Investors in the last few years have been seeking out Pennfield Area Investment properties due to the townships close proximity to Battle Creek.  Pennfield is a township on the North side of Battle Creek, and has a Battle Creek mailing address, despite having its own municipal government.  At present there is no regulating authority for rental property in the township, which makes Pennfield Area Investment properties appealing.  One still has building code departments, but there is no rental registration required at this time.  Some of other aspects about Pennfield Area Investment properties that make the location appealing are the recent upgrades to the local high school and elementary school.  The new high school building opened just a few years ago.  This has made living in Pennfield... 09/27/2010

Horehound is a useful herb that grows well in Battle Creek, Michigan which is a zone 5 growing climate. The name ‘horehound' derives from the ‘Horus' the Egyptian god of sky and light.  In ancient times, herbalists prescribed horehound as a remedy for a variety of ailments, including fevers, malaria, rabid dog bites and even snake bites.  A native plant of Europe, it was introduced into North and South America and has thrived as a hardy perennial of the mint family.  It can become an invasive species if not controlled.  One of the more commonly known uses of horehound is its use in helping to relieve coughs and sore throats, as it is a natural combatant of phlegm and mucus in the bronchial lungs.  Horehound is also an effective immune booster and quite nutritious containing vitamins A, ... 09/26/2010

With the crisp autumn chill in the air, nothing feels like fall to me more than Tomato picking time in Michigan.  I usually get my tomato plants in the ground on Memorial Day weekend and by late June or early July, I can start picking tomatoes daily.  My wife's favorite tomato is the Roma variety, and this year I indulged her and planted about a dozen of these plants along the side of our house.  It was the first time I had grown tomatoes in that location, having previously grown other plants, mostly peppers and herbs.  I was not sure if they would do well there, because I read in books that pepper plants take a lot of the similar nutrients from the soil as tomatoes, but I thought I would give it a try anyways.   It turned out to be quite successful, as you can see from my photos.  I ha... 09/26/2010

In our present day and age, the desire to know information on credit and credit repair constantly comes to bear upon a would-be home buyer when they are trying to qualify for a mortgage. It is a difficult subject to make light of, and laugh, but indeed I will try, as I hate getting too serious whenever financial institutions are involved.  So, you may have noticed I have employed some helpers in these blog photos to illustrate the key points. There is a great deal of information on credit and credit repair all over the internet these days, and many companies are capitalizing on this as a service industry in itself. Like any subject, there is always a learning curve, and the subject of credit and credit repair is no different. However, an individual can often accomplish a great deal of c... 09/24/2010

The Legacy Scholars program in Battle Creek was introduced in 2005 and made possible by a $4 Million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to provide a scholarship program for students in local high schools wanting to attend Kellogg Community College.  The program is available to students who attend Battle Creek Public Schools or the Lakeview School District from their sixth grade year through graduation.  Students who attend Pennfield, Harper Creek, or any other local private or charter schools are not eligible.  Approximately over 700 sixth graders are eligible for the Legacy Scholars program in Battle Creek every year.  Students are enrolled in the program as they enter 6th grade, and are nominated by caring adults in their lives, such as parents, guardians, teachers, coaches, pasto... 09/24/2010

Living on the North side of Battle Creek, Michigan offers a lot of quality living aspects in the city.  The homes are generally older, and there are many with architectural character that cannot be compared with other parts of the Battle Creek.  Living on the North side of Battle Creek makes one accessible to the Bailey park ball fields where you can see the Bombers play in the summer.  One is also close to the linear park and the historic downtown area.  There is also the fabulous YMCA center that is just slightly north of the downtown district.  All of these assets add up to a quality of life not found in other parts of the area.  The older classic homes offer those living on the North side of Battle Creek space and comfort not found in newer construction homes.  It is not uncommon to... 09/22/2010

If you live anywhere in America near a railroad, you have seen it.  Railroad Boxcar Graffiti.  Sitting at a railroad crossing, as you are thinking about how late you are going to be for your next appointment, as the train rumbles by, on and on displaying a kaleidoscope of intricate graffiti.  It is so common place; you may not even notice it.  Railroad Boxcar Graffiti, whether you call it art or vandalism, is as common a sight today on almost any passing train as boxcars themselves.  I have long been fascinated with railroad graffiti.  Up until recently I have not really had the right camera to capture images to write about, usually due to not having a fast enough camera and zoom.  It is not easy to photograph railroad graffiti, as the trains are moving, there is traffic and objects tha... 09/17/2010

There are changes coming to HUD home purchasing in Michigan that both first time home buyers and investors should take note of.  Under the current HUD home purchasing procedures, when a new HUD home comes on the market, it is made available to purchasing by owner occupant buyers only for the first ten days.  To qualify as an ‘Owner occupant buyer' one must be willing to occupy the house themselves for at least a year.  If they are not going to do that, then they do not qualify in this category of bidding.  The owner occupant certification form that a bidder must sign if their offer is accepted reads clearly:  "Warning: Falsifying information on this or any other form of the Department of Housing and Urban Development is a felony. It is punishable by a fine not to exceed $250,000 and/or ... 09/17/2010

"I want to buy a home in Battle Creek!" is usually the first decision that is made by the would-be home buyer.  Sometimes this decision of ‘I want to buy a home in Battle Creek!' comes after years of renting, or apartment life.  Living in an apartment complex often means that you have to put up with things your neighbors do on the other side of the wall, whether you like it or not.  Noises such as ‘vibrations', ‘loud music', ‘thumping', ‘stomping', ‘fighting', ‘yelling', ‘flushing', etc.  all become a part of apartment life.  Then after a chain of such experiences, one ultimately comes to the conclusion that owning your own place would help you escape from all that.  Thus the conclusion ‘I want to buy a home in Battle Creek!' will pop into your universe, and the quest begins on how to a... 09/13/2010

As a REALTOR® in the Calhoun County, Michigan area, I have had a great deal of interaction with numerous homeowners experiencing the foreclosure process.  I have put together a list of twelve common causes of foreclosures I have seen in my area.  I firmly believe in the old saying: ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure'.  With knowing which paths lead to foreclosure, it is easier to take effective action if one finds themselves plodding down such a trail.  From this one can put together a plan to prevent themselves from ever being at risk. Although there can be many reasons for someone losing their home to foreclosure, here is my list of the twelve common causes of foreclosure I have encountered: 1) Loss of a job, without an alternative income source in place is one of the mo... 09/13/2010

How does a Realtor help you with finding the right home in Battle Creek?  Finding the right home in Battle Creek requires that you first identify what is important to you about a home.  Making a list of what is most important is a key, so that when a Realtor searches properties for you in the area, they can pull homes that are available for sale that fit most of the characteristics you are looking for. Here is a list of some of the things you might consider in finding the right home in Battle Creek: What school district do you want to be in, or is that important to you? What area of town, North, South, East or West, or does that matter? Do you want a garage? How about a basement? How many bedrooms? How many bathrooms? What about land?  Do you want acreage or does that matter? What about... 09/07/2010

This is a commentary about your future financial health Mr., Ms or Mrs 'Average American'.  In our American consumption based economic environment it is all too easy to go astray on ones finances.  One of the greatest omissions in our school systems today is the fundamentals of managing one's own finances.  Too often priorities become inverted, altered or at best poorly executed in determining the best plan of action on personal finances. This does not paint a very rosy picture of anyone's future financial health. A lack of basic financial common sense has led to many of the foreclosed homes we see on the Real Estate market today.  When you come across foreclosure notices in a newspaper, have you ever wondered what was at the root of all of these disturbing losses? The missing financial... 09/07/2010

Buying a home is easy in Battle Creek, Michigan.  Many first time home buyers come to me with the look of utter uncertainty about how they would ever go about it.  Becoming a home owner seems to consist of so many unknowns, that they do not know where to begin.  A recent example of a young lady that contacted me through my website at: www.michaeldelaware.com was of the same idea.  She filled out one of my information forms on the website, and forwarded it to me.  I received it and called her within a half hour of her having sent it to me.  After a short conversation with me, she soon began to believe that buying a home is easy in Battle Creek, Michigan.  Here is the timeline on how I worked with her to make her see that buying a home is easy in Battle Creek.  She contacted me through th... 09/06/2010

Getting ready to sell your home in Battle Creek, Michigan can be a daunting task for some, as they do not know where to begin.  The first and most important step is to work with a local Realtor that knows the market area.  Getting ready to sell your home in Battle Creek may mean that you have your Realtor come out and walk through the house with you.  Sometimes making minor repairs may mean a world of difference in a home selling quickly, and some times of repairs may be unnecessary as well.  So taking time to have someone who is knowledgeable in presenting property for sale on the market in your area can be a very important first step.  Another key point in getting ready to sell your home in Battle Creek is pricing the home right for the market values in the area.  Pricing a house too ... 09/06/2010

Moving from renting to owning your own home in Battle Creek, Michigan is as simple and easy as any other city in Michigan.  If you have good credit, and have been employed at your same job for at least two years or more, and you are renting, you should seriously consider becoming a homeowner.  There are lots of advantages to owning your own home, the primary advantage being it will save you money.  Moving from renting to owning your own home in Battle Creek often reduces your monthly cost of living by as much as 25%, if you work with a knowledgeable Realtor who knows the area.  It is important to work with a Realtor when moving from renting to owning your own home in Battle Creek, as your Realtor will be able to help you look at all aspects of your property purchase from everything from... 09/06/2010

When looking for resources for Battle Creek Real Estate, you are likely to come across many conglomerate hodge-podge websites touting ‘foreclosures' and ‘bank owned properties' etc.  Buyers and investors need to be aware that these websites usually eventually ask for money to be your resource for Battle Creek Real Estate, and yet the information they carry is not always accurate, so it can be misleading.  By far the best resources for Battle Creek Real Estate is through your own local Realtor, who can set you up for free automatic emails for properties in the Southwest Michigan area that conform to what characteristics you are looking for.  For example, if you contact me through my website at: www.michaeldelaware.com, you can fill out a website form there and it emails directly to me, a... 09/05/2010

Buying HUD homes in Battle Creek, Michigan is the same for all over the State.  There are certain key things to know about HUD homes in Battle Creek, Michigan especially however. To begin, all HUD homes in Battle Creek, and all over Michigan, when they are offered for sale, are open to bidding by ‘Owner Occupants' for the first ten days, and HUD will not consider any bids from investors during that time.  When bidding in the Owner Occupant period, if successful, you must occupy the home for at least 12 months as your personal residence.  There are stiff penalties for violating this rule, including imprisonment and heavy fines.  So keep that in mind when bidding on HUD homes in Battle Creek, Michigan or anywhere. The bids are entered my means of a website through a Realtor, and during th... 09/02/2010

HUD homes (HUD stands for ‘Housing and Urban Development) are a different type of foreclosure, but a foreclosure nonetheless.  There is always strong interest in buying HUD homes in Michigan.  I have people call me specifically to find out about only ‘HUD homes'.  When I ask them why, they usually answer with the most surprising responses.  ‘I have heard they are the best deals', ‘I heard they have programs where you can take over the payments' and ‘My uncle says he buys them all the time without a Realtor, so it is cheaper...'  All of these myths are false.  Yes, buying HUD Homes in Michigan often result in good deals, but are they the best?  No, I have found that this is not always the case.  There can be great deals in buying HUD Homes in Michigan, but standard bank foreclosures are ... 09/02/2010

Have you ever kissed a Giraffe?  You can in Battle Creek, Michigan!  That's right, you can march right on down to the Binder Park Zoo and stroll down the wooden walkways, and brick paths to your destiny!  Take the tram ride to Wild Africa, and get off at the African village and continue following the paths... I kid you not!  Yes! That is the way you go!  When you follow the wooden walkways, you will arrive at where you can kiss a giraffe if you choose!  I will warn you, they will probably give you some tongue. In fact, their tongues are long and gray, which are not very appealing.  However, they are sticky, and make for a big yucky kiss!  So ask yourself, have you ever kissed a giraffe?  I know the impulse is there.  Some of you reading this are throwing your hands up in the air, and sc... 08/31/2010

One of the great things about living in Battle Creek, Michigan is you get to experience the Cereal City Sweetness.  What is the Cereal City Sweetness?  Well, since we are home to three of the largest cereal manufacturing companies in the world: Kellogg's, Post and Ralston, we get to smell it in the air!  That is right, some cities can only boast that they smell slaughterhouses, smog and burning, but we can smell cereal being made.  Until you live here, it is hard to explain.  My first experience was in 2001, when I was searching for a place to live here in town.  I was with some friends, and we suddenly were overwhelmed with the smell in the air of cinnamon!  It was unexplainable at first, and then we connected the dots and realized we smelled a breeze from one of the factories.  Cereal... 08/30/2010