Zillow Talk

Andy Stireman, a longtime Traverse City real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Schmidt Realtors, neatly sums up the various opinions expressed about Zillow in two short sentences.“Consumers love it, so I love it,” Stireman said. “But it’s not perfect.”

Seattle-based Zillow is firmly established as the nation’s most popular …

"So Busy," Downtown Living, Low Inventory – Local realtors talk

Ask just about any real estate agent around town how business is this spring - they'll barely have time to answer. April came in like a lion for local realtors – new listings are overwhelmed with showings, sellers are getting asking price (or more) and "days on market" has turned …

Lake Loving – Buying, Selling On Northern Michigan's "Most Beautiful" Lake

Camille Campbell grew up near Rapid River, spending many summers boating, beaching and making memories on Torch Lake. Today, she sells the Torch Lake cache as one of the many regional realtors specializing in ‘up north’ properties.

Torch Lake, 17 miles northeast of Traverse City, is consistently a highly sought-after …

The Second Home Market – Healthy, And Only Getting Healthier

Near Northport there is a luxury house along the sandy Grand Traverse Bay shoreline listed for $1.38 million, which recently hosted a flurry of interested buyers and basically serves as an economic barometer for up-and-coming real estate professional Aric Browning.

“We are getting a lot of baby boomers and it’s …

Newsmakers: People On The Move

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Travis. T. Beynon of SWA Insurance in Traverse City was recently awarded his CAWC (Certified Authority on Workers’ Compensation) designation through The Accident Fund Insurance Company of America. The CAWC designation provides an in depth review of workers’ compensation principles and incorporates real life situations that can benefit …

Incentive Programs Help Employers Grow Qualified Workforce

Though the Michigan unemployment rate has been trending downward, it remains relatively high at 5.6 percent. At his January 2015 State of the State address, Governor Rick Snyder identified workforce talent as “the new currency of economic growth.” Since noting a few years ago that employers’ needs and worker skills …

Northwestern Michigan College's University Center: 20 Years Of Higher Ed

In an era of Face Time, Skype, streaming video, instant messaging and constant online access via smart phone, tablet or laptop, it’s hard to remember a time when communication - and access to educational resources – weren't just a few keystrokes away.

Yet, during the early 1990s, "distance learning" was …

Book Review: Entrepreneurial StrengthsFinder by Jim Clifton

176 pgs.

Hardcover $21.95, eBook edition $16.49

In a Nutshell – We go to great lengths to find our musical prodigies and five-star athletes. Why not do the same for those with the best chances to grow a successful business?

Who’s it for? – Aspiring entrepreneurs, business owners, school administrators, …

Briefly: Big News In A Small Format

TRAVERSE REPRO BUYS COPY CENTRAL

Traverse Reproduction & Supply, a leader in wide-format printing and imaging in northern Michigan, has acquired Copy Central in Traverse City.

“Copy Central is a strong company that holds a special place in this community,” said Traverse Reproduction & Supply President Sean Skarshaug. “We look …

DBAs

BENZIE COUNTY

B & J TECHNOLOGIES, PO Box 545, 5739 Benzie Hwy, Benzonia, Bruce McCormak

BUTTER BING, PO Box 30, 1815 Lamerson Lane, Interlochen, Ingrid Andrews

CAL SERVICES, 5412 Pratt Rd, Lake Ann, Chris Arthur Lawrence

CRAIG’S SALVAGE, 8308 Hoadley Road, Benzonia, Craig Stoops

CRYSTAL LAKE HOSTEL, 7388 Commercial St., …

Distractions Do Not Long-Term Solutions Make

“Divide and rule, the politician cries;

Unite and lead, is watchword of the wise.”

– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German author and statesman

There are a vast number of structural and operational challenges facing our local communities, the state of Michigan and our great nation – some of the same …

Of Sharks and Inspiration

I like to watch ABC’s "Shark Tank." It’s a day brightener, even while viewing at night. "Shark Tank" is an unapologetic salute to capitalism and the American way. Each week a few brave entrepreneurs enter the Tank trying to convince the multimillionaire Sharks to invest in their business. The Sharks, …

Video Tours Latest Real Estate Photography Trend

The real estate market in the Grand Traverse area is most definitely on the upswing with several agents reporting more closings in the the first quarter of 2015 than in years past. With residential property sales on the increase, and with a slew of new realtors entering the field, brokers …

Newcomer No More

Realtor Tom Krause knows about failing and starting over.

After a tough divorce and moving north to Traverse City to be closer to his son, his new life was met with a bumpy beginning.

"I had been doing real estate in the Flint area and took a real bad hit …