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East Grand Rapids is a small city, population of 10,784 located just east
of Grand Rapids city limits. It has been a desired place to live in the Grand
Rapids area for many years. It is primarily residential with some commercial
business areas. Many homeowners are attracted by Reeds Lake which plays
a prominent role in the community, its award winning public school system,
proximity to downtown Grand Rapids, and its overall small town feeling.
This is definitely a community that you can walk to school, the ice cream
store, or just around the tree lined blocks to visit the picturesque lakes,
Reeds Lake & Fisk Lake.
Homes range in all prices here in East Grand Rapids. There are
small 3 bedroom bungalows and ranches that were built just before and
after WWII, there aremega-mansions built on the shores of Reeds Lake
for wealthy citizens, and all ranges in between.
Reeds Lake at John Collins Park - East Grand Rapids
RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE MARKET
EAST GRAND RAPIDS MI ~ AUGUST 2008.
Homes Listed at $850,000 +
5 For Sale
Average price $ 2,092,980
High $4,000,000 Low $1,175,000
Average Days on Market 78
1 Home Sold – $ 1,275,000
50 Days on the Market
3 Home Listings Expired
Average Price: $ 1,233,333
Average Days on Market: 156
Homes Listed $450,000 to $ 850,000
18 Homes Available
Average price $ 583,083
Average Days on Market 83
1 Home Pending Sale
Price: $599,000 59 Days on Market
5 Homes Sold, 9 Expired
Average Sold Price: $ 531,000
Average Days on Market: 33
Average Expired Price: $606,366
Average Days on Market: 114
Homes Listed $ 300,000 – $ 450,000
37 Homes Available
Average Price: $ 374,118
Average Days on Market: 67
1 Pending, 10 Sold, 12 Expired, 1 Withdrawn
Average Sold Price: $355,440
Average Days on Market: 76
Average Expired Price: $395,941
Average Days on Market: 100
Homes Listed $ 200,000 – $300,000
30 Homes Available
Average Price: $ 257,899
Average Days on Market: 94
30 Sold Homes, 10 Expired, 3 Withdrawn
Average price: $154,303
Average Days on Market: 54
Homes Listed $0- $200,000
36 Available
Average Price: # 166,163
Average Days on Market: 68
9 Pending Sales
Average Price $ 150,100
Average Days on Market: 71
32 Sold Homes
Average Price: $170,306
Average Days on Market: 41
If you would like to know the value of your East Grand Rapids Home
in this market, please contact me directly.
1-888-240-1968 ext 0
Grand Rapids -Ada MI Real Estate ~ Copyright 2008 – Five Star Real Estate LLC
Want to smell the Roses? The public is invited to the Grand Valley
Rose Society’s Fall Show & Judging at the Frederick Meijer Gardens
& Sculpture Park – August 30-31, 2008.
The Show will be open from 1-5 pm both Saturday and Sunday on
the lower level of the Fredercik Meijer Gardens building. There is no
charge for admission to the Rose Show but admission to
Frederick Meijers Gardens & Sculpture Park is still required.
Greetings Rose in Blossom
A class in Fragrance will be offered at 11 am – 5 pm on Saturday.
Visitors may take part by voting for “Most Fragrant Rose” during
that time period.
If you have a prize rose that you would like others to see, entries
are accepted 7-10 am Saturday. August 30th. There are 56 categories,
including 5 just for novice exhibitors.
This is the opportunity you have been waiting for – ” to smell the roses “
Copyright 2008 Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate – Five Star Real Estate
photo of Greetings Rose by Bonnie Westbrook
We recently had the good fortune to visit Glen Lake Michigan for a short visit
with friends at their cottage. Glen Lake is just a sand dune behind Sleeping
Bear Dunes on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan near the
Leelanau Peninsula north west of Traverse City.
On one of our sight seeing, ice cream or lake shore seeking drives,
we came across this novel home being built. It appears to be a
home and studio or small shop. This area is home to many artists, retirees,
and summer homes of the very well-to-do.
The little round house may just be a little place to get away from…………..
you fill in the blank?
Round house at Glen Lake MI
We thought we would take a pic and share with all of you. A round house
isn’t the average home being built today. There was some questions about
how it would appraise. We aren’t sure but thought it an intriguing design.
We’ll take a follow up picture of the completed home, if we are fortunate
enough to get up this way again.
Grand Rapids – Ada Real Estate Copyright 2008 All rights reserved
Photo by Bonnie Westbrook
Have you dreamed of a private Cascade get-away that will start to relax you
when you drive in? Are you dreaming of a Cascade home on a wooded setting,
yet close to schools, shopping, and work? Would you like to look out your
Cascade bedroom window and see nature looking back?
Then you might want to take a look at this unique Cascade home at
7117 Oak Brook SE with many upgrades and custom built-ins.
Built by a local builder, there are many, manyextras and unusual additions
that you just don’t see in the average home. Custom brickwork abounds,
3 fireplaces, a spiral staircase, custom arched pillars in the family room
and stairwell, stained glass windows, oversized windows that let in the
light and the gorgeous scenery. Special attention to details, such as the
custom window seat in the bedroom, the heated solarium, large rooms,
large closets, solid wood doors & trim. Decorative mirrors, built in china
cabinet, built in bar cabinet, a sunken living room, sunken whirlpool tub
in master with a custom stone waterfall wall are just some of the added
amenities. This Cascade home has only had 2 owners and has been well
cared for. Photos don’t do justice to the unique character and setting of
this home. That private Cascade retreat you have dreaming of may be
available here – come and take a look for yourself.
Cascade MI Home for saleLiving RoomFamily room & Pool Room
Solarium
Forest Hills Public Schools are the school district for this home.
Offered at $ 259,900.
Grand Rapids – Ada Real Estate Copyright 2008 All rights reserved
Once you have played this course, you understand why they named it
”Thousand Oaks Golf Club”. I had the chance to play this course the
other day and leaped at the opportunity.
What a treat! Located north of Grand Rapids at Five Mile near the
Grand River, this course wraps around literally thousands of
oak trees. Which makes for a gorgeous nature outing this time of year.
Golf Digest rated this Rees Jones designed course one of the 25 best
courses to play in Michigan.
This course is quite deceptive. Because it fluctuates in elevation, you
might need a few more strokes to get up to the hole, or a little less
club if the green is down hill. All I can say is: don’t go in the woods,
or you will be reaching in your bag for a new ball.
What I didn’t know is that they have a Golf Academy, where PGA Golf
Master Instructor, Charles Vandenberg with the aid of state of the
art facilities can analyze your swing or putting stroke. Then they give
you a Dvd to take home with lesson plans to improve your game.
I took a few pictures so you could get an idea of what the course looks like:
First Hole
The first hole with the Clubhouse in the background.
View of a fairway
An elevated tee with the green nestled in the trees.
Green with oak trees surrounding
A fairly tight green with trees and bunkers waiting for your ball.
Golf Academy
The front entrance to the Golf Academy.
Practice Range
The practice range behind the Golf Academy.
Thousand Oaks Clubhouse
The Thousand Oaks Clubhouse and Restaurant
Statues of Children Golfing near the entrance
Bronze statues of children golfing near the entrance.
Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids Real Estate
Photos by Terry Westbrook
The Quail Crest Condo development is located west of Spaulding
and north of Burton Street in Cascade Township. There is also an
entrance off Spaulding Avenue and off Burton Street.
This condo development was started in the late 1980′s and continued
into the late 1990′s. The condos are spacious, with cathedral ceilings
and many have finished lower levels with extra bedrooms and baths.
This area has been very attractive for retirees, they are close
to all the local amenities and shopping.
Watermark Country Club, Forest Hills & 28th Street shopping are a
short distance away.
The miles of Cascade-Ada Bike/Walking Trail connects to
downtown Cascade.
Quail Crest Condos
Quail Crest Condo Residential Report -Jan 1 to June 9, 2008
0 Sold, 0 Pending, 6 For Sale
Address Price Status Sq Ft $/Sq Ft DOM
2246 Hummingbird Ct 178,450 For Sale 1380 129.31 110
2350 Bob White Ct 169,900 For Sale 1410 120.49 51
2252 Hummingbird Ct 189,000 For Sale 1294 146.05 100
5104 S Quail Crest Dr 198,000 For Sale 1200 165.00 60
4867 N Quail Crest Dr 299,900 For Sale 1555 192.86 129
2168 Teal Ct 349,900 For Sale 1615 216.65 153
If you would like further information about Cascade Homes,
please contact your neighborhood specialist,
toll free at 1-888-240-1968 ext 1 Terry Westbrook.com
Terry Westbrook - Five Star Real Estate
Copyright 2008 All rights reserved
Crystal Springs Development in Caledonia, Michigan is a large, residential
suburban housing development that was started in the late 1980′s and
most construction was finished in the 1990′s although some newer homes
have been built since 2000. There are also a few vacant lots left to develop.
This development covers a large area around the Crystal Springs Golf Course
grounds south of 68th Street to 72nd Street and encompassing Kalamazoo
Avenue on the east and west. This development has single family homes and
condos, many located right on the Crystal Springs Golf Course. (See related
article on the acquisition of Crystal Springs Golf Club)
The public school system is Kentwood, even though the address is Caledonia.
Crystal Springs is close to the shopping plaza at 68th and Kalamazoo,
Kentwood High School, and a short hop to M-6, which is the south beltline
for the Greater Grand Rapids area connecting US 131 on the west and I96 on
the east side of the city.
August 2008 Real Estate
Residential Market Report
28 For Sale, 4 Pending, 11 Sold
Address Price Sq Ft $/Sq Ft DOM
FOR SALE:
1481 Crystal Valley 299,900 2270 132.11 13
1588 Crystalline Dr 119,900 1620 74.01 117
6958 Fairway Vista 169,900 1504 112.96 124
7535 Barn Swallow Ct 169,900 1516 112.07 80
2078 Eaststone St 179,900 1924 93.50 46
1931 Hollow Creek 184,900 2000 92.45 132
6950 Kalamazoo 189,900 1765 107.59 111
7450 Missoula 197,440 2736 72.16 48
6892 Crystal View 199,900 1714 116.62 47
1634 Sweet Grass 199,900 2000 99.95 125
2026 Blackmountain 219,000 2112 103.69 171
1424 Silver Springs 219,900 2544 86.43 56
7041 Dale Hollow 224,900 2172 103.54 146
7211 Meadowgrass 229,900 2164 106.23 103
1563 Old Lantern Ct 234,900 2402 97.79 189
1460 Crystal Valley 239,000 2652 90.12 55
7320 Old Lantern 249,900 2016 123.95 7
1845 Hollow Creek 249,900 2000 124.95 62
7277 Misty Morning 259,900 2270 114.49 132
7272 Misty Morning 275,000 2386 115.25 121
7036 Crystal View 279,000 1683 165.77 111
7368 Old Lantern 279,900 2390 117.11 131
7394 Old Lantern 289,000 3100 93.22 10
7387 Old Lantern 289,900 2875 100.83 6
7451 Crystal View 299,900 2600 115.34 150
7096 Summit Hill 299,900 3022 99.23 94
7117 Crystal View 339,900 3414 99.56 98
7095 Crystal View 339,000 2555 132.68 56
7350 Old Lantern 349,900 3031 115.44 14
PENDING:
7222 Crystal Stone 155,900 1504 103.65 48
1361 68th St 237,500 1771 134.10 182
7429 Old Lantern Dr 324,900 3800 85.50 77
7350 Royal Ridge 379,876 3900 97.40 53
SOLD:
6950 Old Lantern Dr 145,100 2671 54.32 6
2086 Eaststone 145,500 1644 88.50 46
2116 Glen Canyon 153,000 1368 111.84 47
7377 Misty View Ct 161,000 1407 114.42 104
1776 Spring Meadow 165,900 1592 104.20 102
7193 Meadowgrass 166,500 1536 108.39 30
7079 Old Lantern Dr 175,000 2135 81.96 8
7561 Barn Swallow 178,000 1189 149.70 88
7458 Misty View Ct 219,000 2112 103.69 36
7474 Old Lantern Dr 261,900 2500 104.76 40
7361 KingsCrossingCt 280,500 3220 87.11 71
1370 KingsCrossingDr 390,000 4954 78.72 105
490 homes have sold so far this year in the Kentwood
School District and the median price is $125,000.
If you would like additional information about Caledonia
or Kentwood Homes, please contact me at:
We went on a fact finding mission the other day to investigate the
new sign we had been driving by on Cascade Road, just south of
Burton Street in Cascade, Michigan. This area is having road
construction right now so it is not easy to spot new activity. The sign
was advertising The Villas of Cascade Condos.
Villas of Cascade Condos
The new condo development was originally a group of 4 three story
buildiings with rental units. As the units empty, the current developer
will tear each unit down to the studs and redo each to be a 2 bedroom
condo unit. The potential buyer has the option to pick colors, flooring,
and other options.
We took photos on our tour and spoke with the Project Manager, Duke
Gray, who was hosting an open house. They have done a very nice job
of rehabbing the model condo unit, as you can see by the pictures that
are shown below.
Living Room
Kitchen
Dining Area
Master Bedroom
Office-Bedroom
Each unit includes all appliances, including a LG all-in-one
Washer & Dryer, new furnace & air conditioning, standard
window treatments, and covered parking.
LG Washer-Dryer combo
The grounds and the driveway will be redone by
September 2008 for the Grand Opening.
Mezzanine and Terrace Level will include new 8 x 12 decks.
New Deck
Prices are very reasonable for the Cascade area:
Garden Level – $ 109,900 (Below Grade)
Mezzanine Level – $ 119,900 (Ground Level)
Terrace Level – $129,900 (Upper Level)
If you have any questions about Cascade Michigan Homes,
please contact me directly @ TerryWestbrook.com or 616-292-7263
Mr/Ms 2008 Seller, I would like to have a
heart-to-heart talk about selling your home.
I know you think real estate sales people are just out for a quick buck.
We want to put a bargain price on your home so it sells quickly which means
we get our commission check. Cha-ching!
This might be the scenario in some cases. Heck, there are bad apples in any
profession. I have been selling and listing homes for over 35 years and I have
seen a lot of sold homes and a lot of real estate professionals working in this
field. Most of them are nice people who make their living by listing homes
and trying to find homes for people to buy. We offer a service. It might not be
for everyone – not much is. We have a unique perspective. We work with lots
of people to sell their home and buyers buying homes.
We know your home is special to you – you live there!
Home Sweet Home
We are here to give you the market conditions for TODAY, whether either
of us likes it or not. We don’t decide the market conditions – wish we could.
We would be happy to have houses selling for close to what they are worth
and in 30-60 days. We would take that market any day.
BUT THAT ISN’T THE CASE TODAY!!
Seriously, I WOULD LIKE YOUR HOUSE TO SELL BUT I NEED YOUR HELP!
You need to listen to what I am telling you about the market in your area
and what homes are selling for. The home buyers today are able to get
more information than ever before. They know what the house down the
block sold for, they know that a foreclosure home sold in your area for
much less than the true value, and if you are desperate to sell, they can
take advantage of you. The average buyer would like nothing better than
for you to be in a desperate financial situation so they can get your home
at a bargain price.
The bottom line is: If you price your home correctly
AND have it in very good condition, it will sell.
Terry Westbrook – Five Star Real Estate – Copyright 2008 All rights reserved
Photo of Victorian Home Front Door Entrance by Bonnie Westbrook
