Zoning Board approves lift on Burt Lake bluff property

http://www.cheboygannews.com/article/20140306/NEWS/140309450
-From cheboygannews.com

• Thomas Preston from High Bank Trams will be installing a power lift elevator at the Eric Freedman residence to help the property owners enjoy their property more easily.

  The Cheboygan County Zoning Board of Appeals, ZBA, approved a 5.2-foot side setback variance for the elevator, which is located in a Lake and Stream Protection zoning district, at 7604 W. M-68 in Tuscarora Township.

  “We’re trying to install an elevator outside the setback,” Preston said. “The need to install this elevator is due not to laziness or status, but for a mother and mother-in-law with both knee and hip replacements, and a son-in-law who is a leg amputee, to enjoy the property, as they cannot get down the stairs easily. The mother and mother-in-law don’t even go down, currently.”

  Preston said he wants to install the incline elevator within the side setback distance, which is currently 8 feet, at the top side of the bluff on Burt Lake. The elevator will slope down the hill in a northwesterly direction, bringing it out of the setback distance after traveling roughly 10 feet.

  “So, we are not requesting to be within the setback the entire distance down the hill, just right at the top,” Preston said. “The need for the variance is to put the elevator in the only location on the bluff where there is not a retaining wall.”

  According to Preston, the other side of the property is being used for a stairway, which is where the other opening in the retaining wall is located. Therefore, the proposed location for the elevator is the only one which would work without having to remove retaining walls or trees, risking erosion.

  The retaining wall was put in during construction of the home to retain the bank from eroding the foundation, because it was put close to the bluff. Preston does not want to jeopardize the integrity of the wall by taking portions of it away

  If Preston were to comply with current side setback requirements, it would require removal of three very large trees. The removal of these trees also would potentially jeopardize the integrity of the retaining wall, due to their root base.

  “The three-tree cluster is right at the end of the retaining wall,” Preston said. “We’re looking to go on the right side of the trees.”

  Preston said they would be installing the elevator at an angle to avoid being in the setback distance the entire length of the elevator. The northwesterly direction brings them out of the setback zone and also saves additional trees down the bluff.

  “These elevators are very eye-appealing and short of the carriage are constructed with a skeleton-like appearance, lying very close to the ground in the setback zone. By running it at this angle, we will make it less visible to the neighbors on the east side of the property, which is the setback side,” said Preston.

An icon is no more

The arch bridge over the Indian River is now landfill, torn apart then dropped into a barge floating below.
The dismantling began November 28th with the scheduled reopening sometime in April. Let's all hope the progress goes as planned so boating season is not compromised. And my commute returns to 2 minutes.

Burt Lake SandBar. GPS: 45.478700, -84.705920

Boating around Burt Lake and the Inland Waterway is a wonderful way to spend a summer day.
There is a sand bar on the northwest corner of the lake where my family and many others park our boat and hang out in the fun.  There is every size boat from new to old anchored in.  We put out the WaterMat, grab a football and play for hours.  One nice feature of this area is that it is adjacent to many acres of land owned by the State of Michigan so we disturb no one on shore.
If you are out and about on a sunny Sunday afternoon and see the "My teaM" boat anchored, stop by and say hello.  If you don't know where the sand bar is, set your GPS for  45.478700, -84.705920

Chocolate Milk Gives Athletes Leg-up After Exercise

My sports medicine background still has a special place in my heart as does my beloved University of Michigan. Mike Barwis is the former strength and conditioning coach at Michigan.  He touted chocolate milk as a more effective way to replenish the body after his legendary "to failure" workouts.

Chocolate Milk Gives Athletes Leg-up After Exercise, Says University of Texas at Austin Study

June 22, 2011

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AUSTIN, Texas — Not only does chocolate milk taste good, but two recent studies from The University of Texas at Austin show that it’s also the ideal post-workout recovery drink.

"Serious and amateur athletes alike enjoyed physical recovery benefits when they drank low-fat chocolate milk after a vigorous workout," said Dr. John Ivy, lead researcher on the studies and chair of The University of Texas at Austin College of Education’s Department of Kinesiology and Health Education. "The advantages for the study participants were better body composition in the form of more muscle and less fat, improved times while working out and overall better physical shape than peers who consumed sports beverages that just contained carbohydrates."

Ivy is a nationally renowned sports nutrition expert who established the importance of post-exercise nutrition to athletes' physical performance and recovery, as well as the timing of nutrition intake, and authored the groundbreaking book "Nutrient Timing."

In his two recent, related studies, Ivy and his research team compared the recovery benefits of drinking low-fat chocolate milk after exercise to the effects of a carbohydrate beverage with the same ingredients and calories as typical sports drinks as well as to a calorie-free beverage.

After riding a bike for 90 minutes at moderate intensity, then for 10 minutes of high intensity intervals, 10 trained cyclists had significantly more power and rode faster (reduced their ride time by an average of six minutes) when they consumed low-fat chocolate milk rather than a carbohydrate sports drink or calorie-free beverage.

Compared to the other recovery drinks, chocolate milk drinkers had twice the improvement in maximal oxygen uptake after four and a half weeks of cycling, which included intense exercise five days a week, with each exercise session followed by one of the three recovery beverages. Maximal oxygen uptake is one indicator of an athlete's aerobic endurance and ability to perform sustained exercise. The study included 32 healthy, amateur male and female cyclists.

Ivy's research also revealed that low-fat chocolate milk drinkers built more muscle and shaved off more fat during training, ending up with a three-pound lean muscle advantage after four and a half weeks of training as compared to study participants who consumed a carbohydrate drink. This study also included 32 healthy, amateur male and female cyclists who rode for one hour, five days a week, and drank one of the three recovery beverages immediately following and one hour after the bout of exercise.

"We don’t yet understand exactly what mechanism is causing low-fat chocolate milk to give athletes these advantages — that will take more research," said Ivy, "but there's something in the naturally-occurring protein and carbohydrate mix that offers significant benefits."

Ivy notes that a three-minute recovery window after exercise, for people of all fitness levels, is as important as the nutrition supplement that's consumed.

For more information, contact: Kay Randall, Office of Public Affairs, 512 232 3910.

Homestead Exemption Applications

Proration Legislation up in Senate Finance Committee

Legislation has been re-introduced this legislative session to provide much needed property tax relief to Michigan homebuyers. Senate Bill 349, introduced by Senator Dave Hildenbrand (R-Lowell) allows buyers to take advantage of the Principal Residence Exemption even if they purchase a home after the May 1st filing deadline.

Under current law, homeowners may file a principal residence exemption on their primary home in Michigan. This exemption provides significant tax relief to those citizens that choose to call this state “home.” In order to claim this exemption, one must file the principal residence affidavit with their local government by May 1st. Buyers purchasing homes after the May 1st deadline, are hit with up to an additional 18 mills of non-homestead property taxes until the following year. This additional property tax burden is standing in the way of new homeownership and otherwise taxing those people that have declared Michigan their home, though they purchased after the deadline.

This legislation has become particularly important since “non principal residence” properties, specifically foreclosures, have flooded Michigan’s real estate market in recent years. The current situation prices buyers out of homes by forcing them to qualify for a mortgage at the higher tax rate. Those buyers that are able to purchase after May 1st are consequently stuck with a significant tax burden for the remainder of the year despite making that new purchase their principal residence. This bill would alleviate some of that pressure by prorating the tax liability for those who purchase a home after May 1st.

The legislation is up for consideration this week in the Senate Finance committee. We will keep you updated as this bill makes its way through the legislative process.

Wind Storm Today

The waves on Burt Lake were as large as I have seen on a bright, blue sky, sunny day. The poor dock struggled with high water levels and intense winds gusting over 45mph according to intellicast.com.

ORV Ride and Business After Hours

ORV Ride and Business After Hours

The Indian River Chamber of Commerce Ambassador’s, would like to invite you to an organized ORV ride and Business After Hours (BAH), this Saturday, May 14th, at the Black Mountain Lodge

Bring your ATV, motorcycle or ORV and enjoy the trails surrounding the Black Mountain Lodge at 1pm (or rent one from IRSC; please call ahead for rental information: 231.333.3600)  IRSC will also have sport utility vehicles on site for test driving.

A special lunch menu will be available at the Black Mountain Lodge!!

You do not have to participate in the ORV ride to attend the BAH, you may join us for wonderful tastings from the Black Mountain Lodge from 3pm to 5pm.

BAH is $5 per member and $10 per not yet member.  (There is no additional charge to participate in the ride)

Please RSVP with the Chamber 238-9325 or reply to this email with your info.

Record Rainfall in Northern Michigan

The local rivers filled up the boat wells and pressed to the top of the seawalls.  I have never seen the river this high.
Both the Sturgeon River and Little Sturgeon River overflowed it's banks in some unprotected areas.

The 3 day storm dumped over 4" of rain on Indian River.

The Weather Man Got It Right...Unfortunately

Captain's Log. Star Date April 20, 2011...

This must be some SciFi episode because it snowed 5" last night.

The accumulation would have been greater but it rained as well.

Even the summer toys are snow covered.

More soon...

Is it really April 19th?

Forecast today is snow.  Yes snow.  Accumulation of 6"-10".

More tomorrow.  Oh my.........

There is an App for that.

I have been in New York for Spring Break with my family so I haven't posted in a while. While traveling, I tested a variety of real estate apps for my iPhone and my wife's Droid. I freely admit I am 100% converted to the iPhone from my years as a Blackberry guy. The iPhone really is amazing. I used the Zillow and Coldwell Banker apps for looking at home prices during our east coast adventure. It was amazing to press the locate button then suddenly have all available listings pop up on the map. It works great in northern Michigan as well. One touch and you have detailed information about the property with full color photos. Then you call me and tell me which homes we are going to look at!

To download the Zillow.com app for your smartphone:
http://www.zillow.com/mobile/

For the Coldwell Banker Apps:
iPhone: http://itunes.apple.com/app/coldwell-banker-real-estate/id325309137?mt=8
iPad: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/coldwell-banker-real-estate/id424003485?mt=8&ls=1
Android: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.coldwellbanker.android.v2&feature=search_result

This video explains the features of the Coldwell Banker iPad App

Vacation- and Investment-Home Shares Hold Even in 2010

I edited this article allowing it to specifically address vacation homes. Click on the link above for the full article.
billy


The market share of vacation- and investment-home sales1 held steady in 2010, although the sales volume declined with the overall market, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

NAR’s 2011 Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey, covering existing- and new-home transactions in 2010, shows vacation-home sales accounted for 10 percent of transactions last year while the portion of investment sales was 17 percent, both unchanged from 2009.

All-cash purchases have become prevalent in the second-home market in recent years: 59 percent of investment buyers paid cash in 2010, as did 36 percent of vacation-home buyers.

With an overall decline in home sales during 2010, the volume of 543,000 vacation-home sales was down 1.8 percent from 553,000 in 2009. Primary residence sales declined 5.6 percent to 3.81 million from 4.04 million in 2009.

The median vacation-home price was $150,000 in 2010, down 11.2 percent from $169,000 in 2009. By contrast, the median primary residence price declined a relatively modest 4.5 percent to $176,700 last year from $185,000 in 2009.

The typical vacation-home buyer in 2010 was 49 years old, had a median household income of $99,500 and purchased a property that was a median distance of 375 miles from his or her primary residence; 31 percent of vacation homes were within 100 miles and 41 percent were more than 500 miles.

“Even if purchases are delayed due to economic circumstances, the underlying long-term demand – the desire for purchasing second homes – remains because people in their 30s and 40s will reach the prime age for buying and will drive the second-home market in coming decades as conditions permit,” Yun added.

Currently, 40.7 million people in the U.S. are ages 50-59 – a group that dominated sales in the first part of the past decade and established records for second-home sales. An additional 43.8 million people are now in the primary buying demographic of 40-49 years old, while another 40.4 million are 30-39.

Lifestyle factors continue to be the primary motivation for vacation-home buyers, with the desire for rental income driving investment purchases. Vacation homes were more likely to be located in a rural area, while investment homes were more likely to be in a suburban location.

“Vacation-home buyers want the property for their own personal use, with 84 percent saying the primary reason for buying was to use for vacations or as a family retreat,” Yun said.

Thirty-four percent of vacation-home buyers said they plan to use the property as a primary residence in the future. Vacation-home buyers plan to keep their property for a median of 13 years.

Business After Hours at the Indian River Golf Club

Fun Golf Scramble Business After Hours

Call and reserve your spot now!

The Indian River Chamber of Commerce Ambassador’s, Indian River Physical Therapy, Coldwell Banker and Burt Lake Marina would like to invite you to a "Fun Golf Scramble" Business After Hours (BAH), Thursday, May 12th, at the Indian River Golf Club, beginning at 5:30. Tee off @ 6:00pm; playing until 7:30pm when the appetizers will be ready. 
Join us for games, prizes and fun on the course followed by wonderful hors d'oeuvres and networking, afterwards in the Clubhouse.

BAH is $10 per member and $15 per not yet member.
(There is no additional charge to golf)
There are limited spaces, so Please RSVP early with the Chamber at 238-9325.

Spring Skiing in Northern Michigan

Spring skiing is my favorite.  Perfectly groomed slopes. Warmer, sunny days. And I think it is fair to say the lines at the chair lift are short.

Survey: Vacation Home Market on the Rebound

The following article provides secondary verification to what I have been saying for some time.  The noirthern Michigan vacation home market is ceertainly making a return but buyers are cautious.  They are willing to take a little less if they can spend less thus decreasing the overall investment and therefore risk.  I property with 200' of waterfrontage used to be a hot commodity but the 100' lot is now acceptable in trade for a lower cost.  Everybody still wants a vacation home but how much of a vacation home has changed.  The important factor to remember is that vacation homes are about lifestyle and family.  As one client said to me, "You can't take your kids up north to your stock options.- billy

http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/survey-vacation-home-market-rebound
After several years of negative trends in the real estate industry, finally a sign of life: A market study just out by a Stuart real estate marketing firm shows budding consumer confidence in the second- or vacation-home market.

"It's no exaggeration to say that four years ago -- unless you count commercial buyers grabbing up ultra-cheap foreclosures -- the second-home market was dead as a doornail," said Rolly Marsh, a market analyst with Washington, D.C.-based National Association of Realtors.

The good news comes via the third annual Cotton Report, which reports a polling of more than 800 participants on housing preferences, motivating factors, pricing levels and timelines for purchase. It included participants from 39 states, Canada, Europe and Latin America.

While no direct correlation was made to the harsh winter temperatures, the research survey did point to a significant increase in the number of homebuyers looking to buy a vacation home -- in fact, a year-over-year increase of 800 percent.

This trend is further supported by an increase in the number of buyers describing their transition as "a geographic relocation." Over the three years the study has been conducted, there has been a continuous trend toward smaller homes. The most popular size? It's now between 1,700 and 2,299 square feet. Homes ranging from 1,000 to 1,699 square feet saw an increase of 5 percent in interest levels from 2010 to 2011.

The Cotton Report also shows signs that pricing levels have adjusted to meet consumer expectations.

In 2009, respondents indicated the need for a 50 percent price reduction in order to re-enter the market. In the 2011 survey, this level of price reduction has changed dramatically, down to 20 percent.

"The second-home market is improving, more orderly and more predictable," the NAR's Marsh told Sunshine State News on Friday. "The bad economy and real estate decline of 2006 to 2008 in particular weeded out the speculators. Now we have second-home buyers who buy homes to live in them. Most aren't purchasing for a quick turnover.

"Buyers are returning cautiously, buying smaller and smarter," said Marsh.

The Cotton Report, an annual consumer report, is compiled by Cotton & Co., a 28-year old firm specializing in the marketing and sales of residential real estate throughout the United States and the Caribbean.

Says Stephann Cotton, the firm’s president, “The adjustment of pricing to realistic levels has brought buyers and sellers closer together. These price adjustments combined with the brutal winter up North have resulted in strong sales in many of our resort residential properties.”
The future of the 30-year mortgage is still up in the air, Cotton acknowledges, but the survey indicates that even though 36 percent of the respondents plan to finance their purchase with a 30-year mortgage, an equal 36 percent plan to pay with cash. The rest are opting for a 15-year loan.
“One of the most dramatic changes in buyer psychology was seen in the responses from those who are uninterested in a real estate purchase,” says Laurie Andrews, Cotton & Co.’s COO. In 2010, 96 percent of these respondents cited economic conditions or political instability as the reason for not purchasing. In 2011, the number was cut in half, with 46 percent of the respondents saying they now have no desire to move.
“These results show buyers are beginning to separate the home buying process from the economic instability,” Andrews said.

Spring or Winter...Wait a Day

One day it looks like February then next it looks like April all in the month of March. Hopefully this is our March "Coming in like a Lion". These photos are of the "GreenDock" on the Indian River which connects Burt Lake and Mullett Lake.

Wine Tasting at Sage in the Odawa Casino

If you are looking for a fun afternoon activity while up north, this wine tasting a nice alternative.
Wine tastings take place every Saturday with the next one Saturday, March 5th, from 3:00pm to 4:30pm. The cost $10.00 per person. For more information - 231-439-6100
www.odawacasino.com

Fishing in Burt Lake

I helped Joe find his cottage on Burt Lake.  He knew I was great then  . . . now I am his hero!   lol

Haul your gear onto the lake.

 Set up your stuff

Catch a Bunch of Fish 

What the frack? US natural gas drilling method contaminates water?

I try to include positive things in my blog but I have a responsibililty to comment when things are not as they may seem.  I can't help but believe this is one of those situations.  Protection comes from education and action.  Whatever your opinion, please take the time to make it an informed one. The honest answer is I haven't yet made a determination for myself but the items in this chart can't be good for our water and environment. - Billy

A controversial new method of natural-gas drilling, embraced rapidly across the US, has contaminated water supplies with radioactive waste, according to an investigation by the New York Times. The paper said internal documents from the Environmental Protection Agency and state regulators showed that the dangers to the public from the drilling method – hydraulic fracturing – were greater than previously understood.

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, uses huge volumes of water, chemicals and sand injected into rock at high pressure to release natural gas. Its development has unleashed a natural gas boom in the US and around the world. But the NYT said the waste water contained dangerously high levels of radioactivity. It was being sent to treatment plants that were not designed to deal with or being discharged into rivers that supply drinking water.

The NYT said its main findings included:
• More than 1.3bn gallons of waste water was produced by Pennsylvania wells over the past three years, far more than has been previously disclosed. Most of this water – enough to cover Manhattan in three inches – was sent to treatment plants not equipped to remove many of the toxic materials in drilling waste.

• At least 12 sewage treatment plants in three states accepted gas industry waste water and discharged waste that was only partly treated into rivers, lakes and streams.

• Of more than 179 wells producing waste water with high levels of radiation, at least 116 reported levels of radium or other radioactive materials 100 times as high as the levels set by federal drinking-water standards. At least 15 wells produced waste water carrying more than 1,000 times the amount of radioactive elements considered acceptable.

The investigation comes amid growing concern about the potential dangers of natural gas drilling as it spreads from western states to the more densely populated north-east. The investigative website ProPublica has published an extensive series on the threats to water supplies from hydraulic fracturing. It has also raised doubts about whether natural gas can indeed offer a solution to climate change, noting that the mining process is extremely energy and water intensive.

The dangers of natural gas drilling were also the subject of a gritty documentary, Gasland, which was nominated for an Academy Award. The film's director , Josh Fox, told the Guardian: "All these things are starting to add up in a very clear picture of a massive failure to protect public health."

Hartwick Pines to Host Three Snowshoe-Lacing Workshops

Hartwick Pines State Park near Grayling is hosting three two-day snowshoe-lacing workshops Feb. 26 and 27. This is your chance to lace your own pair of snowshoes. All three workshops will be held at the Michigan Forest Visitor Center at Hartwick Pines. The workshop fee is $180, which includes all materials and equipment needed to make one pair of Ojibwe-style snowshoes with a pointed toe and pointed heel. Class size is limited and reservations are required. To make a reservation, call Theresa Neal at 906-492-3415. For more information about the workshops, including photos, go online to www.michigan.gov/dnrevisitorcenters and click on Tahquamenon Falls State Park.