Turtle Lake Cottage

Turtle Lake Cottage
It is official - LEED PLATINUM CERTIFIED!!

Monday, September 20, 2010

How Jack and Barbara came to own property on Turtle Lake

Hi family and friends!

This is the first posting to our blog where we will chronicle the building journey of Jack and Barbara's Turtle Lake home.

Jack uncovered this little gem in November of 2008.  While in Traverse City MI on business, he happened to stop at Loon Lake Realty.  The agent, Heather and Jack started chatting and she said she had a few properties that might meet the requirements he set forth.  We weren't actually in the buying mode, just keeping our eyes open.  Heather took Jack to Turtle Lake and they walked the property, he in dress shoes and Heather in boots.  It was November in Northern Michigan....there was SNOW....lots of it.  Jack liked the site and told Heather, he would arrange to bring his wife, me up to see the property.

Jack came home and told me about this property and that I needed to come with him the following weekend to see it.  I said I'd like to see it, but couldn't we wait until we returned from our trip to Spain and Portugal.  Our youngest son, Patrick, did a study abroad in Seville, Spain and we were to visit him starting the following Wednesday for 2 weeks.  I was busy getting ready for the trip and couldn't be bothered to go up north and look at property.

However, Jack was quite convincing, the next I know we are sitting at the boat launch on Turtle Lake...in my Prius... waiting for Heather.  She arrives and we pile in her HUGE pick-up truck and motor along in the snow to the other side of the lake.  Heather says the roads are not plowed like they are "down state", they just wait for a good layer of snow and then it gets compacted.  "Oh lovely", says I.  Heather then suggests that we all put on snowshoes to properly see the property.  Jack declines and I say, "what the hell", and strap on the snow shoes.

Heather was right, snow shoes were the best way to see how beautiful the site was.  A 3 story staircase down to the lake and dock had already been built.  I fell in love with the site and both of us immediately felt "this was the one".

We came home back "down state" where our road is plowed.  After much discussion, we decided to make  an offer.  I still wanted to wait until we came back from our trip, but Jack felt we would be in a better negotiating position to do it before.

Now fast forward to the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and we have to drive to Chicago for a 6:00pm flight to Madrid.  1 hour before we were to leave, Jack faxed our offer to Heather.  Off we go and the negotiations began.  3 hours and many phone calls later, we were pulling into the parking lot for O'Hare, we were the proud owners of 1 acre and 150 ft of lake frontage on Turtle Lake, Inland Township, Beulah Michigan.

5 comments:

  1. We're so excited for you both and REALLY appreciate you sharing your journey as you go for the gold. DYI and HGTV eat your hearts out!!!!!

    Tom and Kris

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great blog; beautiful property. You'll get lots of exercise going up and down all those stairs!!!Love,
    Eileen

    ReplyDelete
  3. i love this- i can see the progression and get educated too

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi guys,

    Wow! gorgeous property. I love that area! Good to hear from you and see that you are doing well and loving life. Congrats on the home and I am excited to see more!

    Michele Tabor

    ReplyDelete
  5. The fall colors are really lovely!!
    Eileen

    ReplyDelete