My Blog

Why is the White Lake area such an amazing place to live?

The White Lake area consists of the cities of Whitehall and Montague. Located right on Lake Michigan, where you can go for amazing beach days, hikes, and stunning sunsets. This area is filled with a great community, amazing places to eat, and endless activities for any time of the year.

We will start with the food. There are options for whatever you are feeling. A very highly rated place is Pekadill's. They have amazing soups and sandwiches in a wide variety. If your eating in, we suggest the garden seating. The tables are ampily spaced with a winding path, lush flower beds, and beautiful pergolas. Here is a link to their website: https://www.pekadills.net/

Another great place to go is Lipka's Old Fashion Soda Fountain. This place will bring you back to the 1950s. Here, you will find a soda fountain from 1878 that is still in use, making ice cream treats more decadent. They also serve from a daily menu a variety of house sandwiches, soups, and salads. You can check out their daily menu on their facebook page, we provided you the link: https://www.facebook.com/lipkasmi/

A great place to sit down and have some dinner is the Old Channel Inn in Montague. They serve burgers and sandwiches, with many delicious desserts to get after your meal. This restaurant is a great place to take the family or go for a cozy night out. You can view their menu on their facebook: https://m.facebook.com/OldChannelInn/

There is always something going on, or something to do in the White Lake area, or somewhere nearby.

For instance, you could attend the annual Cruizn where classic cars drive through Whitehall and Montague. This event happens during the summer each year and hundreds of people come to watch.

You could also travel a little noth and visit Double J. Here, you will find so many activities on its own. One of the favorites however is the water park. This is a great activity for any time of the year, but especially winter. The water park holds West Michigans tallest indoor waterslide. You can check out their website here: https://doublejj.com/

A great way to see the beauty of the state is on the water. WaterDog Outfitters offers kayak and paddleboard rentals. Take a trip on the water to see some wildlife, or you could go in the evening to catch an amazing sunset on the water. You can travel over 12 miles of the White Lake shore, or travel down the White River watershed. Take a look on what this company offers on their website: http://water-dog.com/

The White Lake area is filled with so much nature and places to site see, a great way to see everything is by hiking. A great place to do so is at Duck Lake State Park. There is over 728 acres along Lake Michigan, filled with many hiking trails. You could also explore the sand dunes at Duck Lake.

There are many quaint little places to stay while visiting the White Lake area. You could try the historical Bed and Breakfast like the Cocoa Cottage, Lewis House, or White Swan. Or try out the amenities that the Weathervane Inn has to offer

• https://cocoacottage.com/

• https://thelewishousemi.com/

• https://www.whiteswaninn.com/

• https://theweathervaneinn.net/

   

Overall, the White Lake area offers the quaint hometown feel with daytime adventures and night time fun.

Yard Clean Up

Now that the snow is melted our lawns are beginning to show, and they probably have taken quite the beating this winter. It's time to tidy them up, and give your yard a needed makeover. On a nice sunny day you could spend some time outside in the sunshine just taking care of the simple things in your yard. Such as picking up any dead leaves or branches. This helps to strengthen your lawn by allowing the sun to reach the grass, and it helps to prevent mold, bacteria, pests and weeds. You could do this by hand if you want to spend more time outdoors,
but if you have somewhere you need to be, you could use a lawnmower with a catch
bag to speed up the process.

Another way to prepare your yard for the upcoming spring is by pruning
your flowers if you have any. There are many benefits of pruning. These include maintaining plant health, controlling the size of the plants, and maintaining its shape. The best time to prune summer flowering shrubs
is February-April. For spring shrubs and hedges the best time is June-July. When it gets to August-December pruning could lead to stimulation of new growth that may not have enough time to mature. Pruning is a very important part of plant health, so don't wait too long to get
your garden ready!

Home Upkeep Session Two

As the warmer weather begins to creep up on us and the snow melts away,
you may notice your gutters are filled with pine needles and leaves. Now
is the perfect time to clean the junk out of them. If the debris stays in
your gutter, it will make it difficult to handle the showers that spring brings
along. To clean them out yourself, you will need a ladder, something
to scoop with, gloves, and a hose. You will start by just taking out the
debris with your hands, or the scoop. When you finish, you will flush
your gutters out to make sure they are all prepared for when it rains.
While you are up there cleaning out your gutter, take a minute to
check your roof out. Are there any missing shingles? Maybe some rust
or cracks on the roof. This is another job you may want to put on your
spring to do list. These are just some ideas to keep your home safe, and
looking sharp.

Spring Maintenance
As we transition from winter to spring, there is much work that needs to be done to our homes. Some things you may want to look into, are checking up on you HVAC systems, and your chimneys. It's a great idea to get your heating and cooling systems checked out, in case there is any damage. Or if it it just time to get it cleaned. The filters should be changed at least twice a year. Also, you don't want to forget about your chimney, even though it's an easy thing to slip your mind. Your fireplace can carry many harmful gasses, which are not healthy for you to be breathing in. It is always smart to get it cleaned, just to be safe!

       2. Declutter and clean out. Packing never starts to soon. By organizing and cleaning your home becomes a place that buyers are able to see as their new space. Sometimes your agent will recommend someone who can guide you in the process of this. It can definitely be an overwhelming task for some. Reach out to Megan Anderson at Savvy Surroundings for the best organizational ideas. Or better yet have her do it for you!

    5. Repairs can pay off. Doing the repairs now with make your home more valuable and buyers will look at it as a ' move in ready home'. This puts you a step ahead.

    6. Attracting a buyer. Open the drapes, and blinds. Make sure all interior doors are open as well. This will help to make the spaces more welcoming for viewers. Ensure that the home smells clean and fresh, and not from an air freshener.

    7. Always be ready for a showing. Sometimes it can be the next day or in 5 minutes. It's good to always have a plan in these cases.

Hello everyone!
We, here at RE/MAX by the Water, decided to create this wonderful blog page for all of you. It will contain helpful information about in all aspects of buying and selling a home. Also, we will provide helpful tips and tricks with home maintenance, and improvements. We are excited to join this journey with all of you and hopefully provided insightful along the way. Stay tuned and check back next week for our first informative segment.