Moving to Battle Creek, Michigan?  Are you moving to Battle Creek, Michigan and you don't know where to start looking for a home?  Perhaps you just want to get familiar with the City, and learn the lay of the land, so to speak?  Well, I thought I would offer some help to those moving to Battle Creek, Michigan in terms of getting to know our community.  We have some great hotels in the area, mostly along Beckley Road.  Those would be the ones I would land in, if I were moving to Battle Creek.  We have a great downtown, complete with the ‘Full Blast' entertainment center for kids, shops, parks, rivers and lakes.  Real Estate is quite affordable, and you will find that you can get quite a lot of house for your money here.  Moving to Battle Creek usually inspires people to look into the sch... 07/30/2010

As homebuyer, you might want to be considering a home warranty plan in Battle Creek, Michigan before you close on your home. There are several home warranty plans in Battle Creek on the market, and some are worth their value, and others are not.  With some bank owned properties, there is a new $1100 ‘Homesteps Warranty' that you may come across.  When it comes to home warranties in Battle Creek, Michigan or anywhere else, this is an extremely over-priced product, with little or no value once purchased.  I came across this home warranty plan in Battle Creek about a year ago, and the bank insisted on paying for it, for the buyers.  The sellers kept insisting the buyers received this in the contract as a concession from the seller.  The buyers kept requesting to remove it from the contract... 07/30/2010

Selling Battle Creek MI homes... Whenever you are looking at selling Battle Creek MI homes, you are well advised to seek out a Realtor that knows the marketplace, and is familiar with the pride of ownership of the neighborhoods.  Some homes have more of a challenge than others in selling.  It is important for any prospective seller to realize that selling Battle Creek MI Homes means you need to do more than just put a sign in the yard, and wait for a call from your Realtor.  As the homeowner, you have a role in the process too.  To be successful at selling your Battle Creek MI homes, you need to be aware of your responsibility in the process too.  Some important things to remember is that you need to keep your home clean and presentable.  Selling Battle Creek MI homes requires sometimes... 07/29/2010

I have been sold on Battle Creek, Michigan for almost a decade now.  Being sold on Battle Creek, Michigan is not a new idea, nor is it an old one.  Battle Creek offers a lot as a City of approximately 50,000+ people.  It is not a large city, but if you survey nationally, Battle Creek is the best known City of its size in the USA.  Many people are sold on Battle Creek, Michigan through over their breakfast table each morning, as the top three manufacturers of cereal reside here: Kellogg's, Post and Ralston.  There are many local people, who are sold on Battle Creek as well, obviously, or they would not be here.  I think being ‘sold on Battle Creek' is more than just a metaphor, or a cute line to include in advertising.  No, being sold on Battle Creek is more of a spiritual thing.  When y... 07/28/2010

Irving Park in Battle Creek, Michigan... Irving Park in Battle Creek, Michigan may as well be called ‘waterfowl' park as it hosts a large ensemble of geese, ducks, sea gulls and other birds.  Irving Park in Battle Creek is located at the corner of North Avenue and Emmett Street, across from the hospital.  Irving Park in Battle Creek is a small park with a small parking lot, but it boasts a large lake and fountain which is just the perfect community environment for our feathered friends.  Not by any means the largest park in the area, or perhaps the most well known, but Irving Park in Battle Creek is a place favored by locals.  Irving Park is close to town, and a great refuge for hospital employees, and the nearby students of Kellogg Community College.  Both are within walking distance, ... 07/28/2010

Finding Open Houses in Battle Creek, Michigan  If one is interested in finding Open Houses in Battle Creek, Michigan where do you start?  Many can be found advertised in the Battle Creek Enquirer on Sunday.  Others come out in a weekly paper called the Battle Creek Shopper.  Finding Open Houses in Battle Creek, Michigan can also be accomplished by just driving around neighborhoods of interest on a Sunday afternoon, which is when most open houses are held. Finding Open Houses in Battle Creek, Michigan can be done on the internet as well.  Some people do not know where to look online for these, but the easiest is through the ‘Southwest Michigan Regional Information Center' which is the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) in our area.  They have a convenient public access side to the webs... 07/27/2010

BUYING A HOME IN BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN... Are you thinking about buying a home in Battle Creek, Michigan?  It is a great community to live in, without the large noise that comes with a big city.  At nights we hear trains going through our town, and in the summer we have balloons crossing our skies.  Throughout your time here, you will smell cereal at some point being made at one of the local factories of Kellogg, Post or Ralston.  The city has beautiful parks, rivers, churches, and is all in all a great community of people. Buying a home in Battle Creek, Michigan is not unlike other parts of the country.  For first time home buyers, it is always an adventure.  Points to remember when buying a home in Battle Creek, Michigan are as follows: • If you are not buying the home for cash, you ... 07/26/2010

Not many communities can boast having a river in their downtown area.  There are two rivers in downtown Battle Creek, Michigan.  The city was originally founded as a milling community, as these two rivers were the draw for the founding of a city.  The Rivers in downtown Battle Creek consist of the ‘Battle Creek River' and the ‘Kalamazoo River' which pass through the heart of the City.  Beautiful walking paths have been established along these rivers, and there is even a very long biking, running and walking trail called the ‘Linear Path'.  One can go to the rivers in downtown Battle Creek, and find Clara's, an old train station converted into a fine dining restaurant.  The tracks are gone, but the river is still there, with a beautiful cobblestone dining area to enjoy.  There is also ‘F... 07/26/2010

Looking for a Battle Creek Michigan Realtor? If you are looking for a Battle Creek Michigan Realtor, you found one.  I have sold many hundreds of homes in the Battle Creek, and surrounding area and I know the market.  Whether you are looking for a Battle Creek Michigan Realtor that can show you investment properties, your first home in the area, or need help for a family member, I have the pulse of the area.  I am very active in my local Board of Realtors, and was recently elected as the incoming President of the Board of the Battle Creek Area Association of Realtors in 2011.  So if you are looking for a Battle Creek Michigan Realtor that knows not only the climate, but knows other Realtors in the area very well, and can help you negotiate the best deal for you, you have found him.  I k... 07/26/2010

Selling a Home in Battle Creek, Michigan There is always a challenge in selling a home in any market in the country these days.  The influx of foreclosures nationwide in recent years has effected every market, including selling a home in Battle Creek, Michigan.  In our area, there has been a severe increase in foreclosures since around the mid 2000's.  One could debate cause, and everyone has an opinion on what was the driving influence, but nonetheless selling a home in Battle Creek these days is a challenge because of this climate.  Here are seven basic tips that I can offer sellers to make selling a home in Battle Creek a little easier, and might offer an advantage over the competition: 1)      Cleanliness is next to godliness.  When you are trying to improve your chances of selling ... 07/26/2010

Relocating to Battle Creek, Michigan... If you are planning a move from where you live, and have on your horizon plans on relocating to Battle Creek, Michigan it is always helpful to do some online research into our beautiful city before you arrive.  For one, it is a growing community, despite what you may hear in negative press about Michigan and its economy.  The Kellogg Company is expanding their corporate training center and also their food research center in downtown.  The Federal Center, which is one of America's largest military administration logistics complexes, is always relocating people to Battle Creek, Michigan. Another group that is relocating executives and employees to the community is the new Firekeepers Casino, which employs several hundred people in the area.  Automot... 07/25/2010

Let's Talk About Battle Creek Area Investment Properties... The search for Battle Creek Area investment properties is becoming a challenging and competitive market.  There is always a demand for rental properties, and many investors as they pull funds out of 401K's and the stock market are seeking out Battle Creek Area Investment properties. The main reason is the inexpensive price range.  One can get started investing for often under $25000 in most areas. Trying to get a grasp on which areas of town will give you the best return on Battle Creek Area Investment Properties, it is important to know school districts, job concentrations, and highway accessibility as well as township lines, etc.  This viewpoint takes development over time, and comes with experience as one works with properti... 07/24/2010

Buying Your First Home with Financing in Battle Creek  So often I speak with a new First time home buyer, and they want to know what they need to qualify for to buy a home using financing in Battle Creek.  What does one need buying your first home with financing in Battle Creek?  To begin, one must take the concept of lending back to its basics. One is asking someone to loan them money, and in this case, a sizeable sum of money, in return for payment back of the funds with interest.  It is an age old concept, called ‘leverage' where one uses money other than one's own in order to make a larger purchase.  One then pays back the loan, and ultimately owns a valuable asset. Buying your first home with financing in Battle Creek usually require a potential buyer meet certain criteria for a le... 07/24/2010

I wanted to offer some advice for first time home buyers in Battle Creek, Michigan.  In our area, there is a high level of foreclosures in the marketplace.  This often inspires first time potential home buyers to consider the prospect of becoming a homeowner and taking advantage of the deals that are available on discounted properties.  There are certain basics one has to have in place when buying your first home, which many prospective buyers omit before starting their search.  So I thought I would offer some advice for first time home buyers in Battle Creek, to help you achieve your goal of homeownership. How will you buy the home?  First time home buyers need to get this answered as the beginning step.  It is surprisingly a step that many skip.  It is imperative to get this one answe... 07/24/2010

Open Houses in Battle Creek, Michigan can be found advertised in locations online and in print.  The main local paper that publishes advertising for open houses in Battle Creek is in the Battle Creek Enquirer, and these advertisements come out on Sunday.  Open Houses in Battle Creek are also searchable online as well.  I had a meeting with some people just this morning and they were mentioning that they did not know where to refer people to online to find local open houses in Battle Creek, so I thought I would put this blog entry together and share the information. ‘The Southwest Michigan Regional Information Center' is the name of the local multiple listing service (MLS) in our area.  They have a convenient public access side to the website which allows visitors to search for open hous... 07/20/2010

Where would cereal be without the spoon?  Have you ever given that much thought?  The cereal industry is what boomed the town I live in, and many attribute it to the success of Kellogg and Post, and other companies.  I attribute it to the spoon.  Cereal would be no where as a product unless someone had invented the spoon.  One can even go so far as to say the entire dairy industry would be half its present size, if man had not invented to spoon to carry milk and cereal to the eaters mouth.  What about Raisin Bran?  Are not ‘Two Scoops' really two big spoons?  So, where would cereal be without the spoon? What is its history? The earliest northern European spoon would seem to have been a chip or splinter of wood; Greek references point to the early and natural use of shells, such as those... 07/19/2010

Balloons were passing over our house on the morning of July 3rd.  It all started as my wife and I were preparing our morning coffee and I glanced into the dining room and saw an unusual sight.  The sun was shining in, and then the room went suddenly dark, and then light again as if something huge just passed in front of the sun!  I recognized it immediately: Balloons were passing over our house!  I immediately grabbed my camera and ran outside, and sure enough, balloons were passing over our house!  Very cool!  We have a park across from our house, so I went to the park and started taking photos as they passed over the park, feeling kind of bad that I missed getting a shot of the balloons passing over our house.  Then, as the balloons I was looking at were traveling Eastward, I heard fr... 07/03/2010

I call this post ‘Welcome Summer to Michigan'.  Today I came across a snow shovel in the garage.  I paused for a moment, and tried to picture my driveway the way it looked not too long ago in 5 feet of blizzard thick snow.  Welcome Summer to Michigan!  I weeded and tilled my garden last weekend.  I planted my seeds of radishes, squash and zucchini.  Welcome Summer to Michigan!  I missed you!  I bought some tomato cages for my tomato plants.  Great big ones, in anticipation of a huge harvest for my salsa this year.  Welcome Summer to Michigan!  I had to close the window when the lawn mower people came to mow my lawn, to keep out the cloud of dust and clippings from coming inside.  Welcome Summer to Michigan!  I went to a local baseball game last week, and also watched little league ball ... 06/23/2010

The Mill Race Fountain in downtown Battle Creek is a popular local attraction.  It symbolizes a rich history of milling that founded the City in the early 1800's.  When pioneer Sands McCamly first visited Battle Creek around 1830, he discovered that the confluence of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo river in what is now downtown Battle Creek, was the ideal spot to build a mill race.  What is a mill race?  A mill race is essentially a man-made channel between two rivers or bodies of water, ideally with one body of water on a slightly higher plain than the other (as in the two rivers in downtown Battle Creek).  The channel then drives water down it between the two rivers, and makes for a perfect environment for building mills along the channel with larger mill wheels to grind grain, straw, ... 06/19/2010

Tony the Tiger, you are my hero...  You adorned my cereal box when I was a little kid growing up in Phoenix Arizona.   I would stare at you before I went to school each morning, and wondered what life was like living near you in Battle Creek, Michigan.    Tony the Tiger, you are my hero... You always said things were ‘Greeaaatttt!!!' and I believed you, even if I had a math test that morning.  Somehow Tony, you made even that alright.  You evolved throughout the years, for sure, but you were always the same Tony.  Tony the Tiger, you are my hero... I saw you on T.V. as well.  Everyone knew you then.  You always saved the day with Frosted Flakes.  Somehow when you appeared on the scene in the Saturday morning commercial, it all made sense.  Mom just needed to buy more Frosted Flakes, and... 06/15/2010