens use them as their main source of groceries.  If you are interested in buying a home in Athens, Michigan, get ready for some cozy small town life. 

According to the U.S. Census in 2000, the population was 1111 exactly in Athens.  Regardless of size, Athens harvests maple syrup annually from the maple trees in the village, and sells the syrup as a hometown trademark of the community each year.  They also host summer festivals and activities, and have a beautiful waterfall in the main City Park in downtown. 

The town was named after Athens, New York, where many of its early residents came from.  The first settler to Athens was Isaac Crossett, who built a house there in 1832.  The first retail store was built in the village in 1854 by William Simons.  

Athens became officially incorporated as a village in 1895.  So the community has a proud history, and if you are looking into buying a home in Athens, Michigan, visit my website at: www.michaeldelaware.com or give me a call directly at 269-441-8182 and I can start sending you listing information on properties available in the area. 

Athens is a accessible to Battle Creek.


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Advice for Buying a Home in Galesburg, Michigan

Some advice for buying a home in Galesburg, Michigan to those new to the community would be to work with an experienced Realtor that knows the area.  One of the best things about Galesburg, Michigan is that it is located between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek, on the North side of the Kalamazoo River off M-96.  

Rural Development loans are a good choice for first time home buyers in Galesburg, Michigan.

This makes the community accessible to both larger cities, but still classified as a rural community according to the US Department of Agriculture maps for Single Family homes in their Rural Development loans programs. 

The Rural Development loan program is the best first time home buyer program in existence right now for first time home buyers, and it is my best advice for buying a home in Galesburg, Michigan.  When you are using this program, it allows you buy the home for 100% financing, requiring no down payment. 

It also allows for the seller to pay for up to 6% in closing costs, and you can even roll certain repairs into the loan if they are eligible per the program. 

So Galesburg, Michigan completely qualifies for this program, and it has enabled many new

Buying a home in Galesburg, Michigan is easy when working with an experienced Realtor.

 buyers to become home owners because of it.  If you do not qualify for the USDA Rural Development loan program, then the next best advice for buying a home in Galesburg, Michigan is to look into the FHA loan program. 

This one is similar in many ways to Rural Development, but it requires just a 3 ½ down payment from the buyer.  There is also the FHA 203k program, which is a version of the main FHA loan, but it allows for certain repairs to be included in the loan.  This type of loan can be more difficult, so it is usually good advice for buying a home in Galesburg, Michigan that USDA Rural Development be explored first. 

I am an experienced Realtor that has sold many homes in this area, and I can be reached directly at: 269-441-8182 or through my website at: www.michaeldelaware.com.

Galesburg is conveniently located between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek.

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